RSS RSS Twitter Twitter
Leftlane - news, reviews, and info for the auto-industry
 
 

Nissan to start retail sales of Leaf EV next year

08/06/2009, 10:18 AM

By Drew Johnson

Following its recent unveiling, Nissan has announced that its forthcoming Leaf electric vehicle will hit the retail market in 2010. The Leaf was originally scheduled to launch in fleets next year with retail sales beginning in 2012, but Nissan has committed to at least 5,000 sales in 2010.

Nissan will initially launch the Leaf in five U.S. markets – the Tucson-Phoenix area, Oregon, Seattle, San Diego and Tennessee. Nissan chose those five locations as Electric Transportation Engineering Corp. will be setting up charging stations in those areas, thanks to a $99.8 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation.

Although the 5,000 Leafs will technically be for retail sales, buyers will still be required to participate in a testing program. All Leafs sold next year will come with a black box designed to monitor recharging habits. Because of the nature of the program, Nissan will select the first 5,000 buyers.

“We don’t want these first cars going to somebody who commutes 150 miles a day or who lives a great distance from a recharging station,” Mark Perry, Nissan’s director of product planning and strategy, told Automotive News.

Nissan has yet to release pricing for the Leaf but says the EV will be on par with similar gasoline powered vehicles.

New car price quote

Zero obligation price quote from a trusted local dealer.
 
 

08/06, 10:20 AM

posted by:

leftwingagenda

and all 5000 people will have to agree to say at least once a day, “i’m going to make like a tree, and leaf” – while grabbing their keys and heading out the door…

08/06, 10:44 AM

posted by:

beatusmongous

LMAO, Leftwing.

Have you heard that GM is going to release an SUV EV shortly after Nissan’s? It’s the Hummer LEAD-Blower.

08/06, 10:57 AM

posted by:

slider5634

Hey, Nissan. Here’s a hint. If you make the Versa look like this, I might actually consider buying one. The current gen Versa is fugly. Just thought you should know.

08/06, 11:43 AM

posted by:

key4wheels

…not sure what you are looking at, because this Leaf is currently attached to the ugly branch.

08/06, 11:57 AM

posted by:

DenverGuy217

It needs to be tossed into a shredder and redesigned. I’d almost (almost) rather be seen in an Acura TL than in this mess

08/06, 12:24 PM

posted by:

A4

I like how they told everyone that the car will cost the same as similar gasoline powered vehicles in the segment and then failed to emphasize that you have to lease the battery separately.

08/06, 1:09 PM

posted by:

Borat

I see a lot of Renault in this leaf. Must be parts of the same tree.

08/06, 1:13 PM

posted by:

PerformanceGuy

Looks pretty good. I would opt for this over the Volt, Prius, or Insight.

08/06, 2:38 PM

posted by:

ASIMO

Mos def, Borat, mos def.

But that’s been happening since the current Quest. La conception gallique prospère!

08/06, 2:42 PM

posted by:

SomeGreek

How would be the world without the engine sound?

08/06, 2:43 PM

posted by:

beatusmongous

I’m actually interested in this car. I hope the price stays down.

08/06, 4:34 PM

posted by:

Lawnchair88

This is an interesting approach: Sell the car to a select few for testing purchases and gain positive publicity for having an EV “on sale” even though no one can buy it. It’s like if Chevy sold the Volt’s their testing now to people in those 5 cities and called it a day instead of doing the research themselves. They should get more real world driving habits too.

 
 
You need to log in with your user name and password before you can leave comments.

    

Forgot your Password?


Don't have a user name yet? Simply fill in the form below and click the link provided in the
confirmation email. You must supply a valid email address to complete the registration process.

  
 
 
 
 
  • Login
  • About
  • Contact
Please note that you need to log in with your user name and password before you can leave comments.
  

login
cancel
Forgot your Password?
Don't have a user name yet? Click here to register now.

Simply fill in the form below and click the link provided in the confirmation email. You must supply a valid email address to complete the registration process.

  
submit
cancel
Leftlane is the leading source for automotive industry and vehicle news, new car research, future vehicle information, and reviews. Read by car shoppers, driving enthusiasts, autoworkers, executives, and investors, the website is updated throughout the day with the very latest auto news - as it happens.

Leftlane also provides consumers with accurate and media-rich information on every car currently on the market. In-market shoppers can review specs, read overviews, view high-resolution images, watch videos, and estimate pricing. No other automotive publication brings together the same degree of timeliness, thoroughness and accuracy as Leftlane.
 
submit
cancel