Nissan LEAF News

New-car prices will hit new lows between now and the end of the month as Japanese brands push to reach their sales targets before the end of the Japanese financial year, which is March 31.March is typically the second-biggest month of the year for new-car sales behind June, the end of the Australian financial year. The good news for car buyers is that the heavy discounting from the Japanese companies also brings down prices across the industry as rivals try to compete.The profit margins on some cars are so slim that dealers claim they only make money on window tinting -- and finance if arranged through the dealership. Last year, the Toyota Corolla and Nissan Pulsar had their prices wound back by 20 years to $19,990, and others followed.The Japanese Government has for the past 12 months artificially devalued the Yen to boost exports and keep their car factories running at full capacity. Car companies and dealers refused to comment on-the-record about the "D-word" -- discount -- but a search across the industry found some sharp deals on popular cars.The cheapest models from Japanese brands are the Suzuki Alto ($11,990 drive-away) and the Mitsubishi Mirage ($12,990 drive-away), both about $3000 off their full recommended retail prices. Despite their bargain prices both five-door hatchbacks come with the latest safety features, including six airbags and stability control.Meanwhile Suzuki has the cheapest small car below $20,000 with a built-in navigation system: the special edition Swift Navigator is $16,990 drive-away, about $3500 off.Nissan's website says its Pulsar small car is $22,315 drive-away but we found several dealers prepared to sell one for $18,990 drive-away, more than $3000 off. "We'll sell you a car but there's nothing in it for us," said one Nissan dealer who did not want to be named. "That's a white car with manual transmission and standard-issue number plates." Automatic transmission typically adds $2000, metallic paint adds up to $550 on some brands and, in NSW, premium number plates cost about $60 more than standard-issue plates.The only people not celebrating the sharp new-car prices are the dealers. "It's not uncommon to not make a dollar on the car," said a Mitsubishi dealer. "We hope to make it back on accessories, finance or when the customer comes back to get the car serviced."Car dealers typically get a commission of about $1200 on the finance on a $20,000 car -- if the finance is arranged through the dealership. "That's more than the profit on the car," said another dealer. Buyers might also get lucky if the dealer is a few cars short of their monthly sales target."Sometimes you'll rip up a car (sell it below cost) in the last one or two days of the month, just to get over the line," said one multi-franchise dealer principal with more than 20 years' experience in the trade. "That sale could mean the difference between getting a big bonus from the factory, or nothing."The biggest discounts are on the dearest cars. The Nissan 370Z sports-car is now $59,990 drive-away, it was $72,000 plus on-road costs the same time last year, a saving of about $15,000. The Nissan Leaf electric car is now $39,990 drive-away, compared to $51,500 plus on-road costs when it was launched two years ago, a saving of about $14,000 off the full RRP. The Mitsubishi Pajero GLX-R 4WD wagon is now $54,990 drive-away -- it is normally $60,000 drive-away -- but dealers we spoke to said there was at least a further "$1000 to $2000 wriggle room" left in this deal.For those looking for a family sedan the locally-made Toyota Camry can be bought at a discounted price of $29,990 drive-away with Toyota's 1 per cent finance, about $3000 off the full RRP -- and more than $3000 off the repayments at market interest rates. This deal is unique because, customarily, low interest rate offers apply only to the full RRP of the car, which is how the car companies fund the deal.In most cases it is cheaper to arrange your own finance and haggle hard on the price of the car. But Toyota has bucked this trend by offering a low interest rate as well as a drive-away price on the Camry to keep the struggling Toyota factory at Altona running.Meanwhile the Mazda CX-9 Luxury SUV normally sells for $52,980 plus on-roads, but it is now $51,990 drive-away, a saving of about $5000 off the full RRP. But as with the Mitsubishi Pajero deal, Mazda dealers say there is still a further $1000 to $2000 to negotiate off the luxury version of the Mazda CX-9 if buyers sign on the dotted line by the end of the month.This reporter is on Twitter: @JoshuaDowling 

