Nissan Leaf, the best-selling electric car, get an upgrade in terms of range, as Nissan fights growing competition in the electric car market.

The new Leaf will run about 150 miles (240km) on a single charge, about 40 miles more than its previous model, the firm said.

But that still falls short of ranges offered by rivals Tesla and GM.

Other updates include advances in autonomous driving technology and a more modern design. Improvements also include parking assistance and single pedal driving. One pedal controls starting, accelerating, decelerating and stopping, while the automated parking system will guide drivers into tricky spaces. The model also automates single-lane highway driving.

The new Leaf, on sale in Japan from October and elsewhere early next year, has a longer range thanks to a bigger 40 kilowatt hour battery.

Prices will start at 3,150,360 yen, Nissan said. The Japanese carmaker said it would offer higher priced model, with more power and range, next year.

But despite boosting its range, rival models can go much further than Nissan's latest offering.

The Tesla Model 3 can run at least 220 miles on a single charge and starts at $35,000, while General Motor's Chevy Bolt - with a range of 238 miles - starts at about $38,000.

US automaker Tesla is one of the pioneers in the electric vehicle industry and despite recently releasing its cheapest model to date, it has traditionally catered to the premium end of the market.