Released just recently: Starting at $27,800 (MSRP), with a test price of $37,400 Power: Front-wheel drive with a single motor 147 horsepower Battery capacity: 149–226 90 mph maximum ProPilot Assist is smart. Wireless Google Android Auto and Apple CarPlay
The 2022 Nissan Leaf doesn’t have the aesthetic appeal of other recognizable brands, but it has nevertheless established itself as a very well-liked electric vehicle. Nissan will be praising the heavens that the federal EV tax credit is about to be extended, even if it doesn’t have Tesla-level appeal.
When you offer an EV with a reasonable price, plenty of tech features, and good performance, that is what happens. The Leaf is not only one of the most affordable EVs on the market, second only to the recently reduced Chevy Bolt, but it also boasts a driving range of approximately 150 miles in that particular configuration.
We used the Nissan Leaf that was lent to us for just over two weeks. How simple it was to get going and start up impressed us. The 2022 Nissan Leaf is a fantastic, feature-rich entry point for anyone looking to purchase their first EV. It has a maximum range of 226 miles and is ideal for errands and local travel, while some people may find the lower 149-mile range choice insufficient.
Nissan has not hesitated to highlight the fact that the 2022 Leaf can be purchased for about $20,000. Some could counter that since the purchaser must redeem a possible $7,500 government tax credit, it’s not actually a $20K vehicle. And I do concur to some extent.
The 2022 Leaf is now one of the least expensive electric vehicles available for purchase in the United States, even though it is scheduled to be replaced by an all-electric Micra and a crossover SUV by 2025. The 2023 model is also coming, although there won’t be many modifications.
Aside from the debate over price, the Nissan Leaf is not a perfect EV. Although strong compared to other automakers, the lane assist and infotainment system falls well short of what companies like Tesla are putting in their vehicles.
Although some of the plastics can seem a little hollow to the touch, the inside quality is roughly on pace with the segment. Additionally, the exterior still has a squat gerbil-like appearance. Even so, the 2022 Nissan Leaf is a solid choice for the typical motorist seeking for a daily commuter.
In This Article...
How long is the lifespan of a Nissan Leaf?
Depending on where you are and what you do, you’ll receive a specific timeline for your car. Extreme heat, frequent recharging (such as twice or three times a day), and city driving all hasten the battery’s depletion. The Nissan LEAF was designed to endure as much of these typical battery killers as possible, so you would have to be very rough on your car before you saw a significant change.
The Nissan LEAF was designed to travel up to 107 miles a day on a highway without recharging (depending on the model you choose.) You may travel up to 90 miles in even the busiest metropolitan traffic without having to worry about running out of juice. The battery will eventually lose power, but the amount of mileage you obtain will steadily decrease. The erosion will probably only have a minimal impact on you because the ordinary American will travel significantly less than the daily maximums. When you take care of your car, the Nissan LEAF battery should last between 8 and 10 years.
What drawbacks are there to a Nissan Leaf?
1. It’s Weakness Is Also Its Strength
The fact that this car can only use electricity is astonishing. Some individuals could, however, consider this to be a drawback. Making the switch to an all-electric vehicle may be too much for some consumers, who can be slow to adopt new practices. There will still be some who just consider the Leaf’s range despite its flexibility in charging alternatives. The knowledge that lengthier journeys will always require planning with charging in mind may discourage them.
2. Costlier Than Some Might Believe
People may perceive the Leaf to be cutting-edge, trendy, and useful. They might not immediately consider the fact that it deserves to start at more than $30,000. Unfortunately, the fact that there are several hybrids on the market with prices that are far lower than that may cause some potential customers to choose the Leaf’s rivals instead of it.
3. The back seats are not flat.
A few more inches of room might be really helpful in some situations. Unfortunately, the Leaf’s design prevents the rear seats from being flush with the cargo area in the back. Larger things may be more difficult to fit as a result.
Why are Nissan Leafs so inexpensive?
You are correct that switching to an electric vehicle is thrilling.
Compared to other electric vehicles, the Nissan Leaf is significantly less expensive. Why, you inquire? Even though they are generally good automobiles, the Nissan Leaf doesn’t have the best reputation. Low battery range, depreciation, government incentives, outmoded technology, and a lackluster design are some of the factors that contribute to the Leaf’s low pricing.
- The Leaf may be inexpensive to purchase, but its technology hasn’t advanced much since it initially rolled off the assembly line in 2010, especially in comparison to the technological arms race being fought by other electric car manufacturers.
- Depreciation: The Leaf depreciates less frequently than the majority of other electric vehicles, which means it does so more slowly than more expensive vehicles. For instance, a Tesla typically depreciates by 20% over the first year of ownership.
- Design: The Leaf isn’t a bad-looking car, but it isn’t sweeping up design accolades either. This may have contributed to the models’ poor sales and the subsequent price reductions.
