Nissan Leaf Electric Car: Ultimate Guide, What You Need To KnowNissan Leaf Electric Car: Ultimate Guide, What You Need To Know

Back in December 2010, an unassuming compact hatchback hit the Japanese and American markets.
A new small Nissan isn’t normally the cause for fanfares and celebration, but the Leaf is one of the most significant cars of recent years–as it’s a competitive, usable electric car.
Whether you love or hate the Leaf, it’s playing a part in both turning electric cars into a mainstream product, and showing that a large car company really can put an electric vehicle into mass production.
We’ve been covering the Leaf since its early days, and we’ve now brought together a guide that covers all aspects of the car, from pre-launch to the experiences of owners, two years down the line.
There are plenty of links to go through, but we’ve split our guide into categories so you can find the story you’re looking for a little easier. You’ll find driving impressions on this page, ownership experiences on page 2, pricing, sales and production data on page 3, general and battery loss information on the fourth page, and page five is reserved for the more offbeat Leaf stories.
 
Leaf basics: Driving the Leaf
So what is the Nissan Leaf? Put simply, it’s a five-door, five-seat hatchback which sits in the compact class, next to conventionally-powered rivals like the Toyota Corolla and Honda Civic.
It uses a 24 kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack, which feeds power to an 80 kilowatt (110-horsepower) and 210 pound-foot electric motor. Official performance data is hard to come by, but the benchmark 0-60mph sprint has been variously recorded between 10 and 12 seconds, and top speed is around 90 mph. Official EPA range is 84 miles for the 2015 car, and 114 MPGe.
Pricing starts at $29,860 for the 2015 Leaf, including a mandatory $850 delivery fee.
You can head over to our sister site, The Car Connection, for a review of the 2015 Nissan Leaf.
We’ve also driven the Leaf on several occasions here at Green Car Reports, and you can click through our experiences below:

2014 Nissan Leaf: Bestselling Electric Car, Driven By Newbie (New!)
2013 Nissan Leaf: Driven Through Tennessee Countryside 
2011 Nissan Leaf Prototype: Quick Drive Impressions
2011 Nissan Leaf: First Drive
2011 Nissan Leaf Drive Review: A Real Electric Car For Real People
2011 Nissan Leaf Electric Car: First Drive Review
Drive Report: Electric Car Neophyte Uses 2011 Nissan Leaf For A Week
Does the 2011 Nissan Leaf Deliver Its100 Miles Of All-Electric Range?

The 2011 Nissan Leaf has also been a previous nominee–and winner–of Green Car Reports’ Best Car To Buy

2011 Nissan Leaf: GreenCarReports Best Car To Buy 2011
GreenCarReports Best Car To Buy 2011 Nominee: Nissan Leaf

2015 Nissan Leaf
Leaf basics: Owning a Leaf
For an electric car to be relevant, it has to work, first and foremost, as a car. It must be able to do the jobs a regular car can do, and minimize the disruptions that some previous electric cars may not have managed.
You can find plenty of information on the ownership experience below–much of it from our friend and ex-Green Car Reports author, Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield–herself a Leaf owner. One Leaf owner is also able to compare the experience with his Chevrolet Volt–you can read about that here.

EZ-Charge Program Not So Easy As ChargePoint Exits Nissan Plan (New!)
Easier Electric-Car Charging: BMW ChargeNow, Nissan EZ Charge (New!)
Nissan EZ Charge Card To Let Leafs Recharge On Four Networks (New!)
Nissan Leaf Owners Answer Common Electric-Car Questions (New!)
Nissan Leaf, Chevy Volt Range Loss In Winter: New Data From Canada
Owner Of 100,000-Mile Nissan Leaf Electric Car To Be Honored Monday
Three Years With The First Nissan Leaf Electric Car Sold In The U.S.
Certified Used Nissan Leaf Program Details Out–But Only In Japan 
Fast Chargers Proliferate For Nissan Leafs, New Etiquette Issue Arises 
Update On High-Mileage 2011 Nissan Leaf Electric Car
2013 Nissan Leaf Real-World Range: Is It Any Higher? 
2013 Nissan Leaf: 75-Mile Range ‘Anticipated’ In New Test By EPA 
Nissan Leaf Range: How Much Does It Lose In The Cold? 
Nissan Leaf: Does A Battery Inspection Give Peace Of Mind?
So What Exactly DO You Have To Service On a 2011 Nissan Leaf?
Nissan Leaf Software Update: Here’s What’s Different
What You Need To Know About Nissan Leaf, Chevy Volt Servicing
Why I Drive A Nissan Leaf Electric Car: One Owner’s Story
2013 Nissan Leaf: What Would You Change?

