Nissan has received more than 13,000 orders in the U.S. and Japan for its Leaf electric car, exceeding production capacity, said Nissan Chief Executive Carlos Ghosn, who also heads France’s Renault
During a FY 2009 financial results presentation in Yokohama, Ghosn said that the company is seeking to add capacity to meet demand. Currently it can produce fewer than 12,000 of the cars by next March.
So far, the company has received 8,500 orders from customers in the U.S. and 4,700 in Japan.
The first models of the zero-emissions Leaf will be delivered to customers in December.
He’s is confident about Nissan’s future as demand grows in emerging markets like China, where sales have risen 60 percent so far this year, and as consumers warm to electric cars. He also expects the yen to weaken, which would boost profit from abroad.
Ghosn said Nissan’s Leaf electric car will be profitable once the alliance with Renault reaches annual production of 500,000 Leafs by the fiscal year ending March 2013.
Nissan set the LEAF price at $32,780 before a federal tax credit of $7,500. There are also leasing options available on a 36-month term which will set you back $349/month with an initial payment of $1,999.
Nissan will sell its LEAF electric car starting at $40,640 (3.76 million yen) in Japan, counting on government subsidies to slash the cost to consumers for its mass-market bet on the electric car.
