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The 2019 Nissan Leaf Plus offers a smooth, quiet ride, plenty of comfort and up to 226 miles of all-electric range.

The Nissan Leaf has been on sale since 2011, and as a result of being one of the first mass-produced EVs on the market, it's consequently the world's best-selling electric automobile. But these days, the competition is stronger than ever.

When the Leaf hit the scene, EVs were few and far between. Now, however, Nissan's electric hatch has to battle a wider range of competitors, with cars like the Chevrolet Bolt EV, Hyundai Kona Electric, Kia Niro EV (and upcoming Soul EV) and the infamous Tesla Model 3 all boasting well over 200 miles of range.

To better combat this growing list of players, Nissan's EV gains a longer-distance variant for 2019: the Leaf Plus. With as much as 226 miles of range on offer in an easy-to-like package, Nissan hopes this extended-play Leaf will only broaden its EV's already strong appeal.

What separates the Plus from other Leaf models is its battery. The Leaf Plus is powered by a 62-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery that sends 214 horsepower and 250 pound-feet of torque through a single-speed transmission and on to the front wheels. That's in contrast to the base Leaf, which uses a 40-kilowatt battery, with 147 horsepower and 236 pound-feet.

Despite having all its torque available from just zero rpm, if you stomp on the accelerator from a standstill, you won't encounter any "ticket me" wheelspin off the line. Instead, the Leaf cleanly and effortlessly pulls away from traffic. Nissan says it'll take about 7 seconds for the Plus to hit 60 miles per hour -- roughly a second quicker than the standard Leaf. OK, so the Leaf Plus isn't as insane as a Tesla Model 3 Performance, with its 3.2-second 0-to-60 sprint time, but the Nissan's acceleration still feels plenty urgent. This is especially true when you're accelerating at speed -- punching the throttle when you're already doing 35 mph reveals a huge thrust of forward momentum. Sure, electric propulsion may lack the piquant visceral boisterousness of a blaring V8, but there's nothing quite like the way electrons can move a car forward.

The Leaf is equally good at stopping, and offers one-pedal driving characteristics if that's more your style. The E-Pedal essentially turns the Leaf's regenerative braking up to 11 so that the regen can slow the car all the way to a stop without the driver needing to use the brake pedal. One-pedal driving is easy to get used to, and it's fun for a little while. But if you're like me and prefer a more traditional braking experience, the Leaf blends regenerative and mechanical braking nicely -- there's no harsh transition between the two.

The Leaf Plus' steering is not one of its best touch points. Sure, the Leaf goes where it's pointed, but if you want feedback or any kind of road feel, short of opening the door and touching the asphalt, you're flat out of luck.

That said, the Leaf Plus is still mildly entertaining to drive. With the weight of the heavy battery sitting underneath the passenger compartment to keep the center of gravity super low, the Leaf handles twisty roads pretty well. It exhibits barely any body roll, with controlled cornering characteristics. Still, the Chevrolet Bolt EV is more engaging to drive, as are the Leaf's Korean competitors.

For a starting price of $30,885 (including $895 for destination and before tax credits), the standard Nissan Leaf will give you an EPA-estimated driving range of 150 miles. The Leaf Plus carries a $37,445 starting price, and lifts that range all the way up to 226 miles. Higher trims of the extended-range Leaf actually decrease overall range because of their added, power-sapping options. In the case of my top-of-the line SL tester, the EPA-estimated range is only 215 miles.

The Leaf Plus' 65 to 76 miles of range over its standard-range version certainly helps me feel more at ease driving around Los Angeles. Once you've tuckered out the EV hatch, it takes 11.5 hours to fill the battery using 240-volt, Level 2 charging, which is pretty reasonable if you plug in during the early evening hours and let it juice up overnight. Level 1 charging, or 110-volt power from standard household outlets, takes more than 30 hours.

A huge advantage of the Leaf Plus is that its standard charging cable can handle both Level 1 and Level 2 charging without you having to spend up to thousands of dollars installing a Level 2 charger at home. Instead, all you need is a 240-volt outlet, and once you plug in, you're off to the races.

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