Long-term updates on a 2011 Nissan Leaf (most recent first):
 

Four Years And 70,000 Miles Later, 2011 Nissan Leaf Going Strong (New!)
How We Became An All-Plug-In Electric Car Household
2011 Nissan Leaf At Two Years: 32,000 Miles, No Signs Of Age
2011 Nissan Leaf Long-Term Update: 25,000 Miles, No Woes
2011 Nissan Leaf: One Year Drive Report
2011 Nissan Leaf: One Year On, How Healthy Is The Battery Pack?
What’s The Range Of A 2012 Nissan Leaf In Winter? We Find Out
2011 Nissan Leaf Electric Car: What We’ve Learned Over 5 Months
2011 Nissan Leaf: Five Things We Learned Over 5,000 Miles
2011 Nissan Leaf: 520 Miles, 2 Days, Here’s How
2011 Nissan Leaf One Week In: Five Things We Hate
2011 Nissan Leaf One Week In: Five Things We Like

2015 Nissan Leaf
Leaf pricing, sales and production
If you’re considering an electric car–any electric car–the first thing you should do is head over to our full 2015-2016 Electric Car Price Guide. There, you’ll find the actual price Nissan will sell you a Leaf for, purged of the sneaky included tax breaks which many companies employ to make the price look lower.
For the 2015 Nissan Leaf, with the full $7,500 federal tax incentive left on the sidelines, but the mandatory delivery fee included, that price is $29,860.

2012, 2013 Nissan Leaf Electric Cars Get $5,000 Lease Buyout Credit (New!)
2017 Nissan Leaf: What We Know So Far About New Electric Car (New!)
Nissan Sway Concept Sets The Look For Future Small Cars—And Leaf? (New!)
Nissan To Have Longer-Range Electric Cars ‘Relatively Quickly,’ Exec Says (New!)
Nissan Leaf Sets New Annual Record For U.S. Electric Car Sales (New!)
‘Thanks A Billion’: Nissan Leaf Electric Car Logs 1 Billion Kilometers (Video) (New!)
Nissan And Renault Together Pass 200,000 Electric-Car Sales (New!)
2017 Nissan Leaf: Will Less ‘EVness’ Make It More Appealing? (New!)
2017 Nissan Leaf Renderings: How Conservative Will Design Be? (New!)
Don’t Be Fooled: Only Three Electric Cars Are Sold Nationwide Today (New!)
New 2017 Nissan Leaf: More Details On New Styling, Range–And Infiniti Electric Too (New!)
Nissan On Track To Beat 2020 Electric Car Sales Target? (New!)
Who Buys Plug-In Electric Cars, And Why? CA Report Explains It All For You (New!)
Nissan Celebrates 99,999…100,000 Leaf Electric Car Sales
With Demand Soaring, Nissan Leaf U.S. Production Could Double This Year
2014 Nissan Leaf Electric Car: 84-Mile Range, RearView Monitor Standard
Nissan Leaf Bumps Tesla Model S To Top Norway Oct Sales Charts
Women Now Buying One-Third Of All Nissan Leaf Electric Cars
U.S.-Made 2013 Nissan Leaf Has Only 15 Percent Local Content; Here’s Why
Can You Name The Top 10 U.S. Markets For Nissan Leaf Electric Car?
Nissan To Offer Leaf Battery Replacement Plan: $100 A Month 
Best-Selling Nissan In Portland: Leaf Electric Car–Due To Electric Highway? 
Nissan Offers Leaf Owners $1,000 To Buy Other, Non-Electric Models Too 
Nissan Leaf: World’s Most Popular Electric Car At 50,000 Delivered
Will 2013 Nissan Leaf Price Cut Cause Sales To Soar? 
2013 Nissan Leaf: Longer Range, Faster Charging, Leather Seats, And More: All The Upgrades 
Nissan Offers Almost $10K Cash Back On Leaf Electric Cars 
Nissan Leaf Electric-Car Buyers Really ARE Different, Says Dealer
Nissan Celebrates Leaf Electric Car’s Second Birthday 
Nissan CEO Admits 2012 Leaf Sales Goal Won’t Be Reached
Nissan: Leaf Sales Lower Than Expected, But We’re United Behind It
2012 Nissan Leaf Gets Even Cheaper: Now, $139/Month Lease
Nissan To Reboot Leaf Effort, Asks Electric-Car Fans For Help
2012 Nissan Leaf Lease Now $219 A Month, Incentives Increase
2013 Nissan Leaf Electric Car To Use New, Cheaper Battery Cells: UPDATED
2013 Nissan Leaf Edges Closer To Production In Smyrna, TN
2012 Nissan Leaf Electric Cars Offered At Up To $5,000 Off
2017 Nissan Leaf: Will It Cost The Same As A 2012 Golf? 
Think The 2012 Nissan Leaf Is Too Expensive? Australians Pay $52K
Nissan Sticks With 20K Leafs In U.S. By End Of (Fiscal) Year
2012 Nissan Leaf Leases: $289 For Base SV, $319 For Nicer SL
Year-Old Nissan Leaf Electric Car: Worth 70 Or 95 Percent Of New Price?
2012 Nissan Leaf: Now Available To Order Nationwide, Deliveries By Summer
U.S. Sales Of The Nissan Leaf Electric Car Now Over 10,000
2012 Nissan Leaf: No More Reservation Fees, Buy Like Any Other Car

