The Nissan Leaf Electric (Hatchback): The Complete Electric Car Buying Guide For India

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Electric Cars: The Basics

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For those of you new to zero-emission electric driving, we recommend a read of the following articles:

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The Nissan Leaf Electric Hatchback

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Nissan Motor Corporation, a leading player in the global automotive sector is headquartered in Yokohama, Japan. The company is well known for leading automotive brands, to include: Nissan, Infiniti and Datsun. Nissan currently retains a strong presence in a number of global markets. Some of these include: North America, China, Russia and Mexico.

Nissan launched its first battery-electric vehicle (BEV), the Nissan Altra in 1997. In 2020, the company launched the best-selling all-electric Nissan Leaf. The Leaf BEV’s role in the development of the modern electric car industry has been significant. By 2014, the Leaf electric had a 45% market share of the global EV market, selling over 100,000 units. The company currently has the following battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs):

• All-electric Nissan Leaf (BEV)
• All-electric Nissan Ariya (BEV)
• All-electric Nissan Micra (BEV)

Nissan Motor Corporation, a leading player in the global automotive sector is headquartered in Japan. The company is well known for leading automotive brands, to include, Nissan, Infiniti and Datsun. In 1999, Nissan became part of the global Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance. The partnership makes these companies the 3rd largest automotive group in the world after Volkswagen and Toyota.

The Nissan Leaf, is one of the best-selling electric cars globally, with nearly 600,000 sold to date.  The BEV was first introduced in 2010 in Japan & the United States. The electric Leaf is now sold in over 59 markets across the globe. In fact, in celebration of the inaugural World EV Day (September 9th 2020), Nissan marked the production of the 500,000th Leaf. Europe remains the largest market for the plug-in electric Leaf, followed by the United States and Japan.   

It has the unique distinction of being the first mass-market electric car in the world.  Since its launch, the ubiquitous EV has won numerous prestigious awards, to include, the 2018 World Green Car at the New York International Auto Show for the second generation Leaf. The first generation Nissan Leaf won the 2011 World Car of the Year. In 2019, the Nissan Leaf was awarded the ‘Car of the Year’ in the Stuff Gadget Awards.

The latest generation of the Leaf has much to offer. The EV is available in two EV battery sizes: 39 kWh and 59 kWh (usable capacity). The choice of two EV battery sizes increases the potential customer base, as not every EV driver needs a large onboard EV battery and long electric range. Both battery sizes offer a useful and practical pure electric range.

The 39 kWh has a zero-emission electric range up to 270 km (WLTP), while the 59 kWh offers a range up to 385 km (WLTP). Even adjusting for real-world driving conditions, both options remain useful! For the 39 kWh expect a real-world emission-free e-range closer to 225 km, while for the larger battery, 320 km will be more realistic. More than adequate for city and motorway driving.

The Nissan EV incorporates a single-phase (6.6 KW AC) onboard charger. More than adequate for EV home charging in India, given that the majority of homes have single-phase power supply. The 39 kWh EV can be fully charged in 7 hours and 30 minutes using a dedicated residential EV charger like easee.

The 59 kWh can be full charged in 11 hours. Though the Nissan electric car can be charged via a domestic 3-PIN socket, we at e-zoomed discourage the use of a domestic socket to charge an electric car. It will take 21 hours to charge the 39 kWh battery and 31 hours to charge the 59 kWh battery.

We at e-zoomed recommend charging overnight when the electricity prices are lower. We also recommend charging on a regular basis. This way charging times are reduced and regular charging is good for the long-term maintenance of the onboard EV battery. Nissan offers a 8 years/ 160,000 km warranty for the EV battery.

The Nissan Leaf electric hatchback also offers DC charging capability. However, DC charging is limited to 50 kW, which is certainly not class-leading. Most of the more recent EV introductions offer DC charging capability at 100 kW DC and faster. Nevertheless, the Nissan EV can be charged reasonably fast. For the 39 kWh EV battery it will take up to 60 minutes to charge from 20% to 80%. For the 59 kWh it will take 90 minutes.

In terms of the exterior styling, though the Nissan Leaf has improved, it has retained a balanced mix between a traditional and futuristic design, enabling the EV to appeal to a wider consumer base. The EV has a host of safety features and technology to offer, depending on the trim chosen. Some of these include: ProPILOT, ProPILOT park, intelligent cruise control, intelligent lane intervention, blind spot intervention, lane departure warning, 8″ display screen, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, 7″ TFT screen combimeter and more. In terms of practicality, the EV offers 435 L boot space.

In terms of performance, the front-wheel drive Nissan Leaf (39kWh) achieves 0-100 km/h in 7.9 seconds (max power: 150 PS/ torque: 320 Nm). The 59 kWh variant is faster and achieves 0-100 km/h in 6.9 seconds (max power: 217 PS/ torque: 340 Nm). The 59 kW has a 157 km/h top speed compared to 144 km/h for the 39 kWh variant. The EV offers one-pedal driving (to include regenerative braking). Of course, the electric car also benefits from instant torque.

Bottom-line, electric driving is good for the environment and the wallet! The Nissan Leaf is not available in India.

