Nissan car dealerships in NJ herald LEAF electric, take official orders

The Nissan LEAF is officially blowing in with the autumn wind and customers who have been on the waiting list are excited to finally place their “official” orders. Nissan’s new electric car will arrive at your car dealership in NJ and around the nation soon.

If you weren’t on the waiting list you may be waiting awhile- like six months or more – to even get access to a LEAF, but here are some fun facts that will help you decide if an all-electric car meets your needs.

The lost cost of the LEAF means this car is a possibility for most budgets. Starting at $32,000 before federal and state incentives and possibly as low as $25,000 with incentives, the LEAF leaves buyers with much more green in their wallets than competitors like the Chevrolet Volt or the Coda sedan.

Your 2011 Nissan NJ dealer also wants LEAF fans to be aware of the battery system, which uses thermal management. This can cause the mileage range to fluctuate wildly depending on weather. The 100-mile projected range could narrow to as little as 40 under certain weather conditions and the battery could completely refuse to perform when temperatures plummet low enough.

Buyers in warmer climates likely won’t care about the cold-weather battery drain issue, but may have concerns about small savings in fuel costs. Over a period of six years, owners could save a little as $361 over a gas engine. Not the huge savings we’ve been led to believe we’ll get with electric vehicles, but if your aim is going green you still get kudos for the effort.

Buyers at the car dealership NJ will be pleased with the network of car services. Nissan is working with AT & T for digital connection and battery charge monitoring as well as being able to find the nearest charging station. The system, known as EV-IT will provide drivers with a plethora of services. The LEAF also comes with a dedicated iPhone app and allows drivers to monitor the car remotely and pre-heat or pre-cool it by remote.

While Nissan no longer thinks they will get rich from the production of the LEAF, they do believe the initial loss will turn around quickly as the U.S. plant gets off the ground in 2013. Costs for the battery, which is the most expensive component of the car, are coming down slowly and Nissan hopes to reduce the cost to less than $370 per kilowatt-hour. Right now the estimate is $472.

For those who are just not sure if the LEAF is for them, Nissan offer a lease option which will run $349 per month and the LEAF will come with an eight-year warranty. Of course, since all-electric cars are relatively new to the market, we really don’t know how they will perform long-term. That extended warranty is probably a very good faith effort.

Customers who think the LEAF is for them shouldn’t waste any time visiting their 2011 Nissan NJ dealer and getting their name on a list for the next available electric wonder.