2021 Nissan Leaf e+ with longer range confirmed for Australia

First unveiled globally in January 2019, the Leaf e+ will expand the Australian Leaf range to two offerings when it joins the sole variant that's been available here since August 2019.

The Leaf e+ boasts a 62kWh battery, a notable increase on the current variant's 40kWh unit, with Nissan promising a range boost of 40 per cent – offering up to 384km on a single charge according to the WLTP cycle.

For comparison, the current Leaf available in Australia only provides up to 270km of range on a single charge (WLTP).

"We're excited to add another option to all electric Leaf offering in Australia with more range, which we believe some customers will value," a Nissan Australia spokesperson told CarAdvice.

Pictured: The Nissan Leaf e+. Overseas model shown.

The higher-capacity battery is paired with an electric motor to produce maximum outputs of 160kW and 340Nm, enabling acceleration that's up to 13 per cent quicker than the current model.

However, the more powerful battery on the Leaf e+ retains the same passive-cooling battery temperature management found on the regular Leaf.

Both the 40kWh and 62kWh Leaf variants use the CHAdeMO charging standard, allowing for vehicle-to-grid power transfer and fast-charging compatibility.

While the 40kWh Leaf is only able to receive up to 50kW of charge, the Leaf e+ has a 100kW peak, allowing for similar charging times to the base model despite the larger battery volume (the regular Leaf can go from 0-80 per cent charge in 60 minutes when using a fast charger).

The bigger battery on the Leaf e+ has also meant a 5mm increase in overall height compared to the current Leaf, but otherwise the car's dimensions remain unchanged.

Local pricing and specification will be announced closer to launch, but we can expect the Leaf e+ to be priced above the existing offering, which currently starts at $49,990 before on-road costs.