Wolf Projects

2010 is here and with it comes a slew of new car lines dated to be revealed throughout 2010. For instance, Mercedes-Benz E63, Cadillac CTS-V, Nissan GT-R, Audi S5 Quattro Cabriolet and the list goes on.  However, there is one particular car that’s making headlines, mainly for one reason: it is pure electric.   Nissan announced the Nissan Leaf sometime during 2009, basically marketing that it is “a zero emission electric car” to the mass market. 

The LEAF has a top speed of 90 mph and is equipped with a “seat cushion-compressing acceleration” that can shoot the car from zero to 30 mph in no time.  Moreover, it can travel 100 miles on a quick 30-minute recharge at your typical quick-charging stations.  The official release of the LEAF should be late this year or early 2011.  Nissan hopes that with their new car line, they we be regarded as the leaders in the Electric Vehicle (EV) Market.

Although pricing hasn’t been released yet, it is said that the LEAF will be in the same vicinity of other family sedans or compact cars.  Generally, this range can be from $28,000 to $35,000.  It may not be as cheap as some imagined, but compared it’s competitors, it going for a bit less. This does not include any government incentives, which dramatically lower prices in areas like Japan and possibly the U.S. (around $7,500 less)  as long as the federal clean car credit program stays firmly in place.

Normally, a car like the LEAF should have higher selling price; however, Nissan was able to cut the costs by producing it’s powertrain in-house, which includes the most expensive part of LEAF production, a laminated lithium-manganese battery that powers the vehicle.

Nissan is contemplating another approach that could save buyers more when purchasing this car.   The approach basically entails selling the car but leasing the battery.  This could make consumers think twice before purchasing the LEAF but Nissan’s argument about this matter is that the battery is very similar to gasoline on gas powered cars, which clearly doesn’t come as part of the deal.  Regardless,  Nissan salesmen may have a difficult time justifying the clarity of this deal, given that the battery is such an integral part of the LEAF’s powertrain.  Only time resolve this issue;  Nissan will make the final decisions about pricing and this new battery leasing plan once the cars are publicly released, late 2010.

Keep an eye out for the LEAF. It’s to change history as the market for Electric vehicles becomes a bigger, more demanded market.

[Thanks Technolog, InsideLine.com, Edmunds.com, and NissanUSA.com!]