18/4/10 - Nissan sending out Leaf registrations emails, will start taking money...

[Matthijs]

http://green.autoblog.com/2010/04/18/its-official-nissan-sending-out-leaf-registrations-emails-wil/

We found an email in our inbox today that should make a lot of long-term plug-in vehicle fans happy. For the first time in about forever, a major OEM is taking orders on an all-electric passenger vehicle.

[palmer_md]

http://green.autoblog.com/2010/04/18/its-official-nissan-sending-out-leaf-registrations-emails-wil/

wow, leaf has 115,000 on the email list and Aptera only has 40,000 if I remember correctly. Thats after 3 1/2 years of collecting emails at Aptera and only about 1 year for Nissan.


Also, Nissan has released a press release saying about 115,000 people are already on the early email list.

[aptera1213]

Nissan is a major company with wheels on the road...Aptera is a bit of an unknown without a single sale....

Truthfully I'm surprised Aptera was able to get 40k on the email list. That is pretty good.

Gavin

[aptera1213]

On a related note....


How many here are putting down a deposit on a LEAF?

How many here would put a deposit down on a Focus EV or Th!nkEv if the companies did something similar to Nissan (dedicated site. Finished photos. Specs and price laid out.)?


Me?
I'm putting down a deposit tomorrow on the LEAF.
And I would put down a deposit for the Ford and Th!nk if I could. Then I would get the one that I could get first.

Gavin

[JimmyDreams]

I'm putting down a deposit on a LEAF. I'm not 100% sure I'll get one, but I want a position in the line just in case they're the best car for my needs. ;)

[KarenRei]

I'm putting down a deposit on a LEAF. I'm not 100% sure I'll get one, but I want a position in the line just in case they're the best car for my needs. ;)

Same here.

[palmer_md]

I think they went too low with $100. They are going to see a lot of retractions. $500 or $1000 would make people think about it a little bit more. If this forum is any indication, they will likely see only 25% of the deposits actually turn into purchases depending on if the other makers come out with good product or not.

[LTLFTcomposite]

Same here.

For 99 refundable bucks why wouldn't you.

[LTLFTcomposite]

I think they went too low with $100. They are going to see a lot of retractions. $500 or $1000 would make people think about it a little bit more. If this forum is any indication, they will likely see only 25% of the deposits actually turn into purchases depending on if the other makers come out with good product or not.

Isn't it all going to come down to whether the car produces the expected results? And gas prices.

People may also be thinking about ways to "sell" their place in line. Assuming they enforce the name on the reservation I'd think the only way to do that would be to actually buy the car and resell it.

[palmer_md]

Isn't it all going to come down to whether the car produces the expected results? And gas prices.

People may also be thinking about ways to "sell" their place in line. Assuming they enforce the name on the reservation I'd think the only way to do that would be to actually buy the car and resell it.

No. Even if they meet all their stated specs, many will opt for other cars. As Gavin stated, his reservation is dependent on whether Fiat, Ford or Th!nk have a good car or not.

[aptera1213]

I too think the 99 bucks is too low. On the plus side, it will allow me to put down deposits on the Ford and Th!nk and Fiat when they announce.

I think there will be a lot more deposits then final buyers, but I also think that is fine with Nissan. They aren't going to have 50k cars to sell in the first month, heck, not in the first 6 months, maybe not the first year. But they will sell every single one that they can make.

I really thought Ford would get some info out before the 20th...but I fear Ford is not able to have many EVs at launch. They have the Focus EV being made "out of house" and likely didn't plan on having thousands and thousands sold in the first year.

Depending on specs and price, I would have preferred the Focus over the LEAF...the 2012 Focus just looks nicer to me. But Nissan has come out hella strong for EVs with the LEAF, so supporting that isn't a bad thing.

Lease it for 3 years, then get the hot EV at the time (still likely, for me, to be the Fiat 500EV, but heck in 3 years Nissan could have an amazing commuter EV...I would have to test drive that glider concept...it could be sweet if done right...I love to lean when I ride.)

Gavin

[SlowSRT4]

I'm definitely going to put a deposit down but I'm not 100% intent on actually turning that into a purchase agreement.

