Nissan Leaf EV launched in Nepal | Bookings now open
The Nissan Leaf EV, deemed the ‘Best Used Electric Car’ at the inaugural Electrifying.com Awards 2021, was virtually launched yesterday via the official social media page of Nissan Nepal. The launch event, which unveiled the Leaf and made public significant details about the car, also featured the announcing of its introductory price–NPR 59.99 lakh. According to the company, the Leaf’s delivery is expected to start from August 2021.
The Nissan Leaf is a compact five-door hatchback battery electric vehicle (BEV) introduced in Japan and the US in December 2010. In the Nepali market, it will rival the likes of the Kia Niro EV, MG ZS EV, and Hyundai Kona Electric.
“Marking a new chapter for Nissan in the electrified vehicle segment, Nissan has launched the second-generation Nissan Leaf electric vehicle in Nepal,” says Sinan Ozkok, President Nissan India Operations. “It is the perfect embodiment of Nissan Intelligent Mobility, giving customers a personal mobility experience that is smarter, safer, cleaner, and more enjoyable. Because we are committed to a more sustainable future, we will also continue to enhance our customers’ lifestyle choices and help them live more confident, exciting, and connected lives.”
“Bringing the Nissan Leaf EV to Nepal marks a high point in our efforts to inform and educate our customers on the benefits of EV adoption,” says Sandeep Kumar Sharda, Managing Director, Pioneer Moto Corp Pvt. Ltd–the sole distributor of Nissan and Datsun vehicles in Nepal. “For the world and for us, the future is electrified vehicles. With the Nissan Leaf, not only are we delivering the right technology with the best performance and zero-emission, we’re providing confidence in intelligent driving technology–as drivers will feel more confident, excited, and connected. We are optimistic that the Nissan Leaf EV will help our customers live a smarter, safer, and more sustainable life.”
The Leaf EV packs a sleek, modern, aggressive design. Its grille screams electric, with the covered holographic pattern (it doesn’t have any openings to let air in), and the Nissan branding embedded centrally. The LED headlamps have a boxy design, featuring side indicators beside them and mounted DRLs on the top; the DRLs have a unique upside-down tick design. A massive segment covered with black plastic syncs with the rest of the design elements, and the bottom corners feature fog lights. But the front does come with one questionable design choice: the charging ports, which are mounted up front, might be susceptible to damage during a frontal collision.
The Leaf, which has the silhouette of a small hatchback, stands on 17-inch alloy wheels and features a zero-emission badge on both its sides. The cuts, creases, and sharp edges on the sides all reinforce the car’s angular look. Similarly, there is a blackout c-pillar that pinches the rear end and makes for a coupe-like roofline. Speaking of the roofline, the massive floating roof design on the rear flows perfectly into the tinted glass it is attached to. The tail lamps are integrated into the floating roof design, and in accordance with the overall design language, the majority of the rear is blacked out. A few of the elements, such as a blue bar, fog light, and diffuser, add to the car’s sporty look.
The premium cabin is spacious enough to accommodate five people, and it offers a significant amount of storage. Keeping passengers entertained will be an 8.0-inch floating infotainment display with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration and a space compatible for smartphones at the centre. Furthermore, the car comes with a telescoping D-shaped steering wheel, a distinctive centre console, a Bose energy-efficient series premium audio system, and decent cargo space, with 60/40-split rear seats. The safety equipment includes features such as intelligent lane intervention, lane-departure warning, intelligent emergency braking, blind-spot warning, traffic-sign recognition, rear cross-traffic alert, intelligent around-view monitor (with moving-object detection), intelligent driver alertness, intelligent trace control, and emergency assist to deal with pedal misapplication.
The Nissan Leaf EV is equipped with a 40 kWh lithium-ion battery producing 150 ps of peak power and peak torque of 320 Nm, and it can provide a range of 311 km, based on the New European Driving Cycle (NEDC) standards. The EV can go from zero to 100 kmph in 7.9 seconds, and it can achieve a top speed of 140 kmph. As for charging, that takes 15 to 18 hours at home through a dedicated wall outlet, via the supplied universal charging cable. Owners can also avail of quick-charging stations at select Nissan dealerships nationwide; the stations can charge the car to full in just 40 to 60 minutes.
The Nissan Leaf comes with the revolutionary e-Pedal technology, which allows the drivers to start, accelerate, decelerate, and stop using just one pedal–by increasing or decreasing the pressure applied to the accelerator. When the accelerator is fully released, regenerative and friction brakes are deployed automatically, bringing the car to a complete stop. This makes the Nissan Leaf ideal for stop-and-go city traffic, since the need to shift from one pedal to another is obviated, making driving simpler and more convenient.
The length, width, and height of the Nissan Leaf are 4490 mm, 1788 mm, and 1530 mm, respectively. The wheelbase of the Leaf is 2700 mm. It comes in 11 colour options, wherein the customers can choose between six single-tone colour options or five dual-tone colour options.
The Leaf EV comes with a three-year vehicle warranty or for the first 100,000 kilometres (whichever comes first), and an eight-year battery warranty or for the first 160,000 kilometres (whichever comes first).
(Also published on Autolife Nepal).
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