LEAF 2 : What we know so far (2018 or later?)

[edatoakrun]

Nope, IMO it's no great beauty, and certainly doesn't look as good as this other mid-sized five-door BEV:

http://autoweek.com/article/green-cars/jaguar-i-pace-concept-previews-2018-electric-suv#ixzz4ba9bamx4

http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=22545

And the new LEAF will only have half as many drive wheels, and ~half the single-charge-range, as the Jag.

On the other hand, the LEAF will only cost ~half as much, and you'll probably be able to buy one 6-9 months sooner.

Interestingly, it looks like the LEAF will be about the same overall length as the I-PACE, but a few inches each, lower and narrower.

 

[webb14leafs]

Nope, IMO it's no great beauty, and certainly doesn't look as good as this other mid-sized five-door BEV:

http://autoweek.com/article/green-cars/jaguar-i-pace-concept-previews-2018-electric-suv#ixzz4ba9bamx4

http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=22545

And the new LEAF will only have half as many drive wheels, and ~half the single-charge-range, as the Jag.

On the other hand, the LEAF will only cost ~half as much, and you'll probably be able to buy one 6-9 months sooner.

Interestingly, it looks like the LEAF will be about the same overall length as the I-PACE, but a few inches each, lower and narrower.

Not sure why you would compare these two cars. Kind of like criticizing a Ford Focus for not looking like an Audi A4.

 

[NeilBlanchard]

Folks, that picture has motion blur, and it is zoomed in a fair bit, so judging ground clearance is sketchy. Just look at the camouflaged cars we have already seen - there is no problem with the ground clearance!

Oh, and the battery already is in the floor of the current Leaf ...

Thanks for the additional pictures, by the way.

 

[jlv]

The IDS Concept is a better thing to compare to the I-PACE Concept.

 

[LeftieBiker]

It's easy to just quote whole posts, including photos, but it's kind of annoying for others after the first few times. It's also easy to highlight what you want to quote, copy it, paste it into a new post, highlight it again, and select "quote".

The spy shot car looks like it has a longer wheelbase, but I think that may be an illusion. I just looked at my car again, and when you focus on the wheelbase, the current Leaf looks like it has a long one as well. I don't see them incurring the substantial extra production costs to retool for a longer wheelbase when they spent so much effort to reuse the current midsection.

 

[edatoakrun]

...Not sure why you would compare these two cars...

Because they are both five-door mid-sized BEVs.

One is, IMO, a beautiful design because it departs from ICEV conventions.

="edatoakrun"

Two articles below worth reading on JLR's BEV plans.

I give Jaguar credit for taking huge risks with the I-Pace design.

JLR plans to power into plug-ins
Company steers clear of self-driving vehicles

...Speth said the U.S. will be the major market for the high-performance I-Pace...

What's "not clear," Speth said, is whether customers will accept the new design direction of the I-Pace, especially its short hood. Buyers are used to Jaguar's long hood for "the more powerful horses," he said...

IMO, the I-pace design works, and I hope its acceptance will mean we will soon not have to see BEVs continue to display their huge empty frunks , in mimicry of the engine bays of ICEVs....

Jaguar I-PACE BESUV available 2018
http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=22545&start=10

And the Gen two LEAF, which has been redesigned to look EVEN MORE like an ICEV...looks to me, like a (rather bland-looking) ICEV.

That seems to be what most buyers want today, BEVs that look like the ICEVs they're used to.

I expect that will probably change eventually, just as horseless carriages started out looking like horseless carriages, before advancing into the designs we are now accustomed to.

On-topic:

"The challenge is to make an electric car do something that gasoline proportions and design can never do."

http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=22702

="NeilBlanchard"Folks...there is no problem with the ground clearance!...

Not a problem, but it looks lower than the Gen one to me.

I've often wondered why the Gen one has so much clearance.

Maybe that much space was required to access the under-body spare, which AFAIK, came as OE equipment only in Australia?

="LeftieBiker"...The spy shot car looks like it has a longer wheelbase, but I think that may be an illusion...

From these photos and previous, looks to me like Gen two has about the same wheelbase as Gen one, but longer overhangs.

Longer total length, lower height, and ~identical width should mean at least some reduction in drag over the Gen one.

