Nissan expects to sell 20,000 of its LEAF electric car in its first offering to dealers
With the first orders for its LEAF electric vehicle coming in next spring, Nissan expects to have 20,000 of the EVs pre-sold by the time the model reaches U.S. showrooms in the fall, according to Automotive News.
“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, said today in a meeting in Nashville, as reported by Automotive News.
Designed specifically for a lithium-ion battery-powered chassis, Nissan LEAF is a medium-size hatchback that will seat five adults and has a claimed range of more than 160km (100 miles) to satisfy real-world consumer requirements, according to Nissan (see video below).
Slated for launch in late 2010 in Japan, the United States, and Europe, Nissan LEAF ushers in a new era of mobility - the zero-emission era. The car is the embodiment of Nissan's radical, transformative vision for the future and the culmination of decades of investment and research.
"Nissan LEAF is a tremendous accomplishment - one in which all Nissan employees can take great pride," said Nissan President and CEO Carlos Ghosn. "We have been working tirelessly to make this day a reality - the unveiling of a real-world car that has zero - not simply reduced - emissions. It's the first step in what is sure to be an exciting journey - for people all over the world, for Nissan and for the industry."
The Nissan LEAF is powered by laminated compact lithium-ion batteries, which generate power output of over 90kW, while its electric motor delivers 80kW/280Nm (108 HP/207 ft-lb torque). This ensures a highly responsive, fun-to-drive experience that is in keeping with what consumers have come to expect from traditional, gasoline-powered automobiles, according to Nissan
Unlike internal-combustion engine (ICE) equipped vehicles, Nissan LEAF's power train has no tail pipe, and thus no emission of CO2 or other greenhouse gases from the vehicle itself. A combination of Nissan LEAF's regenerative braking system and innovative lithium-ion battery packs enables the car to deliver a driving range of more than 160km (100 miles) on one full charge, Nissan claims.
Base retail price is expected to be around $25,000 US with a lease program for the batteries so that consumers can budget for that expense much as they do for gasoline. It is also expected that an agreement between Nissan and Palo Alto-based Better Place to service the LEAF battery system will be announced in the next few months.
Nissan LEAF is the first in the company's forthcoming line of EVs and is a major milestone in the realization of the Renault-Nissan Alliance's vision for zero-emission mobility. The first of Nissan's EVs will be manufactured at Oppama, Japan, with additional capacity planned for Smyrna, Tennessee, USA. Meanwhile, lithium-ion batteries are being produced in Zama, Japan, with additional capacity planned for the USA, the UK and Portugal, and other sites for investment are under study around the world..
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