Nissan Leaf sales ready to expand beyond early adopter markets in US

One of the treasures of ZZ Top's excellent 1979 album Degüello is the rather funky track I'm Bad, I'm Nationwide. We can imagine that song blasting from the six-speaker sound system in Nissan Leaf all over the US now that Nissan is getting ready to get serious nationwide. The world's most popular EV, initially marketed and popular mostly on the West Coast, has gained substantial momentum within the flyover states. This helped the sales rate through the first seven months of the year more than tripled from a year earlier. Indeed, a recent jump in Leaf demand in the Atlanta, GA area has pushed that market to No. 3 among US cities, with locales such as Nashville, TN and St. Louis, MO sneaking into the US Top 10.

Granted, the Coast is still the king when it comes to Leaf sales. It's even Nissan's best-selling model in San Francisco, CA, Portland, OR and Seattle, WA. Big state incentives and HOV-lane allowance for solo Leaf drivers keep San Francisco and Los Angeles, CA in the top two slots for US Leaf sales, with Seattle and Portland coming in at No. 4 and No. 5, respectively. Rounding out the Top 10 are Honolulu, HI, San Diego, CA, Sacramento, CA and, of course, the aforementioned Nashville and St. Louis. Chicago, IL and Denver, CO are in a dead heat for 11th place, according to the Japanese automaker. Somewhat surprisingly, while New York, NY comes in 15th in Leaf sales, it is in the top five overall for EVs, according to R.L. Polk. Check out Nissan's press release below.

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Image Credit: Andy Kahn