The highly anticipated Nissan Leaf is now available to order for UK customers. The ‘world’s first mass-produced electric car’ opened for pre-orders yesterday to UK customers, ahead of deliveries set to start in March next year.

The first UK buyers or ‘motoring pioneers’ as Nissan calls them, will then get an opportunity to test-drive their prospective purchase by the end of this year, at which point they will need to formally confirm their order. A dedicated call centre has also been set up to assist customers with questions.

The LEAF will be priced at £23,990, taking into account the £5,000 Government incentive for electric vehicle buyers and the recently announced 20% VAT rate, both to be introduced from January. The price includes the battery.

Paul Willcox, Managing Director of Nissan Motor (GB) Ltd, said: “The LEAF is a milestone in Nissan’s history. Launching in Japan and the US in the coming weeks and UK, Portugal & Ireland early next year, Nissan is the first manufacturer to bring credible and affordable electric vehicle motoring to the mass market.”

Willcox goes on to explain: “The LEAF is generating huge interest across the world, with more than 25,000 customers already putting down deposits in the US and Japan. We know that the benefits of electric mobility have struck a chord with motorists in the UK and initial interest across retail and fleet channels could result in demand outstripping initial supply.”

Although the purchase price is not cheap, the Japanese carmaker says that the car’s running costs could help its first UK customers save in the long term. Depending on an individual’s electricity tariff and time of charging, it will be possible to run the LEAF for less than 2 pence per mile. Additional financial benefits include reduced servicing costs, exemption from London’s congestion charge, zero vehicle tax and zero benefit in kind for company car drivers. 

Available in five exterior colours and one high-specification trim level, all models will come with air conditioning, satellite navigation and a parking camera as standard, plus smartphone connectivity that enables owners to check charging levels plus heat or cool the interior of the car remotely via their handset.

The car’s AC motor develops 80 kW of power and 280 Nm of torque, enough for a maximum speed of more than 90mph and it can travel up to 100 miles on a full charge.

Car buyers can register their interest at www.nissan.co.uk/leafreservation, by completing an online form and putting down a refundable £257 deposit.

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Nissan and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan have today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to promote electric cars within the country.

It is the first time such an agreement has been struck within the Arab region and will mean that the carmaker will be able to enhance the market for its electric car models in the country. The carmaker has already begun to take orders for its first electric car model, the Leaf, in selected markets including the UK and US.

The MoU was signed by His Excellency Hazem Malhas, Minister of Environment, and Nissan’s Corporate Vice President Gilles Normand at a formal ceremony, in the presence of His Excellency Samir Rifai, the Prime Minister of Jordan, and several other Ministers of the cabinet.

Under the agreement, the Japanese carmaker and Jordan’s government will promote electric vehicles as a sustainable mobility solution, which will help Jordan address the key issues of energy independence, CO2 emissions and environmental conservation.

According to H.E. Hazem Malhas, Minister of Environment: “I firmly believe we have an obligation to our future generations to take the necessary actions towards a greener and better world. The introduction of electric cars offers many advantages, not only for the environment, but also from an economic, social and national security perspective.

“In taking this bold and visionary step, Jordan will position itself as a leader in zero emission mobility within the Arab region.

“For a country that enjoys 330 days of sun per year, such technology will provide an excellent alternative to the conventional automobiles,” continued H.E.

The MoU will focus on ensuring all the necessary conditions for electric vehicle mass market are in place, particularly government incentives, charging infrastructure and public education. Jordan’s government will also consider purchasing up to 300 units of Nissan LEAFs for its public sector. The Government is also working to finalise it electric vehicle standards.

A working group will commence to study the implementation of an Electric Vehicle Pilot Program, potentially within the Greater Amman Municipality and other stakeholders. Taking a holistic approach to zero emission, the partners will also explore renewable energy for electric vehicle charging using solar energy, the use of second-life batteries, as well as other new mobility concepts such as car-sharing.

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Nissan North America has formed an electric vehicle partnership with the state of Hawaii as it bids to introduce an electric vehicle charging network in the area.

The partnership was confirmed at the Asia Pacific Clean Energy Summit and Expo in Honolulu and is the first definitive agreement reached by the company in the United States.

As part of the agreement, the Nissan LEAF will be made available in the state in January 2011. Hawaii will provide a $4,500 state tax credit towards the purchase of an electric vehicle and a $500 state tax credit for the purchase and installation of a home charging system. When this is added to a $7,500 Federal tax credit, the price of the Nissan LEAF could be slashed from $32,780 to as little as $20,780 for customers in the state.

In addition, Nissan and Hawaii will develop plans to promote charging infrastructure for electric vehicles. They will co-ordinate the establishment of policies and help streamline the deployment of an electric vehicle infrastructure.

