Nissan's new Leaf electric car goes further on a charge, is equipped with autonomous drive technology and single-pedal driving, but it remains to be seen if it will catch on with anyone other than the most zealously green-minded.

The zero-emissions vehicle - unveiled by the Japanese automaker in the US on Tuesday and in a Tokyo suburb on Wednesday - promises a range of about 400 kilometres in Japanese driving conditions or 240 kilometres in the US before needing to be recharged.

That's up from up to 280 kilometres for current Leaf models.

The distances depend on driving conditions and how much other items in the car such as heating are used. Gas-engine cars generally get as much as 800km to 960km per tank.

Analysts say the biggest obstacle for electric cars becoming more widespread is their limited range per charge. Several breakthroughs in battery technology are likely needed before they become affordable and practical for regular consumers.

Koichi Sugimoto, analyst at Mitsubishi UFJ Morgan Stanley Securities Co. in Tokyo, says many automakers are selling green models because of tightening emissions regulations, especially in Europe and California, rather than because of what he called "natural sales growth."

"There really is no outstanding attractive quality about an electric vehicle," he said, noting drawbacks such as finding charging stations, as well as the time needed to charge, which in the case of the new Leaf is 40 minutes.

"It's more about an effort to make a better society, so we are looking at a decade or two decades ahead," said Sugimoto.

The Leaf comes with a pedal that accelerates and slows the vehicle, depending on how much the driver pushes it, eliminating the need for a separate brake pedal.

It's a feature made possible by the switching on-and-off feature of electric gadgetry, unlike the more standard internal combustion engine, and it's already available on other electric vehicles like those from US maker Tesla.

The Leaf also offers a technology not directly related to its being electric - an autonomous drive feature that Nissan calls ProPilot can be switched on during single-lane highway driving. It also parks itself, taking control of the steering, accelerating and braking, sliding into a parking spot or parallel parking.

The Leaf's restyled look is not that different from its past design, billed as sleek and aerodynamic to maximise range.