2018 Nissan Leaf Rolls Off the Line in Tennessee

Nissan has begun production of the next-generation Leaf in Smyrna, Tennessee. The electric vehicle will arrive in dealerships nationwide starting in January.

The Smyrna plant has been producing the Nissan Leaf since 2013, and it also builds the Altima, Maxima, Pathfinder, Rogue, and Infiniti QX60. Capable of churning out two cars per minute at full capacity, the facility is the largest volume car production plant in North America. Two other plants around the world also make the Leaf, including Nissan’s Oppama plant in Japan and its facility in Sunderland, England.

Nissan unveiled the new Leaf back in September. The 2018 Nissan Leaf makes 147 hp and 236 lb-ft of torque from its electric powertrain, up from 107 hp and 187 lb-ft from the previous model. It’s expected to provide 150 miles of driving range, unlike the old Leaf that topped out at 107 miles. Later, Nissan will offer a Leaf with an upgraded battery, which will likely extend range to around 225 miles.

The 2018 Nissan Leaf will start at $30,875, making it less expensive than the Chevrolet Bolt (which offers 238 miles of range on all models). While Chevrolet slowly rolled out the Bolt across the country, Nissan’s new EV will be available in all 50 states right at launch.

Source: Nissan

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