The electric-vehicle landscape continues to take shape today as Nissan North America Inc. announces the upcoming Nissan Leaf’s battery pack will carry a warranty of eight years or 100,000 miles (161,000 km).
The warranty matches that of General Motors Co.’s Chevrolet Volt extended-range electric compact sedan, expected to launch in the fall.
The Leaf, an all-electric 5-door subcompact, is scheduled to arrive on dealer lots in select markets in December. It starts at $32,780. But a $7,500 federal tax credit available to EV buyers reduces the sticker to $25,280.
The next EV to go on sale in the U.S. will be the Mitsubishi i-MiEV. It will arrive in the fall of 2011, says Mitsubishi spokesman Moe Durand, adding the auto maker is not yet prepared to discuss warranties.
The same is true at Smart Cars, which brings a test fleet to the U.S. in October. But its 2-seat Fortwo EV will not go on sale in the U.S. until 2012.
The $101,500 Tesla Roadster, the only road-going EV currently on sale, offers a bumper-to-bumper warranty of three years or 36,000 miles (58,000 km). But for an additional $12,000 at the time of purchase, Roadster buyers can obtain a replacement battery after eight years of ownership.
