Some Leafs See 23-Mile Range Increase

Nissan grows the range of the SL and SV grades of its Leaf electric car to 107 miles (172 km) from 84 miles (135 km).

The change is effective with the ’16 model year, and is due to a new 30-kWh lithium-ion battery pack. The current ’15 Leaf uses a 24 kWh Li-ion pack, as will S-grade base models of the new ’16 model.

“We know that to maintain that leadership, we must continue developing battery technology that strikes that ideal balance between capacity, packaging, durability and affordability,” Andrew Speaker, director-Nissan Electric Vehicle Sales & Marketing, says in a statement.

Other updates to the Leaf for ’16 include the NissanConnect with mobile apps infotainment system and a 5-in. (13-cm) color display as standard equipment on the Leaf S grade. The SV and SL grades add navigation, voice recognition and a bigger, 7-in. (18-cm) display screen to NissanConnect.

Pricing for the ’16 Leaf begins at $29,010 for the S grade, while the SV starts at $34,200 and the SL at $36,790. The prices don’t include an $850 destination and handling charge.

A U.S. federal tax credit still available for EVs will knock $7,500 off prices, Nissan says.

Leaf sales through August were down 34.6% to 12,383 units, WardsAuto data shows. Nissan has blamed the sales slowdown on the discontinuation of some EV tax credits, such as the July 1 end of a $5,000 giveback in Georgia, as well as used Leafs flooding the market and depressing demand for new models.

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