InsideEVs.com: With it now being 2015, we have our first sales prediction for the year for the Nissan
LEAF.Nissan of Europe expects LEAF sales to once again set a record in 2015. Nissan Europe’s electric car
director, Jean-Pierre Diernaz, told Automotive News Europe that the expectation for 2015 is a rise in LEAF sales by “double-digit” percentage points over 2014. This prediction applies only to Europe, where LEAF sales started out soft, but have since been continually picking up steam.Per Automotive News Europe:
The Leaf’s sales are growing because sticker prices and leasing rates have fallen since its European launch in 2010.
Diernaz said the average lease rate for the Leaf in Europe has dropped to about 250 euros a month from 400 euros in 2010.
The Leaf is deeply discounted in some markets. In the UK, Nissan is offering a Leaf Visia with a price reduction of 3,200 pounds (4,066 euros), dropping the price including batteries to 18,290 pounds, a price that competes with compact cars such the Volkswagen Golf and Ford Focus.
Diernaz commented on the LEAF’s battery leasing option, stating that the average take for battery leasing is 25 percent in Europe, 50 percent in France and 10 percent in the UK.
Commenting on the Nissan e-NV200, Diernaz says he expects its to account for 20% of Nissan’s electric vehicle
sales in Europe.
