With more than 500,000 units sold to date, the Nissan Leaf is still among the best-selling electric vehicles of all time. It is currently available in the United States with two different batteries and starting prices of $27,800 and $35,800, respectively (before the $1,095 destination and handling). The electric hatch is also sold in Europe in Japan, and in its home market, the EV is entering the new model year with a cool new video ad.
In the new short clip attached at the top of this page, you can see the Leaf racing a jet aircraft. While we won't reveal the winner, we can tell you that it is a close battle with a minimal difference at the finish line that focuses on the Leaf’s brisk acceleration from a standstill. Don’t mistake that for the model’s uninitiated acceleration after exiting cruise control, though.
Gallery: 2023 Nissan Leaf
The Nissan Leaf, a symbol of the automaker’s early efforts at sustainable mobility, has come a long way since its inception. Produced at plants in Japan, the US, and the UK, this zero-emission hatch has made its mark in 59 markets around the world. From its pioneering debut in 2010 to the more recent iterations, owners of the EV have driven their cars more than 10 billion miles cumulative worldwide, according to the manufacturer, preventing more than 2.5 billion kilograms of CO2 emissions from entering the atmosphere.
On the US market, Nissan unveiled the 2023 Leaf in April this year. As mentioned above, there are two battery options and according to the EPA, the base Leaf S with a 40-kilowatt-hour package offers a combined range of 149 miles. The more expensive SV Plus with a larger 60-kWh battery has an EPA combined range of 212 miles. The two models feature two different electric motors mounted on the front axle – a 147-horsepower one for the entry-level version and a more powerful 214-hp one for the SV Plus.
Sadly, the 2023 Leaf is no longer eligible for the $7,500 federal tax credit, which puts it in a very challenging position against the competition in the US. Without the discount, the Leaf SV Plus price is only marginally lower than the effective price of the Tesla Model 3 RWD, which has more power and a longer range between two charges.
