No, the new 2018 Nissan Leaf electric car isn’t going to have only a single pedal—despite at least one headline late yesterday claiming that.
Honest.
But the “e-Pedal” in the next generation of Nissan’s highest-volume plug-in vehicle does offer some interesting new features.
DON’T MISS: Latest 2018 Nissan Leaf teaser shows ProPilot Assist self-driving capability
One of those is the ability to provide what’s known as “one-pedal driving” (hence the confusion among uninformed journalists).
As the 58-second video above notes, drivers of the 2018 Leaf can use the accelerator pedal to accelerate and also to brake, just by easing off the pedal.
The “strong regeneration” programmed into a car with one-pedal driving essentially makes the brake pedal superfluous except for panic stops or other emergency maneuvers.
Bruce Richter drives the 2010 Tesla Roadster Sport
One-pedal driving was pioneered in the Tesla Roadster and, to a lesser extent, in the Tesla Model S before entering lower-cost vehicles with the 2014 BMW i3.
The 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV offers drivers a choice between a more conventional “automatic transmission” feel and the stronger regen of one-pedal driving.
Though at first disconcerting to novices, the feature has proven very popular among more experienced electric-car owners, who says it reduces stress and complication in stop-and-go traffic.
READ THIS: 2018 Nissan Leaf electric car: first teaser photo (headlights!) emerges
The video also suggests that Nissan has fitted a hill-holder function as part of the e-Pedal, which will hold the car in place on a sloping road even if the driver lifts off the pedal.
The net effect, the video says, is to make your driving “simpler and more engaging.”
The video shows a familiar Leaf drive selector with a button above marked “e-Pedal,” seemingly indicating how the one-pedal driving function is engaged.
Outline of 2018 Nissan Leaf electric car, taken from Nissan teaser video on e-Pedal, July 2017Teaser for 2018 Nissan Leaf debuting in 2017Teaser for 2018 Nissan Leaf debuting on September 6, 2017
The latest Nissan video is one in a series of teaser releases on the 2018 Nissan Leaf before its launch.
Those have included carefully posed images of a headlight, the “grille” that presumably covers the center-front charge port, a large Nissan badge, and a dash display for the ProPilot Assist automated driving assistance that will be offered on the next Leaf.
The video is worth watching because it contains a drawing of the new Leaf’s shape from the side.
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The 2018 Nissan Leaf electric car will be unveiled in Japan on Wednesday, September 6 (late Tuesday for North Americans).
It will remain a five-door compact hatchback, and spy photos indicate that it may be a comprehensive redesign of the existing model rather than a new-from-the-ground-up design.
It is expected to offer a choice of at least two battery capacities, with one rated at something between 120 and 160 miles and another achieving a range of at least 200 miles.
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