Leaf will lay the groundwork for Terra.
Ahead of its international launch, Japanese carmaker Nissan has further teased its new Leaf electric hatchback, releasing to the media a photograph of the cars’ new streamlined design, while media reports discuss the likelihood of the Leaf’s underpinnings being used to spawn more electric motoring options for the marque.
The new Leaf promises to cut through the air better than the previous generation, and sports “an improved aerodynamic design that makes it even more efficient, allowing drivers to travel farther on a single charge.” The carmaker went on to say in its release:
“Aerodynamics is key to how efficiently an electric car moves. Less drag and better stability enable the vehicle to drive longer distances before having to recharge.” – Nissan
The 2018 Leaf, according to the release, sits lower to the ground to improve high-speed stability. It also packs things like “other new design features” that are in place specifically to stabilise the family-EV when hit by crosswinds. The Leaf’s aerodynamic profile is inspired by airplane wings, “enabling a symmetric airflow” that maximises operating efficiency.
The Leaf won’t sit alone on Nissan’s new-generation EV tree for long though, as Autocar has revealed patents filed in Malaysia by Nissan for the ‘Terra’ name, a name that we have not seen since it was plonked on a crossover-type electric-hydrogen Nissan concept car in 2012. While the Terra concept utilised the original Leaf’s front-wheel drive electric powertrain coupled with a hydrogen fuel-cell system, the production Terra is expected to stick to the mechanicals of the upcoming Leaf (and will likely shun all-wheel propulsion too, in the name of outright range).
The powertrain of the new Leaf represents a vast improvement over the old car, and will be able to sport a driving range of between 300km-400km on a single charge (compared to the max 172km achievable with the current-generation model). Should the offering of the Terra be firmed up, it will likely offer similar range (assuming it would be unhampered by the additional power consumption commanded by an all-wheel drive system), and will most probably sport the new-Leaf’s headlining ProPilot semi-autonomous driver assistance technology and ‘e-Pedal’ system. We’ve actually seen the Leaf undisguised already (albeit in low-res pictures), confirming that it’ll take a more aggressive design approach than the benign, non-threatening stance the outgoing model assumes.
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