Nissan launched the Leaf, their electric vehicle contender last December.
Renault Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn boasted that Nissan would be selling half a million electric vehicles a year by 2013, a prediction so astounding that it’s one of the current countdowns in the left sidebar.
Ghosn also boldly predicted Nissan would sell 20,000 Leafs (Leaves?) in the US this year.
So, how’s the sales effort going? Not good, February saw a drop to only 67 sold vs. 87 in January:
Nissan sold 67 Leaf vehicles in February, for a year-to-date total of 154. In January they moved 87 cars. Even assuming momentum builds throughout the year, Nissan is 19,846 units shy of the year’s target. How the firm plans to move nearly 1654 cars per month between now and December 31st remains to be seen.
We don’t see new leaf growth until Spring, perhaps the car that is kind to nature emulates Gaia when it comes to sales. Summer numbers will probably be better, not many people are keen to buy an EV that may leave them stranded when cold weather saps the battery dead halfway home.
The only good news about the current crop of EV’s is that it provides a method to identify the most gullible people in your neighborhood. You never know when knowledge like that might be handy.
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Here are the GM Volt sales Jan= 321 Feb= 281 (YTD= 602) http://media.gm.com/content/Pages/news/us/en/2011/Mar/0301_gmsales/_jcr_content/rightpar/sectioncontainer/par/download/file.res/DeliveriesFeb2011.pdf
Thank God at least the poor are only subsidizing a few wealthy folk cars with their taxes. Blessed be the mercies bestowed to the marginal by the rich… Amen
All the best…. Jeff
Spotting the people who drive these worthless loon-mobiles is useful in the UK, when things go pop and assure you they will, http://www.acting-man.com/ then you know who to hang from the lamp posts. In the US and Canada you have an easier task, just wave to them as you drive past when they are stranded at the side of the road with a flat battery.
Nissan Leaf sales hit 3,657; that’s like four times more than the Chevy Volt
by Eric Loveday (RSS feed) on Mar 11th 2011 at 2:50PM
2011 Nissan Leaf - Click above for high-res image gallery
Okay, let’s revisit those Nissan Leaf versus Chevy Volt sales figures one more time. Earlier this month, we reported that the scorecard for U.S. sales of these two vehicles looked like this:
Leaf: 173
Volt: 928
However, the Nissan Leaf, unlike the Volt, is currently sold in countries besides the U.S. So, let’s compare the worldwide sales of both of these plug-in vehicles:
Leaf: 3,657
Volt: 928
By the end of February, Nissan had tallied 3,484 Leaf sales in Japan, according to the Japan Automobile Dealers Association (JADA) and 173 here in the States. The Volt, on the other hand, racked up 928 sales in the U.S. and, to the best of our knowledge, zero outside of this country. Now, those global numbers put the sales figures for these two vehicles into a decidedly different light, with the Leaf outselling the Volt nearly four-to-one
Love my Leaf. Think of me next time you swipe your credit card at the pump. Ka-ching!
Rob, Happy to know there’s at least one satisfied Leaf owner.
I’ll think of you next time I drive more than 30 miles without breaking into a range anxiety sweat.
I’ll think of you next time it’s -40 and my heat actually works!
I’ll think of you next time my battery goes and only costing my 75$ instead of 75 hundred
The Leaf deliveries are starting to increase. The vehicle is doing well for a new model whether gas or electric. The Mazda Miata sold only 11000 in 2008. Its considered a successful car. Vehicle availability is increasing each month. 600 finally made it to US shores and where delivered. June will see 1500 arrive for their waiting owners. So I can see 10000 delivered in US by December 31. Not bad for the first year in a five state market. Like many, I’m waiting for my Nissan Leaf. It only needs to be built and shipped and it will have a home. Target date is still far off however. Still excited.