According to US Senator Daniel K Inouye the partnership personifies the state’s commitment to a future powered by clean and sustainable sources of energy.

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With its Nissan LEAF electric car just around the corner, the Japanese manufacturer has made a bold prediction about vehicle sales this year.

Nissan has stated it expects auto sales to reach 70million units this year with China continuing to lead the new car market. China became Nissan’s second largest market last year.

Dr Andy Palmer, senior vice president and executive committee member of Nissan Motor Company, commented that sales of Nissan’s luxury brand Infiniti in China hit 5,113 units in the first half year – that’s more than double compared to a year earlier. Sales for the whole year could now exceed 10,000 units, second only to the US market.

In 2009, global auto sales only totalled 60.99million units according to the International Organisation of Motor Vehicle Manufacturers with the global economic downturn partly to blame.

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The battle for electric car sales cranked up a notch last night with the announcement by Mitsubishi that their forthcoming i-MiEV will be available for £28,990 rather than £38,699 as originally planned – equivalent to a 25% reduction! Even better news for motorists is that with the confirmation by the Government of its electric car incentive, customers will only have to pay £23,990 to get their hands on a i-MiEV.

Lance Bradley, Mitsubishi Motors in the UK’s Managing Director asserted that:

“The i-MiEV will remain first in all respects. We have been first in almost every aspect of the UK’s EV market for the last 2 to 3 years and we’re not going to give up that position easily. The electric vehicle is now a reality, with all our cars being European Whole Type Vehicle Approved. With a Mitsubishi Motors electric vehicle, customers need not compromise in any area.

What is more, our car is perfect for urban driving. It has been designed deliberately as a small, compact, true city car with the ability to nip in and out of traffic and park in the tightest of spaces.”

With over 2,300 i-MiEVs already operating the Japanese manufacturer is confident that the electric car will prove to be a ultra reliable new addition to roads in the UK when it is officially launched on January 1st 2011. The i-MiEV has been proving its reliability and usefulness in the UK since 2007, and has been involved in official government end-user trials since mid-December 2009 with customers in the Coventry and Birmingham area. Some of the key findings of the trial are highly relevant to prospective purchasers of the i-MiEV.

As well as the price reduction, the ultra-low running costs of the i-MiEV are a key advantage over conventional-powered cars, with additional incentives including:

• Only £144 fuel costs for 12,000 miles driving (£0.96 pence for a full charge – 16kW at an average of 6p per kW)
• Low servicing costs and downtime – only approximately 4 working parts compared to over 300 in a typical internal combustion engine
• Exempt from road tax
• First year capital allowances for fleet vehicles
• Zero benefit-in-kind company car tax
• Exempt from London Congestion Charge
• Free parking in some London boroughs and cities such as Milton Keynes
• Expected high residual values due to high demand outstripping supply for several years to come

Lance Bradley continues:

“These are exciting times for the motor industry in the UK. This is the biggest change in the automotive industry since it began some one hundred years ago, so to be able to offer our zero emissions car for this price is a truly great achievement.

We are aware that, by their very nature, any new technologies always command a premium, which has been true for anything from plasma televisions to cars. Others make price claims and estimations, but we have a real vehicle that is available now and is proven in the real world.”

With Mitsubishi’s price cut no doubt influenced, at least in part, by the Nissan LEAF it looks like many motorists seriously interested in an electric car will have a tough choice on their hands in 2011.

Let us know what you think about the news in the comments box below.

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Japanese car manufacturer Nissan continues to make electric vehicle partnerships around the world with the launch of the Nissan LEAF looming – and now it has established a new relationship on home turf.

Nissan has joined forces with Daikyo Incorporated, one of the largest condominium builders in the country. The two have signed a memorandum of understanding which will involve the launch of a demonstration project for electric vehicle charging infrastructure in condominium buildings.

Together, they will review and suggest approaches for installing chargers and Nissan will provide electric vehicles and chargers on a test basis to condominium owners for a trial period in an effort to identify any issues and potential solutions.

Nissan and Daikyo have also issued an invitation for condominium association boards in Yokohama City and Kanagawa Prefecture to apply for the programme.

Daikyo now hopes to install charging infrastructure in around 10 per cent of the parking in each of the buildings in its Lion Mansion Series that are scheduled for construction after April this year.

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Nissan has confirmed that order books for its electric Leaf model will open to UK customers on September 1, ahead of the first deliveries set for March next year.

The Japanese carmaker confirmed the date as the order books for the all-electric car open for customers in Portugal and Ireland.

The move means that Portuguese, Irish and UK customers will be first in Europe to receive the vehicle dubbed ‘the world’s first affordable electric car’, when it launches early next year. LEAF deliveries begin in Portugal in January, Ireland in February and the UK in March 2011.

