2026 Nissan Leaf 70 MPH Highway Range Test: Can It Beat Its EPA Rating?

The new Leaf is a huge improvement over its predecessor, and this highway range test proves it.

2026 Nissan Leaf 70 MPH Highway Range Test

Photo by: Out of Spec Testing (YouTube)

Iulian Dnistran

By: Iulian Dnistran

Feb 2, at 4:03am ET

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The 2026 Nissan Leaf has an EPA-estimated range between 259 and 303 miles.
The lowest range rating is for the most expensive version, the Platinum+, which comes with all the bells and whistles.
On a chilly winter day, the lowest-range Leaf tackled the 70 mph highway range test, where it did better than expected.

The 2026 Nissan Leaf is one of the most important new electric cars in America right now. It’s affordable, well-appointed for the price, and offers more than decent range figures, irrespective of the trim level. That’s why it was our Breakthrough EV of the year in 2025.

But up until now, we haven’t had the chance to put Nissan’s make-or-break EV through its paces to see how many miles it can drive on a full battery at highway speeds. However, as the car makes its way to dealerships across the country, the folks at Out of Spec Testing got their hands on a top-trim 2026 Nissan Leaf and did a 70 miles per hour highway range test.

The Leaf Platinum+, which starts from $40,485, is EPA-rated for 259 miles. That’s not groundbreaking, but it’s worth noting that the most expensive Leaf is also the least efficient of the lineup. Equipped with 19-inch alloy wheels, the top trim has an EPA-rated average energy consumption of 33 kilowatt-hours/100 miles (3.03 miles/kWh).

On a chilly winter day, where the average ambient temperature was around 38°F (3.3°C), the 2026 Nissan Leaf Platinum+ drove 215 miles at a constant speed of 70 mph before limiting the power output. That’s 17% less than the EPA-estimated range, which is better than some competitors.

To be clear, all cars suffer in the cold, as the air is denser and it takes more energy to move. Gas cars burn more fuel, and EVs need more energy.

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In the case of the Leaf, it averaged 2.8 miles/kWh, which is just 7.6% less than the official rating. What’s more, the car offered a little more energy than what the manufacturer claims is possible: 76 kilowatt-hours, while Nissan claims the Leaf’s battery has a usable capacity of 75 kWh. It's also worth noting that very few EVs reach or exceed their EPA-estimated range figures when traveling at a constant 70 mph. That's because the EPA procedure takes both slow and fast driving into account. In fact, in Edmunds' range test, which is advertised as being closer to the average American driver's usual routes, the Leaf Platinum+ went 310 miles on a full charge.

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For a little over $40,000, the top-spec Leaf is probably a little too expensive for its own good, simply because the larger, more efficient and longer-range Tesla Model Y crossover starts from $41,630. Granted, that price will get you the bare-bones Standard trim, which has fewer features than the top Leaf trim.

The good news here is that all Leaf variants come with the same 75 kWh battery pack, and the cheaper versions are advertised as having more range than the Platinum+. The mid-spec SV+, which starts from $35,725, is rated for 288 miles, while the entry-level S+ is good for an estimated 303 miles, and you’ll have to pay $31,485.

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