Scheduled to make its public debut at next week’s Detroit Motor Show, the 2013 Leaf has been introduced by Nissan and for the first time it’s also being made in the United States. The one which will be sold in the U.S. will come with just about the same goodies and technical specifications as the one sold in Japan but the main difference between the two cars is that the U.S.-spec Leaf will be assembled at the firm’s plant located in Smyrna, Tennessee. The battery won’t be imported from Japan as Nissan will build these at an adjacent lithium-ion automotive battery plant which will certainly cut down manufacturing costs.
The 2013 model year doesn’t bring any significant styling changes but it does have a 0.28 coefficient which is slightly better than the old model’s 0.29. In addition, an enhanced energy management and a broader range of regenerative braking are also part of the package, while Nissan is optionally offering a new 6.6 kW on-board charger which shortens charging time from a 220V outlet by 50 percent, from eight to just four hours.
As standard, the 2013 Nissan Leaf S has 16-inch steel wheels, power windows, power locks, automatic temperature control, a 3.6 kW onboard charger and a trip computer. SL trim level adds 17-inch alloys and leather upholstery.
Source: Nissan via Carscoop
