Nissan Leaf
The Nissan Leaf is NZ’s most popular full electric used import, and arguably the cheapest.
Nissan Leaf

Range
270kmsBattery
39kWhPrice
$55,365*- Body Type
- Seats
- Length
- Width
- Height
- Boot Space
- Frunk
- Hatchback
- 5
- 4490 mm
- 1788 mm
- 1540 mm
- 435 L / 1176 L
- -
- 0-100 km/h
- Top speed
- Power
- Drive
- Battery
- Tow
- 7.9 s
- 144 km/h
- 110 kW
- FWD
- 40 / 39
- -
- Highway range
- Running cost
- Home charge
- Fast charge (DC)
- Dashboard economy
- 208 km
- $2.57/100 km
- 6.6 kW
- 46 kW
- 144 Wh/km
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.
Its 200+ km range is starting to look dated as newer EVs hit the market.
Note that the Japanese import version has only a 3.6 kW charger.
New price increased from 61990 to 63990 (October 2022)
Nissan Leaf (1st gen) USED

Range
115kmsBattery
21.3kWhPrice
$9k+- Body Type
- Seats
- Length
- Width
- Height
- Boot Space
- Frunk
- Hatchback
- 5
- 4450 mm
- 1770 mm
- 1550 mm
- 370 L / 680 L
- -
- 0-100 km/h
- Top speed
- Power
- Drive
- Battery
- Tow
- 11.9 s
- 144 km/h
- 80 kW
- FWD
- 24 / 21.3
- -
- Highway range
- Running cost
- Home charge
- Fast charge (DC)
- Dashboard economy
- 89 km
- $2.13/100 km
- 3.3 kW
- 46 kW
- No data
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 (2nd gen) USED

Range
170kmsBattery
27.5kWhPrice
$19k+- Body Type
- Seats
- Length
- Width
- Height
- Boot Space
- Frunk
- Hatchback
- 5
- 4450 mm
- 1770 mm
- 1550 mm
- 370 L / 680 L
- -
- 0-100 km/h
- Top speed
- Power
- Drive
- Battery
- Tow
- 11.9 s
- 144 km/h
- 80 kW
- FWD
- 30 / 27.5
- -
- Highway range
- Running cost
- Home charge
- Fast charge (DC)
- Dashboard economy
- 131 km
- $2.13/100 km
- 3.3 kW
- 46 kW
- No data
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 e+

Range
385kmsBattery
59kWhPrice
$64,365*- Body Type
- Seats
- Length
- Width
- Height
- Boot Space
- Frunk
- Hatchback
- 5
- 4490 mm
- 1788 mm
- 1540 mm
- 420 L / 1161 L
- -
- 0-100 km/h
- Top speed
- Power
- Drive
- Battery
- Tow
- 6.9 s
- 157 km/h
- 160 kW
- FWD
- 62 / 59
- -
- Highway range
- Running cost
- Home charge
- Fast charge (DC)
- Dashboard economy
- 296 km
- $2.78/100 km
- 6.6 kW
- 50 kW
- 153 Wh/km
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+.
The price increased from 69990 to 72990 (October 2022).
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.
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 correlates to SoH and therefore range.
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 |
Figures are based on 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.
Year | 24 kWh SoH and Range | 30 kWh | 40 kWh |
2011 | 63% - 85 km | - | |
2012 | 70% - 94 km | - | |
2013 | 66% - 89 km | - | |
2014 | 78% - 106 km | - | |
2015 | 80% - 108 km | 82% - 138 km | |
2016 | 83% - 112 km | 80% - 134 km | |
2017 | - | 82% - 138 km | 88% - 238 km |
2018 | - | - | 88% - 238 km |
2019 | - | - | 91% - 246 km |
2011-2013 Leaf's seem to have a huge variety in the State of Health, making it difficult to assess range.
This data comes from real-world monitoring done by FliptheFleet. It represents the 50th percentile of vehicles (i.e. the midpoint).
Trim Levels
Leaf's 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 Leaf's 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 modest success as a NZ new vehicle, it is still the primary choice of used import EV.
How many Leaf's sold in NZ?
Data shown for all Nissan Leaf variations combined including both NZ New and Used import registrations. Breakdown by year or month.
How many Leaf's are there in NZ?
There have been 18,201 Nissan Leaf's registered in NZ to date.
This is made up of 3.8% NZ New and 96.2% Used Import.
How many of each submodel is there?
How many units of each major model variation (NZ new) have been registered to date.
Raw submodel data | Units |
---|---|
LEAF 110KW/EV/FD | 323 |
LEAF 160KW/EV/FD | 281 |
<blank> | 82 |
TECKNA 110KW/EV/CVT | 4 |