New Nissan LEAF 2025: The third generation of the electric car that made history

When it was launched in 2010, it was a leap into the unknown, a visionary proposal that was able to become concrete and widespread, so much so that it sold over 700,000 units in 15 years. Today, in 2025, the LEAF is back in the news with the third generation, which promises to raise the bar even higher in terms of efficiency, design and rationality of use.

It did so by gradually revealing itself, in a mini-series of videos that highlight the soul of the person who designed it: not so much a marketing gimmick, but rather a way to bring out the technical, stylistic and functional choices that gave shape to a car born for a changing world.

The new LEAF is based on the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Group's CMF-EV platform, the same as the Ariya and Megane E-Tech. But unlike these bolder crossovers, the LEAF is aimed at a broad and concrete audience, made up of families, professionals and early adopters who have now become aware users.

The exterior design, meticulously crafted, balances sobriety and stage presence. Nobutaka Tase, Program Design Director, explained that the car was sculpted around efficiency. And the numbers confirm it: with a drag coefficient of just 0.25 (in the European configuration), LEAF is among the best in its category. To achieve this result, work was done on flush handles, an active grille, optimised wheels and even the shape of the tailgate.

One of the most fascinating solutions is the electronically darkened panoramic glass roof . Without curtains or physical screens, it can be adjusted with a simple command and adapts to external light thanks to an ion technology. Furthermore, it is treated with an IR coating that limits heat in the passenger compartment in the summer months. Everything is designed to reduce unnecessary consumption, improve comfort and maintain fluid and sleek lines.

Under the skin, the LEAF inherits the qualities already tested on the CMF-EV: flat floor, low center of gravity, good habitability for five passengers and a usable trunk. But it is in the balance between rationality and emotion that the real game is played.

Richard Candler, Vice President Global Product Strategy, explained the thinking behind the project: “With the new LEAF, we wanted to appeal to those who are still attached to combustion engines but curious about electric. It had to be elegant and sensible at the same time. A car that makes the driver feel good, without giving up.”

After nearly three decades in which electric cars have been seen as an alternative or ideological choice, today the LEAF 2025 proposes itself as a “normal” car, in the most positive sense of the term. It works because it is beautiful, comfortable, spacious, and because it brings with it 28 billion kilometers traveled with zero emissions by the global community of its first two generations.

Full technical data and price range have not yet been made official, but a commercial launch is expected by the end of the month. Previews speak of an optimized autonomy (expected over 500 km WLTP), new battery configurations and an updated infotainment system, with native integration of Google services and an advanced voice assistant.

Technical data (advance data, subject to confirmation) Model: 2025 Nissan LEAF (3rd generation) Platform: CMF-EV Aerodynamics: Cx 0.25 (European version) Technology: electronically dimming panoramic roof, active grille, flush door handles Estimated range: over 500 km WLTP Battery: new generation lithium-ion (data to be confirmed) Launch: end of June 2025

Prices: to be defined, expected to start from around €34,000 in Italy