Since March, nearly 12,000 customers in Europe have signed up for regular updates on Nissan LEAF’s introduction, and in the US and Japan pre-orders have exceeded 23,000 units since online reservations began in April.

The demand has been so high, that the carmaker has had to delay the launch of the battery-powered model until slightly later than planned in the Netherlands. Sales in the country are now expected to start in June 2011, with pre-orders opening to customers in October this year.

To make a reservation, customers in these initial launch markets simply need to go to their local Nissan consumer website and place their order (for UK customers: http://www.nissan.co.uk/leaf). A fully-refundable deposit of €300 (£257) is required to place an order. These ‘early adopters’ will also be given an opportunity to test-drive Nissan LEAF thoroughly by December, at which point they will need to formally confirm their order.

The price of Nissan LEAF after government incentives is €30,250 in Portugal, €29,995 in Ireland and £23,990 in the UK including the battery. While buyers might be concerned about the high price tag, the Japanese carmaker is confident that buyers will be seduced by the low operational expense. Running costs are anticipated at less than €1.05 per 100 km in Portugal, less than €1.20 per 100km in Ireland and less than £1.59 per 100 km in the UK.

The car’s AC motor develops 80 kW of power and 280 Nm of torque, enough for a maximum speed of more than 90 mph.  The electric motor is ‘fuelled’ by a laminated lithium-ion battery with a power output of more than 90 kW.

A full charge delivers a potential range of 100 miles which will satisfy the daily driving demands of most customers. Global research indicates that the average daily mileage for 80 per cent of the world’s population is under 100 km: with the figure in Japan and the UK even lower at under 50 km for 80 per cent of the population.

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Yesterday we brought you details of the Nissan LEAF’s warranty (see article) and today we have more information about its roll-out in the USA.

Due to be launched in December this year, the electric vehicle will first be made available to consumers in California, Arizona, Tennessee, Oregon and Washington as the homes of the EV Project, the largest electric vehicle and infrastructure deployment to date.

Motorists in these five states currently represent around 55 per cent of total Nissan LEAF reservations and customers will be able to place firm orders for the LEAF beginning in August.

From January, the vehicle will be introduced in Texas and Hawaii; before making its way, in April, to North Carolina, Florida, Washington DC, Georgia, South Carolina, Virginia, Maryland and Alabama. By the autumn of the same year, the Nissan LEAF will be available in all markets nationwide.

Anyone who has reserved a Nissan LEAF online will be invited to place an order with their dealer in advance of market roll-out timing, allowing customers to assess which dealer they wish to use and look at their home charging needs.

Nissan has also gathered some information about those interested in the vehicle. It has found that around 67 per cent of Nissan LEAF reservation holders have indicated they will be ready to buy or lease the vehicle within a year of placing the reservation; while around 75 per cent own a single home family. Their primary interests include energy independence and environmental consciousness; while the favourite colour for buyers is blue, with silver a close second.

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The world’s first mass produced electric car will come with a warranty lasting eight years and 100,000 miles.

That was the announcement from Carlos Tavares, the executive vice president and a member of the board of directors of Nissan Motor Company Ltd.

His announcement, made at the opening plenary of Plug-in 2010 in San Jose, California, means that the LEAF will offer the same warranty terms as the Chevrolet Volt.

The Nissan LEAF will begin its roll out later this year in California, Arizona, Oregon, Washington and Tennessee. It will have a starting price of $32,780 with the full Federal income tax credit of $7,500 slashing the price to $25,280. In California the vehicle also qualifies for a $5,000 CVRP rebate.

There are already 17,000 reservations for the Nissan LEAF.

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Car hire firm Enterprise is to buy 500 models of Nissan’s all-electric Leaf with delivery set to start in January.

The firm which owns Enterprise Rent-A-Car and Alamo will help push Nissan forward in pursuit of the title of the world’s largest producer of electric cars.

Its expected that Enterprise will make an official statement later today to confirm the order for the models, after a spokesperson at Nissan broke the news to Bloomberg.com.

The Nissan Leaf, set to be the world’s first all-electric mass-produced family car is a four seater model powered by lithium-ion batteries. The C-segment car is capable of delivering a top speed of around 90mph and a range of the 100miles.

The carmaker aims to sell at least 20,000 models of the $32,780 Leaf in the US during the model’s first year, after it is introduced at the end of 2010. The Japanese carmaker has already taken over 7,000 pre-orders for the model from US customers.

The sale of the electric cars to St. Louis-based Enterprise is the second such big fleet deal for the carmaker, which announced in February it would supply Leafs to Hertz Global Holdings for use in rental fleets in the US and Europe.

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