Nissan today announced that the LEAF electric car will be priced at £23,350 in the UK, including the planned £5,000 Plug-In Car Grant purchase incentive.
The company also announced specific prices in the Netherlands, Republic of Ireland and Portugal, the four initial European launch markets for the Nissan LEAF. Reservations will begin in July with UK sales starting in February 2011.
The Nissan LEAF is a compact, zero-emission five-passenger family car that comes fully equipped with features such as air conditioning, satellite navigation, a parking camera, a quick charge socket and smart-phone connectivity.
"Nissan leads the industry by being the first automaker to offer an affordable zero-emission car. It's a pure electric vehicle, with no tailpipe emissions and very low running costs. Nissan LEAF may look similar to a compact family car, but its smoothness, acceleration and handling will surprise and impress drivers and passengers alike," said Simon Thomas, Senior Vice President, Sales and Marketing, Nissan International SA.
In the UK, the official list price of the Nissan LEAF will be £28,350 pounds (33,353 Euros) before incentives. However, the UK government recently announced that it will refund 25% of the purchase price of a pure electric vehicle, up to a limit of £5,000.
Other financial incentives will include zero 'road tax' (electric cars are exempt), zero company car tax for five years (until 2015), and a 100% Enhanced Capital Allowance for business purchases. Combined with average savings in fuel costs of over £500 per year compared with a conventional car, the Nissan LEAF is increasingly becoming an affordable proposition.
The price in the Republic of Ireland will be €29,995 including €5,000 in government incentives. Buyers will be exempt from vehicle registration tax, which can amount to as much as €3,800 on a C-segment car. Sales in Ireland begin in February next year.
"The Renault-Nissan Alliance is investing over four billion Euros to lead the auto industry in electric vehicles, with eight products across three brands," said Simon Thomas. "This investment includes five battery plants and seven confirmed assembly plants, including Sunderland in the UK. This reflects the strong commitment the alliance has made to electric vehicles and our determination to lead the market."
To place an order when Nissan begins taking reservations in the four initial markets, buyers are adviseed to pre-register on their local Nissan consumer website shown below. In addition to purchasing the car outright, customers will also be able to buy the car on a Nissan finance plan. Details of the all-inclusive acquisition method will also be released in July.
