Canada and France get first cars
Nissan Canada delivered their first to LEAFs to PowerStream, a municipally owned electricity distribution company in Ontario. No word on when the first retail deliveries will take place. Expectations are much lower for the Canadian release of the LEAF as Nissan has 40 2011 LEAFs allocated for Canadian distribution and 600 2012 LEAFs.
Model year 2011 reservations will be very limited (as would be expected if they are only expecting 40 cars). Those who have expressed an interest will be able to submit reservations and orders “in the coming weeks”, when they will receive an email message from Nissan regarding the process. A second wave of reservations will open “in the coming months” for the 2012 model year.
First Canadian markets with LEAF availability will be British Columbia, Vancouver, Montreal, Quebec City, Toronto and Manitoba.
Nissan West Europe announced delivery of the first retail LEAF in France. One of the buying motivations for the couple buying the car is the lower monthly fuel cost. Previous fuel consumption was $570 (400€) per month on diesel fuel. Expected electricity costs for the LEAF are $86 (60€) per month.
The European New Car Assessment Programme (Euro NCAP) rated the LEAF with its highest 5-star safety rating earlier this year. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has also issued a 5-star overall safety rating for the LEAF in the United States.
LEAF deliveries have already occurred in the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Ireland and Portugal. In addition, orders are currently being taken in Switzerland, Spain, Belgium and Norway.