From Transport Evolved.

It’s more than 15 years since the first Nissan LEAF rolled off the production line. Brought into existence before the Tesla Model S, and offering family-focused EV driving long before most automakers even had EV plans, the LEAF defined an early generation of EV adopters.

But it wasn’t without its flaws: battery pack design let it down badly, and as Nissan tried to add more capacity to keep up with the competition, the first – and second-generation LEAF continued to suffer more noticeable loss in capacity than most of their rivals.

The second-generation LEAF limped on for longer than perhaps it ought, seeing its sales dwindle as customers purchased more competitive alternatives. But now, the Nissan LEAF is back with a new third-generation guise.

Built on the same platform that underpins the Nissan Ariya and multiple Renault EVs, the new LEAF combines a new, thermally-managed, better chemistry battery pack and slightly taller body styling that’s somewhere between a hatchback, a fastback, and a crossover.

But can it recapture the joy of electric driving that the original LEAF offered? Or does it fall into the more boring choices made for the second-generation LEAF and Nissan Ariya?

We’ve spent a week with it – and we think it’s worthy of the name. Here’s why.

*⏱️ Chapter Breakdown:*

00:00 – Introduction – Opening Music: Yonatan Riklis – Far Away Galaxies
(https://soundcloud.com/yonatanriklis)
03:24 – Montage – Music – Michael Shynes – Pictures of Home
(https://michaelshynes.bandcamp.com/album/the-current-the-river-and-the-undertow-ep)
05:29 – Familiarity
06:28 – Behind the wheel
07:49 – It’s different from the Ariya
08:54 – This *is* a pre-production version
09:55 – Fancy seats?
11:05 – A note on price
12:40 – Paddle shifter and driving modes
15:24 – It’s not true one-pedal driving
16:09 – It’s clear about its capabilities
17:12 – Is this a hatchback? Or not?
18:35 – Deleting the rear wiper… is a bad decision
19:28 – The new battery pack design… is much better!
22:53 – Vehicle to Load
24:17 – More claustrophobic?
25:25 – Let’s talk about that roof…
27:17 – Buttons and interior details
29:05 – Visibility
30:35 – Sound system
31:46 – Pro Pilot Assist
36:43 – Final Thoughts

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*👥 Today’s Sponsors*
🌱 Electric Vehicle Association – https://www.myeva.org
⚡ EnergySage – https://www.kqzyfj.com/click-101290941-16952262

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*🎙️ Credits:*

Host: Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield
Camera, Edit, Color: Vi Horton
Art & Animation: Erin Carlie
Producer: Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield
Music: via Artlist.io