On the first day you could put $99 down to reserve a 2011 Nissan Leaf, 6,635 people jumped on it. This means that in one day alone, Nissan got six times more sales leads than the Ford Fiesta did in 6 days. Looking at electrics, the Nissan leaf has many times more reservations than anything Tesla or Aptera have said they were going to produce, combined.
So what does all this mean? Basically, that electric cars will be to second decade of the 21st Century what iPods were to the first decade. It also shows that if you make a vehicle that is efficient AND looks good decent, people will buy it.
Before I get ahead of myself praising Nissan for initial signs of success with the 2011 Leaf, I should state that almost anyone can afford a $99 reservation on anything. So though I can't confidently state all of the people who put down a reservation will be purchasing the vehicle, I can at least say, most of them will. And, here's why.
What is really nice about the 2011 Nissan Leaf is its price. With a base price of $32,780 it is what I would consider to be relatively expensive for someone who is in college or has recently graduated. However, the vehicle is eligible for a $7,500 tax rebate credit, which brings the price down to a more palatable $25,000.
The other really nice thing about this vehicle is the all the money you'll be saving in fuel costs. Given this vehicles 100 mile range, a charging cost of $3 per charge, and the number of miles the typical American drives you will only end up spending $360 a year to drive one of these things around.
That means that if your current vehicle averages 25 mpg, owning or leasing a Nissan Leaf will cut your fuel costs by about 75%. Given that you have to pay $2200 for a charging station, you are still saving money over a conventional vehicle whether or not you factor in the additional tax rebate for the installing the charging port. What I am waiting to see is how this vehicle will fair once the market reacts to introduction later this year.
Though I am predicting that the Nissan Leaf will be the most desired car of the year, I am also waiting to see how many people will line up to get their hands on the larger Chevy Volt, which unlike the all-electric Leaf, is a series hybrid vehicle. The Nissan Leaf is not for everybody, its small, quiet, not very efficient, nor intimidating, but it is the right car at the right time.
Source: Nissan
Comments
Cory, Electric cars are very, very efficient. Do a little more research.
@Oldevguy: That is pretty much what I stated. I am confused by your comment as quantified, in terms of dollars, how much more efficient the leaf is.
Even with initial 100 mile range, the low maintenance Leaf could be a good local car.
In any month, a hurricane or key refinery/super tanker facility bombing could send US gas above $4/gal again and then the Leaf will be considered a great car.
"...to get their hands on the larger Chevy Volt..."
Actually, the Chevy Volt has a significantly smaller interior. In addition to being smaller overall, the Volt makes less productive use that size. For example, the Volt's swooping roofline intrudes on rear headroom. The Volt's T-shaped battery eliminates the 5th seat, pushes the remaining seats out to the sides and raises the trunk floor. In comparison, the LEAF makes the most of its larger size with a more upright and roomy cabin, and its batteries under the seats do not intrude on passenger space any more than a fuel tank does in a gas car.
LEAF height:1550mm Volt height: 1430mm
LEAF wheelbase: 2700mm Volt wheelbase: 2685
Leaf width: 1770mm Volt Width: 1796mm
@Larry: Outside of the the height difference and the half inch wheelbase difference the Volt is the larger car. I do wish Nissan would post the cargo capacity and interior volume specs thouhg
Has Nissan made a firm decision on the battery? Will you be able to own a battery or will you have to lease the battery from Nissan? They have gone back and forth on this position. This will change the ROI compared to gas or hybrids.
Not to mention no oil changes and only a few moving parts to brake or wear out.
@ Corey...the $7500 fed money is a TAX CREDIT, not a rebate. Not everyone will qualify for the full amount in 2011. Also, for the first 4700 buyers, if they qualify, get a FREE charging station installed. AND, for me, it will ONLY cost $1.39 a charge (5.8c/kwh) from empty, but most will be around 50%, so you can halve that. So we're talking about a hundred bucks a year for electricity. Right now, I'm paying about $540/yr. for fuel (cng).
@ Bill thanks for the correction about the taxes, I have now updated the article to reflect those changes. As for the $3 a charge I was quoting a number based on NYSERDA electrical rates that are given to residential customers. I reduced the cost from about 18 cents/ per kWh to 9 cents, since most of that rate was representative of indirect costs that would have been factored into your electricity bill anyway. I am surprised that you are paying that little for electricity, I guess your electric companies don't have as much influence as they d in Western New York. Are you in the midwest? Also what is your CNG vehicle?
Source: http://www.nyserda.org/energy_information/nyepo.asp
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