Nissan Opens Leaf Reservations to All; European Pricing to be Higher Than U.S.
By John O'Dell May 17, 2010
Nissan Motor co., which last month took 9,500 early reservations for its Leaf electric car, has now opened its reservation system to the general public.
The automaker is hoping to get a solid feel for early enthusiasm for the 5-seat electric hatchback with 100 miles of range by asking interested consumers to plunk down a refundable $99 deposit to secure a place in line.
The deposits will enable the automaker to see in which areas of the country interest is concentrated and to help push for installation of public EV charging in those areas.
In addition, consumers with reservations will be asked to select a dealer from among those in their regions certified to sell the Leaf and Nissan will, if they choose to progress through the process, send an EV-charger specialist to their residences to determine if they have or can be outfitted with the proper electrical system for an at-home 220-volt charging system.
European Markets, Prices
Separately, Nissan this morning announced Leaf pricing for the first European markets and - no surprise - the car will be more expensive there than in the U.S., as is the case with all types of cars.
The base U.S. price is $32,780 before any applicable federal, state and local incentives (there's a $7,500 federal tax credit and a variety of local credits and incentives) while the least expensive pre-incentive European price is 28,350 British pounds (the equivalent of $41,222 U.S. or 33,353 euros) in the United Kingdom.
Most European countries are offering sizable incentives including cash discounts, tax credits and in some countries remissions of annual road taxes, business (for company-owned cars) and excise taxes that can knock the equivalent of $10,000 or more off the overall ownership price.
In the UK, for instance the government is offering a refund of 25 percent of an electric vehicle's purchase price, up to a maximum of 5,000 pounds - $7,269 - plus five years' relief from annual vehicle taxes.
In the Netherlands, where the pre-incentive price has been set at 32,839 euros ($40,587), the government is offering private purchasers 6,000 euros ($7,415) in incentives spread over five years and, more important in a country where may people receive a company car as part of their annual compensation, corporate owners will receive an incentive of 19,000 euros ($23,451) or more than half the price of the car. The incentives will take the form of five years' relief from road and registration taxes.
Nissan has set a base price of 34,995 euros ($43,251) in the Republic of Ireland, which offers a 5,000 euro purchase incentive ($6,180) plus exemption from the vehicle registration tax - a benefit that could almost double the initial incentive.
In Portugal, the base price of 34,955 euros ($43,202) will be offset by a 5,000 euro ($6180) incentive.
The car goes on sale in Portugal and the Netherlands in December and in the UK and Ireland in February.
LEAVE A COMMENT
Why are cars more expensive in Europe than the US?
Why are cars more expensive in Europe than the US?
Some people say that the same car model has lower quality in the US than in Europe, but I don't believe it, and I have a fair amount of personal experience. Certainly warranties and levels of standard equipment tend to be higher in the US than in Europe.
One reason is that US prices are usually quoted not including taxes. European prices usually include taxes, which are higher in Europe.
The biggest reason is competition. The Japanese companies are prevented from selling as many cars in Europe as they could. They get to charge much higher prices than in the US, and the European firms get protected from competition. Everyone is happy except the consumer.
In Europe, every country has domestic manufacturers. All need protection from competition except the German ones, and a few niche companies like Ferrari. None of the major European non-German brands (Renault, Peugeot, Fiat, Saab, Seat, and dead ones like Rover) can sell cars in the US. Their quality is too low compared to Japanese brands, and their cost is too high compared to US factories.
Even Germany's volume brand, Volkswagen, is more expensive and lower quality than its Japanese or US same-level competitors.
There are very few US cars sold in Europe. The reason is that US engines and bodies are too large for European roads and gas prices. If the market had been open, cars like the Chrysler Neon could have taken huge market share, at half the price of European competitors.
ADD A COMMENT