Nissan's LEAF EV up for mass appeal

If Nissan is right, we can expect to see a lot of LEAFs (or should that be LEAVES?) on the road.

Speaking at yesterday's reveal of the LEAF electric vehicle, Nissan chief Carlos Ghosn (pictured with LEAF) declared that in comparison to Toyota's Prius, his company's 'green' car would become a mass market vehicle.

In terms of the reach the LEAF model can achieve, the outspoken head of the Renault-Nissan Alliance said the company expects "millions to be sold" and at least 5 per cent of global sales soon after its full release in 2012.

Ghosn argues hybrid vehicles like the Prius are not making mass market figures at two per cent.

"We believe there is very strong demand for a zero emission car. And that's not so much from consumer request, but also through contact with governments.

"The LEAF is not a niche car. We see it as a mass market car; that's why we are going to produce the battery. We are not letting anyone else produce the battery, because we are prepared for millions of cars to be sold and we want to be in control.

"We're going for mass market. Hybrids are not mass market; they represent less than two per cent, even after many years. We are positioning ourselves and saying electric vehicles will represent at least 5 per cent, and more reasonably it should represent 10 per cent."

At the current rate, EV global sales production would stand at almost six million cars, Ghosn says.

Nissan's only concern about the LEAF is that current production arrangements will not be able to meet demand.

"We're not worried about how are we going to sell the first two or three-hundred thousand cars. Today, the problem we're facing is having enough capacity to launch the car [globally]."

In addition to its facility in Oppama, Nissan has arranged production capacity in Tennessee, USA and the lithium-ion batteries will be produced in the USA, UK and Portugal to support current domestic production in Zama.

Such is its anticipation of demand, Nissan is "selectively choosing markets" that will first receive the LEAF. Cities with governments willing to support suitable infrastructure such as charging stations will be first in line, for example.

Nissan is taking an "holistic approach" to its 'eco-friendly' line-up. Two EV models are due to follow the LEAF and the company says it will continue integration of fuel-saving technologies including stop-start, hybrid and 'clean diesel'.

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