 

[LeftieBiker]

To me, that Jaguar looks a lot like the Camaro concept car that became the Volt concept car: squashed looking, with poor rear visibility. Although not as bad for front visibility.

So that one blurred photo of Leaf 2 without camouflage is all that is out there?

 

[edatoakrun]

To me, that Jaguar looks a lot like the Camaro concept car that became the Volt concept car: squashed looking, with poor rear visibility. Although not as bad for front visibility.

So that one blurred photo of Leaf 2 without camouflage is all that is out there?

Four photos, AFAIK:

Today's Spy shots from Spain. I like the black roof, I think I would do some blackout treatment to the V-motion front grille.

I wonder if any of the black roof is glass?

 

[DaveinOlyWA]

The lack of Camo makes me want to reevaluate my statement that the 2018 is longer. The door handle positions seems to be make me think otherwise. But my impressions were based on standing 2 feet away from the car, not from a picture. Soooo....

 

[jhm614]

I think I like the re-design but I need to see it 'in the metal'. Not sure about the black roof though - that's not really Texas-friendly in the Summer. Either way, it's nice to see Nissan's current design language applied to an EV.

 

[LeftieBiker]

I think that the "design language" that seems to fascinate all the auto journalists is crap. The car looks like a really bloated 2009 Civic.

Right, four photos, two of them blurred. I think my failing brain meant 'Do we only have this one SET of photos, of one Leaf?' Two are fairly clear, at least.

 

[OrientExpress]

'Do we only have this one SET of photos, of one Leaf?'

To their credit, Nissan has been fanatical about keeping the car under wraps until the reveal on September 6 to build buzz, and it looks like it is working. On 9/6 everything will be revealed, and I think they will be able to provide much better information than other EV makers have done with their recent EV launches.

 

[Durandal]

I think I like the re-design but I need to see it 'in the metal'. Not sure about the black roof though - that's not really Texas-friendly in the Summer. Either way, it's nice to see Nissan's current design language applied to an EV.

Yeah, I hate the two tone appearance with black on the top.

 

[tattoogunman]

The Gen 2 looks like a Ferrari compared to the Gen 1.

 

[evnow]

I'll miss the iconic Leaf Classic look.

I wish they had atleast kept the vertical LED lights at the back.

 

[rmay635703]

I think I like the re-design but I need to see it 'in the metal'. Not sure about the black roof though - that's not really Texas-friendly in the Summer. Either way, it's nice to see Nissan's current design language applied to an EV.

Yeah, I hate the two tone appearance with black on the top.

I don't think the big boom on top will be very aerodynamic

New Leaf tow truck

 

[Nubo]

'Do we only have this one SET of photos, of one Leaf?'

To their credit, Nissan has been fanatical about keeping the car under wraps until the reveal on September 6 to build buzz, and it looks like it is working.

I hope that's the case, instead of the quiet being due to a mad scramble to get something that isn't ready... ready.

 

[LeftieBiker]

There is a car parked a couple of blocks from here that looks a lot like the new Leaf. No, it isn't one. Has anyone else seen the restyled Prius C? I think it's one of those.

One slip. I think the car is ready. I think the problem is that it isn't all that interesting. I can live with that, as long as it has the features I want, is affordable, and reliable.

 

[VTLeaf]

I'll miss the iconic Leaf Classic look.

I wish they had atleast kept the vertical LED lights at the back.

I'll miss the quirky-but-friendly character of Gen I as well. Always makes me smile to see one -- which happens increasingly often even in Vermont.

This thing looks like a bar of soap did it with a skunk. Maybe I'll like it in different colors/different angles -- but not a lot of charm as far as I can tell (Nissan's 'V' designs don't really do anything for me).

 

[Randy]

'Do we only have this one SET of photos, of one Leaf?'

To their credit, Nissan has been fanatical about keeping the car under wraps until the reveal on September 6 to build buzz, and it looks like it is working. On 9/6 everything will be revealed, and I think they will be able to provide much better information than other EV makers have done with their recent EV launches.

Just one question, Gary...Is Nissan a client of your GJLtron media firm? The stuff you post and cross post on various Facebook groups sure looks like that is the case....



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Gary Lieber

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