Nissan is now allowing its customers in Europe to purchase the 2013 Leaf without buying the batteries outright, which will make the electric car even more affordable. However, as always, there are conditions.
Drivers are restricted to traveling 7,500 miles per year, which is below the United Kingdom average of 10,000 to 12,000 miles per year. But considering most EV owners only drive about 23 miles a day, and the Leaf has just a 73-mile range, it shouldn’t be too hard to stay under 7,500 miles per year. That said, Nissan will also replace the battery for you if it dies, at no cost.
Nissan charges $108 per month over a 36 month period if you choose the battery rental option. Opting for battery rental drops initial purchase price of the vehicle drops to $24,600, down from $32,300 after a $7,700 plug-in car grant. That is a fair chunk of change.
This is reminiscent of Smart’s $80/month battery leasing offer, which also covers battery replacement in the event of a failure. Is battery leasing the future of electric vehicles? It is certainly making EVs more affodable, especially in Europe where the high cost of gas can easily result in $100+ fill-ups. Maybe this is what is needed to make EVs more acceptable to the masses.
Would you be willing to lease the battery if it meant a lower price for an electric car?
Source: Green Car Reports
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