About Leaf
The Leaf was the first electric car built for ordinary people in big numbers. When it went on sale in December 2010, it looked like a friendly science project and drove like a quiet, eager hatchback, and it went on to sell hundreds of thousands of copies around the world. For years it was the best-selling EV on the planet, and it proved that an electric car could be a practical daily driver rather than a rich enthusiast's toy.
It also taught the industry some hard lessons. The early Leaf's modest range and air-cooled battery, which lost capacity in hot climates, frustrated owners and battered resale values, and its CHAdeMO fast-charging port became an orphan as the rest of the market moved on. The second generation of 2018 brought more range and a sharper look but still felt a step behind newer rivals, and sales slipped as Tesla and others raced ahead.
The third-generation Leaf is a different animal: a sleek, crossover-shaped fastback with a more efficient powertrain, longer range, a liquid-cooled battery and a North American Charging Standard port that opens up Tesla's Supercharger network. It sits below the larger Ariya in Nissan's lineup and fights the Chevrolet Bolt, Hyundai Kona Electric, Kia EV3 and Niro EV, Volkswagen ID.4 and Tesla Model 3 for buyers who want a sensibly priced EV. Coverage here follows the new Leaf's pricing and reviews, sales battles with the Bolt, government incentives in the United States and Canada, battery and charging news, and recalls. It also tracks the long tail of older Leafs, which remain some of the cheapest used EVs on the market and a common subject of battery-replacement stories.