DaveinOlyWA
Well-known member
dgpcolorado said:"I think we wont see much more range in a LEAF ever."DaveinOlyWA said:actually i fully believe "ever" to be correct. Nissan understands that more range is desired but at the same time, the LEAF works VERY well for the segment it was designed for. there are few (or relatively few) owners that have not found a way to make the car work. but they are early adopters who are willing to "work at" making it work but realistically, its not that much work.
Now Nissan's next move will be to bring in more of the "middle of the road" consumer who is naturally apprehensive to the limitations of the unknown (notice i did not say EVs...) and that will NOT TO BE CHANGING WHAT ALREADY WORKS but to add something that will.
Ford did not stop making SUVs because crew cab pickups out sold them 3 to 1 now did they? they realized that there is a segment that does not want the bed just as Nissan realizes there are people who want an EV with longer range that is more "vanilla" and "more sedanish" and "less standoutish"
get the picture? the LEAF is not changing significantly EVER. Nissan is and will be adding to the EV lineup and doing it probably quicker than we realize.
as far as "stretching the budget" a few things that will happen and of this i am about as certain as one can be concerning things that have yet to pass (reading too many Hobbit press releases i think )
* you will get more range for the same money you are paying today
*your current LEAF will be cheaper in the future.
But, what if battery technology (or even aerodynamics) changes to the point that longer range can be added at minimal cost? Would they really leave the LEAF at 70 miles range? I have my doubts.
The other notion I have is more of a quibble: I assume that Nissan will make the "LEAF" a family of vehicles someday much as Toyota has done with the Prius. If that happens, then there might well be LEAF models with multiple range options. But retain a plain vanilla LEAF option with 70 mile range? Perhaps you are correct about that. However, it remains to be seen whether the 70 mile LEAF will achieve widespread adoption. [Don't forget that your usage pattern, with an extensive DCFC infrastructure to rely on, is way, way outside the mainstream for most areas of the country!]
oh no!! u missed my point. the LEAF is anything but Vanilla and quite frankly there are people that would NEVER consider buying a LEAF purely on looks alone. the mainstream EV that Nissan offers in the future will not be a LEAF, it will be a sedan