Slow sales spur Nissan to offer Leaf discounts, cheap leases
Nissan is offering cheap leases and big discounts on the Leaf because of slow sales of the all-electric car.
The Japanese automaker sold only 4,228 Leafs this year through August, down almost a third from a year ago.
It also has a big inventory of the cars nationwide. At the end of August it had enough 2012 models in stock to supply dealers for 114 days, according to Ward's AutoInfoBank. Automakers consider a 60-day supply to be optimal.
Earlier this month, Nissan started offering Leafs for $219 per month with $2,999 down for 32 months. That's down from $249 per month earlier in the year.
The TrueCar.com auto pricing site says Nissan raised discounts to $3,250 per Leaf in August from $850 in January.
The Leaf, which can go up to 100 miles on battery power from a single charge, starts at $36,050, including shipping.
Nissan joins General Motors, maker of the extended-range Chevrolet Volt, in offering cheap leases and big discounts on electric cars. The Volt is the Leaf's main competitor and Chevrolet is discounting the $40,000 car by up to $10,000, including a $249-per-month lease deal. But Volt sales are rising sharply as Leaf sales fall.
"Brammo Inc. Partners with Colorado Police Department"
Brammo, Inc., an electric motorcycle manufacturer based in Ashland, Oregon, is working with the Fort Collins, Colorado Police Department to explore Brammo’s motorcycles for department use.
The Fort Collins Police Department is currently using Brammo’s all-electric Enertia Plus LE on a trial basis. The Enertia Plus LE comes equipped with emergency lights and accessories that will allow the Fort Collins Police Department to use it in various patrol, security and traffic enforcement details.
“As we look to maximize fuel efficiency and green technology, it made sense to conduct a trial of Brammo’s all-electric motorcycle” stated Jim Szakmeister, Captain of the police department’s Patrol Division.
Electric motorcycles are already in use in a number of international and domestic government fleets, including the Hong Kong Police Department and the Ashland Police Department in Oregon. The adoption of electric motorcycles by police and municipal departments help reduce municipal air emissions, reduce costs, while maintaining safety. These partnerships help manufacturers collect feedback on the day-to-day performance of their motorcycles, valuable insight which is incorporated into future motorcycle design. A win win proposition.
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