Auto123.com today had the opportunity to sit for nearly two hours with Larry Dominique, Vice-President of Product Planning at Nissan North America, who talked at length about the 2012 Nissan LEAF before its Canadian debut.
We were concerned that the 2011 model currently available in the United States was not designed to withstand the colder temperatures of the Great White North, but it looks like there won't be a problem with the new edition.
Bring it on!
Some of our U.S.-based readers who pre-ordered a LEAF told us that they would get their vehicle later than expected. However, Larry Dominique confirmed that production will go as scheduled and when Nissan will start taking orders for the Canadian version of the car, deliveries won't be affected by the devastating March 11 earthquake in Japan.
The car will offer a Cold Weather package including, among other features, a battery heater that activates automatically below 10 degrees Celsius when the battery is not plugged to a power source.
This will enable the LEAF to start in a flash anytime the weather gets cold, meaning owners who leave the car unplugged at -20°C for an entire shift won't be stranded at work.
Making the device even more interesting is that it requires a mere 0.3 kWh, so total range won't suffer as a result of freezing temperatures.
Made in USA starting in late 2012
Nissan's first and only electric vehicle is built exclusively in Japan, which means the first few customers will receive theirs from the land of the rising sun. Dominique stated, however, that a Tennessee plant will start producing LEAFs in December 2012.
Delivery times will accelerate and Nissan should be able to meet the increasing demand over the upcoming years. But while the LEAF will come in greater supply, the company will insist on quality rather than quantity.
Who buys the LEAF?
Dominique also painted a picture of the typical LEAF buyer. About 70-80 percent of them used to drive a Toyota Prius, a sign that Nissan is stepping on the toes of its domestic rival, which has been dominating the hybrid market in North America for more than a decade.
The LEAF obviously doesn't pose a short-term threat to the Prius, but this intense new battle between the two Japanese manufacturers promises to be quite exciting to watch.
We were concerned that the 2011 model currently available in the United States was not designed to withstand the colder temperatures of the Great White North, but it looks like there won't be a problem with the new edition.
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| Photo: Nissan |
Bring it on!
Some of our U.S.-based readers who pre-ordered a LEAF told us that they would get their vehicle later than expected. However, Larry Dominique confirmed that production will go as scheduled and when Nissan will start taking orders for the Canadian version of the car, deliveries won't be affected by the devastating March 11 earthquake in Japan.
The car will offer a Cold Weather package including, among other features, a battery heater that activates automatically below 10 degrees Celsius when the battery is not plugged to a power source.
This will enable the LEAF to start in a flash anytime the weather gets cold, meaning owners who leave the car unplugged at -20°C for an entire shift won't be stranded at work.
Making the device even more interesting is that it requires a mere 0.3 kWh, so total range won't suffer as a result of freezing temperatures.
Made in USA starting in late 2012
Nissan's first and only electric vehicle is built exclusively in Japan, which means the first few customers will receive theirs from the land of the rising sun. Dominique stated, however, that a Tennessee plant will start producing LEAFs in December 2012.
Delivery times will accelerate and Nissan should be able to meet the increasing demand over the upcoming years. But while the LEAF will come in greater supply, the company will insist on quality rather than quantity.
Who buys the LEAF?
Dominique also painted a picture of the typical LEAF buyer. About 70-80 percent of them used to drive a Toyota Prius, a sign that Nissan is stepping on the toes of its domestic rival, which has been dominating the hybrid market in North America for more than a decade.
The LEAF obviously doesn't pose a short-term threat to the Prius, but this intense new battle between the two Japanese manufacturers promises to be quite exciting to watch.