The new Nissan Leaf should be even easier to drive, thanks to a new ‘e-Pedal’ system that could mark the beginning of the end for the trusty brake pedal.
Nissan has announced the 2018 Nissan Leaf will feature a clever ‘e-Pedal’ system that will reduce the reliance on the brake pedal, making the electric hatchback potentially easier to drive.
The idea is that the accelerator pedal can accelerate and decelerate the car as usual, but also stop and hold the car as long as you want it to – even on steep hills. That means you should really only ever need to touch the brake pedal in aggressive braking situations.
Nissan claims the e-Pedal in the new Leaf can ‘cover 90 per cent of driving needs’ and that it will make driving ‘simpler and more engaging’. Engaging is a stretch, but it will simplify the driving process.
Just in case you dislike the idea of the 2018 Nissan Leaf doing a lot of the work, you will be able to press a switch to turn the e-Pedal off and use it as a plain-old accelerator.
Electric cars such as the Tesla and Chevrolet Bolt already make it possible to use the accelerator most of the time because energy regeneration provides strong levels of braking. But Nissan is the first to include the automatic application of the hydraulic brakes when you come to a halt..
The official new Nissan Leaf reveal is set for the 6th of September, 2017, but Nissan has already teased a fair few details including the fact it will be able to drive and park itself using ProPilot and ProPilot Park, respectively.
Photos taken of the 2018 Nissan Leaf being tested in the US suggest an exterior design that is more mainstream, a move that should help increase sales. An increased range on the current EPA-rated 100 miles is also likely, although the larger capacity batteries will obviously cost more to buy.
The current Nissan Leaf reached the 20,000 sales mark in the UK in June, 2017, making it the most popular electric vehicle in the country.
Overall sales of alternative fuel vehicles such as hybrids and electric cars are on the up, according to the latest SMMT figures, suggesting Brits are keen to brave range anxiety in return for cheaper motoring.
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