Nissan Deliver's France's First 100% Electric Nissan LEAF in Aix-en-Provence
Monday, August 8, 2011
Rolle, Switzerland - August 8, 2011 -
Nissan West Europe brings electric mobility to
France with delivery of the country's first
100% electric Nissan LEAF. Mr. and Mrs. Gerbaud
took delivery of their white Nissan LEAF at
NISSAN COURIANT in Aix-en-Provence on August
2nd. This groundbreaking moment represents
France's first delivery of the 2011 European
and World Car of the Year. This early delivery
is also a demonstration of the company's effort
to recover from the natural disaster of March
11th in Japan and the readiness of Nissan's EV
dealer network in France.
Carine Gerbaud will
mainly use her Nissan LEAF for daily commuting
to her workplace. As she drives 80km per day on
average, the Nissan LEAF's homologated range of
175km with a full charge is sufficient to cover
her needs. Philippe Gerbaud said that their
decision to buy an electric vehicle was not
only to "preserve the environment" but also
driven by the particularly low running costs
the Nissan LEAF offers: less than 2€ per 100
km in France compared with about €7 for a
similarly-equipped diesel family
car.
http://www.electricdrive.org
The price of the 100% electric Nissan LEAF is €30,990 in France, after incentives and including the batteries which benefits from a five-year/100,000 km warranty. The French government's incentive for electric vehicles amounts to 5,000 euros. In order to make electric motoring even more accessible to individual customers in France, the Nissan LEAF is also available through a private finance scheme
Eric Couriant from Nissan Couriant in Aix-en-Provence applied to become a certified EV dealer because he believes "Nissan is making history by bringing sustainable mobility to the mass market and we wanted to be part of it". "Most customers testing the Nissan LEAF are very positively surprised by the performance, the comfort, the roominess and the range of the Nissan LEAF." Mr. Couriant added.
Nissan Couriant in Aix-en-Provence is one of the 14 certified EV dealers (along with Chambourcy, Clermont-Ferrand, Grenoble, Marseille, Maurepas, Montpellier, Nantes, Nice, Nîmes, Paris 12ème , Perpignan, Strasbourg, Toulouse) to sell the Nissan LEAF in France. This list is expected to grow rapidly in the near future.
Deliveries of Nissan LEAF have already begun in the UK, the Netherlands, the Republic of Ireland and Portugal. Order books have also opened in Switzerland, Spain, Belgium and Norway with customers in those markets expected to start receiving their cars shortly.
Nissan LEAF recently received a top 5-star safety rating from the European New Car Assessment Programme (Euro NCAP), making it one of the safest cars on the road in Europe.
Nissan LEAF is powered by a compact electric motor in the front of the car, which drives the front wheels. The AC motor develops 80 kW of power and 280 Nm of torque, enough for a maximum speed of 145 km/h. The electric motor is powered by a laminated lithium-ion battery with an output of more than 90 kW. Matching the advanced electric drive technology is the Nissan LEAF's advanced on-board IT and telematics systems called CARWINGS. The system provides continuous information to the driver via a 7'' color touch screen, including battery capacity and range, and provides the location of the nearest charging station.
The car has a range between charges of 175 km as tested over the New European Driving Cycle (NEDC) making it a practical proposition for many urban drivers. Recharging from empty to 100% can be done in eight hours with a normal charger and in about 30 minutes from empty to 80% using a quick charger under normal conditions.
Nissan in Europe
Nissan has one of the most comprehensive European presences of any overseas manufacturer, employing more than 12,500 staff across locally-based design, research & development, manufacturing, logistics and sales & marketing operations. Last year Nissan plants in the UK, Spain and Russia produced more than 528,000 vehicles including mini-MPVs, award-winning crossovers, SUVs and commercial vehicles. Nissan now offers 24 diverse and innovative products for sale in Europe today, and is positioned to become the number one Japanese brand in Europe.
About Nissan
Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., Japan's second largest Japanese automotive company by volume, is headquartered in Yokahama, Japan and is an integral pillar of the Renault-Nissan Alliance. Operating with more than 150,000 employees globally, Nissan provided customers with more than 4 million vehicles in 2010. With a strong commitment to developing exciting and innovative products for all, Nissan delivers a comprehensive range of fuel-efficient and low-emission vehicles under the Nissan and Infiniti brands. A pioneer in zero-emission mobility, Nissan made history with the introduction of the Nissan LEAF, the first affordable, mass-market, pure electric vehicle and winner of numerous international accolades including the prestigious 2011 European Car of the Year award.