Nissan takes EV battle to Tesla with longer-range model 'Leaf'

TOKYO: Nissan Motor is aiming to more than double annual deliveries of the Leaf with a new model that offers self parking and a longer driving range, seeking to fend off Tesla Inc’s entry into the affordable electric-vehicle market. The new features should boost the appeal of the new Leaf, the first revamp since the vehicle debuted seven years ago, said Daniele Schillaci, executive V-P for global sales and marketing.

Nissan unveiled the car on Wednesday with a more conventional design to appeal to regular auto buyers, and not just early adopters. The Yokohama-based automaker sold 49,000 Leafs in 2016, with sales remaining robust even at the end of its model cycle.

The new vehicle, which goes on sale in Japan from October, followed by Europe and the US in January, has a window to build momentum before Tesla ramps up production for its mass-market Model 3, as well as a large number of other electric vehicles that will hit the roads in the next few years.

“All these competitors coming to the EV world is more than welcome,” Hiroto Saikawa, Nissan’s CEO, said separately in an interview on Wednesday in Tokyo.

“This is what we have been waiting for. Otherwise EV is not going to be a major trend in the automotive industry.” Features like autonomous-parking capability and increased driving range should help boost sales of the new model, the first revamp since its introduction seven years ago, according to Schillaci.

The automaker sold about 2,000 units fewer than Tesla’s Model S in 2016, data compiled by Bloomberg New Energy Finance show.