Nissan Leaf
Guides
- Comprehensive guide to everything you need to know about a pre-2018 Leaf (external link).
- Learn the economics of buying a used Leaf here (external link).
- Nissan Leaf battery upgrade guide.
Battery State of Health and Range
Over time Leaf batteries lose their ability to hold their charge.
Degradation is around 3-4% per year.
NOTE: This level of degradation is only in pre-2018 (older shape) Leafs. Newer Leafs are not showing the same linear drop in health.
State of Health (SoH) is the most important consideration when buying a Leaf (more so than km's traveled).
SoH cannot be read on a Nissan Leaf without using some extra kit; however, the dashboard displays the number of bars that correlate to SoH and, therefore range.
Battery Bars vs SOH
There is a correlation between the State of health and battery bars; however, this is not perfect. There is variation as to exactly when the dashboard bars 'drop' (there can be a lag).
| Bars | State of Health | 24 kWh Range | 30 kWh Range | 40 kWh Range |
| 12 | 85% - 100% | 115-135 km | 142-168 km | 230-270 km |
| 11 | 78.75% - 85% | 106-114 km | 132-142 km | 213-230 km |
| 10 | 72.5% - 78.75% | 98-106 km | 122-132 km | |
| 9 | 66.25% - 72.5% | 90-98 km | 111-122 km | |
| 8 | 60% - 66.25% | 81-90 km | 100-111 km | |
| 7 | 53.75% - 60% | 72-81 km | 90-100 km | |
| 6 | 47.5% - 53.75% | 63-72 km | 79-90 km |
Figures are based on a 135 km real-world range (on a brand new 24 kWh Leaf) and 168 km (on a 30 kWh Leaf).
Range of Leaf by Year
Battery SoH is the best way of estimating range, but there are some correlations to the vehicle's year (last updated late 2023).
| Year | 24 kWh SoH and Range | 30 kWh | 40 kWh |
| 2011 | 57% - 77 km | - | |
| 2012 | 66% - 89 km | - | |
| 2013 | 73% - 98 km | - | |
| 2014 | 75% - 101 km | - | |
| 2015 | 76% - 102 km | - | |
| 2016 | - | 75% - 126 km | |
| 2017 | - | 78% - 131 km | 87% - 235 km |
| 2018 | - | - | 87% - 235 km |
| 2019 | - | - | 88% - 238 km |
| 2020 | 91% - 246 km |
2011-2013 Leafs seem to have a huge variety in the State of Health, making it difficult to assess the range.
This data comes from real-world monitoring done by FliptheFleet. It represents the 50th percentile of vehicles (i.e., the median). As a basic rule of thumb, a pre-2014 Leaf appeared to have the worst battery packs (again at around 4.5% per year). Leafs from 2014 onward appear to degrade at 2.6% per year (so SoH = 100 - 2.6 x years old).
Leaf Model names:
ZE0- 2011-2012
AZE0-0 and AZE0-1 2013-2015
AZE0-2 2016-2017 (starting production in late 2015)
ZE1- 2018-
Trim Levels
Leafs have three distinct trim levels. The top-level tends to have heated seats and steering wheel.
| Base | Mid Level | Top Level | |
| Japan | S | X | G |
| UK | Acenta | N-Connecta | Tekna |
| USA | S and S Plus | SV and SV Plus | SL Plus |
Some imports are the Autech sub-variation (ex-Japan only). The Autech Leaf has distinct LED lights in the front bumper and body trim enhancements, giving it a sportier look.
NZ New Nissan Leaf
Nissan New Zealand sold new Leafs between 2012 and 2015 (about 80 were registered), but these were undercut by used imports (from Japan or UK).
They stopped selling new vehicles until about 2019, when the next generation (ZE1) was supplied. While there has been a modest success as an NZ new vehicle, it is still the primary choice of used import EV.
Nissan Leaf e+
Range
385kmsBattery
59kWhPrice
$58,990- Body Type
- Seats
- Length
- Width
- Height
- Weight
- Boot Space
- Frunk
- Small Car
- 5
- 4490 mm
- 1788 mm
- 1540 mm
- 1736 kg
- 420 L / 1161 L
- -
- 0-100 km/h
- Top speed
- Power
- Drive
- Battery
- Tow
- 6.9 s
- 157 km/h
- 160 kW
- FWD
- 62 kWh / 59 kWh
- -
- Highway range
- Running cost
- AC charge (max)
- DC charge (max)
- Economy
- V2L
- 296 km
- $5.55/100 km
- 6.6 kW
- 50 kW
- 6.5 km/kWh
- -
The E+ does not just have a bigger battery but a more powerful motor (160 kW compared to the standard 110 kW Leaf), giving it quicker acceleration and more torque.
