Skip to main content

Nissan is Cooking Up an Electric Vehicle with 342 Miles of Range

Electric vehicle technology is improving on a tremendous scale. Ushered along by the successes of startups like Tesla, Fisker, and Lucid Motors, the entire automotive industry is rushing to eliminate the concept of “range anxiety.” This term refers to the fear of running out of electric range while driving and being stranded.

There are two ways to combat range anxiety: improve charging infrastructure and improve battery technology to deliver enough range to accomplish any daily driving tasks.

Related Videos

The first method takes the combined effort of governmental and private organizations to, in effect, put a charger on every block.

The second method comes down to research and development by each automaker to upgrade battery technology without making the end product too expensive for consumers. Of course, if money isn’t an issue, Tesla will happily sell you a Model S with over 300 miles of range for $90K. However, most of us must operate with far tighter budgets. Thanks to vehicles like the Chevrolet Bolt EV, we’ve seen that an affordable EV with good range is possible.

So where do other affordable EVs fall into place? The majority of electric cars on sale hover around the 100-mile range mark, including the Fiat 500e (87 miles), Mercedes-Benz B-Class Electric (87 miles), Kia Soul EV (90 miles), Nissan Leaf (107 miles), and Ford Focus Electric (115 miles). Hyundai and Volkswagen have transcended this threshold with 124 and 125 miles of range, respectively. Then there’s the Bolt and its 238 miles of range.

If this is the status quo, Nissan is tired of being grouped in the middle. Nikkei Automotive, as reported by LeftLaneNews, has learned that Nissan’s next generation Leaf will receive a 43-percent bump in range to 150 miles per charge. This cap still puts the Leaf behind Chevy’s Bolt, but it’s a considerable jump nonetheless.

Nissan is thinking beyond the Leaf, too. The Japanese automaker is reportedly working on an all-new EV model with a range of 342 miles per charge. This vehicle will be based on the IDS Concept from 2015 and will be priced within reach for most EV buyers. We won’t see the long-range EV in showrooms until 2020, but if Nissan can build an electric car with range to match gas-powered offerings, expect other brands to do the same.

Editors' Recommendations

Despite its recognizable design, Mercedes’ best-seller has been fully redesigned
Everything new about the 2023 Mercedes-Benz GLC SUV
2023 Mercedes-Benz GLC front end angle from passenger's side parked in front of mountains during sunset.

It’s no secret that the Mercedes-Benz GLC is the German automaker’s most popular model. Last year, Mercedes sold 342,900 units of the compact SUV globally. A staggering figure. Things, though, don’t slow down in the luxury class and after seven model years on sale, Mercedes believes 2023 is the right time to come out with a fully redesigned GLC and has officially announced pricing for the SUV. The automaker unveiled the redesigned GLC last June, but here's a quick recap if you missed it.
It’s not entirely surprising to see Mercedes roll out a new GLC for the 2023 model year. The GLC shares a platform, tech features, and powertrains with the C-Class. Given that the two models are closely related to one another, it only makes sense to see a new GLC that’s based on the C-Class.

Previous

Read more
The Rolls-Royce Phantom Syntopia brings haute fashion to cars
Rolls claims that the one-off is the most complex Phantom ever made
Rolls-Royce Phantom Syntopia side profile in a studio with purple swirling lines in the back.

Amid the electric vehicle revolution and the introduction of more semi-autonomous technology, automakers are eager to change their bios from traditional automakers to tech companies. Rolls-Royce, well, Rolls-Royce is different. While the iconic British marque has introduced its first EV with the Spectre, Rolls-Royce really does expand its reach beyond the world of cars as a luxury marque. Case in point, the latest vehicle from Rolls-Royce is the Phantom Syntopia. It was made in collaboration with Dutch fashion designer Iris van Herpen and blends the worlds of high fashion and cars.
You may not think that fashion and cars belong together, but the Syntopia certainly makes a case for more collaboration across the two industries. The Syntopia is very purple and is inspired by the concept of “weaving water.” The automaker, which has created some stunning vehicles over its extensive history, calls the Syntopia a “bespoke masterpiece.” Heavy words from a brand that’s known for going above and beyond with some of the most bespoke vehicles on sale. But we believe the company certainly went to great lengths to make the Syntopia, seeing as how it took Rolls-Royce four years to perfect.

Previous

Read more
The 8 fastest cars in the world right now
Find out who tops the list of fastest cars
Bugatti Chiron Super Sport 300+ Coupe

Despite the push to make more fuel-efficient vehicles with smaller engines, automakers are using high-powered supercars to attempt to set new top speed records. Automakers have made large strides in aerodynamics and have found a way around emissions by keeping production of record-setting vehicles incredibly limited. Like lap records, top-speed runs are purely for bragging rights. There’s no incentive to having one of the fastest cars in the world beyond giving automakers the ability to say that they have one of the fastest cars in the world. It really is that simple.
World's fastest cars

Bugatti Chiron Super Sport 300+: 304 mph
Hennessey Venom F5: 301 mph*
SSC Tuatara: 295 mph
Koenigsegg Agera RS: 278 mph
Hennessey Venom GT: 270 mph
Bugatti Veyron Super Sport: 268 mph
SSC Ultimate Aero TT: 265 mph 
McLaren Speedtail: 250 mph*

Read more