Second Generation Nissan Leaf (ZE1)

Since its inception in 2010, the Nissan Leaf served as the wake-up call for the world to give up petrol and diesel vehicles and instead drive zero-emission vehicles that runs solely on electricity. For seven years, more and more people are driving Nissan Leafs (Leaves? Is it correct?) on the road and while many car companies are drawing inspired from the Leaf, mostly Tesla, rest assured that the Leaf has a strong following in the motoring industry and with the advent of the second generation Leaf, the future of motoring has finally arrived thanks to applied science and some added range to keep it going.

2018 Nissan Leaf

Before talking about how much improvement the all-new, second-generation Nissan Leaf gained after seven years of advent, let's observe how much the design has gained and for the new model, it's a complete looker compared to the previous model. For starters, Nissan draws its inspiration from the IDS Concept so the new Leaf will look just like the concept car it was based upon and that is a plus one for Nissan there, making production cars look like concept cars.

2018 Nissan Leaf interior

2018 Nissan Leaf interior

Apart from the stylish exterior, which looks sexy for EV compact standards, the interior is now surprisingly accessible for both driver and passenger in mind. Of course, the climate controls look like it came from the old model, the dashboard now behaves like a normal Nissan. Also, it's got a proper instrumental panel, it's got a steering wheel inspired from the Nissan GT-R, it's got Apple CarPlay compatibility, up to 435 litres of boot space, BOSE Energy Efficient sound system, seating for five, everything. With so many amenities, the new Leaf is surprisingly accommodating indeed for an electric car fit for everyday use.

2018 Nissan Leaf

Now is the time to talk about how much improvement the Leaf has gained after seven years and let's start with the performance. The electric powertrain has now been improved with better efficiency and slightly improved performance so that now, it produces 110kw of power and 320Nm of torque, resulting to a better accelerating electric car without all the drama intended. With the new e-powertrain and the li-ion battery, the driving range has gone up to 400km (JC08 Mode) on a single charge. That's just the start of the story because soon, Nissan will offer a high-power version with added range and power it can be as interesting as cars can get.

Apart from the improved electric drivetrain, the all-new Leaf features three new intelligent driving technologies. First, there is the ProPILOT as seen in today's Serena and X-TRAIL, which is used during single-lane driving on the highway. Then, there's the new ProPILOT Park, which makes the car park all by itself. Simple but scary at the same time. And finally, for a first in a production car, the new Leaf comes with the world's first e-Pedal, which allows drivers to start, accelerate, decelerate and stop in one pedal and you can have it turn it on or off. Why? Driving conventionally may not be the best but this is why we love driving our cars.

There's more to it than driving the new Leaf because in an event of power outage due to natural calamities, aging power grids, and now computer hacking, the Li-ion battery from the Nissan Leaf can be served as a backup generator courtesy of its Vehicle-to-Grid technology. Think about it, when brownout strikes, the car's battery can be used to power up the entire home and when the lights are back, it goes back into charging. How convenient is that? That's science done right and how come Tesla never done with that kind of gig to turn their cars into backup generators for home use?

The all-new Nissan Leaf starts at 3,150,360 Japanese Yen and it qualifies for the government's tax break so buying one shouldn't be a hassle. So, the conclusion; although the new Leaf isn't one of the most enjoyable cars of the market, this is the electric car of many uses. Not only it has more oomph than the previous model but its cutting-edge technology made it proof that the future of mobility really is now thanks to science and apart from driving, the Leaf serves as a backup generator for home in case of a blackout due to calamities, aging grids, and computer hacking. Nothing says being prepared than being extra prepared with this one. It really is "simply amazing."

Photo: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.