The availability will likely be very low especially in my region, Nissan even says their production won't be fully ramped up until 2012, and I feel like Nissan will underestimate demand in addition to that.

So I will gladly put down my fully-refundable $99 to see how things go, and hold my place in line in case the Leaf does end up meeting my needs and the other EVs do not.

If (or when) Ford or Fiat, etc. start taking pre-order deposits, I will also put my money down on those as soon as possible. I would rather have all the options available to me so I can choose the one that fits me best, and have my place in line held. Then I will simply get my deposits refunded when I end up committing to one of them.

[butter]

I, too, am definitely putting down a deposit.

[Mesuge]

I think it's not big deal to put $99 and secure spot in the line, however lets focus more on the merits, not so much colors, looks and other trivialities. Clearly, the Leaf's batt. pack is inferior to Volt E-REV and perhaps some other BEVs, or shall we say they just opted for different strategy - lets have batts. as consumerables and put less effort into the R&D for the pack and rather produce them as much a possible. Renault-Nissan campaigns it as 5yrs batt. program, then it's going to be swapped for utilities storage or into recycling. On the other hand, Voltec (first gen) is guaranteed for 8yrs hard-core usage (ICE hybrids are 10yrs), so will likely last a bit more than that, the car also does various gymnastics on its own to prepare itself in cold climate etc., see the latest plugin america video.

Perhaps, for many that's not concern at all, I just hate short life-span "appliance", plus I'd say the days of flipping new cars after few years time are gone anyway.. I'm looking forward to hear what Ford, Fiat and others are upto in this area, the Ford's mules seemed indicate aircooling too, but these could have been very early stuff..

[KarenRei]

Meh, I'll just "flip" the battery pack when it gets too weak. I don't expect some sort of radically improved pack -- I expect the exact same thing. Just cheaper. I expect to replace it in 8 years or so and pay $5k or so. At the same time, I expect that cost to be offset by there being very little maintenance, both scheduled and otherwise, and low operating costs.

[Matthijs]

Meh, I'll just "flip" the battery pack when it gets too weak. I don't expect some sort of radically improved pack -- I expect the exact same thing. Just cheaper. I expect to replace it in 8 years or so and pay $5k or so. At the same time, I expect that cost to be offset by there being very little maintenance, both scheduled and otherwise, and low operating costs.

If the situation in Holland on steady cost to be connected to the grid do not improve I will use the old pack to go off-grid. That will save me a ton off money/taxes on energy cost.

[eestorfan]

Meh, I'll just "flip" the battery pack when it gets too weak. I don't expect some sort of radically improved pack -- I expect the exact same thing. Just cheaper. I expect to replace it in 8 years or so and pay $5k or so. At the same time, I expect that cost to be offset by there being very little maintenance, both scheduled and otherwise, and low operating costs.

Must be nice to get 8 years or so from a battery pack. In Ohio, the cold really didn't hurt my battery...it lasted 7 years...would've been 8 or more if I hadn't brought it to AZ. Here, you're lucky to get 3 yrs. with an auto battery (heat is much harder on them than cold). I've yet to get 2 and a half yrs. with a top-of-the-line battery here (have gone through 5 batteries (top-of-the-line) in 13 yrs). I'm going to be surprised if these Nissan battery packs last 3 years out here in the dry heat, but I've decided to put down a deposit tomorrow, and hopefully, by August, will here something about the Focus. :)

[Mesuge]

Karen, yes that seems as viable consumer strategy. However, I'm still more in favour of the latter, i.e. overdesigned pack, which is bullet proof - cold/heat/martian invasion, whatever thrown in front of it, the pack just soldiers on with P.R.E.D.I.C.T.A.B.L.E. small variations if anything. I'm afraid these will fluctuate with Leaf beyond acceptable ~20%. The better system obviously = slightly increased risk of maintanance issues of these batt. babysitting systems.

eestorfan> exactly, it's possible though that in addition Leaf incorporates some sort of rudimentary smarts temp protection, say avg. temp goes psycho high, so it just cuts the upper charging limit by a notch and such. Obviously, this won't be much of use in truly harsh climate.

