New Nissan LEAF confirmed for Oz

Nissan has confirmed Australia will be one of seven markets in Asia and Oceania that will take delivery of its new LEAF within the forthcoming Japanese fiscal year (April 2018-March 2019).

Until now, it had not been revealed exactly when – or indeed whether – the second generation of the world’s best-selling electric car would be sold Down Under, where the original LEAF found just 635 homes between 2011 and 2016.

Motoring.com.au understands the replacement for the world’s top-selling mass-market EV will not arrive in Australia before August, and that its release is more likely to be in October or November.

Despite slow EV sales in Southeast Asia, Nissan says it will launch the MkII LEAF in Australia, Hong Kong, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea and Thailand by March 2019, with Indonesia and the Philippines likely to follow.

Nissan has sold more than 300,000 LEAFs globally since the model first went on sale in 2010. Deliveries of the model, first unveiled last September, began in Japan in October.

The US and Canada followed in January and Europe will come online this month. Nissan says the new LEAF will eventually be available in more than 60 markets worldwide.

Delivering 110kW and 320Nm, the 2018 LEAF’s new electric powertrain is claimed to not only bring more performance and driving range, but improved refinement, comfort and a novel e-Pedal system for one-pedal driving.

“The launch in so many markets shows our commitment to playing a leading role in electrification in this dynamic region, and to delivering the future of mobility to the region now,” said Nissan’s regional senior vice-president Yutaka Sanada at the opening of its inaugural three-day Nissan Futures tech conference in Singapore today.

According to Nissan, strong underlying demand suggests that the EV market has the potential to grow exponentially in Southeast Asia.

According to research released by Frost & Sullivan today at Nissan Futures, one in three Southeast Asian drivers would consider an EV as their next car.

Titled “Future of Electric Vehicles in South East Asia”, the research study was commissioned by Nissan and presented at Nissan Futures, a symposium targeting the region’s government, business and non-profit electrification stakeholders.

Despite rapid growth in passenger vehicle ownership by the region’s new middle class, EV take-up has been slow, the research serving to offer some insight into potential buyers and the barriers to purchase.

Researchers questioned 1800 respondents in countries including Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam and the Philippines and found 37 per cent of those interviewed would consider an EV as their next vehicle.

Vivek Vaidya, senior vice-president of mobility at Frost & Sullivan presented the findings.

“The current uptake rate of electric vehicles isn’t a true reflection of underlying demand, which is much stronger,” said Vaidya.

“Contrary to popular belief that the high cost of EVs is the impediment, the survey reveals that safety concerns and charging concerns run high on customers’ minds.

“If the industry and government can take away barriers, the full potential can be reached.”

Some 66 per cent of people said that safety was the most important factor for EV purchase while charging at home and work, and fast-charge options were cited by more than half of all respondents.

Of the respondents who identified as electric vehicle intenders, 39 per cent were attracted to a vehicle’s technology and design.

Termed ‘trendy enthusiasts’ by the report’s authors, these buyers said they would be prepared to pay up to a 50 per cent price premium over a conventionally powered vehicle for an electric vehicle.

The report found that range anxiety continues to be the biggest barrier to the purchase of electric vehicles but it is leadership from government and local authorities that is key to getting purchasers across the line.

As many as 75 per cent of all EV intenders stated tax waivers would be the biggest incentive to encourage purchase, while 56 per cent favoured dedicated driving lanes and 53 per cent were looking for toll discounts.

“Despite the virtues of EVs, and outlook of a long-term upward trend, the so-called ‘electrification’ of the region has been slow to take off¬. Penetration remains minuscule,” the report stated.

“For EV adoption to make considerable progress and spur demand, governments in Southeast Asia need to play a more crucial role in providing incentives, adopting standards, aligning taxation norms, and most importantly, facilitating the set-up of charging infrastructure.”

Sanada echoed the report’s findings, urging governments to provide more support for EVs.

“Leapfrogging in electrification of mobility requires strong collaboration between public and private parties and a long-term approach tailored to each market’s unique situation.

“Consumers in Southeast Asia have indicated that governments have a critical role to play in the promotion of electric vehicles.

“Meanwhile, as car manufacturers, we need to do a better job in explaining that EVs are indeed a safe, smart and sustainable option in all weather conditions.”