The 2014 Nissan Leaf is sure to give the Chevy Volt a run for its money this year. The Volt inched out the Leaf last year in US sales (23,094 sales vs 22,610 sales), but the Leaf was plagued with consistently low supply compared to demand. That has reportedly now been addressed.
2014 Nissan Leaf details have just been unveiled. Pricing is almost the same as last year — starting at $28,980 ($21,480 after the federal tax credit, 18,980 after that and the California EV rebate, and $16,480 after the federal and Georgia tax credit) rather than $28,800. The $180 difference is due to inclusion of the Nissan RearView monitor.
The car’s range on a full charge has increased from 73 miles to 84 miles, while the Leaf’s fuel economy has increased from a combined 99 MPGe in 2012 to 114 MPGe this year (city = 126 MPGe, highway = 101 MPGe). More pricing details, Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Prices* (MSRP), are as follows:
| LEAF S | $28,980 USD |
| LEAF SV | $32,000 USD |
| LEAF SL | $35,020 USD |
Destination and Handling $850 USD
Following the news release, Nissan & Renault Chairman & CEO Carlos Ghosn said: “We are now on a trend of 3,000 cars a month in the US, which is about 36,000 cars. The next step is moving up to 4,000 a month, which is going to be approximately 50,000.”
In 2013, Nissan saw its Leaf sales more than double, going from 9,819 in 2012 to 22,610 in 2013. December 2013 set a record for Nissan Leaf sales, 2,529. But production should be ramping up after some trouble with supply chain bottlenecks. If we do see 36,000 sales of the Nissan Leaf in 2014, that would be strong progress towards a doubling by 2015.
I posted a lot of details on the 2014 Nissan Leaf in my full review of the vehicle. But here are some more details from Nissan as well as broader commentary for those of you new to electric vehicles:
For 2014, LEAF is powered by an advanced lithium-ion battery composed of 48 compact modules and a high-response 80kW AC synchronous motor that generates 107 horsepower and 187 lb-ft of torque, providing a highly responsive, fun-to-drive experience that is in keeping with what consumers have come to expect from traditional, gasoline-powered vehicles. Unlike internal-combustion engine-equipped vehicles, LEAF’s powertrain has no tailpipe and thus no emission of CO2 or other greenhouse gases while being driven.
LEAF can be charged up to 80 percent of its full capacity in 30 minutes when equipped with a quick charge port and using a DC fast charger. Charging at home through a 220V outlet is estimated to take approximately five hours with the 6.6 kW onboard charger (approximately eight hours with the S grade’s standard 3.6 kW charger). The advanced lithium-ion battery pack carries an industry-competitive warranty of 8 years or 100,000 miles.
Check out Nissan’s page for the Nissan Leaf if you are interested in buying one.
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Image Credits: CleanTechnica / EV Obsession / Zachary Shahan
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