Nissan's Leaf Sold Out Already

Bertel Schmitt
by Bertel Schmitt

Remember that the Google seismometer registered tectonic movements at Nissan’s future plug-in, the Leaf? In Japan, it rocks. Nissan planned to make 6,000 of them in the Fiscal year ending on March 31, 2011. On April 1, they started taking pre-orders. Yesterday, Nissan had received advance orders for 6,000 units, says The Nikkei [sub]. Sales target met, long before the car will go on sale in December.

Word from Japan is that most of the early birds are retail customers. Strangely, it’s not a hipster crowd that is flocking to the car. Drivers aged 50s or older account for about 60 percent of the total. Nissan will continue taking pre-orders. Would be silly to leaf such a strong demand unfilled.

Bertel Schmitt
Bertel Schmitt

Bertel Schmitt comes back to journalism after taking a 35 year break in advertising and marketing. He ran and owned advertising agencies in Duesseldorf, Germany, and New York City. Volkswagen A.G. was Bertel's most important corporate account. Schmitt's advertising and marketing career touched many corners of the industry with a special focus on automotive products and services. Since 2004, he lives in Japan and China with his wife <a href="http://www.tomokoandbertel.com"> Tomoko </a>. Bertel Schmitt is a founding board member of the <a href="http://www.offshoresuperseries.com"> Offshore Super Series </a>, an American offshore powerboat racing organization. He is co-owner of the racing team Typhoon.

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  • Some Guy Some Guy on Jun 08, 2010

    "Strangely, it’s not a hipster crowd that is flocking to the car. Drivers aged 50s or older account for about 60 percent of the total." They're the ones who can afford to blow $25,000 to $30,000 on a household's second car that's more a curiosity than anything. Without detouring for reasonably fast charging stations (which are not going to be within a 5 minute drive for 99.9% of America for the next 5 years), the thing can't stray much farther than 40 minutes one way from home if you're lucky. Remember: the navigation system that highlights how far the car can go also highlights where you CAN'T go. It would be an honor for pay for such inconvenience... NOT!

    • See 1 previous
    • Jmo Jmo on Jun 08, 2010
      the thing can’t stray much farther than 40 minutes one way from home if you’re lucky. The farthest I ever go is IKEA and that's 20 miles away. Work is 4 miles away, gym and groceries cleaners etc. are 0.5 miles. Vacations I fly.
  • Cmoibenlepro Cmoibenlepro on Jun 08, 2010

    Given that Japanese gas prices are much higher than in the US, I think the Leaf case makes much more sense there than in America.

  • Lockdown Lockdown on Jun 08, 2010

    Nissan or GM could get thousands of Leaf/Volt sales immediately, But they will need to have some gigantic marketing balls, how you ask? How about running TV adds, showing BP huge Gulf coast f%&$ up, oil covered beaches, dead & struggling oil covered animals. With the tag line, I won't support oil based automotive vehicles anymore, the path of destruction that the nation's thirsty for oil is just not right. I believe in keeping the environment clean (camera shot of family enjoying a beautiful day on a clean beach/ocean then pan to the Volt/,Leaf sitting on the beach, plugged into an electric outlet, sound affect of beach animals and human sigh of satisfaction) end with the alternate view you could be continue with oil (camera shot of car at a gas station with oil covered beach in the background). Making for a better tomorrow ...brought to you by GM/Nissan. These type of ads would get orders stacked like cord word. Strike while the market opportunity exists. (Now before I get flamed for how dirty electricity production (coal) and battery production is, I know it is. I am not claiming its cleaner, I am saying you have a marketing opportunity on a golden platter and your job is to sell cars, move the product. So if you’re the marketing head of electric vehicles get out there and move the product.

    • Bertel Schmitt Bertel Schmitt on Jun 08, 2010

      Good script. As long as the same companies sell cars with an ICE, it won't happen.

  • KINGRL KINGRL on Aug 28, 2010

    Looking forward to the future of the segment

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