The highest-volume electric car in the world, the Nissan Leaf, has become a tad more expensive for the new model year as the automaker has dropped the entry-level 24-kWh variant from the lineup.
The base model now is the Leaf S, which features a 30-kWh battery pack and, according to GreenCarReports, carries a $32,450 starting price in the United States, up from the previous $29,010 of the 24-kWh Leaf, before government incentives.
“We have made a running change to the 2016 Leaf S model to equip it with 30-kWh battery packs as standard equipment, offering best-in-class range across all trim levels for the Leaf. Additionally, all 2016 Leaf S vehicles equipped with the 30-kWh battery pack will also come with the Quick Charge Package as a standard feature“, as Nissan North America said in a statement to GreenCarReports.
With an EPA range of 104 miles (167 km) on a single charge, the Nissan Leaf 30-kWh comes with an additional 23 miles (37 km) on top of the previous entry-level model, but this isn’t enough to make it competitive against the Tesla Model 3 or the Chevrolet Bolt. However, the car company has an ace up its sleeve, as rumor has it that it is already working on a significant upgrade that should allow the Leaf to travel for roughly 200 miles (322 km).
PHOTO GALLERY