- Government subsidies: Depending on the state you live in, there are a number of government subsidies and incentives available when buying a Leaf. These benefits lower the cost of purchasing the Leaf and enable quicker loan repayment.
- Low battery range: The battery range on a new Leaf is just 80 to 100 miles per charge, and on a used Leaf, this decreases to about 50 miles per charge. Although the Leaf’s battery is less expensive to produce, its modest size means that it has significantly less power than competing electric cars.
Depending on your financial situation, a Nissan Leaf can be the ideal vehicle for you. Whatever you decide, make sure to use Jerry to find a strong auto insurance policy to cover your car.
This excellent vehicle insurance app can enable you sign up for your new policy and cancel your old one after just 45 seconds of registration!
What is the price of a Nissan LEAF battery?
Additionally, we created a comprehensive LEAF battery replacement tutorial. Although it has some of the same information, going a little deeper might be beneficial.
- Buyers of cash cars recorded in September 2020
- It is anticipated that a 62 kWh battery pack will cost between $8,500 and $9,500, or at most $153/kWh.
- Price for a 40 kWh pack was at most $187.5/kWh and varied between $6,500 and $7,500.
- Price for a 30 kWh pack is at most $150/kWh and ranges from $3,500 to $4,500.
- The Nissan Leaf 40 kWh battery costs $5,500, or roughly $137/kWh, which is right in line with the average pricing for 2020, according to a 2020 Greencars assessment.
- A dealership in Canada reportedly gave a 2013 Nissan Leaf owner a quotation for a replacement battery of $15,000 CAD.
Is Nissan LEAF an old model?
The little electric car from Nissan will be discontinued “before mid-decade,” according to trade publication Automotive News on Thursday.
Why it matters: Early models like the Leaf failed to gain traction, despite the fact that electric vehicles are largely seen as the future of the auto industry (hello Tesla).
Rewind: The Leaf soon overtook all other EVs after making its debut in 2011.
- However, it quickly lost the top spot to Tesla and fell short of Carlos Ghosn’s goal of selling 500,000 vehicles annually by 2013.
- Of the 977,639 automobiles Nissan sold in the U.S. in 2021, just 14,239 copies of the Leaf were sold there.
Zoom out: The Leaf’s problems were caused by its short battery life and small size, with the 2011 model’s first iteration covering only 73 miles on a single charge.
- The range increased over time, but Nissan has subsequently focused mostly on upcoming EVs, such as the stylish Ariya crossover.
- The Leaf was victimized by shifting consumer demand for SUVs and pickups in the late 2010s as gas prices plummeted.
The Leaf is currently blowing in the wind, but EVs are far from being extinct.
What occurs if the battery in a Nissan LEAF dies?
What is more distressing than range anxiety? The guy who kept you engaged during the Scrapheap Challenge series, Robert Llewellyn, claims that range annoyance is worse since it makes you want to run out of battery.
“You might wonder why the hell I would want to do that. Not you. Robert wanted to simply demonstrate what occurs when your Nissan Leaf runs out of electricity so you would know what to anticipate if it did.
Yes, Robert recently decided to abandon his first-generation vehicle and discover what it’s like to run out of “fuel with an electric automobile. Here is the alternative to what happens when a typical car runs on fumes before stopping, which some of you may be familiar with.
Almost 90 miles later, the dashboard displayed a low-energy warning. However, the car kept acting normally, exactly as if its battery was fully charged. For almost 7 miles (11 km), past the “—” range indicator, the dreaded turtle lit up and caused the car to slow down.
In case you’ve never heard of it, when the Nissan Leaf is about to exhaust its battery completely, it enters the “On the instrument panel, a yellow turtle symbol indicated that the vehicle was in crawling mode.
When in turtle mode, the Leaf won’t drive faster than a safe pace of 32 mph (51 km/h), and it will continue for almost a mile before…
To tell you when it will stop, the Leaf won’t produce any jerky motions, unlike a combustion engine that has run out of gasoline. When the electric motor is no longer receiving power, the automobile will begin to coast until its inertia is lost.
Don’t worry, turn on your signal, and look for a safe place to stop if you ever find yourself with the turtle on your dash and the car stops keeping a consistent pace. If you don’t want to get out and push the car, wait until there is a vacant spot to pull into before applying the brakes.
Call roadside assistance or a friend to tow you to the closest charging station or your home so you can plug it in right away. Additionally, avoid totally draining the battery on a regular basis; some owners reported a decrease in range after doing so a few times.
How frequently does a Nissan LEAF’s battery need to be changed?
Every three to five years, the Nissan LEAF battery needs to be replaced. Given that this is a rather long period of time between services in comparison to other models and their related services, the driver will actually benefit from this.