Nissan has revealed pricing for its new electric model, the Nissan LEAF will cost £23,350 when it goes on sale in February 2011 - after government incentives.
Nissan has claimed the car will be practical and affordable because it is priced competitively when compared to a Volkswagen Golf 1.6 TDi and a Toyota Prius.
The UK government incentive for electric cars is for 25% of the purchase price of the car. The LEAF will qualify for the full £5,000 discount. The government has confirmed that it will keep the current tax incentives for this model for three years but if it becomes more of a mainstream vehicle, then it will look at cutting the incentives.
Customers can register for the waiting list when it opens in July and Nissan will inform you if you have been successful in November. This will then be followed up by deliveries in February 2011.
The Nissan dealers will set up personal consultations and come to your home to show you the best way to charge your car. There's good news if you live in a flat as the car-maker and the local council will try to set up a charging station in an area close by.
The LEAF will initially be launched in the UK, Ireland, Portugal and the Netherlands. The Netherlands will be the first European country to get the car.
Company car drivers based in London can save up to £11,500 over five years thanks to savings on the congestion charge, road fund licence and fuel.
Private owners will save around £600 on fuel costs, while road fund licence is free.
Nissan has confirmed that the infrastructure will be in place when the LEAF goes on sale as the car will have a range of 100 miles and there is 620 electric charging points currently in existence at the moment across the UK.
Simon Thomas, Senior Vice President, Sales and Marketing, Nissan International SA said: 'The 100-mile range should not be a problem for customers as the large majority will not travel more than 100 miles per day.'
When driving at a speed of sub-20mph, the LEAF will have an imitation engine noise to warn cyclists and pedestrians of its presence.
Simon Thomas, Senior Vice President, Sales and Marketing, Nissan International SA added: 'The Renault-Nissan Alliance is investing more than four billion Euros to lead the auto industry in electric vehicles, with eight products across three brands. This investment includes five battery plants and seven confirmed assembly plants, including Sunderland in the UK. Electric Vehicles are useful and their time is now.'
The next three electric vehicles coming up for the Nissan family will be an Infiniti, a version of the Land Glider, (this was revealed at the Tokyo motor show in 2009) and the remaining vehicle will be from the Nissan van line-up, no model has been confirmed as of yet but we believe it could be based on the NV200.
The LEAF will use 90% recyclable materials and the Lithium iOn battery will have twice the power and twice the energy when compared to a lead-acid battery.
Equipment is high and there will be only one trim with air conditioning, satellite navigation, a parking camera, a quick charge socket and innovative smart-phone connectivity, all as standard.
Nissan has claimed that the fleet/retail split on this model will be a 50% split. The LEAF will be built at Sunderland in February 2013 and the plant should produce about 50,000 units per year on the same production line as the Note and Juke.