Matthijs> That's good planning there, if you have matching (oversized) renewables setup, the battery capacity needed for running the fridge, entertainment and lights over the night period is not that big, EV battery good enough. However, from the energy flow, efficiency standpoint is still best to have it setup as "grid hybrid backup system" so you can offload these big harvests during sunny days (e.g. PV) to grid and not dumping it just into resistive loads, not everybody has got pump water storage aka small lake at home, lol. These combo inverter systems are not that expensive, but it gets bit out of hand if you need it in 3ph version 400V/16A or more, for instance to run some bigger tools, around the house, deep well pump or fastcharge EV etc.

However, there might be some strings attached in case of Leaf, to make sure bringing them the batt. pack back.

[SlowSRT4]

Mesuge, I agree with you about protecting the life of the pack.

Nissan had better release complete warranty information before they start taking purchase commitments. Because for the people that aren't leasing, the warranty is very important. It could be 10 years, 100,000 miles, which would be appropriate I feel. But if it is 5/50k, well that's another story.

[Mesuge]

I was reffering to their poster shown during PR activities surrounding Leaf, and the graphics shown 5yrs life - utility - recycle. Have seen it somewhere over the net recently, perhaps TM forums..

So, it will be ~5yrs, even perhaps over 100k miles but with a bit varying performance depending on the climate fluctuations, especially till the end of the projected life span..

[SlowSRT4]

I was reffering to their poster shown during PR activities surrounding Leaf, and the graphics shown 5yrs life - utility - recycle. Have seen it somewhere over the net recently, perhaps TM forums..

So, it will be ~5yrs, even perhaps over 100k miles but with a bit varying performance depending on the climate fluctuations, especially till the end of the projected life span..
Well I won't condemn them until they officially release final warranty information. If it ends up being 5 years, then I will be pulling my deposit for sure at that point.

[aptera1213]

3 year lease sounds perfect to me. Won't have a single concern about the battery...even if by some strange event the battery fails, well the lease program will be replacing it.

Plus it never gets over 90 degrees here, unlike AZ (where my daughter lives...gah, tooooooo hot for me...over 110 all the time...eek). And my car will be garage kept at home, and garage kept at work....win win.

In three years some lucky person will be getting a great car from my lease...it will have only 15 to maybe 20k miles on it and will probably look brand new.

Gavin

[earther]

Out of curiosity, I went to http://www.nissanusa.com/ and clicked the Leaf link, and got this:
***********************
SRVE0255E: A WebGroup/Virtual Host to handle /leaf-electric-car/index has not been defined. IBM WebSphere Application Server
***********************

so many people visiting the site preparing to place deposits that they crashed it??

-steve

[eestorfan]

I just called our Nissan dealer to see if they're going to be selling them, and he said they are, BUT he also said people have been coming in to get their name on a deposit list for the last two weeks. I told him that if they haven't signed up on Nissan's website, they aren't going to get to reserve one until the next wave, probably 2011, since only 1,000 are going to be sold here in 2010. He didn't even know that. It's probably too late for them now unless they had already signed up on the website.

[eestorfan]

Out of curiosity, I went to http://www.nissanusa.com/ and clicked the Leaf link, and got this:
***********************
SRVE0255E: A WebGroup/Virtual Host to handle /leaf-electric-car/index has not been defined. IBM WebSphere Application Server
***********************

so many people visiting the site preparing to place deposits that they crashed it??

-steve

You can't "prepare" yourself to place a deposit...you have to get an email from Nissan tomorrow and then click on the 'link' they send you. That's the only way to place a deposit.

[futura]

They've updated their website; modified their lease terms a bit. Not really surprising since a lease is basically a loan and they have to account for factors like the cost of money in December when the first are available.
http://www.nissanusa.com/leaf-electric-car/index#/leaf-electric-car/feature/pricing_information
Excludes tax, title, license, destination charge and EVSE charging equipment. For well-qualified lessees. For retail sale, federal tax credit subject to eligibility requirements and taxpayer must apply for eligible credits at time of filing tax return. Consult your tax professional. Initially available through online reservation process. Orders through dealers commencing in August (in limited areas) and sales by dealer commences in December 2010. LEASE payment of $349/mo. is an example of an offer if vehicle were sold in April 2010. The actual lease offer for NMAC (or "NILT") will be announced in December 2010 when sales commence. Subject to change. Limited quantities available in select markets and states through online reservation system. Increased availability in Spring 2011with full market rollout through 2012. At start of sale, one order per household address until availability increases.

