Funny how some situations take a dramatic turn from one year to the next… You may remember that last year, Nissan was suffering huge sales setbacks for its Leaf in the U.S., due in no small part to the problems the car had in very hot climates, which in time caused the lithium-ion battery pack to lose capacity far quicker than the manufacturer intended.
Now, though, the situation has changed dramatically, according to Automotive News. They are reporting that, whereas the year before people were calling the Leaf a sales flop, now opinions regarding Nissan’s US-built mass market electric car are drastically different, and the car is selling over 2,000 units per month, and the production process is slowly being ramped up.
In fact, Erik Gottfried, the brand’s EV sales director said “We’re going to be short on inventory all through the summer,” adding that “It will be late fall before we can produce enough to satisfy everybody.” He explained that “Not every dealer has pursued selling the Leaf yet,” but that in time they will begin to realize that there is genuine potential for consistent sales, and will add it to their list of available models.
Finally, it seems that the trend is for other markets, aside from California, to grow as well. While a year ago, the sunny west coast state accounted for 37 percent of all US sales, the number has reportedly already dropped to 27 percent, with large cities like Dallas, St. Louis, Atlanta or Chicago ramping up sales. In addition, with the announced installation of 100 fast chargers at certified dealerships by 2015, the prospect of 80 percent charge in 30 minutes will further boost the EV’s appeal.
By Andrei Nedelea
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