Nissan Leaf finally gets more range

The 2019 Leaf Plus has a longer driving range and provides quicker acceleration than its platform-sharing counterpart, the second-generation Leaf, thanks to a higher-output motor and additional battery cells. Nissan's most-powerful electric car yet claims a 226 mi (321 km) driving range, outpacing the standard Leaf's 150 mi (241-km) driving range. The Leaf Plus is in league with other longer-range EVs, including the Chevrolet Bolt, Hyundai Kona and Tesla Model 3.

All Leaf models (first introduced in MY2011) package lithium-ion batteries under the floor between the axles. “The key engineering challenge for us was adding 50% more battery capacity into an existing packaging space,” said Nathan Herbrandson, North American program development manager for the Leaf, during a recent Leaf Plus media intro in southern California. The Leaf's 40-kW·h battery pack has two layers of modules (192 cells), while the Leaf Plus's 62-kWh pack has three layers of modules (288 cells).