Can a Budget-Priced Nissan Leaf Stimulate EV Sales? Read mo

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Can a Budget-Priced Nissan Leaf Stimulate EV Sales?

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"Expensive EVs are having a tough go at U.S. dealerships, and automakers are taking the next logical step to spur sales: slashing prices.

Nissan's Leaf is a prime example of would-be eco-conscious buyers voting with their pocketbooks: the $36,050 hatchback has only sold 5,212 units this year through September, a far cry from the manufacturer's year-end target of 20,000. The pricier Chevrolet Volt has already cut its MSRP by nearly $10,000, which has helped surge sales of the $39,995 sedan ahead of the Leaf.

Truecar.com says Nissan has increased discounts on the Leaf from $850 in January to $3,250 in August, but more drastic measures will be seen when Nissan moves Leaf production from Japan to Tennessee and opens its $1.4 billion Smyrna, TN-based plant for lithium-ion battery production. And while Nissan has been asking suppliers to cut costs by as much as 50 percent, a potentially more effective sales tactic involves the anticipated release of a cheaper version of the Leaf in 2013. The de-contented model will swap techy LED headlights for HIDs, among other cost cutting measures intended to make the EV more attractive to buyers."

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