When we attended the recent Los Angeles Auto Show, we were supposed to get the big presentation of the new extended-range version of the Nissan LEAF. A force majeure event changed the plan for the E-Plus, however. Nissan decided it did not want to be presenting one of its bigger new models of the year in the shadow of Nissan-Renault Alliance chairman Carlos Ghosn’s arrest.
Even while we were still at the LA show, rumours started to swirl regarding the new reveal date for the LEAF E-Plus (its name is not official yet but nearly confirmed). It appears the model will show itself publicly at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas.
An internal source at Nissan confirmed that the model will make its way in early January to CES; the same source said that the E-Plus name is a go.
The new version of the popular LEAF will get a larger-capacity battery (64 kWh vs 40 kWh), increasing estimated range to 340-350 km. Power will also get a boost, to the equivalent of 200 hp. Visually the E-Plus will be identical to its regular version, with the exception of special badging.
We’ll have to wait for CES to learn more details about the battery pack, and more specifically about the cooling system, which won’t be using liquid. Stay tuned…
It’s expected that the LEAF E-Plus will go to market in the spring in Europe, followed by a North American debut in the summer. The question then will be whether, with the arrival of longer-range electric vehicles like the Hyundai Kona on the market, Nissan waited too long.