Nissan has unveiled a sportier version of the LEAF electric vehicle that may appeal to more people at the Tokyo motor show. Called the Nissan LEAF Aero Style it has the same all-electric powertrain but gains some visual enhancements that Nissan says give it a special feel and enhanced attractiveness. The car features a new look front bumper with built-in LED daytime running lights, side sill protectors and a rear air diffuser. It also adds new look 17-inch aluminium-alloy wheels with a special blue accent to give the car a unique feel. Nissan's executive vice president Takao Katagiri said the car's popularity had been extraordinary since its launch, with global sales already topping 83,000 units. "We hope you look forward to the introduction of the Nissan LEAF Aero Style that will retain all the important virtues of the cutting-edge LEAF, but adds a high level of excitement that will surely satisfy all of our customers," he said. The Tokyo show car was finished in a dark metal grey colour, designed to accentuate its stylishness. Nissan says LEAF Aero Style will appeal to customers who want to add an individual touch to their car. The car is set for release in Japan this month but there's no word if and when we can expect to see it (maybe when they've cleared the backlog of LEAFs sitting in showrooms around the country). While the Leaf has been popular in other markets, it has failed to excite buyers here. So far Nissan has sold 161 electric LEAFs this year. _______________________________________  

But do we really care more about volts and hertz than kiloWatts and Newton-metres?

Australia has stalled on the electric vehicle starting grid and will miss out on the new wave of cars coming from Volkswagen, as the carmaker's local operation says there is insufficient demand.The German giant rolled out its first battery cars, the e-Golf and e-Up, at the Frankfurt motor show this week and set a bold goal of being market leader in electric mobility by 2018. With Volkswagen due to have 14 pure electric or hybrid cars on sale by next year, "no other automaker can match the broad range we have to offer", said chief executive Martin Winterkorn.It was starting its push "at exactly the right time" because the technology was mature. "The electric car cannot be a compromise on wheels; it must convince customers in every respect," Mr Winterkorn said.Australians, however, are unconvinced, according to Volkswagen's local arm, which will not import either electric cars or hybrids. "The market hasn't embraced these technologies and until there is sufficient demand we don't plan to offer them," said spokesman Karl Gehling.It was still early days for recharging infrastructure and the lack of government incentives for EVs was also "part of the challenge". Volkswagen already makes hybrids but Mr Gehling said they had been ruled out because they could not compete with the brand's efficient diesels.Only three carmakers have offered electric vehicles here and all have struggled to gain acceptance. Since 2010, when Mitsubishi was first with its iMiev runabout, just 602 EVs have been bought, with the overwhelming majority going to fleets.The high cost of the technology has deterred buyers, with the Nissan Leaf at $39,990 drive away the most affordable of the three after the company was forced to slash thousands off its price to stimulate demand. 

The idea is good, and the green power pluses are mostly fine, but no-one wants to pay to play this way.Global sales of plug-in cars are currently little more than a trickle, even if Tesla of America is currently trumpeting a showroom success - thanks to massive government subsidies across the Pacific - that means its Model S outsold the about-to-be-replaced Benz C-Class last month in the USA.Here in Australia, Nissan has slashed the price of its plug-in Leaf by $7000 and has an $85-a-week repayment plan to try and entice buyers.But the numbers are not good and even Carlos Ghosn, global boss of the Nissan-Renault alliance that leads the mainstream conversion to battery power, says it's going to take time - and large-scale conversion work in China - to turn electric power into anything beyond an oddity.We're expecting the Renault Zoe in 2014 and it drives well and looks good, but Renault Australia has effectively cancelled its plan for a Fluence electric car because Better Place - the start-up energy company that's in all sorts of trouble - cannot deliver on its plans for battery-swap stations across Australia.But there is something new that could also help and it plugs into one of the oldest maxims in the car business - Racing improves the Breed.This tagline is mostly applied to V8-powered racers that have fuelled our appetite for V8 muscle cars, but it applies just as well - or better - to a new category called Formula E. Think of it as F1 with batteries.The plug-in racers are set to run in 2014 in a new world championship that's also intended to take the whisper-quiet contenders into the hearts of some of the world's biggest and best-known cities, including Rome, Rio, London and even Bangkok. The organisers are planning for 20 cars in 10 teams.Not surprisingly, Renault is an early adopter for Formula E and will supply cars and power packs, while TAG-Heuer wants to time the action and get a nice green rub-off for its watch business.“We believe that motorsport is an efficient manner to promote the efficiency of new technologies, and we’re eager to use that single-seater in FIA Formula E championship to show our technology is the best,” says Patric Ratti, managing director of Renault Sport Technologies.But the key to Formula E is huge support from Paris, and the global headquarters of the FIA. The French organisation is responsible for overall governance of world motorsport but is taking a growing role in road safety and the future of the automobile, including its electrification.It believes Formula E can be a powerful tool to drive electric power forward, as well as showcasing the advantages of plug-in power and the performance potential of battery cars.The conversion plan looks shakier in Australia, because we rely on dirty coal combustion for almost all our power, but it still has plenty going for it.A bunch of high-tech single seaters will highlight the latest developments in electric power and, provided no-one runs out of zap, it's a formula for potential success that could revive another of those hoary old slogans from the past.You know it - Win on Sunday, sell on Monday.This reporter is on Twitter: @paulwardgover 