While most Leafs on the road are used imports, among NZ New vehicles, 80% are the 62 kWh E+.
Nissan Leaf 40 kWh
Range
270kmsBattery
39kWhPrice
$49,990- Body Type
- Seats
- Length
- Width
- Height
- Weight
- Boot Space
- Frunk
- Small Car
- 5
- 4490 mm
- 1788 mm
- 1540 mm
- 1594 kg
- 435 L / 1176 L
- -
- 0-100 km/h
- Top speed
- Power
- Drive
- Battery
- Tow
- 7.9 s
- 144 km/h
- 110 kW
- FWD
- 40 kWh / 39 kWh
- -
- Highway range
- Running cost
- AC charge (max)
- DC charge (max)
- Economy
- V2L
- 208 km
- $5.13/100 km
- 6.6 kW
- 46 kW
- 6.9 km/kWh
- -
The second-generation Leaf is a significant upgrade to its popular predecessor. The 5-seat hatchback is roomier, with multiple feature upgrades (such as one-pedal driving). It continues to be a popular choice, with most customers opting for used imports rather than NZ new.
Note that the Japanese import version has only a 3.6 kW charger. From 2023 Nissan NZ identified the base Leaf as a 39 kWh battery (indicating its usable capacity rather than total).
Nissan Leaf 24 kWh USED
Range
115kmsBattery
22kWhPrice
$8k+- Body Type
- Seats
- Length
- Width
- Height
- Weight
- Boot Space
- Frunk
- Small Car
- 5
- 4445 mm
- 1770 mm
- 1550 mm
- 1505 kg
- 370 L / 680 L
- -
- 0-100 km/h
- Top speed
- Power
- Drive
- Battery
- Tow
- 11.9 s
- 144 km/h
- 80 kW
- FWD
- 24 kWh / 22 kWh
- -
- Highway range
- Running cost
- AC charge (max)
- DC charge (max)
- Economy
- V2L
- 89 km
- $4.26/100 km
- 3.3 kW
- 46 kW
- 5.2 km/kWh
- -
The Nissan Leaf was first registered in New Zealand in 2011, with an upgrade in late 2012. The 30 kWh battery was made available between 2016 and 2017.
The degree of battery wear significantly affects range. A 24 kWh Leaf won't have more than 125 km range. Generally, the older the vehicle, the lower the range.
An older Leaf is best used as a city or urban-only car. The Leaf has DC fast-charging capability, but its short range make it a poor choice for regional travel.
Nissan Leaf 30 kWh USED
Range
160kmsBattery
27.5kWhPrice
$12k+- Body Type
- Seats
- Length
- Width
- Height
- Weight
- Boot Space
- Frunk
- Small Car
- 5
- 4445 mm
- 1770 mm
- 1550 mm
- 1505 kg
- 370 L / 680 L
- -
- 0-100 km/h
- Top speed
- Power
- Drive
- Battery
- Tow
- 11.9 s
- 144 km/h
- 80 kW
- FWD
- 30 kWh / 27.5 kWh
- -
- Highway range
- Running cost
- AC charge (max)
- DC charge (max)
- Economy
- V2L
- 123 km
- $4.26/100 km
- 3.3 kW
- 46 kW
- 5.8 km/kWh
- -
In 2016 a 30 kWh battery version of the Leaf replaced the older 24 kWh versions. This provided a longer range. Nissan New Zealand did not sell these vehicles, and all of them are used imports.
Range is dependent on the battery state of health.
Nissan Leaf Reviews
Vehicle reviews by NZ reviewers.
Tarmac Life"The 2023 Leaf may be a facelift but itβs been given far more than just a prettier face. Itβs more modern in technology, more refined on the road and more efficient in its powertrain β hopefully the purists wonβt call this a Gen 4 though."
Ecotricity"Sure it may be about as exciting as a rainy weekend in Palmerston North but not everyone wants or needs a sports car. Some people just want safe reliable transport to get from point A to point B cheaply, and if that is you then the Nissan Leaf is worth a look. "
How many Nissan Leaf's have been sold in NZ?
There have been 22,122 Nissan Leaf's registered in NZ to date. This is made up of 4.7% NZ new and 95.3% used import.
How many sold per month and year
Nissan Leaf registrations per month and year, (NZ new and used imports combined).
How many of each submodel is there?
How many units of each major model variation (NZ new only) have been registered to date.
| Submodel | Units |
|---|---|
| LEAF 160KW/EV/FD | 447 |
| LEAF 110KW/EV/FD | 373 |
| LEAF 40KWH/EV/FD | 129 |
| <blank> | 82 |
| TECKNA 110KW/EV/CVT | 4 |
| LEAF 60KW/EV/FD | 3 |
