Nissan has begun to release a slow trickle of information about the 2018 Leaf electric car, but the latest teaser has nothing to do with its zero-emission powertrain.
Instead, Nissan has revealed the 2018 Leaf will arrive with ProPilot Assist, the automaker’s driver-assistance technology.
The system is capable of assisting drivers in stop-and-go traffic and can control acceleration, braking, and steering during “single-lane driving” on highways.
DON’T MISS: 2018 Nissan Leaf electric car: first teaser photo (headlights!) emerges
Although the system is a light application of autonomous driving technologies, Nissan plans to use ProPilot Assist as the foundation for future endeavors.
The brand says ProPilot Assist will add greater self-driving capabilities in the future with increasing levels of autonomy.
For example, Nissan says the system will eventually be able to navigate city intersections.
The system itself is merely one portion of the brand’s Nissan Intelligent Mobility structure, which aims to transform the idea of driving and how cars are integrated into society at large.
Nissan previously showcased another teaser image of the 2018 Leaf and showed off its sharp new headlights.
Along with the previous teaser, Nissan said additional “informational briefs” will come throughout the summer.
READ THIS: Next Nissan Leaf confirmed for 60-kwh battery, 200 miles of range
The 2018 Nissan Leaf, again a five-door hatchback, will finally be revealed sometime later this year.
The new Leaf faces stiffer competition than it did when it was launched in December 2010 as the world’s first affordable, modern battery-electric vehicle built in volume.
Now, the Chevrolet Bolt EV has been on the market for six months already and offers a remarkable 238-mile EPA range rating.
![Section of 2018 Nissan Leaf spy shot [image via S. Baldauf/SB-Medien, as used on Motor Authority]](https://www.automobilebrand.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/section-of-2018-nissan-leaf-spy-shot-image-via-s-baldauf-sb-medien-as-used-on-motor-authority_100597048_m.jpg "Section of 2018 Nissan Leaf spy shot [image via S. Baldauf/SB-Medien, as used on Motor Authority]")
Section of 2018 Nissan Leaf spy shot [image via S. Baldauf/SB-Medien, as used on Motor Authority]
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It’s also priced in a relatively affordable bracket—it starts at $37,500, which means an effective price of $30,000 after federal income-tax credits are applied, even before any state incentives kick in on top of that.
The Hyundai Ioniq Electric has also arrived to capture a piece of the electric-vehicle market.
It’s priced lower, but the Ioniq Electric’s range is rated at 124 miles. (The 2017 VW Golf, incidentally, gets a rating of 125 miles.)
CHECK OUT: 2018 Nissan Leaf: what we know so far about next electric car (updated)
The current Nissan Leaf manages 107 miles of range, though Nissan aims to boost that figure substantially in the next-generation Leaf.
The carmaker hasn’t yet released any specifications, though it showed a 60-kilowatt-hour battery in a test car almost two years ago.
That’s the same size as the Bolt EV’s battery pack.
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