The eco vehicle market is still a rather uncharted territory for the automotive industry and it's important to recognize the inherent risks that early adopters must bear.
Trailblazing a whole new auto segment, Nissan debuted its Leaf EV as the very first mass-produced affordable fully-electric family car. The Nissan Leaf arrived on the market back in December 2010. Initially, the Nissan Leaf outsold GM's Chevy Volt plug-in hybrid electric vehicle at a 2-to-1 ratio.
However, the tide has shifted. For five straight months, numbers have shown the Chevy Volt outselling the Nissan Volt instead. In an effort to turn things around, Nissan dealers are now offering the Leaf with incentives of as much as $5,000 off MSRP!
Retailing at $38,100, the Leaf is already offered with a $7,500 federal tax cut. If the buyer resides in California, then an additional $2,500 clean-vehicle purchase rebate is eligible as well. Combined with the latest dealer incentive, buyers can potentially take home their very own Nissan Leaf EV for just $23,000.
In order for dealers to end 2012 on a high note, or perhaps to even get rid of bottlenecking inventory, expect more aggressive buyer's incentives for the slow selling Nissan Leaf during the final months of the year.