2015 Nissan Leaf
Leaf basics: Useful info
With over two years of Nissan Leaf sales, we’re starting to get a real idea of the car’s quirks. Some are irritating–such as issues with the Carwings data service–and others are unexpected, such as the battery capacity loss of owners in hotter climates.
Among links to these attributes and more, we’ve also got plenty of little tips related to running a Leaf–so scan through the links below to find what you need.

UPDATED: Should I Buy A Used Nissan Leaf (Or Another Electric Car)? (New!)
Used Electric Cars: About To Get Big, What You Need To Know (New!)
Nissan Leaf-To-Home Electric-Car Power Tests: More Practical For U.S. With Longer-Range Cars? (New!)
Ghosn: Nissan Not Tied To Its Own Electric-Car Batteries, Will Seek Other Suppliers Pragmatically (New!)
IIHS Tests Small Cars On Small Overlap: Volt Does OK, Leaf ‘Struggles’ (New!)
Nissan Leaf $5,500 Battery Replacement Loses Money, Company Admits (New!)
Nissan’s DC Quick-Charging Stations: 630 CHAdeMO Sites Live Today (New!)
Nissan Leaf New Battery Cost: $5,500 For Replacement With Heat-Resistant Chemistry (New!)
Nissan Leaf Carwings: Company ‘Hopes’ To Improve Telematics App (New!)
Small Set Of 2014 Nissan Leaf Electric Cars Recalled For Inverter Replacement (New!)
2014 Nissan Leaf Recall: If Welds Missing, Car Will Be Replaced (New!)
Nissan Leaf Likely To Offer Larger Battery For Longer Range (New!)
2014 Nissan Leaf Domestic Content: Now Closer To Volt, Focus Electric (New!)
2013-2014 Nissan Leaf Electric Cars Recalled For Airbag Sensor Issue (New!)
2014 Nissan Leaf Has Lowest Lifetime Carbon Footprint: Report (New!)
Dreaming Of A Nissan Leaf With Double The Range? Well…
Why The 2013 Nissan Leaf Is Really A 2001 Toyota Prius
Nissan To Add Electric-Car Fast Charging At More Than 100 Dealers 
Nissan Leaf Wants Apps, Needs Your Data To Make Them Work 
2013 Nissan Leaf Electric Car Gets IIHS ‘Top Safety Pick’ Rating 
2013 Nissan Leaf Electric Car: Updates, Video At NY Auto Show 
2013 Nissan Leaf Gets New Energy-Efficient Bose Stereo: Chicago Auto Show 
Despite AZ Woes, Most Nissan Leaf Batteries Fine, Survey Shows 
Nissan Leaf Battery Capacity Loss: Covered By Warranty, Now 
2013 Nissan Leaf Electric Car Revealed In Japanese Trim
Nissan Leaf-To-Home Power Station: Will It Make It To U.S.?
Nissan Leaf Gets Remote Charger Timer With Leaf Link iPhone App
At $5/Gallon, 2012 Nissan Leaf Electric Car Pays For Itself
Quick-Charging Your Electric Car? It Could Be Less Full Than You Think
Five Official Nissan Leaf Accessories You Can’t Buy In The U.S.
Leafhacking Battery Mod Gives Extra Range, But At What Cost? 
EVSE Upgrade Testing 6.6-kW Upgrade To Halve Leaf Charging Time
GE WattStation Vindicated, Leaf Blamed In Charging Station Woes
Nissan, GE, Working To Solve Leaf, WattStation Charging Woes
How To Keep Your Nissan Leaf’s Battery Pack Happy In Hot Weather
2012 Nissan Leaf Gets Better At Predicting Range, Charging Needs
How Much Range Does Your Leaf Lose If You Unplug It For 8 Days?
Nissan Leaf Battery Warranty: What You MUST Do To Keep It Valid
2011 Nissan Leaf: Batteries

