Nissan is confident its ‘Wave One’ markets for the Leaf will pave the way for Europe-wide acceptance of its new electric vehicle, with eventual local production targeted to reduce the initial outlay.
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Portugal, Ireland, the UK and the Netherlands have been earmarked to launch the all-electric Leaf in its initial phase, to be followed by France, Spain, Belgium, Switzerland and northern Europe. A third tranche of Germany, Austria, Italy and Greece will subsequently get the model.
“The reasons we have Portugal, Ireland and the UK is they were the ones that gave most commitment,” Nissan Europe sales and marketing chief Simon Thomas told just-auto at a media event in Lisbon today.
“Portugal has the potential for renewable energy so for them it makes a lot of sense. All the signs we have got from the UK are supportive and they have demonstrated that with incentive commitments and support for the battery plant.”
Thomas conceded nonetheless that European subsidies – currently around the EUR5,000 mark in the Wave 1 countries – would eventually disappear making local production ever more essential to drop costs.
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Price has been a relatively sensitive issue for all EV producers with manufacturers keen to stress the significant drop in running costs – Nissan is estimating EUR2/100km, an overall EUR800 annual saving and a 15% drop in maintenance outlay compared to conventional cars – despite the fairly hefty EUR30,000 price tag.
“For most markets, the Leaf is within EUR1,000 – EUR2,000 of the Prius or Golf, so for us it has not been an impediment to sales,” said Thomas.
“For the first two years it is about getting it right and winning over customer confidence. When we localise production that is when we can start to build volume – this will kick in progressively – the sooner we localise the better – the sooner we can get up to 50,000 units with local suppliers the more affordable the car will be.”
European production of the Leaf is expected to start in Nissan’s Sunderland plant in the early part of 2013. The automaker has already received 26,000 orders for the EV.
