Nissan's next Leaf will be ready to drive itself
ProPilot autonomous tech could be a bigger focus than adding additional range.
Today at CES, Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn confirmed plans for a follow-up to his company's flagship EV, the Leaf. While speculation has focused on how much range a successor could add to the current model, the announcement emphasized how a new Leaf represents "the next chapter of Nissan Intelligent Power" and will include ProPilot autonomous technology. The car is due "in the near future" -- at a media roundtable Ghosn said "we can't announce new EVs in advance because unlike our competitors, we're already selling them."
Autoblog spoke to a Nissan engineer who said the company does plan to release a Leaf with 200+ mile range, but it's unclear whether this new model will be the one. As it is, Nissan is proudly noting that despite the hype around competitors like Tesla and Chevy's Bolt, it is the maker of the world's best-selling electric vehicle. By focusing on keeping prices down, it could keep that position going forward.
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