Nissan has begun teasing the next-gen Leaf EV, releasing a single close-up image of the upcoming car’s headlight. The Japanese automaker previously said we’ll see the new Leaf later this year in September.
The image reveals two LED projectors topped by an LED accent bar. The housings match what we’ve seen in spy shots of Leaf test mules, which appeared to be heavily influenced by the Nissan IDS concept that debuted at the 2015 Tokyo Motor Show. We know the next-gen Leaf has been designed with Nissan’s ProPilot autonomous tech in mind. New Leaf models will eventually have Level 3 autonomous capability and will be able to drive themselves on multi-lane highways. Battery range will also increase and should be well above the current model’s EPA-rated 107-mile range. The Renault Zoe EV, which was unveiled last year in Paris, could hint at the next Leaf’s battery tech. That car utilizes a new 43-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack that gets 186 miles of range.
In March, Nissan tweeted that the next-gen Leaf would debut in Septemberand go on sale before the end of the year. Nissan says this is just the first in a series of teasers it plans to release leading up the Leaf’s debut, which could take place at the Frankfurt Motor Show. Staytuned for more details.