According to the official Nissan Leaf website, Nissan has secured 20,000 reservations for the all electric zero emissions vehicle and is no longer accepting anymore. It calls the initial reservations phase 1, and it will not begin taking additional reservations until phase 2 has started some time next year. According The Register Guard in Eugene Oregon, about 940 Nissan Leafs will be sold in Oregon once they are released.
In Oregon, the state received a federal grant of $2 million to install 24 fast charging plug-in stations that have the capability of charging 80% of a car battery in 20 to 30 minutes. Those will complement the over 1100 standard charging stations being installed around the state. The infrastructure being put in place right now to relieve range anxiety and to provide a solid foundation for the future EV market will be put to the test in December when the Nissan Leaf’s will hit the market.
Reports of people who have reserved the Nissan Lead have been bombarded with government incentives — promises of a $7,500 federal tax credit, a $2,500 cash rebate from states and a $3,000 home-charging unit courtesy of the Energy Department.
Some people have asked basic questions about the Leaf to Nissan, the answers came in a 40-minute telephone call from a senior manager in Nissan’s corporate planning department.
People feel as if they have been designated as the chosen people due to all the incentives for these early adopters. It is all part of an unprecedented effort by federal, state and local governments to stimulate demand for cars that have zero tailpipe emissions — and Nissan’s pre-emptive bid to corner the all-electric market much the way that Toyota dominated the early hybrid market with the Prius.
Oregon certainly seems prime to build a cluster of EV suppliers with the announcement last week of Eaton Corp to use it’s Wilsonville, Oregon facility to manufacture Fast Charging Electric Plug-in devices. From their corporate website:
Eaton Corporation announced today [Oct.13th] that it has chosen its Wilsonville, Oregon, satellite power center as a lead facility to modify and integrate its Electric Vehicle (EV) DC quick charger for the North American market. With this commitment, Oregon continues to establish itself as a leader in the emerging electric vehicle market, and Eaton further underscores its commitment to the Pacific Northwest region and the California market.
Time will tell if the Nissan Leaf will thrive as well as the broader electric vehicle market. The future of this market seems promising.
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