Current Leaf Owners Long for One Thing Maybe Nissan will Deliver

What is the energy capacity of the Japanese 230 km 2015 Leaf? This is a significant jump from 160 km in the US. If we could only get the 230 km Leaf sooner rather than later.

Chemistry alone will not let you increase range from 230 to 400. At most it will give you a 10 - 20% improvement. To get to 400, the energy capacity of the battery pack would have to increase significantly.

Forgetting to plug-in your Leaf??? Did you set up the feature that sends email and/or a text to your phone when you forget to plug-in at locations set-up in the car?? Maybe it's a CarWings feature that not everyone has, but I have it and use it.

No one talks about the Chevy Spark, probably because Jerry Brown mandated that it be built, (like the others) except that Chevrolet didn't and apparently still doesn't, want anything to do with it. Statistically, my two year old Spark EV is as good as or better than anything yet for sale, including the BMW i3.
The Spark is for purists, because it was mandated as a ZEV, which is what they all should be. Zero Emission Vehicles can use any material, drive, mechanism or fuel source. The Volt is a mechanical compromise that spews out pollution when it's not running on it's battery, which under normal conditions is most of the time. Just what the 'Bolt' is, I'm not sure.
Here in Palm Springs it's well over 100F for six weeks or more. One reason I chose the Spark, was the water jacket around the battery. We're going into our second summer with it now, it works. No other cars under $50k worried about battery temperature except the Leaf, which has a heater for northern climes.
Only two things wrong with the Spark in our view: Very poor rear view, (which is easily modified) and the shifter should have a gate between D and L, because it's too easy to upshift from L, and pass right through D, into N. Hopefully you stop at N and go back down to D, because it you keep going up the next detente is R. Not good in any car.
This sounds trivial but the "L" mode does more than half of the re-generative braking if you use it. You can see it re-charging on different screens as it's used. (be a passenger if you want to play with the screens) It's why the friction brakes last over 100,000 miles, you only need them to come to a 'complete' stop, the "L" mode leaves you creeping forward.
Being one of the fastest cars off the line period, (0-60 mph in under 7 seconds) re-couping over 90% of the energy used to out accelerate everyone is a nice feature. Using the "L" downshift as you approach the next light which is now just turning yellow as you hit 45 mph, becomes reflexive. Now you watch as you approach the intersection in re-charge/decelerate mode. When it's clear and the light is green again, you upshift to D and shut them all down again if so desired. Collectively, the mostly giant SUV's around here will follow your lead like sheep, costing their owners about $1 per traffic light in lost energy, and costing the planet and anyone standing next to one, in lost atmosphere and noise pollution.
None the less, Chevrolet in it's infinitely narrowed and greedy view, hasn't polled (to my knowledge) any of the few thousand Spark EV drivers that exist. Every time I deal with Chevrolet I shake my head to think that they are a competitive entity in the Auto game. And GWB gave them how many billions of dollars, after they reneged on pension obligations to life time employees through bankruptcy court?
Read the story about the owner of the horse that won the triple crown yesterday. They must have all gone to the same business school.

Well if the rendering supplied with the article is anything like what we might actually expect to see then I would say yes to improved looks. More range is always welcome and is expected if they expect to compete with the Chevy Bolt. Would it be asking too much for Nissan engineers to get their heads out of their a... and give the car a range meter that actually works.