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The 2011 Nissan Leaf

Nissan announced on March 30, 2010, that its Leaf battery electric vehicle will retail for ,780 when it goes on sale in the US this December. That price will be further reduced by a 00 federal rebate, meaning a final base cost of ,280 seems likely. In California and Georgia, additional rebates of 00 are being offered pushing the price of the Nissan Leaf down to ,280.

Volt Beater
This news serves notice to competitors that Nissan is serious about the electric vehicle market and will likely cause competitors to weigh their options. General Motors is bringing out its slightly larger Chevy Volt in November, a car that the company has long said will cost about ,000 before the federal rebate kicks in.

The Volt will enjoy supplemental power from a small 1.4L I4 gas engine to extend its range, but the Nissan Leaf will run on pure electric power only. Indeed, the Japanese automaker has been boasting that the Leaf is a vehicle without a tailpipe, traveling 100 miles between charges.

Leaf Leasing
Nissan will include three years of roadside service with every Leaf order and will also offer three year leases at 9 per month with 99 down.

Nissan will begin taking orders for the Leaf on April 20 through its website at NissanUSA.com with the first models available in select markets in December. Nissan says that the Leaf will be available nationally in 2011.

Happy Days
Nissan is understandably giddy about the Leaf, recognizing that the vehicle will give the automaker a leg up in the vehicle electrification market. At a related news conference Tuesday Brian Carolin, senior vice president, Sales and Marketing, NNA said, “Imagine the possibility of never needing to go to a gas station again. Or of paying less than for 100 miles behind the wheel. Or of creating zero emissions while driving. Nissan leads the industry by offering the first affordable, zero-emission vehicle for the mass market. Nissan LEAF truly is in a class by itself.”

Other manufacturers are expected to follow Nissan to the market with electric vehicles of their own. Ford is preparing a battery electric version of its Transit Connect van for commercial customers and is planning to welcome a BEV version of its next generation Ford Focus in summer 2012. Other companies are plowing forward with hybrid offerings while MINI is expected to have its own BEV on the streets next year. Zap!

Photo Credit: Nissan USA

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