Nissan Leaf was the first and most popular electric car in the world. However, with the arrival of stronger competitors, its advantages were neutralized.
When the first generation Nissan Leaf hit the market in 2010, it was a breakthrough. Inexpensive, with great style, it was a true reflection of future electric cars. In addition, the Leaf appeared 18 months before Elon Musk presented the Tesla Model S.
However, it still didn’t sell very well in the US, selling less than 175,000 units. Although it cost there at the same level as a car with an internal combustion engine – about 25 thousand dollars. It was from America that a lot of Nissan Leaf got to Ukraine, which made it the most popular electric car on our market.
Among the reasons for its low popularity in the world and the USA are not very good acceleration dynamics and a small range (compared to Tesla, for example). And more modern electric cars have a range of up to 450 and even 800 kilometers. Instead, even the second-generation Leaf of 2022 provides approximately 360 kilometers with an increased battery and only 230 in the basic configuration.
There are other reasons to ‘bury’ the first mass electric car. Most car manufacturers are now electrifying their entire model range, meaning that all the models they produce have electric versions. Therefore, the Japanese manufacturer no longer needs a ‘separate’ electric model.
In addition, crossovers dominate the market, and Nissan has the latest electric crossover Aria, which the company has high hopes for. So there was no place in the model range for the good old Leaf at Nissan. So, there may not be a next generation of this car.
