Nissan Motor Corporation and Seth Leitman
READ MORE ABOUT:
Nissan announced at the NY Auto Show 2010 the U.S. pricing for the 2011 Nissan LEAF electric vehicle, which becomes available for purchase or lease at Nissan dealers in select markets in December and nationwide in 2011. Nissan will begin taking consumer reservations for the Nissan LEAF April 20.
There are some at Forbes thinks Nissan will flop. In a recent article in Forbes magazine, from Jerry Flint who is their car specialist forever. He writes" Nissan's Leaf is an ambitious project, the company is promoting it heavily and it's hailed by government people and greenies. But for real car buyers, the Leaf may be a decade or two ahead of its time."
Image credit: Seth Leitman
The Nissan LEAF's Bottom Line = Better Chance at Success
1. Aggressive federal tax rebates
Including the $7,500 federal tax credit for which the Nissan LEAF electric vehicle will be fully eligible, the consumer's after-tax net value of the vehicle will be $25,280. The Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price *(MSRP) for the 2011 all-electric, zero-emission Nissan LEAF is $32,780, which even made it to Fox News includes three years of roadside assistance.
2. Big time state and local incentives
There is an array of state and local incentives that may further defray the costs and increase the benefits of owning and charging a Nissan LEAF - such as a $5,000 statewide tax rebate in California; a $5,000 tax credit in Georgia; a $1,500 tax credit in Oregon; and carpool-lane access in some states, including California.
3. Real affordability, even for leases
As a result of aggressive pricing and the availability of the $7,500 federal tax credit whose benefit is immediately included, Nissan will be able to offer a monthly lease payment beginning at $349 which have skeptics running to the bully pulpit. This doesn't include state or local incentives, which could reduce the net cost of the Nissan LEAF even further.
4.
This is a game changer for electric cars As Chelsea Sexton co-founder of Plug In America recently explained to me, there has been no other time in recent history or since the creation of the internal combustion engine have we seen an affordable price for an electric car.
5. It's cheaper than a Prius
As Fox News even recently reported, "And if twenty-five grand still seems a little steep for you, you might want to consider moving to California where a state tax rebate knocks an additional $5,000 off of the bottom line, bringing the grand total to $20,280, which is less than a Toyota Prius." Despite the Prius' recent struggles, it's still the best-selling hybrid ever; given the LEAF's bottom line, it could be poised to give the Prius a run for its money.
More on Electric Cars:
Keep Buying Electric Cars, We're Making a Difference!
TreeHugger Takes the MINI E Out For a Quick Test Drive (Video Clip)
Build Your Own Electric Car: 5 Questions to Ask First
Why Do We Need More Electric Cars On the Road?
Leilani Munter is the World's First Green Racecar Driver (Interview)
