2016 Nissan Leaf Adds Larger Battery, Boosting Range to 107 Miles

You can now drive even farther between charging stations in the Nissan Leaf. The 2016 Nissan Leaf SV and SL trim levels now have a 30-kWh lithium-ion battery pack that gives the car a driving range of 107 miles, up from just 84 miles before. The base Nissan Leaf S, however, keeps its 24-kWh battery and continues to be rated at 84 miles of driving range.
With the enhancements, the 2016 Nissan Leaf has the longest rated driving range of any electric car aside from the Tesla Model S. The Kia Soul EV comes close with a 93-mile EV range, but no other car aside from the Leaf and Tesla crack the 100-mile mark. An earlier report had suggested the Leaf’s new battery pack might stretch the car’s driving range to as much as 125 miles.
2016 Nissan Leaf Rear Three Quarter

A larger battery means it takes longer to charge. Whereas Nissan says the smaller, 24-kWh battery can be recharged from a 220-volt system in as little as 5 hours, juicing up the new 30-kWh battery will take 6 hours. Drivers might find that a small price to pay for an extra 23 miles of driving range.

Although the battery pack is larger, the electric drive motor in the 2016 Nissan Leaf is unchanged, with 107 hp and 187 lb-ft of torque. The rest of the car, however, gets a few more tweaks, including a new standard NissanConnect 5.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system on the Leaf S, and a new 7.0-inch system with navigation on the Leaf SV and SL. There are also three new exterior color choices: Forged bronze, coulis red, and deep blue pearl.

Pricing for the 2016 Nissan Leaf starts at $29,860 with destination for the S model, while moving up to the larger battery will set buyers back $35,050 for the SV trim level and $37,640. All prices exclude any applicable tax credits.

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