One car which was launched with the intention of overcoming these price rises was the all-electric Nissan Leaf which was handed the prestigious European car of the Year award upon its launch at the end of 2010. However, in light of this difficult sales environment, how has the Leaf performed over the course of its first year on sale and is it still on track to revolutionise the motoring landscape?

Nissan Leaf

Sales figures

Nissan sold 9,674 Leaf models globally over the course of 2011. This is a disappointing figure, particularly when it considered that Ford sold over 100,000 Fiesta’s in the relatively small British car market alone over the same period.

Electric car critics have been quick to pounce on the revelation; claiming that it supports their view that demand for electric vehicles simply isn’t substantial enough for manufacturers to warrant interest. It is a commonly held view that the high initial purchase price of the Leaf is the biggest handicap as it often negates the potential running cost savings available.

Indeed, taking into account potential fuel, insurance and tax savings available; Leaf owners would be spending £1,302 per year less to keep their vehicle on the road compared to the running costs required for the average car. However, taking into account the initial purchase price difference between a conventional Fiesta for instance and a Nissan Leaf; it would take 12 years to recover this additional expense through these running costs alone. This is a statistic which is one of the largest reasons why motorists are failing to adopt electric cars with there not actually being overall cost savings available.

However, Nissan President Carlos Ghosn has squashed these accusations, claiming that the only reason why sales were not higher is that the company simply didn’t have the resources to build any more. Ghosn has claimed that he expects Leaf sales to double in 2012 and that there is a “pent-up” demand for electric vehicle which has not been recognised by manufacturers as of yet.

Confident of success

Indeed, Ghosn appears to be so confident in the eventual success of the electric car industry that he has committed Nissan’s sister company Renault to launching a complete electric vehicle range in the summer of 2012.

In total four fully electric Renault vehicles will be released over the course of the coming year, spanning all different size. Where these differ from the Nissan Leaf is in price; with them being far more obtainable for the average motorist. This could well overcome the major impediment which critics claim has held back the Nissan model.

The smallest of the Renault range is the Twizy which is expected to sell for £6,690. However, it is limited to a range of 60 miles between charges and only has room for one passenger. Battery hire costs are also not included in this price, with owners being forced to commit to this £40 per month expense in order to keep the car on the road. Nevertheless, even when electric consumption is taken into account, the total running costs of the Twizy will still be dwarfed by those required by the average motor.

Next up is the Renault Zoe, which is equivalent in size to the Renault Clio. This has enough space for 4 passengers and also has a vehicle range of 100 miles between charges which is the same as the Leaf. Despite this, it is expected to be put on sale for about £15,000 (once the government subsidy for electric cars has been taken into account) which will be approximately £11,000 less than the Leaf which has a similar level of performance. However, the monthly battery rent charge is still likely to apply.

The equivalent of the Megane in Renault’s electric vehicle fleet the Fluence which is capable of an even more impressive 115 miles between charges despite only costing £17,850 along with a monthly £69.60 rental charge for the battery. Like the three other electric vehicles launched by Renault, the Fluence is also blessed with a modern aesthetic appearance which in no way highlights the different nature of its design as has been the case with previous attempts on the electric vehicle market.

Renault also has commercial ambitions, with the largest vehicle in its electric fleet being the Kangoo van. Available from £16,990, this is not the most expensive of the four options; with the monthly battery rental price only being £62. However, it does have a slightly more limited vehicle range between charges compared to the Fluence of 106 miles which could preclude its overall performance for business purposes.

Victim of its own success?

The Leaf was the most popular electric vehicle in terms of global sales last year; beating its big rival Mitsubishi with their Volt model across the majority of different regions in terms of vehicle sales.

However despite being equivalent to the Nissan Leaf in terms of overall performance, the Renault models are significantly cheaper and only slightly more expensive than what motorists would otherwise pay for conventional motors. In addition, the monthly battery rental charge is not a particularly significant handicap when the overall fuel cost savings available are taken into account.

It could therefore turn out that the Nissan group becomes a victim of its own success, with the likely popularity of the Renault electric vehicle fleet having the potential to significantly harm Nissan Leaf sales in the regions where both manufacturers have a presence; this includes the significant European market.

Nissan at the 63rd Hanover Motor show announced its plans to launch a zero emission van by the year 2013. The company also unveiled the future heavy van the Nissan NV400 at the motor show. According to the vice president of Nissan Motor Co. this new launch of the heavy motor van is the answer to a reliable, capable as well as an efficient Van offering a altogether different as well as a genuine design.

The all new NV 400 is expected to hit the roads in Europe by next year. The self-assured, grounded front-side appearance of NV400 has been designed at Nissan Design Europe

Nissan zero-emissions van

The company confirmed the plans of launching zero emissions small van which for the first time company confirmed will be launched by the year 2013. This launch is in the view of the prime importance the company is laying on the LCV business in the near future.

This particular launch is for targeting the large number of customers who want to match their goals of matching their growing business effectively having a legitimate concern for the environment.

Nissan is planning to expand upon its business in the LCV market. Today Nissan is a key player of the LCV with its sales touching the 500 thousand units mark regardless of the crises. The company states that by the year 2013 they want to be the global leader having more than one million units sold for the fiscal year 2013.

The pretty car is a new age conscious project that is coming with its 175 inches long measurement. It is about the similar size to a Versa sedan but it comes with an 80 kilowatt battery power. It is drawn by lithium-ion battery package. It comes with the kind of cellular battery that you would find in cell phones or lap top batteries. The Leaf would be expected to be driving through 100 miles with its quick and quirky charger.

There is the that brings it to be recharged for all that it can emit. It can even be recharged up to 80% within 30 minutes. It can even be recharged at your home with a 200 volt AC service but it will even take less than 8 hours just! There is a function of the regenerative braking that will definitely make it a very important factor for the extension of Leaf’s point of range.

Source: autoweek

Good news is that Ford will get the bulk of this loan and to be exact in number $5.9 billion will be given to Ford through 2011 and this amount will be used by the company to retool two plants to make cars. Ford has also announced that it will huge this money to produce battery-powered versions of Transit Connect vans.

The remaining share of the loan will be shared between Nissan and Tesla with Nissan getting $1.6 billion to develop a battery plant and to restructure its facilities in Tennessee. The company has also said that it is in the move to produce a zero-emission car with mileage upto 100 miles. Tesla will get $465 million from the U.S energy department to finance a facility for its Model S electric sedan.

Source:autoweek