The importance of Nissan’s new Leaf cannot be overstated. The troubled Japanese automaker is in crisis mode after losing money for several years and a recently failed merger with Honda. It desperately needs a successful product in the immediate future to bounce back, especially after posting a $4.5 billion loss last year alone. By morphing into a crossover, the next-gen EV stands a better chance of being more popular than its two hatchback predecessors.
