Nissan’s Long-Range 60kWh Leaf To Cost Around $36,000

The 60 kWh Nissan Leaf is edging closer towards reality and if new reports prove to be accurate, it will be very affordable.

Cars Direct claims that preliminary pricing sheets from within Nissan show that the long-range Leaf, allegedly dubbed E-Plus, will cost approximately $5500 more than equivalent 40 kWh variants.

If true, that means the entry-level 60 kWh Leaf may cost a little over $36,000 in S trim, a jump up from the $30,885 commanded by the 40 kWh Leaf S. The 60 kWh Leaf family may then top out at around $42,500 for the SL trim.

EV buyers will soon have another option.

Importantly, all of these figures exclude the $7500 federal tax credit in the U.S., reducing prices of the 60 kWh Leaf S to a touch over $28,000. That won’t just make the hatchback a well-priced alternative to ICE-powered vehicles but also heavily undercut prices for the entry-level Tesla Model 3 which won’t enjoy the full $7500 tax credit.

Nissan, like its rivals, will have the tax credit slashed to $3750 once it delivered 200,000 EVs in the U.S. As of last month, local Leaf sales just exceeded 123,000.

Beyond competing with the Model 3, the long-range Leaf will tackle the Chevrolet Bolt. Prices for GM’s entry-level EV start from $37,495 and go as high as $41,780. All Bolt variants offer up to 238 miles (383 km) of electric range. Range for the 60 kWh Leaf will allegedly sit at around 225 miles (362 km), a significant improvement over the 151 mile (243 km) range quoted for the 40 kWh model.

Beyond pricing, order guides obtained by Cars Direct reveal that production of the 60 kWh model will start in January 2019.