What a difference a year makes. Around this time in 2012, just 500 or so Nissan Leafs were being sold a month, falling far short of projections and resulting in frustration and disappointment from some Nissan executives. But with Leaf sales quadrupling year-over-year, Nissan’s new problem is that they don’t have enough of the peppy EV to go around.
Why are sales skyrocketing? Simply put, a massive $6,400 price cut on the Nissan Leaf dropped its MSRP to under $30,000. With Federal and state tax credits factored in, you could buy a Leaf for $20,000 or less, and attractive leasing options of just $199 a month have helped sales as well. In June of 2012, Nissan sold just 535 Leaf EVs. In June of 2013, Leaf sales were at 2,138, about a 400% increase.
Forget range anxiety. Forget long refueling times. Forget a lack of charging infrastructure. All consumers really care about, at the end of the day, is value. While the Nissan Leaf got off to a rough start, production at the Smyrna, Tennessee factory have allowed the Japanese automaker to bring the price more in line with customer expectations.
Of course tax credits and free charging stations help, as does Nissan’s plans to roll out a network of fast chargers at 124 dealers across the country. These fast chargers can give the Leaf an 80% in just 30 minutes and will be centrally located in major population and shopping areas.
The Leaf finally seems to be hitting its stride, and Nissan executives think it won’t be until late fall that production can meet up with demand. So where are all the naysayers now?
Source: Automotive News
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