 
Battery capacity loss saga

Does Quick Charging Hurt Battery Life? Total Miles Are More Important (New!)
Nissan Leaf Likely To Get ‘Hot Weather’ Battery In Next Year
Nissan Tests New Heat-Resistant Battery For Leaf Electric Car
Nissan Leaf Electric Car Reports Own Battery-Cell Failure Via Carwings 
Exec Stands Firm on Nissan Leaf Batteries, Previews 2013 (Video)
Nissan Buys Back Leaf Electric Cars Under Arizona Lemon Law
Leaf Owners Ratchet Up Attack On Nissan Handling Of Battery Loss 
Nissan Launches Global Leaf Advisory Board For Better Electric-Car Understanding
Nissan Suggests Leaf Battery-Capacity Loss Due To High Miles: Exclusive
Independent Tests Show Nissan Leaf Electric Cars Lost Range In Hot Climates
Nissan Leaf To Get Better Battery, No News On Capacity Loss
Leaf Owners Send Science In To Tackle Wilting Nissan Leafs
Nissan Responds To Wilting Arizonan Leafs, Studies Lost Battery Capacity
Nissan’s Mark Perry: We’re Investigating Arizona’s Wilting Leafs
More Nissan Leaf Battery Loss, Nissan Doesn’t Blink
2011 Nissan Leaf Battery Capacity Loss: Nissan Responds
2011 Nissan Leafs Start Losing Capacity Bars: Should You Worry?

Nissan Leafs break the world record for largest electric car convoy
Leafs in the media: Offbeat and social media
It isn’t all seriousness, car costs, battery problems and ownership: There’s a lighter side to the Leaf, too.
Whether you’re interested in the harsh testing Nissan put the Leaf through before releasing it, or if you simply like pulling pranks on gas station attendants, there’s plenty of offbeat stuff here to enjoy. You can even watch the Leaf complete an autocross course–yes, people really do drive their Leaf hard.

