Nissan said it has boosted the driving range of its Leaf EV by 26 percent to 250km thanks to a more powerful battery.
The automaker is adding a 30kWh battery on the Leaf's Acenta and Tekna trim grades to give the car an expanded range before it needs recharging.
In a statement Nissan said the key to the new battery's higher performance is an update to its internal design and chemistry. The introduction of carbon, nitrogen and magnesium to the electrodes improves performance, while the change to the cell layout also contributes to the gain, the company said.
The 250 km range is calculated under the NEDC (New European Driving Cycle) and is still to be confirmed by homologation, Nissan said. Under the differently calculated U.S. EPA testing cycle, the 30 kWh Leafs will have a driving range of 107 miles, Nissan said in a separate statement.
The 30kWh battery is the same size as the current 24kWh unit but weights 21 kg more. It will be covered by an eight-year, 160,000 km warranty.
