Ordering A Nissan Leaf? Better Get Your Charger Installed!

by Edward Niedermeyer

Updated: March 19th, 2023 Published: June 13th, 2011

Bloomberg’s running a lede that’s sure to ruffle a few feathers at Nissan’s communication and customer service organizations this morning: “Nissan Motor Co. is aggravating the customers it needs most.” How so? According to the report

Nissan, which wants to become the top seller of electric cars, repeatedly delayed deliveries to some U.S. buyers who reserved the first 20,000 Leaf plug-in hatchbacks, according to interviews with customers. They said Nissan unexpectedly dropped some from the waiting list temporarily, asking that they reapply if they couldn’t prove they’d arranged installation of home- charging units that can cost more than $2,000.

Nissan has long admitted that the Leaf rollout would be a challenge, and the recent tsunami-related chaos in Japan hasn’t helped. But Bloomberg doesn’t quantify how many customers have been dropped due to their lack of charging system installation, other than to report that 45% of the 20k customers who reserved Leafs by last September have continued the ordering process. And it turns out that the delays aren’t irritating so much because of Nissan’s intransigence or lack of transparency, but because certain buyers stand to lose their California tax credit before their Leaf arrives.

With California’s $5k EV tax credit likely to run out of money in July (when it could be cut in half), consumers want their EVs now before they have to pay closer to the Leaf’s $33k MSRP (although a $7,500 US tax credit is not threatened, meaning the Leaf is fairly well-subsidized as it is). Nissan certainly won’t want to blame the customer for the Leaf’s slow rollout, but at the same time, if you’re banging down the automaker’s door because you’re going to get a $10k tax credit instead of a $12,500 tax credit, it’s hard to ask for too much sympathy. Especially considering Nissan is still digging itself out of one of the worst natural disasters in some time. Besides, as Alex Dykes’s Leaf review (parts 1, 2, and 3) proved, pure EVs require a certain amount of sacrifice…

#Build-to-order #CustomerRelations #Delivery #EV #NewCars #Sales #TaxCredit

Edward Niedermeyer

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ExPatBrit on Jun 13, 2011

I could DIY it , however I assume the vast majority of people are probably not competent to do this. Most of my neighbors run away from anything vaguely technical like this. Mention 220 volt, electrical panels and watch the "DANGER" signs light up. As soon as our used car punter finds out he needs to install an expensive charger for his car and maybe modify his house to do it it's "GAME OVER!" Why isn't the charger part of the car.(probably weight) Let the car accept 115-240V, the electronics to do this is relatively simple. A 5 year old leaf, with it's original battery and a 110 volt charger is range challenged.

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- Dhanson865 on Jun 13, 2011
  
  "Why isn’t the charger part of the car.(probably weight)" Actually the charger in a technical sense is inside the car. The thing on the wall is known as a EVSE and doesn't do much of anything at all. http://green.autoblog.com/2010/11/01/what-is-evse-its-electric-vehicle-supply-equipment-and-heres/ Once you understand what an EVSE is you know why no one wants to pay $2000 to get a simple cord + box tacked onto a wall. And no one is going to be charging the car 5 years from now on 120V except in the most unusual temporary circumstances. Any bloke that buys a 5 year old LEAF will be charging at 240V at home. Sure 120V would limit their range but if they don't care enough to provide the car with 240V then they obviously don't need to drive it often or don't care about the shorter range limit. Sure you'll find some idiot that doesn't understand but you could say the same about idiots that put E85 in a car that isn't designed to use more than E5 or the idiots that never get their oil changed. This discussion should be about the average Joe not the idiot that proves the worst case.
  
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BimmerTim on Jun 10, 2012

I have a ClipperCreek charger that I used every day for almost three years with my all-electric MINI-E and it worked flawlessly. ClipperCreek told me that they sell for over $1,500 but this will need a new plug end (easy to swap, I am told). I have a new BMW ActiveE so I am selling the ClipperCreek one on eBay. Interested? Go electrics!

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