GM-VOLT : Chevy Volt Electric Car Site

[ad#post_ad]One of the more dramatic elements of Nissan’s Leaf EV pricing announcement is the remarkably low lease price of $349 per month.  Consider that the MINI E is being leased for $850 per month, and the Leaf is a much more-refined, feature-filled and road-ready vehicle.

Also take into account that the average driver driving 1000 miles per month, at $3 per gallon of gas, and 25 mpg, will save about $100 per month in fuel costs by using electricity.

So how has Nissan created such a striking number?

The trick is that they have incorporated the $7500 federal tax credit into the lease payment.

In the case of the Leaf, when a person leases the car, it is actually being bought by Nissan, who will then get the $7500 tax credit from the government.

“Since Nissan is technically the owner of a vehicle that is leased,” says Nissan spokesperson Katherine Zachary.  “Nissan will receive the $7,500 tax credit.”

“Nissan will apply the benefit of that tax credit into the lease price, which is why we’re able to offer the $349 lease price,” she added.

Aside from state taxes, which the $349 payment doesn’t include, monthly lease payments are otherwise composed of two main components; the depreciation payment, and the finance payment.  Nissan hasn’t disclosed the the Leaf’s 36 month residual value, nor the APR of the deal’s financing.

If there were no tax credit, the Leaf would lease for $558 per month.

BMW has not offered to contribute the $7500 tax credit into its $850 per month MINI E lease for the current 450 US drivers.  They have offered current drivers, one of which I am, the opportunity for a second year lease at $600 per month, with the option to lease the upcoming BMW Active E electric 1-series after that.

It isn’t clear if BMW will be receiving the $7500 per vehicle tax credit for the MINI Es, and BMW spokespersons have not yet responded to requests for comment.

GM having not yet priced the Volt, also has the opportunity to price the tax credit into a creative lease as well.  We shall see.

For what its worth, I declined a second year lease on my MINI E.  For me its Volt or Bust!
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[ad#post_ad]A moment the world of electric car enthusiasts has been waiting for has just occurred and its better than expected.

Nissan has released the official price of its Leaf pure electric car which will go on sale in December of this year. Pre-orders will be accepted starting April 20th.

The MSRP is $32,780.  With a federal tax credit of $7500 the effective price will be $25,280.

Further state tax incentives could lower the price further including $5000 available in California and Georgia, and $1500 in Oregon.

MSRP includes the battery.

The car will also be available as a lease option at $349 per month for 36 month after putting $1999 down. This price incorporates the $7500 tax credit.

There are two trim levels the SV and the SL:

The SV trim level includes an advanced navigation system and Internet/smart phone connectivity to the vehicle.

The SL trim level adds several convenience features, including rearview monitor, solar panel spoiler, fog lights, and automatic headlights for an additional $940 (MSRP).

The SV trim level includes an advanced navigation system and Internet/smart phone connectivity to the vehicle.

The SL trim level adds several convenience features, including rearview monitor, solar panel spoiler, fog lights, and automatic headlights for an additional $940 (MSRP).

The 220V AeroVironment home EV charger will cost $2200 including installation though will be provide for free to those participating in the eTec EV program. A 50% federal tax credit is available.

Cars will be availe at selected Nissan dealers in 2010, and nationwide in 2011.

“Imagine the possibility of never needing to go to a gas station again. Or of paying less than $3 for 100 miles behind the wheel. Or of creating zero emissions while driving,” said Brian Carolin, senior vice president, Sales and Marketing, NNA. “Nissan leads the industry by offering the first affordable, zero-emission vehicle for the mass market. Nissan LEAF truly is in a class by itself.”

The ball is now in GM’s court. Volt pricing is expected at least six months prior to launch.

“I think it’s fair to say their pricing, it won’t overwhelm, but it will have some influence on our pricing decision,” GM spokesman Rob Peterson told the AP.
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Source (Nissan)

Infiniti Essence Concept

[ad#post_ad]Last fall at the Tokyo auto show, Carlos Ghosn, Nissan’s CEO said that a “stylish, compact, high performance four-seat luxury Infiniti with zero emissions” with “inspired performance” was being developed for his upscale brand.

This week, Top Gear (of all the news sources), broke the news that indeed a Infiniti EV based on the Nissan Leaf is in the pipeline and will be launched in 2014.

Top Gear asked the “boss of Infiniti” (So much for responsible journalism I suppose. I guess we have to make a random stab in the dark about who this person actually is. I’ll go with Toru Saito, because he was the ‘talking head’ when Infiniti debuted its electric hybrid Essence concept at the Geneva show last year) to explain why it would be based on the Leaf platform, and be four seats.

“We’re not doing EVs for a limited number of people. We want lots of buyers quickly, so we are making a family car. We have no intention to make a niche EV. Besides, big vehicles are too heavy for today’s batteries, which is why our car will be compact.”

This as of yet unnamed EV will coincide with the arrival of Nissan’s second generation battery, which is expected to be able to deliver the range of the current Leaf, but also a greater performance benchmark for the Infiniti iteration.

