Nissan To Take Leaf EV Orders Next Spring, Expects 20,000 Pre-Sales
By John O'Dell September 29, 2009
Nissan North America will begin taking orders for the company's new Leaf electric car (left) next spring and says it anticipates 20,000 pre-sales by the time the EV hits dealerships in the third quarter.
"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 at a breakfast meeting of Nashville, Tenn., business leaders this morning.
The meeting was covered by the subscription-only industry journal Automotive News, which reported Tavares' comments in an on-line report.
Tavares said Tennessee-based Nissan North America expects to make Nashville a key launch market for the five-passenger Leaf.
Initially, the vehicle will be sold only in cities or regions that have signed agreements with Nissan to aggressively pursue installation of EV charging networks.
In addition to Tennessee and Oregon, they include San Diego, Seattle and the Phoenix-Tucson region of Arizona.
National sales are expected to begin in 2012.
Nissan is investing $2 billion in its Smyrna, Tenn., manufacturing facility to produce 150,000 Leafs and 200,000 lithium-ion batteries a year, with production slated to start in late 2012.
Until then, the EV will be imported from Japan.
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