Nissan Trims Leaf Price in Bid to Grow Oz Sales

The first Australian buyers of Nissan’s Leaf electric vehicle may be spitting sparks after the Japanese auto maker slashes its price again in an effort to generate sales.

The slow-selling EV’s price has been lowered A$7,000 ($7,174) to A$36,000 ($36,890) plus on-road costs, well down from the A$51,500 ($52,773) tag when it was introduced in July 2012.

The second price cut for the Leaf in less than a year lowers the EV’s price to within A$3,000 ($3,073) of an entry-level Toyota Prius hybrid-electric vehicle.

The 116 Australian Leaf buyers who paid full price and already have taken delivery will see an immediate effect on their car's value, but Nissan says it will not reimburse them for the difference.

“New-car prices change,” a spokesman says. “We reserve that right, like all car makers."

Putting the best spin on the slow-selling EV, Nissan Australia Managing Director and CEO William Peffer says the latest “exceptional retail offer” is designed to broaden the Leaf’s appeal and capture the attention of buyers put off by the relatively high purchase price typically associated with the cars.

The Leaf’s new drive-away price undercuts its market competitors by as much as A$20,000 ($20,494), and Peffer says the EV should be on every small-car buyer’s shopping list.

“Nissan has taken a number of pioneering steps with the Leaf,” he says. “This is an exceptional car and we are keen to make it more appealing to Australian new-car buyers.”