Nissan ’s upcoming Leaf electric vehicle is expected to carry a hefty premium over its gasoline-only competition, but the Japanese automaker is confident it will sell at least 20,000 examples of the Leaf before the EV ever hits dealer showrooms.
The Leaf will officially be available for pre-order next spring, and Nissan is fully confident that it will tally at least 20,000 sales before the EV ever hits showrooms. “We are confident we will have 20,000 reservations for the Leaf by the time it goes on sale,” Carlos Tavares, Nissan’s chairman for the Americas, told Automotive News at an event in Nashville today.
Nissan has yet to release pricing for the Leaf, but early estimates suggest the EV will carry a price tag of at least $30,000 – more than triple the price of a base Nissan Versa.
However, fleet sales could help Nissan to reach that sales goal. The Leaf will be available for retail purchase, but Tavares is hopeful that a number of businesses – particularly in the Nashville area – will purchase the Leaf for fleet use. Nissan is currently working to develop a full recharging grid in several Tennessee cities.
The Leaf will initially be imported from Japan, but production at Nissan’s Smyrna, Tennessee plant is expected to kick off in 2012. Once the Smyrna plant is up and running, Nissan will have the capacity to produce 150,000 Leafs annually.
