Nissan LEAF Model History

In 2011, Nissan approached the budding 21st century electric vehicle market with a widely-available zero-emissions product. A five-door, five-passenger hatchback, the Nissan Leaf was purposely developed to be a relatively affordable electric car suited for low-range everyday life. Powered by an 80-kilowatt AC synchronous motor functioning on energy stored in a lithium-ion battery pack, the Nissan Leaf boasted a 100-mile driving range (later EPA-rated at 84 miles). The vehicle can be recharged using 120-volt, 240-volt or through an available quick charge port that restores up to 80 percent of electricity to the battery in about 26 minutes. For 2013, the Nissan Leaf's base price dropped with the arrival of the S trim model. Providing a hardware upgrade to the 2016 Leaf, a larger 30-kWh battery allowed the range for the electric car to be extended to 107 miles. The Nissan Leaf is currently recognized as the most successful electric car in history with more than 200,000 vehicles sold worldwide as of the start of 2016. Since 2013, the Nissan Leaf production has involved manufacturing in Smyrna, Tennessee.