Nissan used the ongoing CES show in Las-Vegas as an opportunity to showcase its new all-electric hatchback called the Nissan Leaf e+. The vehicle packs an improved traction battery rated at 62 kWh and can cover up to 364 kilometers (226 miles) on a single charge, as opposed to just 243 km (150 mi) of the old Leaf.
While the new battery has the same weight and physical dimensions as its predecessor, it has a 25% higher power density.
Aside from the new battery, the Nissan Leaf e+ packs a stronger engine. While the old engine was only good for 150 hp (112 kW) and 320 Nm (236 lbft) of torque, the new one offers 218 hp (163 kW) and 340 Nm (251 lbft). The car can now accelerate up to 158 km/h (98 mph) and takes 13% less time to sprint 0-80 km/h and 0-120 km/h (0-50 mph and 0-75 mph, respectively).
Available options include a sat-nav system complete with advanced route mapping, on-the-go map updates and a smartphone sync function, and a new multimedia unit that recognizes swiping and scrolling gestures.
Photo: insideevs.com