2024 Nissan LEAF

As a second or third car, the Leaf could be ideal. As an only car, it might work for people who don’t need to take long trips. We’re thinking more along the lines of a second car, something for driving around the city and suburbs, keeping costs and emissions low in the process.

This second generation of Leaf debuted for the 2018 model year. Between then and now, electric vehicles (EVs) have stretched how far they can go on a single battery charge (range), and charging technology means less time waiting around. Remember, though, that the first-generation Leaf was something of a trailblazer. Nissan brought out one of the first EVs that wasn’t an expensive Tesla. Even now, the Leaf remains affordable enough to tempt buyers who prioritize budget motoring yet are interested in going electric.

After a minor refresh last year, the Leaf comes into 2024 unchanged. However, this year or next year might be the last for the Leaf.

The Leaf is the most affordable new electric car, with the Chevy Bolt and Bolt EUV on hiatus. The Hyundai Kona Electric (a fresh generation launches for 2024) should be starting in the mid-30s. The Kia Niro EV begins in the low 40s. Chevy’s newest and cheapest electric vehicle is the Equinox EV, set to start at around $30K. For anyone wanting to stay in the Nissan fold, the newer, bigger, SUV-like Ariya kicks off in the mid-40s. The Leaf enjoys stronger resale values than its Niro and Kona rivals.

In the S trim, the 2024 Leaf puts 147 horsepower and 236 lb-ft of torque through to the front wheels. Standstill to 60 mph takes about 7.4 seconds, which is decent and illustrates in a modest way how good electric motors are at delivering their thrust.

The SV Plus employs a gutsier motor and a bigger battery to achieve 214 horsepower and 250 lb-ft of torque. This version is also front-wheel-drive and takes 6.8 seconds to sprint to 60 mph. This is perfectly adequate for the kind of work the Leaf is likely to do.

We enjoy driving the Leaf, even after stepping out of more powerful, more modern EVs and climbing straight into this one. It’s not especially thrilling, but it’s stable and predictable, quiet and easy, comfortable and competent. We’ve found outward vision to be fine, while getting an ideal driving position takes little time or effort. And the Leaf’s small size makes parking a cinch.

We’ve spent hundreds of hours driving and evaluating the current (pardon the pun) collection of electric cars, including the Leaf.

Range and Charging

The Leaf S will work best in the kind of scenario where the owner has a short commute or only covers a few miles on a typical errand-running trip or whatever. Because its maximum range is 149 miles, and many public chargers aren’t compatible with the Leaf’s setup. So recharging each night at home is a smart move. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) expresses energy consumption as miles per gallon equivalent (MPGe) for electric vehicles — the S achieves 111 combined MPGe (123 city, 99 highway).

The SV Plus enjoys a better range of 212 miles, but that still doesn’t compare well to other EVs. For example, the (admittedly more expensive) Kia Niro EV can manage 253 miles. The new Chevy Equinox EV is expected to run for 250 miles in its base form. And the new Hyundai Kona Electric is estimated to achieve 260 miles. The SV Plus also suffers from the same charge system compatibility issues. Its EPA figures are 109 combined MPGe (121 city, 98 highway).

Charging the battery in the S takes about 7.5 hours when using a 240-volt home setup. A DC fast charger can juice it up to 80 percent in 40 minutes or so. The SV Plus takes pretty much the same time on a DC fast charger (which is almost twice as long as more modern EVs, incidentally), or it would need around 11.5 hours for a full replenishment using a 240-volt supply.

Unsurprisingly, quite a bit of plastic is deployed in the Nissan Leaf’s cabin. But it’s all been assembled well enough, and the overall design is completely workable. One nice little futuristic touch is the automatic transmission’s selector with its blue light. The main color scheme, though, is predominantly black, and the seats are covered with a suede-effect material.

Space is adequate for a subcompact hatchback. Rear legroom measures 33.5 inches, which should be more than bearable for adults of average size. The rear seats split and fold in a 60/40 manner. The luggage area behind them is a useful 23.6 cubic feet, opening out to 30 cubic feet when those seats are folded.

The Leaf is a small hatchback that rides a little higher than usual. We’ve no complaints about the styling. We like Nissan’s latest grille design, which has an illuminated badge on the Leaf. We also find that having the charge port in the nose means not worrying about which side it’s on.

The lowest-priced S trim starts with steel wheels instead of alloys. The multi-spoke design of the 17-inch alloy wheels on the SV Plus trim is arguably cool. Premium paint costs $395. Or it’s $695 for a 2-tone finish.

E-Pedal mode
One-pedal driving is a specialty of electric vehicles. The Leaf calls this setting E-Pedal. It’s where the level of brake regeneration (which can be set by the driver) slows the car as soon as a foot comes off the accelerator pedal. This is great in the occasional madness of city traffic because there’s much less dancing between the two pedals.

Apple CarPlay/Android Auto
Sure, we expect phone integration with our new cars these days, but considering the Leaf’s age, it’s good to see this as standard.

Driver information
Just like trip computers and fuel gauges in cars that use combustion engines, the Leaf provides the driver with information on real-time and average energy consumption, as well as the level of charge.

NissanConnect EV
This comes with the SV Plus version, allowing drivers to connect with their Nissan Leaf using a smartphone app to check on the amount of charge, control when to start charging, and even dial in the ideal cabin temperature before setting off.

ProPilot Assist
Available only in the SV Plus, this is an adaptive cruise control system with a stop/hold/go function, plus minor steering inputs to keep the car in its lane.

Intelligent Around View Monitor
Even though the Leaf is easy to park and maneuver, we still appreciate this 360-degree camera system that comes in the SV Plus trim.

A 40-kilowatt-hour (kWh) lithium-ion battery pack is in the S. The SV Plus has a 62-kWh counterpart. This latter unit is still quite good, but technology has moved on. For example, higher versions of the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Ioniq 6 have 77-kWh batteries. The greater the number, the more energy can be stored.

3-Year/36,000-Mile Warranty

Nissan’s usual new-vehicle warranty applies to the Leaf — three years or 36,000 miles, whichever happens first. It also has the standard powertrain warranty of five years or 60,000 miles. This is common among mainstream marques, but Hyundai and Kia do better. Nissan Leaf batteries are covered by an 8-year/100,000-mile warranty, whichever occurs first.

Safety Ratings

The Leaf has a maximum 5-star overall score from National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) but hasn’t been tested comprehensively by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). Standard safety features include forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking and pedestrian detection, blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert, and rear automatic braking.