Not another new front and rear end on the old chassis 😀 doubt if NISSAN would have the nerve to think they would get away with it for third time. - or would they?
I'm a fan of the old chassis, I'm on it everyday with my 24kWh.
If it ain't broke don't fix it.
The Leaf chassis is so good IMO, it feels like a Mercedes E-Class.
I don't see the merits of an active thermal management system when Rapidgate is/was only an issue for long road trips, which are not the most common driving profile of a Leaf.
If you are driving 800km every single day, the Leaf is not for you. In fact, no EV will be good enough for you.
Active thermal management has many drawbacks:
-Higher vehicle purchase cost
-One more thing that can go wrong
-Consumes energy for driving profiles that would not require its use
-Marginal battery longevity improvements
-Higher battery replacement costs
Passive cooling is sufficient for a 40kWh or less affordable EV.
On the occasional long trip, you'll wait a bit longer for the charging, that's all.
If Nissan does offer active thermal management, I hope that they make it optional for the lower end cars. I also hope that if they put it, that it will go through a heat exchanger on the cabin heat pump so that heat is not wasted but chanelled to the interior whenever the heat pump is in use.
Things that I want to see on a newer Leaf:
-Floor heating in the front+better isolation at floor level. Cold air seeps in from somewhere.
-A full-size spare tyre under the bonnet in a way that it would enhance crash survivability
-Leafspy type display in GT-R style with Gids and all
-A mode to select 12V battery charging during main battery charging with warning for risk of fire when charging in closed spaces
-22kW AC charging
-230V 2.4kW self-winding charging cable integrated upon request (free option)
-Type 2 AC port usable as CCS port in addition to Chademo.
Why Chademo + CCS?
In Europe, having both is not a luxury.
Sometimes the Chademo is out of service, sometimes the CCS.
Adapters don't always work.
Why the 230V self-winding cable?
Because it's one less cable to have in your trunk and can always be useful in an emergency even if you have a faster charger installed.
I have come to notice that most ICE drivers don't know that you can charge your EV in a regular 230V outlet, without having to call in an electrician for mods. This is of particular interest for rural area's where old houses still have old electric wiring and anything over 3kW could cause a fire.
Putting that self-winding cable and then showing it in a commercial will blow so many minds, people will be lining up to buy the car.
EV manufacturers don't realize how off-putting it is to see commercials where the cars are plugged into something like an EVBox in their garage.
Show that you can plug it into a regular outlet the same way as your smartphone and everyone would want one.
I'm off to plant more trees.
