Nissan to launch new Leaf EV with better range in U.S., Japan, Europe
Nissan Motor Co said Tuesday it will launch a new model of its Leaf electric vehicle with enhanced driving range and charging power in North America in the fall, followed by Japan later this year and Europe next year.
Nissan, which introduced the Leaf as the world's first mass-produced EV in 2010, hopes the third-generation model will help it turn around its fortunes in an EV market that has become increasingly crowded with the rise of Tesla Inc. of the United States and BYD Co of China.
"We hope it will be the standard (EV) model in the future," said Nissan's Chief Product Specialist Keiji Endo at a press briefing, expressing hope to make it an alternative for buyers of gasoline-powered or hybrid vehicles. "It signifies Nissan's strong commitment to achieving carbon neutrality by 2050."
To address consumer concerns about the range and charging needs of all-electric vehicles, the new model's battery has a capacity of 75 kilowatt-hours, up at least 25 percent from the current version, Nissan said.
Japan's third-largest automaker by volume said the more powerful battery, which also has an enhanced charging speed, gives the new Leaf a U.S. driving range of 303 miles, or 487.6 kilometers, up from 212 miles for the current model.
The U.S. model has also adopted the North American Charging Standard connector, enabling charging at Tesla's Supercharger locations.
The faster charging performance allows the new models to recover 130 miles of driving range with just 15 minutes of charging under a battery temperature of 25 C -- or about double the equivalent figure for the current Leaf model.
Its main target will be Europe, as U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to review predecessor Joe Biden's incentives to promote EVs is expected to dampen demand in the United States, Endo said, adding there is currently no plan for its introduction in China.
The new Leaf will be assembled at the Tochigi Plant in Japan and in Britain at a facility in Sunderland, northeast England. For the U.S. market, the vehicles will be shipped from Tochigi.
Pricing is to be provided around one month before the start of sales in respective regions, Nissan said.
© KYODO
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yomiuri Shimbun
an hour ago
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Nikkei Hits Four-Month High on Weak Yen; Geopolitical Tensions Weigh
Yomiuri Shimbun file photo The Tokyo Stock Exchange SINGAPORE (Reuters) – Japan's Nikkei share average rose to touch a four-month high on Wednesday, boosted by a weaker yen, although investors kept a wary eye on the rapidly escalating conflict between Israel and Iran. The Nikkei was 0.59% higher at 38,766.01 as of 0226 GMT, having touched 38,786.64, its highest level since Feb. 21. The broader Topix rose 0.4%. The biggest boost to the Nikkei came from Uniqlo-brand owner Fast Retailing, Switch-maker Nintendo and chip firm Advantest .that were up 1.4%, 6% and 1.1%, respectively. The gains in Japanese shares were capped by geopolitical tensions, with investors increasingly nervous over the possibility of a more direct U.S. military involvement in the Middle East. Reuters reported, citing three U.S. officials, that the U.S. military is deploying more fighter aircraft to the region and extending the deployment of other warplanes. U.S. President Donald Trump called for Iran's 'unconditional surrender.' Maki Sawada, an equities strategist at Nomura Securities, said the market is cautious about developments in the Middle East, and will be sensitive to any headlines. 'Market caution seemed to have calmed yesterday, but it is building again. The weaker yen is providing support,' Maki said. The yen hit a one-week low of 145.445 per U.S. dollar in early trading. A weaker Japanese currency tends to boost shares of exporters, as it increases the value of overseas profits in yen terms when firms repatriate the money to Japan. Markets shrugged off the move by the Bank of Japan on Tuesday to hold interest rates steady and decelerate the pace of its balance sheet drawdown next year. 'Japan remains one of our favored equity markets,' said Ben Powell, Chief APAC Investment Strategist at the BlackRock Investment Institute. 'Ongoing shareholder-friendly reforms to boost profitability support our tactical overweight on Japanese stocks. We prefer unhedged equity exposures, given the yen's tendency to strengthen during periods of market stress.'
The Mainichi
an hour ago
- The Mainichi
Tokyo stocks rise in morning as weaker yen lifts exporters
TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Tokyo stocks climbed Wednesday morning, as exporter shares were lifted by a weaker yen against the U.S. dollar amid rekindling concern over the escalating Israel-Iran conflict. The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average rose 255.06 points, or 0.66 percent, from Tuesday to 38,791.80. The broader Topix index was up 14.74 points, or 0.53 percent, at 2,801.69. The dollar, often sought in times of crisis, remained firm in the lower 145 yen range in Tokyo, as hopes for a ceasefire in the Middle East receded after news reports that U.S. President Donald Trump is considering attacking Iranian nuclear sites. The yen was also sold after Bank of Japan chief Kazuo Ueda expressed Tuesday a cautious stance on further raising interest rates, citing uncertainty about economic prospects caused by steep U.S. tariffs, dealers said. At noon, the dollar fetched 145.12-13 yen compared with 145.22-32 yen in New York and 144.53-55 yen in Tokyo at 5 p.m. Tuesday. The euro was quoted at $1.1497-1499 and 166.84-87 yen against $1.1475-1485 and 166.68-78 yen in New York and $1.1557-1558 and 167.04-08 yen in Tokyo late Tuesday afternoon. Stocks initially fell after overnight declines on Wall Street amid caution over the intensifying tensions in the Middle East. But they soon erased losses and climbed as a weaker yen helped lift export-oriented auto and electronics shares. Among notable gainers, Nintendo ended the morning up 6.2 percent at 13,210 yen, rising for the fifth straight trading day after the gaming giant said it sold over 3.5 million units of its Switch 2 console worldwide in four days following its launch this month.
Yomiuri Shimbun
an hour ago
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Yaskawa Set to Build Industrial Robot Factory in U.S., Looking to Capitalize on Trump Push to Reshore Manufacturing
Courtesy of Yaskawa Electric Corp. An artist's rendering of Yaskawa Electric Corp.'s new U.S. head office to be built in Wisconsin Yaskawa Electric Corp., a major Japanese manufacturer of industrial robots, on Monday announced that it will open a factory to build industrial robots, among other facilities, in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The project will see the company invest about $180 million (around ¥26 billion). Yaskawa decided to start producing industrial robots in the United States as it expects growing demand amid a government push to bring manufacturing back to the country. The firm believes that the project will also help it weather tariffs introduced by President Donald Trump. It will be the first time for Yaskawa to open a production site for industrial robots in the United States, and its investment will be distributed over eight to 10 years. Facilities will also be set up to further technological development and conduct training. The company plans to shift its existing motor and inverter production in the United States to the new location, and about 700 employees will be hired locally. Yaskawa is looking at selling industrial robots to companies in the automotive and semiconductor industries. Due to high labor costs in the United States, firms are expected to introduce more robots for automation, according to the company.
