Bloomberg - "Nissan’s Ghosn Says Electric-Car Demand May Exceed U.S. Target"

[TomCADem]

Nissan is apparently going to build the "Leaf" in Tennessee, so it will be interesting to watch Bob Corker complain about higher fuel efficiency standards.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601101&sid=a0ohR8fNdxVw

Nov. 13 (Bloomberg) -- Nissan Motor Co. Chief Executive Officer Carlos Ghosn said U.S. consumer demand for electric vehicles may exceed President Barack Obama’s goal of 1 million plug-in models by 2015.

The automaker began a 22-city U.S. tour today to show its battery-powered Leaf small car. The model will sell for the same price as a similar-size gasoline-powered car when deliveries begin next year, with consumers paying a separate monthly fee to lease the Leaf’s lithium-ion batteries, Ghosn said.

“There is absolutely no reason that you will not have much more than 1 million cars in the U.S. before 2015,” Ghosn said at a briefing in Los Angeles. “What the president has said, we obviously want to come up with solutions that would allow us to make that a reality but move beyond it.”

Nissan, Japan’s third-largest carmaker, is preparing the Leaf to meet U.S. demands for higher fuel efficiency and reduced carbon emissions, as well as California rules requiring large auto companies to sell exhaust-free models. The likelihood that oil prices will keep rising will make battery cars increasingly appealing to U.S. drivers, Ghosn said.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

1. Question

how long does the charge in the battery last. Will there be many charging stations throughout so you can top up.

[NYC_SKP]

3. The range is said to be 100 miles. Charging "stations" are where ever there's an outlet.

Charge it at work, drive it back home.

Of course it's not perfect for every type of travel.

But for any household with more than one vehicle, one should be all-electric or plug-in hybrid.

more: http://www.reuters.com/article/GCA-GreenBusiness/idUSTRE5710IH20090802

[Rosa Luxemburg]

4. Thanks I'm considering getting one

It would be great to go to the grocery store which is 2 miles away.

[dysfunctional press]

7. and what is the cost of the battery lease?

if, when people do the math it's more expensive overall than buying gas- lots of them will have second thoughts.

[NYC_SKP]

10. Price not announced. Not sure if there's a lease. My Pruis batteries have a very long warrantee.

So I'm not worried.

I've calculated the savings and I'm quite satisfied.

The article seems to suggest that Toyota is leasing batteries, I think they mean leasing the property rights to the technology.

I think you buy the batteries with the car.

Official site: http://www.nissanusa.com/leaf-electric-car/opt-in/en/index.jsp

[cliffordu]

13. I didn't know Harley made a Prius.

[NYC_SKP]

17. That's why they call it a "Hybrid". duh.

:rofl:

[cliffordu]

20. Well.......

:rofl:

[dysfunctional press]

15. "...with consumers paying a separate monthly fee to lease the Leaf’s lithium-ion batteries..."

from the op.

there's a lease.

with a fully electric car, most of the 'fuel costs' are up front- in the cost of the battery. charging it doesn't cost much at all.
with a gasoline engine, the fuel costs are spread across the life of the car.
some people can't afford to pay it all up front, so the gasoline engine would end up being more economical for them in that respect.
what it seems to me that nissan is doing is trying to spread the 'fuel cost' across the life of the car, to make it economical to more people.

[NYC_SKP]

2. Cute and versatile car. The "Leaf", because it's green, I suppose.

:P

[Rosa Luxemburg]

6. I would volunteer to test one

[NickB79]

5. Cost?

Unless they can keep it below $20,000, or the economy rebounds big next year, sales might not be as high as they anticipate.

[Strelnikov_]

8. $30,000 est. n/t

[NickB79]

14. Ouch.

Since the Leaf is based upon a modified Nissan Versa, and the gas-powered Versa sells for $16,000-$17,000, that means you'd be paying a $13,000 premium for the Leaf.

Would someone ever recoup that premium through gasoline savings even if gas hit $8-$10/gal?

[TomCADem]

16. Which is cheaper fuel-wise? Electricity or Gas?

I guess if you have solar panels and you get discounts on electricity based on when you charge the car, perhaps fuel costs might favor the Leaf, but I would not buy one unless I knew that electricity costs were comparable or better than gasoline. I have seen some reports that say that off-peak electricity would yield cheaper fuel costs than gas.

[NYC_SKP]

18. Electricity is by far cheaper than petroleum to run the same car. 1/4 the cost.

Based on average rates:

"The cost for electricity to power plug-in hybrids for all-electric operation has been estimated at less than one quarter of the cost of gasoline.<2> Compared to conventional vehicles, PHEVs can reduce air pollution, dependence on petroleum and fossil fuels, and greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to global warming.<3><4><5> Plug-in hybrids use no fossil fuel during their all-electric range if their batteries are charged from nuclear or renewable electricity. Other benefits include improved national energy security, fewer fill-ups at the filling station, the convenience of home recharging, opportunities to provide emergency backup power in the home, and vehicle-to-grid (V2G) applications.<6>"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plug-in_hybrid

:patriot:

[dysfunctional press]

22. most consumers can't afford to pay for the 'fuel' up-front.

if people had to buy all the gas that they'd burn during the life of their car all at once- as part of the purchase price, it would dramatically increase the cost of the car.
with an electric car, that's pretty much what you're doing- paying for the fuel up front. by having consumers lease the batteries in the leaf, nissan is allowing them to spread the fuel costs over the life of the car, as is the case with gasoline.

[NickB79]

19. True, but will the cheaper electricity offset the price premium you have to pay initially?

Will you save $10,000 on gas over the lifetime of the car?

[TomCADem]

21. If Like Many People, You Only Keep The Car 5 Years, Than No...

But if you keep it for more than 10 years and gas prices do continue to rise, then I think the answer would be yes.

[bridgit]

9. I'd buy one if I had the money

http://www.teslamotors.com :kick:

[NYC_SKP]

11. I would love a Tesla, but a Leaf would be cool, too!

I have over 60,000 miles on my 2007 Prius.

My Volvo wagon was on it's last legs, I drive a lot for work and needed reliability.

Couldn't be happier except for the uncomfortable seats.

And I can fit 10 foot lengths of lumber and pipe in it with the hatch down!!!

:P

[bridgit]

12. Yep, it'll prolly come down to a Leaf, but a couple peeps have Tesla's here in town...

and man are they cool B-)