Nissan Leaf priced at $51,500

A household wiring inspection will be part of the package for private owners of the first family-sized electric car when it hits the showroom floor.

Nissan announced pricing for the Leaf as it prepares to start selling the car to fleet operators and taking customer inquiries.

Private buyers will have their homes' wiring assessed to ensure it is capable of taking the 10-amp draw required to charge the Leaf on a "level one" basis.

Nissan is also recommending they upgrade to a 15-amp recharge facility - but can't yet give a price on what the "level two" charging point will cost. Nissan Australia brand manager Darren Holland said recharging via a 15-amp supply would take about eight hours if the battery was flat - and most owners won't come close to using the 140km "real world" range during their daily commute.

"Level three" public charging stations will charge the battery to 80 per cent capacity in around 30 minutes.

The Leaf will be the second fully electric mass-produced vehicle available for sale in Australia. Mitsubishi is already selling the smaller i-MiEV for $48,800.

Nissan Australia CEO Dan Thompson predicted sales "will be in the hundreds" in the vehicle's first six months on the road.

"We've already had huge interest from fleet managers ... this is a genuine five-seat electric vehicle that doesn't compromise space, comfort or practicality," he said.

Unlike the Renault Fluence ZE that is also due to go on sale mid-year, the Leaf is not designed for battery swaps.

The car is a powered by an 80kW/280Nm electric motor and the inbuilt satnav system shows the range the vehicle can travel on its battery charge. The Leaf scored the top five stars in the Euro NCAP crash tests.