What battery type powered the first-generation Nissan Leaf?

The first-generation Nissan Leaf was powered by a lithium-ion battery pack.

Nissan selected lithium-ion cells because they offered higher energy density than older lead-acid technology and could store useful energy without making the car excessively heavy. The pack supplied electricity to the Leaf's front-mounted electric motor.

The battery was arranged beneath the passenger compartment, helping keep the vehicle's center of gravity low. Early versions had a much shorter rated range than many current EVs, reflecting the cost and energy-density limits of batteries available around 2010.

Lithium-ion is a broad battery family rather than one single chemistry. The original Leaf used manganese-based lithium-ion cells, while later EVs have used chemistries including nickel-manganese-cobalt and lithium iron phosphate. Battery chemistry, temperature, charging behavior, and software all influence an EV's real-world range.