Nissan North America will open pre-order sales for the Leaf EV next spring and they anticipate at least 20,000 of the vehicles to be sold before their official release next fall.
According to Carlos Tavares, Nissan's American Chairman, "We are confident we will have 20,000 reservations for the Leaf by the time it goes on sale."
Tavares spoke those words amongst business executives in Nashville, a city that Nissan expects will be a key market for the Leaf. Nissan's focus on Nashville is likely due to the fact they have their North American sales and marketing headquarters in nearby Franklin and production facilities within the state.
They are counting on the local utility companies to have the recharging network and supporting infrastructure in place prior to the launch of the Leaf. The company has partnered with the state of Tennessee and the Tennessee Valley Authority TVA to construct a recharging infrastructure that will link the state's major cities including Nashville, Chattanooga, and Knoxville.
Nissan has created similar partnership across the U.S. assuring that the necessary infrastructure is in place to support to launch of the Leaf, a year from now.
Source: Automotive News
