Nissan Leaf Goes Farther and Bulks up in the Crossover Lane
June 17, 2025
Nissan’s all-new 2026 Leaf will become a full-fledged battery-electric crossover utility vehicle instead of a hatchback when it hits the market this fall.
The EV will ride on the new CMF-EV platform shared with the Ariya EV and with corporate cousins Renault and Mitsubishi for their own lineup of BEVs.
Nissan didn’t release any measurements, but the larger platform means the new Leaf gets fresh sheetmetal. Rather than carry over an evolution of the hatchback used by the current Leaf, the new model will sport the higher roof and greater cargo capacity of a CUV.
And why not? Every carmaker in the world is selling every crossover it can make, so why not go with that body style? It’s inevitable.
The bigger body can also hold a bigger battery, which means more range. The new Leaf will offer a 75-kWh liquid-cooled lithium-ion battery, good for a max range of up to 303 miles, twice the old range. That will be paired with a single 214-hp electric motor which—we can assume, though it’s not stated—will drive the front wheels.
Come spring of 2026, the Leaf will also be available with a 52-kWh battery and a 174-hp motor as a more affordable option. No prices were listed for either setup.
Charging those bigger batteries will be quicker and easier, too. The new Leaf will charge at a rate of 150 kW, three times more than the previous model and good for 10% to 80% boost in state of charge in just 35 minutes at compatible Level 3 chargers.
Those chargers will use the far more common and much more efficient NACS ports, too, instead of the previous model’s rare-and-getting-rarer CHAdeMO connectors.
Nissan says there are 20,000 NACS-compatible chargers at Tesla Supercharger stations across the country.
There will be two ports per Leaf, one for regular Level 2 charging with a J1772 port on the driver’s side fender, and the NACS hookup on the passenger-side fender, which is the side needed to pull into a Tesla Supercharger—so, well done, Nissan.
Paying for that electricity will be easier, too, Nissan promises, with the Nissan Energy Charge Network7, accessed through the enhanced MyNissan app, which allows drivers to find charging stations, see real-time charger availability, and pay for charging “all in one seamless experience.”
Nissan says its ENERGY charge portal is one of the largest public charging networks, with more than 100,000 in-network chargers in the US, though that number includes Level 2 chargers, to be sure.
The new Leaf is the first Nissan vehicle with Plug & Charge. When activated, drivers can plug the Leaf into a compatible public charger “and the charging session will begin—no need to open an app or swipe a payment card.”
It’s a plug-in paradise.
The new Leaf addresses worries about EVs in cold climates, too. Nissan says the new car has an enhanced battery thermal management system, with a battery pack sealed by a resin cover beneath the vehicle.
The seal helps keep cold air, snow, and slush away from it during winter driving, Nissan says.
Heat from the drive motor and the on-board charger are also re-purposed to help warm the battery to its ideal temperature range.
“By maintaining an ideal battery temperature during cold weather, the Leaf offers improved energy efficiency that can contribute to greater driving range, as well as more predictable charging performance,” Nissan says.
To further optimize energy usage in the cold, the Leaf has a standard, energy-efficient heat pump to help warm the cabin and an optional battery heater. The driver can engage the heater to warm the battery before charging in cold weather.
Inside that warm cabin that Nissan describes as “noticeably spacious,” are redesigned seats with enhanced second-row knee room; an open, flat floor beneath the dashboard; and a slimmer center console by virtue of relocating shift controls to the dashboard.
You can even order one of those 64-color ambient lighting setups on the Platinum+ trim that allows drivers to personalize the cabin’s illumination to your preferences. There is an impressive 55.5 cubic feet of cargo space behind the second-row seats, too. In the ceiling is a dimming panoramic moonroof.
Outside is what the carmaker calls a “sleek new design. We have completely reconstructed the values of the next-generation Leaf,” said Tase Nobutaka, program design director at Nissan.
“We made it simple and clean, yet with a more energetic feeling. We ensured the all-new Leaf has a dynamic shape, testing it time and time again to reach our ambitious aerodynamic targets.”
It even gets those fancy motorized door handles that pop out when needed.
All that resulted in a 0.26 coefficient of drag (0.25 on European models that don’t require our larger outside rearview mirrors).
The Leaf is just the first of what could be a fleet of new EVs riding on the CMF-EV platform shared with the Ariya.
Two months ago, Nissan Americas’ product planning boss, Ponz Pandikuthira, told Automotive News the scalable architecture can deliver up to five EVs in the compact and adjacent segments.
“The platform’s versatility and Nissan’s factory capacity in the US open the door to partnership opportunities with another OEM to lower manufacturing costs,” Pandikuthira said.
In addition to Renault EVs, which we probably won’t get in the US, that means a Mitsubishi. That Japanese OEM has announced it will get one BEV in the summer of 2026 as part of its Momentum 2030 product strategy for the US market.
Before that, Nissan showed four concept EVs back in 2021, from a very cool looking compact pickup truck called the Surf-Out to the crossover Hang-Out concept, the Max-Out concept convertible, and the Chill-Out four-door crossover.
More on those later, we hope. But for now, enjoy seeing the 2026 Leaf.
Do these changes make you want to buy a 2026 Nissan Leaf? Or, how about one of the other Nissan EV concepts? Please comment below.
Source:Nissan Leaf Goes Farther and Bulks up in the Crossover Lane
