Used 2020 Nissan LEAF

Electric cars are all the rage these days, but while Hyundai, Kia and Chevrolet are relatively new to the game, the 2020 Nissan Leaf electric marks its 10th year of production. Only Tesla has a longer history of producing a cost-effective, mass-produced electric car.

Pony up around $31,600 before tax credits and you’ll get a Leaf that can travel 150 miles on a charge. Unfortunately, the Leaf has been leap-frogged by newer models like Hyundai Kona EV and Chevrolet Bolt, both of which can travel 259 miles on a single charge. The Leaf isn’t far behind at 226 miles, but that’s only on the more expensive Plus model that starts around $38,000.

In comparison, the Kona EV starts around $37,000 and the Bolt just north of $36,600. The 250-mile-range Tesla Model 3 comes in around $40,000 but no longer qualifies for federal tax credits and has a 7- to 10-week wait time.

With its long range, onboard fast-charging system and extensive dealer network, Nissan’s 2020 Leaf may entice doubters to try an EV for the first time. What they will discover is instantaneous power delivery from the motor. The Leaf is snappy right off the line and has excellent mid-range passing power.

The driving experience is best described as serene. There’s no engine noise, or, for that matter, the whine associated with electric motors that you might have experienced with earlier electrics. There is, however, a new speaker-generated sound designed to alert pedestrians of your presence when traveling at low speeds. Unlike the first generation to bear the name, the 2020 Leaf feels more substantial. The steering is light, which is in keeping with the Leaf’s primary mission of urban and freeway commuting.

The new Leaf Plus feels much the same, but with added power. Its larger battery is heavier, contributing to a low center of gravity that translates to driver confidence. The Leaf acts and drives like a real car, not some science project.

Inside the 2020 Nissan Leaf electric you’ll find a handsome, modern cabin with supportive seats, logically arranged controls and — wonder of wonders — a proper blend of touch-screen controls alongside hard buttons and physical knobs. This theme is repeated in the instrument cluster where a digital display showing range, battery level and outside temperature shares its space with an analog speedometer.

A new 8-inch touch screen is now standard across the model range. It looks great and features easy-to-use icons to navigate audio, Bluetooth and navigation settings as well as vehicle information.

Nissan provides seating for five, but four is a more realistic (and comfortable) figure. Rear-seat legroom is on the smaller side, and foot space is somewhat impeded by the battery pack’s access panel. Cargo space is generous for this class, but the Leaf’s 2nd-row seatback doesn’t fold flush with the cargo floor, making it more difficult to slide in items like a bike or large box.

Once accused of looking more like an amphibian than a car, the 2020 Nissan Leaf casts aside any such aspersions with a sleek design as handsome as it is functional. The newest Leaf EV looks more like a conventional hatchback or crossover SUV, with a split rear C-pillar that gives it a floating-roof look similar to the larger Murano.

The original bug-like headlights are gone, narrowed and dropped lower in the fenders and fitted with LED units in higher-trim models. The front sports Nissan’s signature V-motion chrome bar but instead of a grille, there’s a black panel with blue mesh-like highlights beneath. The large hatch covering the plug is cleverly integrated into the hood and front fascia cutlines. The plug panel itself sits at a 45-degree angle, making it easy to insert and remove the charging cord.

While it looks more like a regular car, that fact that the design is unique to the Leaf will help identify it as an EV. Besides badging, the new Leaf Plus is distinguished by blue trim on the lower edge of its front bumper.

e-PEDAL
On electric cars, regenerative braking captures energy produced by slowing the vehicle and uses it to recharge the battery. The 2020 Nissan Leaf takes this concept one step further, applying the regenerative braking system anytime the driver removes his foot from the accelerator pedal. Leave your foot off the pedal and the Leaf will slow itself, eventually coming to a complete stop.

NISSAN PROPILOT ASSIST
Available on the SV and SL and standard on the SL Plus, Nissan’s semi-autonomous driving ProPilot Assist lets the car do some of the driving, provided you keep your hands on the wheel. The system includes adaptive cruise control and lane-keep assist and can even keep the Leaf within its lane provided there are clear lane markings to guide it.

For 2020, the Nissan Leaf EV is available in S, SV, S Plus, SV Plus and SL Plus trims. Base S models come with 16-inch wheels, 40-kWh battery, 6.6-kWh onboard charger, Rear Door Alert, ePedal technology and the Safety Shield 360 suite of driver assists (see Safety Technology section). Also standard is an 8-inch touch-screen infotainment screen complete with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration, Intelligent Key with push-button start and a 7-inch driver-information display.

The SV adds 17-inch wheels, a quick-charge port, leather-wrapped steering wheel, adaptive cruise control, and NissanConnect with Navigation. Top-line SL Plus models include a 62-kWh battery, ProPilot Assist, LED headlights, heated outside mirrors, leather seating, 8-way-power driver seat, heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, premium 7-speaker Bose audio system, blind-spot monitoring, around-view camera, driver-attention alert and rear cross-traffic warning.

The Plus models include a quick-charge port and portable-charge cable that has adapters for conventional 120- and 240-volt outlets. An All Weather Package for the SV includes heated seats and steering wheel, heated outside mirrors and rear heating ducts.

The SV Technology package includes LED lighting, 8-way-power seats, electric parking brake, the portable charge cable, Around View monitor, driver-attention alert, ProPilot and steering assist as well as full-speed range and hold on the adaptive cruise control.

The SV Plus Technology package adds rear cross-traffic alert.

Power for the 2020 Nissan Leaf EV comes from a 110-kW electric motor paired with a 40-kWh lithium-ion battery pack. Leaf Plus models gain a 160-kW electric motor and 62-kWh battery pack. Powered by its front wheels, the Leaf has an EPA-estimated range of 150 miles while the Leaf Plus can travel 226 miles, although that will vary depending on driving habits and outside temperatures.

Recharging times vary according to method. A standard 110-volt household outlet requires about 20 hours to trickle charge, while a 220-volt Level 2 charger reduces that time to just eight hours. The standard Leaf’s 40-kWh battery can be charged to 80 percent in just 40 minutes with a DC fast charger. The 62-kWh battery in the Leaf Plus reaches 80 percent in one hour with a 50-kWh fast-charge port and 45 minutes using a 100-kWh charger.

Leaf
110-kW AC synchronous electric motor
40-kWh lithium-ion battery pack
147 horsepower
236 lb-ft of torque
EPA city/highway fuel-economy equivalent: 123/99 MPGe, 111-MPGe combined
EPA-estimated range per full charge: 150 miles

Leaf Plus
160-kW AC synchronous electric motor
62-kWh lithium-ion battery pack
214 horsepower
250 lb-ft of torque
EPA city/highway fuel-economy equivalent: 118/97 MPGe (S), 114/94 MPGe (SV & SL)
EPA-estimated range per full charge: 226 miles