Which Leaf do you have?
| Battery | How it usually got here | |
|---|---|---|
| First generation, 2010 to 2018 | 24 kWh, or 30 kWh from 2016 | Mostly used imports from Japan, some British-built from 2013, and a short run sold new here in 2014 |
| Second generation, from 2018 | 40 kWh, or 62 kWh in the e+ from 2019 | Sold new here again from 2019, alongside imports |
| Third generation (ZE2) | 52 kWh or 75 kWh | The first Leaf with liquid cooling for its battery |
Reading the battery bars properly
The Leaf's dash shows battery health as 12 bars, and each bar lost stands for roughly a 6 to 8 per cent drop. Two catches: the reading only updates when the car is driven, and a run of rapid charges can make it look better than it is.
Earlier Leafs have no liquid cooling for the pack, and AA New Zealand says heat, infrequent servicing and too much fast charging all age an EV battery. So the year on the papers tells you little about the range you'll actually get. Driven's advice is to have the battery assessed with a scanner, and its guide says battery health may matter more than the kilometres.
Four checks before buying a Leaf pack
Test the 12-volt
AA New Zealand says that when an EV won't start, the 12-volt battery may have gone flat. Testing it takes minutes, so do it before anything else.
Scan the traction battery
Ask for the battery health percentage on paper, read by a mechanic who works on EVs. Some owners check it themselves with a plug-in OBD2 reader and a phone app such as LeafSpy.
Check what cover you have
Nissan New Zealand warrants its EV batteries against dropping below nine bars for 96 months or 160,000 km, but only for cars registered and used in the country where they were first sold. An imported Leaf usually falls outside that.
Compare every option in writing
New, used or reconditioned pack, the warranty on it, and what gets tested afterwards. If you bought the car from a dealer, the Consumer Guarantees Act applies to the sale.
Brake warning on an older Leaf
Driven reported that Leafs made between November 2012 and February 2016 can suffer a failure of the electric brake control unit, from a firmware issue. If a brake warning comes on or the pedal feels wrong, slow down, pull over somewhere safe and switch off. Have it towed rather than driven, and ask Nissan New Zealand or a mechanic whether any update applies to your car.
Nissan Leaf service: what an EV still needs
No oil change doesn't mean no service. AA New Zealand lists what an EV service covers: brakes inspected (they wear slowly but still wear out), brake fluid, which absorbs moisture, the reduction drive oil, steering, suspension and the cabin filter. On a Leaf, add the 12-volt battery and a battery health reading.
Running costs are a little different too. Light electric vehicles pay road user charges by distance, so keep your RUC licence current. See hybrid and EV servicing for the wider picture.
If it were our Leaf
We'd want the health percentage on paper before spending anything on a pack. Then we'd hold it up against the driving the car really does: a Leaf that only crosses town each day can stay useful on a tired battery. Buying one? We'd agree the scan with the seller before handing over money. A local mechanic who specialises in your car.