But anyone who bought one has just had thousands of dollars wiped from the value of their vehicle.  Japanese car maker Nissan has slashed the price of its slow-selling Leaf to $39,990 drive-away, less than 12 months after it went on sale in Australia. The new RRP equates to $36,000 before on-road costs are added, which makes the Nissan Leaf at least $15,000 cheaper than the $51,500 price it was introduced at locally in July 2012.Nissan Australia then dropped the price of the Leaf to $46,990 in December last year, but that too failed to spark sales.In a last ditch effort to get Australians to buy a car that runs purely on electricity and has a maximum driving range of 160km, Nissan has gutted the price to within $3000 of a Toyota Prius petrol-electric hybrid (which starts at $33,990 but stretches beyond $40,000 on some models)."We want to sell more," said Nissan Australia spokesman Peter Fadeyev. "We want to stimulate the market."However the 116 pioneer buyers who paid full price and have already taken delivery of a Nissan Leaf may not be so happy about the price cut because it will immediately affect their car's already weak resale value."Early adopter" customers will not be reimbursed the price difference, Nissan says. When asked if those Leaf customers brave enough to take an early punt could look forward to a cheque in the mail, the Nissan spokesman said: "No. New car prices change. We reserve that right like all car makers."Electric cars were hailed as the saviour of the automobile with their reinvention in the modern era five years ago, with some companies claiming up to 10 per cent of all new cars sold by 2020 would run on electric power.But the limited driving range and high cost of the battery technology -- which has pushed up the price of electric cars -- have blunted their appeal in Australia and overseas. And the most informed forecasts are now at less than 2 per cent by 2020.The car industry now says electric cars with "range extending" petrol engines are the next phase of hybrid cars and will find broader appeal.Vehicles like the Holden Volt can be driven a distance of up to 88km on electric power alone before a petrol motor takes over, to give an overall driving range of about 400km. But for all its tech savvy, the Volt's local appeal is limited somewhat by its $60,000 price.Mitsubishi and others have adopted a similar plug-in hybrid philosophy with their new generation hybrid cars.Toyota, the world's biggest seller of hybrid vehicles, also has plans to introduce a plug-in version of its Prius that can travel 20km on a single charge before switching to petrol power.  Today's Prius can drive about 1km on battery power alone. The plug-in Prius has been sold in limited numbers locally and overseas but should reach the mainstream when the new model arrives in three years.This reporter is on Twitter: @JoshuaDowling