Avis Builds Largest Electric-Vehicle Lease Fleet In Europe With Latest Nissan Order (New!)
Electric Police Cars? Seattle Uses Nissan Leafs For Traffic Enforcement (New!)
Nissan Leaf Electric Car Disembowled, Displayed On Pegboard (Video) (New!)
Four Special Nissan Leaf Electric Cars To Celebrate 4 Years On Sale (New!)
Top Electric-Car Advertisers: Nissan And, Surprise, Kia–Chevy Not So Much (New!)
How To Quit Smoking: Buy An Electric Car? (New!)
U.S. Air Force Unveils Fleet of 42 Electric Vehicles, Nissan Leafs Included, For V2G Tests (New!)
Electric Cars Have Lots Of Torque; Use It Wisely, Kids! (Video) (New!)
World’s First Nissan Leaf Electric Pickup Truck, For Shop Use Only (Video) (New!)
Who Wins Electric-Car Brand Battle? BMW, Tesla Have The Buzz Now (New!)
Nissan And Mitsubishi To Join Forces On Low-Cost Electric Minicar (New!)
Nissan Leaf Vs BMW i3 Vs Volkswagen e-Golf: German Magazine Compares (New!)
Nissan Leaf Video Highlights Use Of Recycled Materials (New!)
Nissan Leaf Fleet Joins London’s Electric Taxi Ranks (New!)
Nissan Leaf Electric Car Becomes Futuristic Attack Vehicle On Japanese TV Show (Video) (New!)
Aerodynamic Tesla Model S Electric Car Wins The Wind-Tunnel Wars (New!)
How Quiet Are Electric Cars? This Nissan Leaf Shows You (New!)
Does Nissan Leaf Supplant The Prius As Loathing Target For CA Drivers? (New!)
Nissan Leaf Vs The Volcano: The Silent Ascent (New!)
Nissan Tweets, Then Deletes, Electric-Car Sales Slap At Tesla (New!)
‘Quietest, Slowest’ Comparison Ever: 6 Electric Cars Tested By Car And Driver (New!)
Nissan Surveys Tesla Owners For Intelligence On Electric Cars (New!)
Nissan To Work With Bhutan Toward ‘Electric-Car Nation’ Goal (New!)
Temple Priest Reflects On Owning Nissan Leaf Electric Car: Video
Lighting A Christmas Tree The Modern Way: With An Electric Car
Bhutan Mulls Turning All Taxis Into Nissan Leaf Electric Cars
SOLVED! Electric-Car Mystery: Doorless, Abandoned Nissan Leaf In Palo Alto
What Happens To A Nissan Leaf Electric Car At A Gas Station?
One New York Cabbie Loves His Nissan Leaf Electric Taxi
Nismo Offers To ‘Chip’ Your Leaf Electric Car For Better Performance 
Nissan Leaf Electric Car Boosts Nissan’s Brand Image, Reputation 
Nissan Leaf, Solar-Canopy Charging Station In New SIMS Game 
Watch A 2013 Nissan Leaf Being Built In Tennessee (Video) 
2013 Nissan Leaf TV Ad: Selling Electric-Car Fun, Finally! 
Need To Pretend You’re Not A Strong-Arm Ruler? Drive A Nissan Leaf 
Nissan Leaf-Owning Actor: Electricity Good, Nuclear… Not So Much 
Nissan Leaf Nismo RC Racer: Video Update 
Nissan Leaf Nismo Confirmed For Production, But Only In Japan
Learning To Drive In A Nissan Leaf: Video 
Nissan Leaf Electric Car Owners Cover 100 Million Miles Too 
Nissan To Fiat: Our Leaf Is Ugly? Look In The Mirror, Buddy!
Nissan Leaf Breaks Electric Car Convoy Record With 225 Cars
What Do You Call A Nissan Leaf In China? How About Venucia E30?
Visteon Fills Nissan Leaf With 2020 Tech: Meet The e-Bee
Finally! A Nissan Leaf Global Ad That Everyone Understands
Move Over Google, Meet The Self-Driving Nissan Leaf
7,700 Miles, 42 Days: Nissan Leafs Complete ‘Orange Trophy’ Trip
Nissan Leaf Joins Drivers’ Ed, Passes No-Gas Student
Five Official Nissan Leaf Accessories You Can’t Buy In The U.S.
Tree-Hugger? Nah, This Nissan Leaf Owner Hugs Corners, Beats Gas Cars
World’s Quietest Drag Race? Nissan Leaf Vs Chevy Volt (Video)
2012 Nissan Leaf Proves Itself On Snowy Japanese Test Course
Ryan Reynolds Gets Funny With The 2012 Nissan Leaf: Video
How Scary Are Electric Cars? BOO !!! It’s A Nissan Leaf Batt-Mobile!
Five Top Accessories and Modifications For Your 2011 Nissan Leaf
Single-Malt Powered Electric Car Offers Travel Sans Hangover
Nissan Shares Pikes Peak Leaf Experience (VIDEO)
Nissan Leaf Turns Laps At Laguna Seca: Video
2011 Nissan Leaf Gets Manga Makeover For Monocle Magazine
2011 Nissan Leaf: Waterboarded For Your Safety

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