Rumours About the New Nissan Leaf: What Can Students in Automotive Repair Training Expect From This EV?
The Nissan Leaf is a staple vehicle in the electric vehicle (EV) sector. Since being introduced in the United States at the end of 2010 and in Canada in 2011, Nissan has sold over 250,000 Leafs, making it one of the highest-selling electric cars in history. Despite its popularity, the Nissan Leaf has only received small upgrades and changes over the course of its four model years. With competitors like Tesla upping the ante in terms of range and technology, the Leaf needed some drastic upgrades to stay competitive in the increasingly crowded EV market. With that in mind, Nissan set out to build the next-generation Leaf.
If you have a passion for cars and are interested in a career in the automotive industry, read on to learn more about the new Nissan Leaf.
Grads of Auto Repair School Might Know the Next-Gen Leaf Will Have Some Stylistic Upgrades
Despite what many car buyers believe about the way EVs tend to look, the new Nissan Leaf doesn’t fall short on the cool factor. While the vehicle won’t officially be released until the end of this year, spy photos have managed to capture snippets of the EV’s improved look.
While sticking to the Leaf’s signature hatchback 5-door style and size, the new Leaf has a sleeker design with a sharper front end that future auto mechanics may recognize, since it resembles the most recent Nissan Micra.
Some spy photos taken of the next-gen Leaf show a unique two-tone design, with a clean white paint job and contrasting black roof. Nissan itself has also teased upgrades like new headlights that feature LED projection.
Grads of Auto Repair School May Encounter the Leaf’s New e-Pedal & Autonomous Technology
Nissan has made several interesting announcements about the new Leaf’s technological features, which are sure to impress any student in auto repair school.
The new e-Pedal technology allows car drivers to brake, accelerate, and slow down using just one pedal. Like any other vehicle, when the e-Pedal is pressed, the car accelerates. However, with the e-Pedal, when the driver eases off the pedal, the car will slow, and if the driver takes their foot completely off the pedal, the car will come to a complete stop, even on a hill.
Nissan claims this functionality will be suitable for 90 per cent of all driving situations, but just in case, drivers can easily disable the feature to drive with both pedals. While the exact specifics of how the technology functions are unknown, students in automotive mechanic courses might be able to get a closer look once they begin their careers.
Check out the e-Pedal technology in the video below:
Rumors About the Next-Gen Leaf’s Driving Range Get Mixed Reactions
When it comes to EVs, fewer elements are more important than the battery range. Since many car buyers see an EV’s restrictive range and lack of charging options as the main barrier to owning one, range has been one area that many EV makers have been quick to innovate on. Big-ticket brands are working on releasing vehicles with impressive driving ranges, which is why it was expected that Nissan’s new Leaf would receive massive upgrades to its battery’s longevity.
However, it’s beginning to seem like an impressive driving range may not be in the cards for the first next-gen Leaf. While the head of electric vehicles at Nissan claims the vehicle will have a range between 350 and 400 kilometres, Japan’s standards for testing are much looser than North America’s, so in reality, the range may only be about 320 kilometres. To put that into perspective, the Tesla Model 3 will have a range of 345 km while the Model S 100D boasts a range of about 594 kilometres.
Would you like a career that allows you to work on interesting cars like the Nissan Leaf?
Contact CATI today to learn more about starting automotive repair training and beginning the journey to your dream automotive career!