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PROS	CONS
A good all-rounder and affordable electric car	DC charging limited to 50 kW
Two EV battery size options	Onboard charger limited to 6.6 kW AC
Decent electric range	Headroom for rear seats limited

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The All-Electric Nissan Leaf Hatchback (credit: Nissan)

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At A Glance
EV Type:	Battery-Electric Vehicle (BEV)
Body Type:	Hatchback
Engine:	Electric
Available In India:	No

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Trims (1 Option)
Nissan LEAF (Rs N/A)

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EV Battery & Emissions
EV Battery Type:	Lithium-ion
EV Battery Capacity:	Available in two battery sizes: 39 kWh/ 59 kWh (Usable Battery)
Charging:	50 kW DC Rapid Charging. Onboard charger: 6.6 kW AC
Charge Port:	Type 2
EV Cable Type:	Type 2
Tailpipe Emissions:	0g (CO2/km)
Battery Warranty:	8 years/ 160,000 km

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Charging Times (Overview)
Slow charging AC (3 kW – 3.6 kW):	6 – 12 hours (dependent on size of EV battery & SOC)
Fast charging AC (7 kW – 22 kW):	3 – 8 hours (dependent on size of EV battery & SoC)
Rapid charging AC (43 kW):	0-80%: 20 mins to 60 mins (dependent on size of EV battery & SoC)
Rapid charging DC (50 kW+):	0-80%: 20 mins to 60 mins (dependent on size of EV battery & SoC)
Ultra rapid charging DC (150 kW+):	0-80% : 20 mins to 40 mins (dependent on size of EV battery & SoC)
Tesla Supercharger (120 kW – 250 kW):	0-80%: up to 25 mins (dependent on size of EV battery & SoC)

• Note 1: SoC: state of charge

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Dimensions
Height (mm):	1540
Width (mm):	1788
Length (mm):	4490
Wheelbase (mm):	2700
Turning Circle (m):	10.8
Boot Space (L):	435

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Leaf 39 kWh
EV Battery Capacity:	39 kWh
Pure Electric Range (WLTP):	270 km
Electric Consumption (Wh/km):	171
Charging:	50 kW DC Rapid Charging (20% to 80%: 60 mins). Onboard charger: 6.6 kW AC (0%-100%: 7 hrs 30 mins)
Top Speed:	144 km/h
0-100 km/h:	7.9 seconds
Drive:	Front-wheel drive (FWD)
Electric Motor (kW):	110
Max Power (PS):	150
Torque (Nm):	320
Transmission:	Automatic
Seats:	5
Doors:	5
Kerb Weight (kg):	1,518 – 1,594
Colours:	10
NCAP Safety Rating:	Five-Star

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Leaf 59 kWh
EV Battery Capacity:	59 kWh
Pure Electric Range (WLTP):	385 km
Electric Consumption (Wh/km):	185
Charging:	50 kW DC Rapid Charging (20% to 80%: 90 mins). Onboard charger: 6.6 kW AC (0%-100%: 11 hrs)
Top Speed:	157 km/h
0-100 km/h:	6.9 seconds
Drive:	Front-wheel drive (FWD)
Electric Motor (kW):	160
Max Power (PS):	217
Torque (Nm):	340
Transmission:	Automatic
Seats:	5
Doors:	5
Kerb Weight (kg):	1,700 – 1,736
Colours:	10
NCAP Safety Rating:	Five-Star

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Buying EV Cables: Top 3 Tips

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When it comes to electric car charging cables, an astute electric car owner will focus on quality and performance over cheapest price. We encourage all EV owners to adopt a similar approach!

EV Cables: Top 3 Tips
Never buy cheap:	Not all EV charging cables are the same. It is simply false economy to try and save a few Rupees on buying a cheaper cable, when in all probability the EV you own is worth over Rs 50 Lakhs! Nor are we suggesting you buy the most expensive. There is always a balance between price and quality, and electric car charging cables are no different. The last thing you need is to have the EV charging cable stop working when you most need it. EV cables on the e-zoomed Electric Living Shop are made from TPU (Thermoplastic Polyurethane), a higher quality material that is extremely flexible, durable and smooth to touch.
The shortest length is never the best choice:	A number of customers seek the shortest length (2m EV charging cable) because it is the cheapest. However a 2m EV cable is limited in practicality and usually not a good long-term investment. Most charging destinations (home or public) require an EV charging cable that is longer than 2m. In our experience, most customers buy EV charging cables between 5m and 25m. We recommend at least a 5m charging cable. It is long enough to meet most charging needs, but compact enough to be carried and put away easily! Of course, a number of customers need even longer EV cables.
A lower technical specification EV charging cable Is never the best choice:	As above, a number of electric car owners seek to buy a 16 amp (single-phase) EV charging cable, instead of a 32 amp (single-phase) EV charging cable. The reason is simple. The 16 amp is marginally cheaper! However, a 16 amp charging cable charges at 3.6 kW, a much slower rate to a 32 amp EV charging cable that charges at 7.2 kW. An ampere is the unit for measuring electricity. The accepted standard unit used for measuring how fast an electric current flows is an example of an ampere. The reason why customers in India buy a single-phase EV cable, is because most homes in India are powered by single-phase power supply. Also important to asses is the IP Rating for the EV cable. Not all EV cables have the same IP Rating. Of course, warranty is also important. Most EV cables are sold with a warranty of at least 2 years!

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While e-zoomed uses reasonable efforts to provide accurate and up-to-date information, some of the information provided is gathered from third parties and has not been independently verified by e-zoomed. While the information from the third party sources is believed to be reliable, no warranty, express or implied, is made by e-zoomed regarding the accuracy, adequacy, completeness, legality, reliability or usefulness of any information. This disclaimer applies to both isolated and aggregate uses of this information.

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