In a solid sign that Australia is turning its back on emission-free electric cars, Nissan has slashed $17,000 off the price of its Leaf hatch. It chops the hi-tech, all-electric car's price to $29,818 plus GST for government and no-for-profit organisations, and $31,818 for fleet buyers. Private buyers will pay $39,990 drive away or $85 a week making it the cheapest volume electric car on the market following the withdrawal from the market in January of the Mitsubishi i-MiEV. It is the second price reduction for Nissan's Leaf since December when the price dropped $10,000 to $46,990. Carsguide finds the price reduction of the car - up to yesterday a $46,990 drive away vehicle - is caused by Nissan trying to push the electric car message but also by the disinterest of motorists in electric vehicles. Nissan has sold only 36 Leafs this year and Australian sales of all-electric vehicles to private buyers totals only 16 to the end of March. This compares with about 3300 sales of the Nissan Pulsar and 124 for the Toyota Prius hybrid. Australia now has three all-electric cars available - the Nissan Leaf, Mitsubishi i-MiEV, and Holden Volt, though the latter technically has a supporting petrol engine. The Volt, which costs $60,000, has sold 24 units this year, and the customer order-only $48,800 i-MiEV just three examples.

A month after the NRMA switched on NSW’s first high-speed electric-car charger, one of the two vehicles it was designed for is retreating from the showroom.

The world’s three largest carmakers have all rejected battery-powered cars this week at Europe’s biggest car show of 2012.Volkswagen and Toyota have joined General Motors in a stronger commitment to a new generation of range-extended hybrid cars that promise more than just a plug-in city runabout.GM is in full production with its landmark Volt, with the first Australian deliveries about to begin through Holden dealerships, and now Toyota is pushing harder with its Prius range and VW Group has confirmed a new type of petrol-electric cars across its giant line-up.All three companies are committing to cars that combine some form of pure electric driving with a combustion engine for longer trips, often charging an on-board battery pack to stretch the electric range to as much as 600 kilometres.At the same time, global sales of plug-in electric cars are still tiny and - even though the Nissan Leaf has won awards and drives well - carmakers admit they are losing money on many as they try to convince customers to take a leap into the future.There are even rumours that BMW, which is readying a completely new division for electric cars, is slowing the project until there is greater acceptance. “Many competitors are currently reducing their plans for electric vehicles,” says Martin Winterkorn, chairman of Volkswagen Group.“We at Volkswagen do not have to do that because, from the word go, we have always looked realistically at this technology transition.” “We thought about pure electrical cars, but at the end of the day I think they fulfil only the urban things.If you go by autobahn or in the countryside I think a pure electrical car is not in the near future,” confirms Dr Horst Glaser, one of the senior development engineers at Audi, part of the VW Group. There are many challenges for successful electric cars, from the charging systems to costly lithium-ion battery packs.But the hurdles are with customer acceptance, as every major brand talks about the ‘range anxiety’ of cars that cannot be refuelled quickly and shoppers also baulk at the cost and unproven lifespan of automotive battery packs.Toyota says it is reducing its electric commitment, instead accelerating development of plug-in Prius hybrids with better short-term electric range for city use. “The current capabilities of electric vehicles do not meet society’s needs, whether it may be the distance the cars can run, or the costs, or how it takes a long time to charge,” says Takeshi Uchiyamada, deputy chairman of Toyota.“There are many difficulties.” Audi is leading the Volkswagen push with a system that combines a tiny three-cylinder combustion engine with a battery pack and two electric motors, a system I drove this week in Germany.It’s an impressive package and will soon go into full-scale production, most likely in an upcoming Audi Q2 SUV before being rolled-out through the VW Group. “We started with the full hybrids because we knew about the limitations of batteries and management technologies. To have a new technology first is not always the right approach,” says Glaser. 

You can understand having a stretch Caddy or Holden Statesman ... long wheelbase, but somebody's looked at it said 'we need it longer' to haul around hens' parties. Even a stretched Hummer made some sort of mad sense, once they realised 'we need something military-grade tough to haul around hens' parties'. But starting with a considerably smaller Nissan Leaf EV would seem like taking a shot from well behind the eight ball. That hasn't deterred an American hotel -- and by now you've guessed this had to be American. Embassy Suites in Nashville, Tennessee, has installed the electric limo as their passenger shuttle vehicle. With average trips being less than 10km, the Leaf will never risk over-running its claimed 170km range. The stretching added around 200kg to the Leaf's weight, and the battery pack has been shifted further back for balance, but there were no other major mechanical modifications. However the interior has been given the mandatory limo makeover, with leather upholstery, cedar panelling and mirrors. We suppose someobody had to do it.