There was no doubt that the current Nissan Leaf sales are impressive to date. It is seemingly obvious that Nissan was truly set to up the ante as it held back on the follow-up release of its Nissan Leaf, perhaps to apply further enhancements. It is expected to arrive by 2018.
However, it seems like the Renault Zoe has earned an early lead, Forbes reported. It knocked down everyone as French automaker Renault announced that, "ZOE will be available for immediate sale with the Z.E. 40 battery enabling it to travel 400 km NEDC," at the Paris Motor Show. Renault's Zoe is just one of the myriads of EVs launched. It seems that the automobile industry has been bitten by the green bug, and its infecting a lot very fast. It is also the Tesla Model 3's stringent threat in Europe to date.
Renault's lead on the EV race is not just due to its early sale. The Zoe is packed with an impressive estimated 250 miles output from its 400km range, which has been confirmed by the New European Driving Cycle or NEDC. This is not a false claim. Renault further stated it is "equivalent to a real-world range of 300km [186 miles] in urban or suburban areas on a single charge."
In this case Renault's ZOE would be the first among a wave of electric vehicles that comes off with a gasoline-powered performance. It doesn't hurt either that it comes at a budget-friendly price. It is expected to be around $19,630 tax included.
Renault ZOE's patronage is a testament to European's loyalty towards its own brand. It is undoubtedly the best-selling green car in the region. Renault stated, "range increase surpasses any affordable electric vehicle available today." Tesla on the other hand claims a "215 miles of range per charge...," as it made its announcement online. The details about the Tesla Model 3 on their website however is currently "offline" as of press writing.
Not to be forgotten, Nissan's LEAF is also getting more geared-up for battle. Initially Nissan has announced that LEAF will be out by 2018. However, with Renault ZOE's unexpected early sale - it is better that they should be out in the market sooner than later.
The Nissan's LEAF rakes in a 300-mile range. It is expected to cost around $30,500 as reported earlier. Not to be left-out in the competition, The GM's Chevy Bolt is priced at around $37,495. In Europe it is referred to as the Opel Ampera-e.
Renault is not the only European carmaker to join this EV hype. Daimler announced last Sept. 29, 2016, the launch of its electric band EQ. It is expected to be available by 2020. Fellow French automobile manufacturer, Peugeot announced that it set to deliver five electric cars by 2021.
In the past, almost everyone was nonchalant when it comes to having a more environmentally friendly and green powered car. This was until a South-African born billionaire took on this task seriously. In 2013, Tesla was still an unknown brand. Back then people are just shrugging of the possible shift towards environmentally-friendly vehicles. Now everyone wants to join the bandwagon spearheaded by the California-based EV carmaker.
Musk was thought to have lost the Chinese market to China. Recently, its Tesla Model 3's pre-orders showed that the country ran by Xi Jinping came second to the US. This is just a mild recovery but the downsides it keeps facing left-and-right.
Still, this is not the only blow that Tesla needs to recover from. In Europe, it faced steep competition from Renault's Zoe and Nissan's Leaf.
Nissan was believed to be getting geared for a five-door hatchback. They don't have a name yet for their Leaf sequel. There are speculations though that its size and power would come close to Renault's ZOE.
For now, the 2018 Nissan Leaf fans right now can settle for a 160-mile range output with its 40kWh battery, from the Japanese automaker. The upcoming 2018 Nissan Leaf itself it expected to come with an increased 60kWh batter with a 200-mile range output on a single charge.
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