1Lease: Estimated monthly payment based on proposed offer subject to change at start of sale. Estimates include assumed residual, money factor, and acquisition fee amounts. Excludes taxes, title, and license. $1,999 initial payment required at consummation (includes $1,650 down payment and $349 first month payment). 2011 LEAF SV subject to availability to well qualified lessees through Nissan-Infiniti LT (“NILT”). Subject to credit approval. Based upon $33,720 MSRP including destination charge. Adjusted Net capitalized cost of $24,441 includes $7,500 manufacturer incentive for federal tax credit available to NILT by law, and $595 non-refundable acquisition fee. Dealer contribution may affect actual price set by dealer. Monthly payments total $12,564. Lessee is responsible for maintenance and repair. Lease payment excludes the cost of the EVSE/charging dock charging equipment. Security deposit not required. Disposition fee due at termination of lease term. See participating dealer for details. Finalized lease terms available to be set upon start of sale.

Retail Sale: After federal tax value subject to taxpayer's eligibility to offset maximum $7,500 in federal tax credits.

Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price. Dealer sets price.

[eestorfan]

They've updated their website; modified their lease terms a bit. Not really surprising since a lease is basically a loan and they have to account for factors like the cost of money in December when the first are available.
http://www.nissanusa.com/leaf-electric-car/index#/leaf-electric-car/feature/pricing_information

I just talked to our dealer and he said there will be no increase in price...that they have to sell it at the MSRP. He wasn't sure about other dealers (not all of them will sell the LEAF), but it had something to do with them not being an 'independent' dealer.

[plainar]

I like that Nissan will offer a lease, but it always comes down to the MSRP. I'm not concerned about a battery problem. Nissan will fix whatever. That's the advantage of purchasing from a known, fully-funded, car company.

I have my email and am ready to reserve. An all electric <50 mile range will more than accommodate my commute.

[jhm614]

1) I will be putting down a deposit tomorrow.

2) Has any one seen the "mileage" restrictions on the lease?

[eestorfan]

1) I will be putting down a deposit tomorrow.

2) Has any one seen the "mileage" restrictions on the lease?

I saw the ad on tv and I believe it said 12,000, but I'm not sure. I haven't seen the ad again lately, but when I do, I'll report. But even if it were 10,000, I would still be waaaay under.

[Matthijs]

MyDpJkf4cvI
Link (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MyDpJkf4cvI)


http://www.nissanusa.com/leaf-electric-car/index?intcmp=Electric_Car.Promo.Homepage.Home.P2#/leaf-electric-car/incentives/index

This is an interesting tool! I see that even separate counties in California giving different incentives and thing like free parking, discounts on electric rates and all! Amazing! No such thing in the EU lol.

[LTLFTcomposite]

The agent on the chat window said the emails would be going out later today.

[earther]

The agent on the chat window said the emails would be going out later today.

So, out of curiosity, has anyone here gotten their "email invitation" yet? Placed a reservation?

I do like the fact (according to the above vidclip) that Nissan is doing home inspections before they allow you to place the car order. That shows commitment on behalf of both the customer and the company. I wonder if they charge (no pun intended) for that inspection?

-Steve

[aptera1213]

So, out of curiosity, has anyone here gotten their "email invitation" yet? Placed a reservation?
-Steve


Got the invitation...can't place a reservation till later today:

your priority reservation instructions are now scheduled to be sent to you by email between 1pm and 6pm (EDT) on 4/20/10.

If I get my email at 4:20 on 4/20 I will know that Nissan has a bunch of stoners in their reservations dept.

Gavin

[LTLFTcomposite]

If I get my email at 4:20 on 4/20 I will know that Nissan has a bunch of stoners in their reservations dept.

Gavin

And if it doesn't arrive at all we will know they have outsourced the reservation processing to Aptera.

[aptera1213]

Ouch....


