"There have been so many false reports of what the Nissan LEAF can and can’t do, that it was only a matter of time that someone from their camp would feel compelled to clear the air.
During a press briefing in New York last week Monday, Brendan Jones, Nissan’s director of EV marketing and sales strategy, gave a rundown of ten things you may or may not know about the Nissan LEAF vehicle. Of course Jones couldn’t address every question/concern, but he did clear up a few things. Check out a synopsis of what he had to say below.
1. Tunnel vision: Studies show that about one in four LEAF customers looked at another car before buying their zero-emissions vehicle. These customers also considered hybrids, such as the Prius. The Tesla Roadster was also considered but most concluded that they couldn’t afford the $109,000 car.
2. California dreamin’: Los Angeles is the leading city, with 60-percent LEAF volume on the roads. “But we expect San Francisco to again take the lead and surpass Los Angeles substantially,” said Jones, who acknowledged that much of the sales in highly traffic-congested LA are driven by the loss of “yellow sticker” HOV lane solo privileges for hybrid cars in the state.
3. Range non-anxiety: People, even those who drive EVs, think they drive more than they really do. Jones said that his wife, Cheryl, thought she drove about 70 miles daily, but in all actuality, she drove less than 30 miles a day. LEAF owners drive less than 60 miles per day.
4. It’s my only ride: According to Nissan, the LEAF is typically the main car its owners use.
5. My other car is…: The Prius is the number one car owned by LEAF customers, with 19 percent reporting having one in the garage. Thirty seven percent report owning Toyotas, 23.7 percent owning Hondas. Not many LEAF owners are previous Nissan owners ( roughly 14 percent). Just six percent own Chevys.
6. Still waiting: Nissan is still being vague about when east coast customers will get a LEAF.
7. No surprise, they’re loaded — and green: LEAF customers tend to be college educated, with an average credit score of 750+. Their average income is over $140,000.
8. Cold, cold, and more cold: Jones says Nissan hasn’t received many complaints about the LEAF’s cold weather performance. But then again, the LEAF hasn’t been delivered to many states that experience frigid temperatures. Joe Mtovalli tested the LEAF on the east coast and saw a noticeable drop in range, 70 miles instead of 100, in very cold temperatures. But good news is on the way, as every 2012 LEAF model for North America will have a standard “winter package” that warms the front and rear seats, and the steering wheel.
9. Going upscale: Out of the two Nissan LEAF models, the SV and the upscale SL, about 95 percent of buyers go for the upmarket SL. The Nissan LEAF SL is cheaper than the SV, and includes a rear-view monitor, fog lights and automatic headlights. The SL also has a solar panel mounted on the spoiler and customers have the option of buying a 480-volt fast-charging port, which can get the car back on the road in 20 minutes to half an hour.
10. Just looking: Only 48 percent of LEAF reservations have turned into orders. So what happened to those customers who made reservations, but never placed an order? Some of those potential customers went and bought a Chevrolet Volt instead."
Em: http://nissan-leaf.net/2011/07/18/10-th ... ssan-leaf/
