LEAF. Beginning 1 April, consumers will be able to visit dealers throughout Japan to place their orders for Nissan LEAF. If current government incentives in Japan continue through fiscal year 2010, Nissan LEAF will be eligible for a 770,000-yen government incentive credit. With the incentive, the consumer’s net price for Nissan LEAF will be ¥2.99 million (US$32,200). Nissan LEAF will also be exempt from the car-weight tax and the car-acquisition tax.

Nissan offers customers various purchasing methods, including a Nissan Auto Loan. For example, Nissan has designed a program that allows consumers to pay ¥2.4 million (US$25,800) and then a monthly fee of ¥10,000 (US$108), which includes the cost for electricity.

The company will offer a variety of services to customers who purchase Nissan LEAF:

• Charging equipment arranged by Nissan dealers. Since EV owners will need charging facilities at their homes or workplaces, Nissan dealers will assist customers in the installation of charging facilities for private homes.

• Charging facilities installed at Nissan dealers nationwide. Before the release of Nissan LEAF in December, 200-volt regular chargers will be installed at all Nissan dealers nationwide, a total of 2,200 locations. In addition, about 200 dealers will have quick-charging facilities. A quick charger provides 80% of battery capacity in less than 30 minutes. For the convenience of Nissan LEAF drivers, at least one quick-charge unit will be available within a 40-kilometer radius throughout the country.

  Nissan also announced that it is developing a new quick charger that is almost half the current market price of quick chargers available today. This newly developed quick charger, which will be installed at 200 Nissan dealers nationwide by December, is the first to be put into practical use by an automaker. The unit will be available commercially in the future.

• After-sales service provided by Nissan dealers nationwide. As with conventional vehicles, after-sales service for Nissan LEAF will be provided at all Nissan dealers throughout Japan. Each dealer’s service shop will have technical staff specially trained to handle EV maintenance.

Nissan will introduce Nissan LEAF in Japan, the United States and Europe in 2010, followed by global mass marketing in 2012.

i-MiEV. Should the current FY 2009 national government incentives continue into FY 2010, the i-MiEV should be eligible to receive up to a 1,140,000 yen subsidy, leaving a cost to the customer of ¥2,840,000 (US$30,600).

As in FY 2009, the i-MiEV will continue to be sold on a maintenance lease basis. Through the maintenance lease, the leasing company takes care of all government incentive paperwork and inspection and maintenance of the vehicle.

At present approximately 2,000 pre-orders have been taken from municipalities, corporations, as well as individual customers. In addition, MMC plans to export 5,000 i-MiEVs in FY 2010, moving forward with global rollout. 1,400 i-MiEVs have already been sold mainly to corporations and municipalities in FY 2009.