Nissan To Boost Leaf Production In Tennessee
Earlier this year, thanks to production moving to the US (Smyrna, Tennessee), Nissan reduced the price of its electric Leaf for US customers by over $6,000. That was enough to stimulate a big increase in demand. But demand has been outstripping supply throughout the year. Now, Nissan intends to increase production of the Leaf in Tennessee in order to better match that demand.
The increase in demand between 2012 and 2013 has been enormous. In all of 2012, Nissan sold 9,819 Leafs. From January through November 2013, it sold 20,081 (141% more than the same period last year). 2013 sales have already more than doubled those of 2012.
On top of that, another good sign for Nissan is that its sales figure almost have amounted to that of the Chevy Volt in 2013, which is at 20,702. The Chevy Volt is considered a competitor of the Leaf, despite noteworthy differences such as a range-extending gasoline engine.
Nissan reportedly has a 20-day supply of the Leaf remaining for 2013, so it looks like it won’t be able to pass up the Volt in 2013. “We are supply constrained… We will start producing more Leafs probably by the end of this year — so December January time,” he said.
Notably, the Leaf has become so important to prospective electric vehicle buyers, that it is the main reason customers are referred to the Nissan brand!
“From a purely attraction and branding point of view it’s already a very good car,” according to Jose Munoz, Nissan’s senior executive of sales and marketing for the Americas, at the NADA/J.D. Power Western Automotive Conference in Los Angeles.
According to Reuters: “Munoz was promoted to lead Nissan’s North American business this month as part of a broad management shakeup at the company. He takes on his new role January 1.”
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Image Credit: Daniel.Cardenas
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