Nissan has confirmed the evolution of the Leaf electric vehicle (EV) by launching two versions of the Leaf 3.ZERO. The company says this new offer will broaden the appeal of EVs to more customers, and both models are ready to order from January 9, 2019.

Following a record-breaking year for Nissan electric vehicles, Leaf 3.ZERO brings a new 8-inch infotainment screen enabling additional connectivity services such as door-to-door navigation. An all-new and improved NissanConnect EV app will also be available when the Leaf 3.ZERO goes on sale in Europe.

The Leaf 3.ZERO – priced from £31,095 including the £3,500 UK Government Plug-in Car Grant – features the 40 kWh battery. New body colours and two-tone colour combinations will complete the choices. Customers can place their orders for Leaf 3.ZERO from now.

The Nissan Leaf 3.ZERO e+ Limited Edition, priced from £36,795 including Government Grant, is also available to order from January 9. This limited edition – of which only 5,000 units will be produced for Europe – features a higher output capable of delivering 160 kW (214 bhp) of power; 251 ft lb of torque; and a longer driving range expected to be up to 239 miles from a single charge of the 62 kWh capacity battery.

Both 3.ZERO launch versions are flagship models for the 2019 Nissan Leaf, sitting at the top of their respective ranges.

At the centre of the Leaf 3.ZERO e+ Limited Edition is an Intelligent Power-enhanced high-capacity battery and more powerful motor.

On the road, the Leaf 3.ZERO e+ Limited Edition will deliver a 40 per cent range increase over the Leaf 3.ZERO which is equipped with a 40 kWh battery. Nissan says this represents more than 62 miles additional range for a comparable usage.

The new higher-power battery contains 288 cells compared to the 192 found in the 40 kWh equivalent. Even with a 25 per cent increase in energy density and 55 per cent increase in energy storage capacity, the Nissan Leaf e+ battery pack is almost the same size and configuration as the pack in the Nissan Leaf 40kWh. Other than a 5-millimetre increase in the car’s overall height (based on 16-inch wheels), the car’s exterior and interior dimensions are unchanged.

With the more powerful motor, acceleration from 50mph to 75mph is nearly 13 per cent quicker. The top speed (97mph) has also increased from the 40kWh version by approximately 10 per cent.

The Leaf 3.ZERO models will feature both e-Pedal and ProPILOT.

The e-Pedal allows the driver to start, accelerate, decelerate and stop using only the accelerator pedal. ProPILOT is an advanced driving assistance technology which works on single-lane highways. A ‘hands-on, eyes-on’ system, it allows the car to stop, restart and stay centred in its lane in higher-speed cruising and lower-speed congested traffic scenarios.

The Leaf 3.ZERO and Leaf 3.ZERO e+ Limited Edition batteries come with the same eight-year/100,000 mile Nissan warranty enjoyed by all other versions of the Leaf.

Gareth Dunsmore, director, electric vehicles and connected services, Nissan Europe, commented: “The Nissan Leaf 3.ZERO e+ Limited Edition broadens the appeal of the Leaf family even further, adding more range to an award-winning package that remains great to drive and live with.

“Since we launched the new Nissan Leaf last year, the customer response has been outstanding. In an EV market that is constantly growing, sustaining the Leaf’s status as the most popular EV in Europe in 2018 is a testament to the strength of the product. We hope the Leaf 3.ZERO models will help continuing this extraordinary growth in 2019.”

First deliveries of the Leaf 3.ZERO are expected to start from May 2019, while initial customer deliveries of the Leaf 3.ZERO e+ Limited Edition will commence from summer 2019.