Why Nissan Has an Edge in 200-Mile Electric Cars

Nissan has an edge with the volume-selling Leaf on the road. | Eric Schaal/Autos Cheat Sheet

Wouldn't it be great if there were an affordable all-electric car that could go decent distances and fast-charge for less than $30,000 after incentives?

Tesla has captivated the world with this message, and General Motors beat everyone to the punch with the upcoming Chevy Bolt. But Nissan already has such a car on the road — one it's delivered in volume around the world. With the announcement that a longer-range Nissan EV is in the works, the automaker has a been-there, done-that edge on the competition.

At a June industry event in Canada, Nissan's global director of EV engineering told AutoblogGreen a 200-mile Leaf was on the way, though he didn't say when. While we knew it was happening, it was the first time a high-ranking company official put it on the record in such terms. This bit of information tells us the next wave of electric vehicles will be as competitive as enthusiasts hoped; it also says the most successful EV maker is making its big move.

Nissan has fewer unknowns than other manufacturers looking to produce 200-mile EVs in volume. | Source: Nissan

Nissan brings to the game the technological expertise honed over years of manufacturing and improving the Leaf, its pure electric car capable of 107 miles in SV trim ($34,200). Meanwhile, the Japanese automaker has also demonstrated the capacity and ability to produce the Leaf in volume.

Its 30,200 sales in 2014 represent the record for any plug-in vehicle on the U.S. market, and it has already delivered close to 95,000 models to American drivers since its debut. In a word, the automaker has already done the thing Tesla wants to convince everyone it can do with its upcoming electric car for the masses.

Source: Why Nissan Has an Edge in 200-Mile Electric Cars