Australian electric vehicle drivers will be able to get their hands on the new model Nissan Leaf from August, the car maker has confirmed, when the long-awaited latest iteration of the world’s best selling EV will go on sale for just under $A50,000 (plus on road costs).
Nissan Australia said on Friday morning that Australian drivers could now register to per-order the Leaf 2.0, which has a 40kWh battery, improved power and torque, a driving range of up to 270km, and a “manufacturer suggested retail price” of $A49,990, plus on-road costs.
The new EV will be widely available – sold via 89 dealers nationwide, the car maker says. And buyers will be connected with Australian-owned outfit JET Charge, which partnered with Nissan last year to set up ‘at home’ charging solutions for Leaf owners.
The arrival of the new Leaf in Australia – just one month later than had been most recently promised by Nissan – will be welcomed by Australian EV enthusiasts and the broader industry, as Australia continues play catch-up on both electric vehicle uptake, and model availability.
Moderately-priced EVs are particularly thin on the ground in Australia, putting the low-carbon driving technology out of reach of the vast majority of drivers.
The Leaf, however, changes that – in the US it was last month named the lowest-cost EV to own over a five year period, taking home a coveted award from US car price guide site Kelley Blue Book.
With depreciation, predicted fuel costs, finance/insurance, maintenance/repair and on road costs taken into account, Kelley Blue Book found that the 2019 Leaf with 40kWh battery and 240km real world range was deserving of the “2019 5-Year Cost to Own Award” in the electric cars segment.
How prices will compare in Australia remains to be seen, depending on on-road costs and whether any future policy changes that might reduce those as an incentive for greater uptake. But more than 11,000 registrations of interest suggest Australian buyers are taking note.
“With strong interest in the new Nissan LEAF we see great potential for the vehicle and at this price we are giving it every chance to succeed,” said Nissan Australia managing director Stephen Lester.
“It’s certainly an exciting time for EV buyers. With a contemporary design, increased range and long list of standard features, this incredibly fun to drive car presents Australian electric vehicle buyers with a stylish, affordable option.”
Nissan says the new model’s driving range of up to 270km made the car perfect for city-based Australians, who on average travel 38 km/day.
On charging, Nissan says the Leaf can be fully recharged within 24 hours, but that that time drops to 7.5 hours with the latest 7kW home charger.
You can also plug the car into a CHAdeMO rapid charger and get from 20 per cent to 80 per cent charge in around 60 minutes depending on charging conditions, the car maker says.
On top of that, of course, are the Leaf’s bi-directional charging capabilities – which Nissan says it is still “working with its partners to realise in Australia – which allows vehicle to home battery power transfer, or vehicle to grid.
Perhaps most importantly, the colours! Nissan says the new Leaf will be available in Australia in six different shades, including Arctic White, Ivory Pearl with black roof, Magnetic Red, Pearl Black, Platinum and Gun Metallic.
Customers can register to pre-order their new Nissan LEAF and select their preferred Nissan Dealer by visiting nissan.com.au/leafpreorder. Deliveries will commence from August.
Sophie is editor of One Step Off The Grid and deputy editor of its sister site, Renew Economy. Sophie has been writing about clean energy for more than a decade.