Who else other than me is checking their email quite a bit this morning? :)

Gavin

[SlowSRT4]

I have Gmail notifier. No checking email required.

[eestorfan]

I signed up on their website in Nov., so I expected to get an early email...nothing yet though.

[SlowSRT4]

I signed up on their website in Nov., so I expected to get an early email...nothing yet though.
Hopefully they don't do it so that somebody like you gets prioritized over somebody that signed up yesterday.

[aptera1213]

Why?

Showing interest early should count.

I imagine though that they might prioritize people in the early market areas (California, AZ, Tenn and a couple of others...Oregon?...I know they had 5 test market areas lined up).

Gavin


edit...i just wish they would hurry up and send out my email...i am not good at waiting :)

[AndyH]

Who else other than me is checking their email quite a bit this morning? :)

Gavin

Had to stop drinking coffee an hour ago so that I'll be able to control the mouse when the email arrives... :scared0006:

[eestorfan]

Hopefully they don't do it so that somebody like you gets prioritized over somebody that signed up yesterday.

I SHOULD get priority...first come, first served! :)

[Rat]

I still don't have mine at 1:23 pm PDT. Has anyone else gotten his email to reserve?

[aptera1213]

Nissan states that the email will link you to start the reservation process in your market...it could be the emails will go out to certain markets first...I know the cars are going to certain markets first...so it clearly won't quite be first come, first served. If you live in say, Iowa, you won't be getting one of the first LEAFs.

Gavin

[aptera1213]

I still don't have mine at 1:23 pm PDT. Has anyone else gotten his email to reserve?


not yet....

Gavin

[solardude]

my dealer just called me. he said they changed procedures. i was told to go to the new site, register by creating a username and password. the dealer told me that eventually (time unknown) an indicator will show on the left side of the homepage directing to the reservation process, which will include building the car (color and other options). i set up an account but have yet to see the indicator when signed in.

[eestorfan]

my dealer just called me. he said they changed procedures. i was told to go to the new site, register by creating a username and password. the dealer told me that eventually (time unknown) an indicator will show on the left side of the homepage directing to the reservation process, which will include building the car (color and other options). i set up an account but have yet to see the indicator when signed in.

If that were the case, Nissan would have emailed us that info. I don't believe your dealer. My dealer didn't even know about today!

[aptera1213]

and that would go completely against the email they sent just 2 days ago...

not saying it couldn't be true...Nissan could have totally changed how they want to do this based on...whatever.

but i would expect a new email giving directions, even if it is just telling us to make an account at the LEAF site (something i did early today anyways)

Gavin

[Rat]

my dealer just called me. he said they changed procedures. i was told to go to the new site, register by creating a username and password. the dealer told me that eventually (time unknown) an indicator will show on the left side of the homepage directing to the reservation process, which will include building the car (color and other options). i set up an account but have yet to see the indicator when signed in.
I just tried this and they rejected my registration but wouldn't say why. I just kept getting an error message that said all * fields are required to be filled in but I triple checked and all of them were filled in correctly. My user ID was also shown as available. When I checked the continue button it just says "login provided is not valid." Are others having this problem?

[eestorfan]

Nissan states that the email will link you to start the reservation process in your market...it could be the emails will go out to certain markets first...I know the cars are going to certain markets first...so it clearly won't quite be first come, first served. If you live in say, Iowa, you won't be getting one of the first LEAFs.

Gavin

When I said first come, first served, I was talking about in the 5 markets. The others won't get to buy until 2011 or 2012. Btw, I'm in one of those 5 markets. :)

[AndyH]

My local dealer didn't have much of a clue last week, but their manager got some training on Friday and was supposed to start training his 'troops' yesterday (Monday).

It makes sense that Nissan would update their reservation system now that the initial milestone has been passed. The early registrants should already be in the system and we should receive email today with tracking data that should allow us direct access to the next registration phase.

The folks that register from today onward will likely be in the 'general admission' group of web and dealer deposits that start on May 15th.

I 'adopted' my local Nissan dealership's sales staff last week by bringing a binder with a Plug-In-America EV guide (https://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/2711/shop/shop.jsp?storefront_KEY=553), a couple issues of the Electric Auto Association's CurrentEvents and a copy of Who Killed the Electric Car. They were very happy and excited to have some 'training material' as they had zero experience with EVs.

