No matter which way you look at it, it’s hard to compete with Tesla when it comes to building an electric car that can get the best range and performance, but Nissan is set to try it out with the forthcoming Ariya. And while most consumers likely won’t care about the performance aspect of the car, what they will care about is what kind of driving range it gets. But what kind of range will the Nissan Ariya achieve when it comes out in 2021?

A little more than a Leaf and less than a Model Y

If you take just one look at the Nissan Ariya, it shouldn’t be too hard to tell that’s set to go after the likes of the Tesla Model Y while building upon the foundation that the Nissan Leaf has set in the past decade. Additionally, the Ariya will compete with the like of the Hyundai Kona Electric as its crossover proportions intend to serve as a more comfortable people-hauler as opposed to a plucky hatchback runabout.

According to Nissan, the Ariya will be available with two different battery sizes, including a 63-kWh battery and a larger 87.0-kWh battery pack for the longer-range version. So far, the automaker has released details stating that the Ariya will achieve up to 300 miles of range when it is equipped with the larger battery size.

A 300-mile range is much better than the Leaf’s current maximum mileage rating of 226 and falls only a little short of the Model Y’s projected 316-mile range. Either way, the Ariya looks like it will be a great competitor in the electric car segment.

Range isn’t everything

And while that range rating is impressive and at least on par with what Nissan needs to stay relevant in the market, the Ariya brings much more to the table. It will come with Nissan’s new ProPILOT Assist 2.0, which is an advanced driver-assist system that enables “hands-off, single-lane” operation, in addition to an ePedal system that allows the driver to start, stop, and decelerate the car via the accelerator pedal.

Nissan’s Safety Shield 360, which is the brand’s suite of driver-assist features like adaptive cruise control, lane-keep assist, and automatic emergency braking will also be standard. However, other technological advancements include the use of Nissan’s E-4ORCE all-wheel-drive system, which should enable the Ariya to rocket up to 60 mph in less than five seconds. While most people might not care about the car’s performance, it will still be there when they need it.

The Ariya should be out next year

With all this talk about bringing a new electric vehicle to market, we’re excited to see what Nissan has drummed up all these years. While the Leaf has been widely popular and see much sales success, in addition to evolving greatly, the Ariya aims to take everything a step further by providing a more practical and sensible means of electrified transportation for anyone looking to make the switch from their gasoline car.