Much like the Converj was thought to have done for the image of GM’s languishing Cadillac brand before it was cancelled, the Infiniti EV is envisioned as bringing some much needed exposure (and new customers) to Nissan’s upscale nameplate.

/probably not a bad idea…is it too late to bring the Converj back?
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[ad#post_ad]The diminutive jellybean-shaped 4 seat 47 kw (54 hp) Mitsubishi iMiEV pure electric car isn’t talked about as much since Nissan unveiled its Leaf program.

However, Mitsubishi has continued forward with the production program and intends to build as many as 30,000 vehicles per year over the next three years. The output for this fiscal year beginning in April is 9000 vehicles.

Today marks a significant turning point in the car’s history. For the first time an actual official European price tag has been issued for the vehicle.

When it goes on sale in the UK on January 1, 2011, it will sell for £38,699 including a 17.5% VAT (value added tax).  Granted there is a £5000 government tax credit, however the full price after the credit still translates to $50,754 (£33,699).

The iMiEV has an 80 mile range and top speed of 80 mph.

The car will be sold to people in the UK the same way any conventional car would. There is no lease option nor separate battery lease.

Apparently there are already 150 pre-orders.

The iMiEV has been on sale in Japan since July, and there it costs 4.59 million Yen ($51,000).

“The North American version of the vehicle goes on sale in Fall of 2011,” Mitsubishi spokesperson Maurice Durand told GM-Volt. “Pricing (in the US) has not yet been announced.”

Suddenly under $40,000 for a Volt sounds like a very good deal indeed.

Source (Mitsubishi)
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[ad#post_ad]Chrysler’s commitment and contribution to the electrification of the automobile has for a long while been uncertain.

Prior to bankruptcy, the company had revealed a pure electric roadster as well as several range-extended electric car concepts. This so-called ENVI program appeared to disband with the company’s re-organization.

After Chrysler was acquired by Fiat, a Fiat 500EV pure electric car concept was unveiled.

Now the automaker announced that it fully intends to put that car into production. The powertrain will be designed and engineered in Chryslers’ Auburn Michigan facilities and mass production will commence in early 2012.  The vehicles will be assembled in Mexico.

“The alliance with Fiat presented new opportunities to merge Chrysler Group engineering knowledge with new platforms and the Fiat 500EV is an outstanding example of our efforts,” said Scott Kunselman, Senior Vice President Engineering—Chrysler Group LLC. “The Fiat 500 is a small, lightweight platform perfect for integrating electric-vehicle technology.”

The car will have three major components; a lithium ion battery supplied by A123, an electric powertrain module, and a control unit to manage power flows.  A 100 mile range is expected based on the concept.

Chrysler group is said to be the combined company’s electrification center and will work to expand charging infrastructure as well.

“ENVI was an organization dedicated to creating advanced vehicle electrification solutions quickly,” Chrysler spokesperson Nick Cappa told GM-Volt. “The long-term plan has always been to integrate the technology into mainstream vehicle and powertrain development.”

“This new structure supports that plan with the Fiat 500EV and places Chrysler Group as the electric vehicle center of competence for both Fiat Group and Chrysler Group,” he added.

In addition to announcing production of the Fiat EV, Chrysler also announced it will build 140 Dodge Ram plugin hybrids for a demonstration program in partnership with the DOE. They will use a V8 2-mode hybrid drivetrain, a 12 kwh lithium battery and offer up to a 20 mile pure EV range.

A prior plan to develop a pure Ram EV has been canceled, as has the non plugin 2-Mode hybrid Ram program.

And what of the 200C 40-mile extended range electric car concept?

“Nothing new to say on the 200C,” said Cappa.

Source (Chrysler)
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[ad#post_ad]2010 will end with the introduction of two eagerly anticipated electric cars, the GM Volt, and the Nissan Leaf.

Perhaps more eagerly awaited than the cars themselves is their MSRPs. More discussion, speculation, and innuendo have been applied to what these numbers will be than almost any other aspect of the vehicles.

The Volt’s final price remains unknown, and will not be revealed until at least May or perhaps later in the summer.  Estimates vary from low to high 30s before a $7500 tax credit.

Nissan has gone on record promising to reveal the Leaf’s official price in April when the company will begin taking $100 preorders. It is expected the car will be offered either as a full purchase or with a separate battery lease in the US.

A new report in the Mainichi Japan claims to have obtained the Leaf’s expected MSRP.

“The automaker has decided to set the sales price of its new model for the Japanese market below 4 million yen,” it is written.

4 million Japanese Yen currently converts to $44,300 USD .

Another version of the report indicates the car will range anywhere from 3.5 million yen to 4 million yen, thus putting the lower limit at $38,600.

Nissan plans to sell 500,000 units globally and 150,000 in the US by 2012.

“My understanding is the article out of Japan is speculative, and we have no comment,” Nissan spokesperson Catherine Zachary told GM-Volt.com. “We have yet to disclose Nissan LEAF pricing in the U.S. or in any global market.”

If the Leaf does go sale in the US for $40,000, that would place it in the same price range as the Volt is expected. Which car would you rather have for that money?

Source (Mainichi)
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