If you like to see what a true electric car superhero looks like, then you’re looking at the new 2020 Nissan Leaf. now I know, it doesn’t look as hot as some of those other high-end Evs. but that the Nissan Leaf is a small car with very big ideas. do you want some numbers? well since it was launched back in 2010, the leaf has sold more than 400,000 units.
That is a lot of units. it’s probably something to do with the fact that the leaf is a very practical little hatchback for a relatively reasonable cost. rather than anything specialist and expensive. 5 doors, 5 seats, a decent boot. you don’t need to be a rocket scientist to work out what the leaf is supposed to be. and you don’t need to adjust very far for it to fit into your lifestyle whatever that lifestyle might be.
What’s new in 2020 Nissan Leaf
This is version 2 of the Nissan Leaf. the new Leaf has been restyled both interior and the exterior. it’s more angular than before. sharper with what seems to be a fairly polarizing sense of style. some people seem to love it and others well they think that the people who designed the front of the car didn’t necessarily have a great working relationship with the people who designed the back. but the Nissan Leaf isn’t about dominating fashion week. it’s more about the practical. and it has evolved.
Battery, Performance, and Range
To go with the new look, the new Nissan Leaf 2020 now comes with 2 battery sizes.
- 40 kWh battery model – 168 miles
- 60 kWh battery model – 239 miles
The standard 40 kWh battery is good for around 168 miles of range and provides 147 BHP motor output, 236 lb.ft of torque. and the biggest 62 kWh called the Leaf e Plus does up to 239 miles and 215 BHP motor output, 250 lb.ft of torque. they’re respectable figures, mainly thanks to two things. a better battery and a much more efficient inverter.
The inverter is the device that controls and manages the power moving from the battery to the electric motor. if you can make that cleverer. you get improvements in important stuff like range and performance.
2020 Nissan Leaf all trims specs
LEAF S
- Safety Shield 360
- Nissan Intelligent Key
- e-Pedal
- 40 kWh Battery
- 147 Horsepower
- 236 lb.ft of Torque
LEAF SV
- NissanConnect EV with Navigation & Services
- Apple CarPlay® & Android Auto
- Voice Guided Navigation
- 40 kWh Battery
- 147 Horsepower
- 236 lb.ft of Torque
LEAF S PLUS
- Quick Charge Port and Portable Charge Cable (120V/240V EVSE)
- Intelligent Forward Collision Warning
- 62 kWh Battery
- 214 Horsepower
- 250 lb.ft of Torque
LEAF SV PLUS
- Nissan Door to Door Navigation
- NissanConnect EV Services with Remote Start Charge and Climate Control
- 17″ Alloy Wheels
- 62 kWh Battery
- 214 Horsepower
- 250 lb.ft of Torque
LEAF SL PLUS
- ProPILOT Assist
- Intelligent Around View® Monitor
- Leather-appointed seating + Bose premium audio
- 62 kWh Battery
- 214 Horsepower
- 250 lb.ft of Torque
Driving is much better than you think in the new Leaf. it might not be a sports car. but as with all EVs, the Leaf has got plenty of getting up and go. especially when accelerating from a standstill.
Acceleration
The Leaf S plus, the bigger more powerful battery. and it’ll go from 0-60 mph in about 7.1 seconds. that’s as fast as a warm hatch. and because the extra motor doesn’t need to change gears it is completely seamless.
Handling
It’s set up to be easy to drive which it is. but don’t expect much in the way of you know absolute satisfaction. even with what Nissan calls Intelligent Trace Control. where it breaks individual wheels to smooth out the cornering. driving around these corners well there’s a fair bit of lean. yes, and it’s not exactly super precise. if you want something genuinely exciting to drive. then you’re going to have to head to more expensive. less general machinery.
Improved Regenerative Braking
But you know what that’s not to say it’s not engaging to potter around. Nissan’s got this thing called the e-pedal system now this is a fun one. most electric cars have some sort of brake regeneration that’s when the car retrieves some of the energy usually lost during braking to stick back into the battery. but the leaf has a neat system that turns this into a true one pedal car.
You set the level of regeneration as the little toggle down in the dashboard panel. and then as soon as you lift off the throttle, a light drag, almost as if you’ve changed down a gear. on a normal manual or strong progressive braking to a standstill like coming to a junction.
Once you’re used to it you really can drive the leaf using just the throttle. you can gauge how far ahead you need to lift off. to get the right amount of brake regen to stop you. it’s good for efficiency good for range and also quite good fun. though yes, I probably do need to get out more.
Hardware
The hardware than is all proven improved and generally excellent and once you get in it’s all built very nicely. but it does retain the slight feeling that it’s not worth 30 plus grand. it’s comfy. honestly but not exactly show-stopping.
Safety
If you look past that there’s plenty of kits even on the lower-spec cars and an absolute ton of gear on the more expensive one. stuff like pro pilot which will keep you in lane break and accelerate and keep your set distance from the car in front. and pro pilot park which will park the car at the press of a button. there are also various things called intelligence from Intelligent Emergency Braking to similarly clever cruise and lane control.
There’s door-to-door navigation which can also work out how best to get to a charge point when you’re out and about. apple car play and android auto. 360-degree parking cameras, traffic sign recognition link to the cruise control, blind-spot warning, cross-traffic alert, etc. you name it the leaf can have it.
Add to that a top marks 5 stars in the Euro NCAP crash safety tests and you’ll realize there’s a lot of techs packed into this little car and it all works.
Charging
The Nissan has also made changes to the way the 2020 Leaf charges, and it’s noticeably faster on its standard-fit CHAdeMO charger. both versions can top-up from a 3-pin wall socket. and they come equipped with the necessary cable as standard. taking 21 hours for the small 40 kWh battery, and 32 hours for the big 62 kWh battery model.
Stick either on a proper home charging unit, and those numbers drop to an overnight-friendly 7.5 hours for the 40 kWh battery, and 11.5 hours for the 62 kWh battery.
an on-the-go, a 50 kW public charger can charge your Leaf to 80% will take just 1 hour for the 40 kWh, and 90 minutes for the 62 kWh battery model.
Final Thoughts
So that’s the deal with the new 2020 Nissan Leaf. this is a very rounded small electric hatchback. it just makes sense the reason I think they’ve probably been so popular is. because you have to make very few compromises to have a pure electric car in the household. as a commuter car or even for traveling many further distances. it just makes sense.
I know loads of people that have driven thousands of miles in these things. and rarely had a big problem. The Leaf isn’t the cheapest small EV out in the market. and it is going to get an awful lot of competition soon. but at the moment, it offers this nice mix of practicality, fast charging, and convenience for the price.
You may also like to read: Hyundai Ioniq 2020 Electric – Eager What’s New?
