Leaf

Make
Nissan
Segment
Hatchback

Nissan is no stranger to the world of electric vehicles, and in fact, is one of the pioneering manufacturers in this field. The Nissan Leaf paved the way for small and affordable electric cars, and modern versions will get up to 226 miles on a single charge. Nissan has sold 450,000 Leaf cars worldwide and is set to continue being a major player in the EV game.

While longer electric range and lower prices are all good and well, Nissan has acknowledged the fact that there is a massive opportunity to build fun-to-drive electric cars, something that Tesla has been aware of for much longer. Even its entry-level Model 3 exhilarates with entertaining driving dynamics.

With that in mind, Nissan has announced that it will be taking a balanced, customer-centric approach to building electric cars going forward, and it will start with its new e-4ORCE all-wheel control technology which is set to empower drivers of all skill levels by providing instant torque to all four wheels. This system plans to deliver balanced and predictable power in any given driving situation.

So how does this system work? Simply put, the e-4ORCE system is built around dual electric motors and knowledge gained from the Nissan GT-R's ATTESSA E-TS torque split system. This system distributes torque to the front and rear wheels and can distribute 100% to either the front or rear wheels, thereby improving cornering ability and smoothening power delivery.

The announcement of a tilt towards performance-minded engineering comes right as the new Nissan 400Z makes its first appearance. Leader of Nissan's powertrain and EV engineering division Ryozo Hiraku thinks that the new e-4ORCE system is a groundbreaking moment for Nissan: "e-4ORCE control technology is the combination of our know-how of all-wheel drive and chassis control technology, and our EV development expertise. e-4ORCE is not a successor of one, but an evolution of many," he said.

Nissan believes that this new technology will not only make its cars safer to drive but will also give its EV range of cars the fun-factor that was so sorely missed in the Nissan Leaf. "We want first-time drivers to feel comfortable with vehicle reactions as intended in an extremely natural way. Once people get used to a car with e-4ORCE, they may find it surprising to drive a car without it," Hiraku concludes.