First, Happy Fourth of July!
If you’re a numbers person, you are really going to like this post. It is all about the numbers.
Let’s start with a big one first – 90%. As in 90% of deposits on the new LEAF are from customers that are new to the Nissan brand. Gotta think that Nissan is happy with that.
About 65,000 of the current 130,000 people who have said that they are interested in the LEAF own a Toyota Prius. These are individuals who have stated that they are interested in the car, but have not placed a deposit. No real surprise there. You would expect hybrid owners that bought due to the ecological benefits will consider the LEAF for the same reason.
California leads all other states in actual deposits. 38% of those with a deposit on the LEAF reside in that state. No real surprise there either.
Washington state, however, is the first state to commit to a state’s length “electric highway”. Their aim is to offer the electric vehicle driver the ability to drive from Vancouver, British Columbia to Portland, Oregon along Interstate 5. Initial plans call for seven to ten Level 3 “fast chargers” with Level 2 chargers also along the way. The goal is to have charging stations no more than 80 miles apart. The greater Seattle area is expecting to have 2,500 Level 2 chargers installed with about half of those being public stations as part of the EV Project.
As of June 30, reservations have climbed to over 15,000 in the United States. 29% have opted for the blue, while 26% have opted for the silver. If memory serves though, there is a disclaimer stating somewhere that the colors are subject to change prior to production.
If you are thinking of putting a deposit in on a LEAF, but you have read all of the stories about first year production being sold out, there’s still hope. Nissan states that 68% of reservation holders plan on buying within the next year. The flip side of that is that 32% are not planning on buying within the next year. Which means that you still have a pretty good chance of getting one without a lengthy wait. Assuming, of course, that you happen to be in an early launch zone.