Nissan LEAF e+ launches in Australia

The long-awaited 2021 Nissan LEAF e+ is launching in Australia this week, handing the battery-electric five-door hatchback improved performance and a longer range.

The Nissan LEAF e+ has been available in other markets for a couple of years, following its debut at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas back in January 2019.

Six months later, at the Australian launch of the second-generation Nissan LEAF, local execs confirmed to carsales that the LEAF e+ would be made available here, but it has taken almost two years for that to happen.

Pricing and local specifications remain under wraps for now, but it’s no secret that the 2021 Nissan LEAF e+ draws its power from a 62kWh battery, rather than the 40kWh battery of the standard LEAF – a 55 per cent increase in capacity.

According to ADR 81/02 figures published by the Australian Green Vehicle Guide, the Nissan LEAF e+ offers a range of up to 450km, rather than the 315km range of the 40kWh LEAF.

That is a substantial improvement, outgunning the LEAF’s closest competitor, the Hyundai IONIQ (373km).

The electric motor powering the LEAF e+ has also been upgraded, with power and torque now up around 160kW and 340Nm, a gain of 50kW and 20Nm over the standard LEAF.

However, the added performance is diminished slightly by the extra weight of the LEAF e+, which is 142kg heavier, based on numbers from the federal government – 1736kg versus 1594kg for the standard LEAF.

The LEAF e+ arrives in Australia just ahead of new EVs from marketplace competitors – including the Hyundai IONIQ 5 and Kia Niro EV.

Stay tuned for further details, including our review, of the 2021 Nissan LEAF e+ when the embargo lifts on April 29.