Nissan LEAF (2018-2023) vs Tesla Model S (2016-2019)

The Tesla Model S costs £49,360 more than the Nissan LEAF. For that premium it adds 91 miles more WLTP range, 70 kW faster peak rapid charging and 310 litres more boot space. The Nissan LEAF is not just cheaper - it also offers lower energy use, 171 versus 190 Wh/km. On EVcarsguide's combined category scores, the Nissan LEAF comes out ahead overall.

The Nissan LEAF is £49,360 cheaper to buy. Running costs are almost identical - about £184 a year either way, at 8,000 miles on an off-peak home tariff. Add 5 years of charging and the Nissan LEAF comes out roughly £49,480 cheaper overall. These figures cover list price and home charging only - insurance, servicing, tyres and depreciation will move the real total.

EVcarsguide estimates a real-world motorway range of about 109 miles for the Nissan LEAF and 198 miles for the Tesla Model S - both below their WLTP figures, because sustained high speed is the hardest case for an EV. The Tesla Model S goes roughly 89 miles further between charging stops. Both rapid-charge to 80% in a similar time, around 40-40 minutes.

The Nissan LEAF is the easier car for tight UK car parks: it is 176 mm narrower than the Tesla Model S. In a standard 2,400 mm bay that leaves about 612 mm of total clearance for the Nissan LEAF and about 436 mm of total clearance for the Tesla Model S. The Nissan LEAF also turns in a 1.2 m tighter circle, which helps with U-turns and multi-storey ramps.

Over a 8-year ownership window EVcarsguide's degradation model projects roughly 76% battery health for the Nissan LEAF and 85% for the Tesla Model S. That gives the Tesla Model S a modest edge in retained real-world range. Both use NMC-type cells, so for daily use keep the charge limit near 80% to slow degradation. Both batteries carry a 8-year manufacturer warranty.