Andy

[Rat]

OK, I created an account, but I had to use a different email address and user ID. It said my first one was available but when I clicked continue it then said "user ID has incorrect number of characters." Of course it didn't say how many it was supposed to have. Typical poor design/implementation. I tried a longer user ID and it let me register, finally. It is still my understanding that we should be getting an email today to start the process. I did NOT receive the earlier email quoted by others that said your priority reservation instructions are now scheduled to be sent to you by email between 1pm and 6pm (EDT) on 4/20/10. Has everyone else gotten one of those?

Edit: OK, I'm wrong. I did get that one, but my ad blocker or gmail settings did not display the image, which is where that statement was. The text part did not contain those words. When I clicked "display images" it showed that part. I feel better now. :-)

[futura]

I created an account yesterday. Never received a reservation email. Just logged in and clicked the "Reserve Now" button and it was off to color selection and Option 1 or 2 "features" etc. Was asked a few questions about driving distance and parking (home garage etc).
Then CC info and ended up with this:

Thanks for reserving your place in automotive history. The Nissan LEAF™ has limited availability. by June 30, 2010 we will provide you with more details regarding availability of Nissan LEAF in your market and how to begin preparing your home for your new car.

confirmation number:
xxxxxxx

amount charged:
$99

reserved on:
04/20/2010

[AndyH]

...Then CC info and ended up with this:

Crud! I sign in and get dumped to the 'soon' video.

What are the colors? What other options (other than the two trim levels)?

Congrats!
Andy

[eestorfan]

I created an account yesterday. Never received a reservation email. Just logged in and clicked the "Reserve Now" button and it was off to color selection and Option 1 or 2 "features" etc. Was asked a few questions about driving distance and parking (home garage etc).
Then CC info and ended up with this:

I just called Nissan and the ONLY change they've made is the email may be later than the 'window' of time. I don't know why some of you are 'joking' about it. Anyway, I knew they wouldn't change the process without letting us know. :)

[Rat]

I created an account yesterday. Never received a reservation email. Just logged in and clicked the "Reserve Now" button and it was off to color selection and Option 1 or 2 "features" etc. Was asked a few questions about driving distance and parking (home garage etc).
Then CC info and ended up with this:
This is frustrating. I just signed in with my new account and when I check the Reserve button (it does not say Reserve Now, it says "Reserve your Leaf" in a blue circle on the right side) it just shows a promotional video over a text line that says:
"The Nissan LEAF has limited availability. Check back for details on how to save your spot."
It does not go on to allow me to choose colors, etc. I am not impressed with Nissan's procedures. It looks to me like futura is just lucky. Is there another button or link I am missing?

[earther]

Crud! I sign in and get dumped to the 'soon' video.

That was happening to me too, at first.
But instead of clicking the "Reserve Your Leaf" at the bottom lefthand corner,
I clicked on the left frame "buy Leaf" option after signing in, and then it worked for me.

-Steve

[eestorfan]

This is frustrating. I just signed in with my new account and when I check the Reserve button (it does not say Reserve Now, it says "Reserve your Leaf" in a blue circle on the right side) it just shows a promotional video over a text line that says:
"The Nissan LEAF has limited availability. Check back for details on how to save your spot."
It does not go on to allow me to choose colors, etc. I am not impressed with Nissan's procedures. It looks to me like futura is just lucky. Is there another button or link I am missing?

He's just saying he did...you're too gullible...LOL He didn't get lucky!

[AndyH]

That was happening to me too, at first.
But instead of clicking the "Reserve Your Leaf" at the bottom lefthand corner,
I clicked on the left frame "buy Leaf" option after signing in, and then it worked for me.

-Steve

As soon as I log-in the 'buy leaf' option disappears from the lower-left. The 'buy' option in the menu list under 'home' returns me to the 'soon' video.

Maybe they're screening by initial roll-out areas even for the early registrants?

[aptera1213]

No buy leaf option for me...sad...

Gavin

[palmer_md]

so the only person who was able to successfully put down a deposit is from Los Angeles. Is that correct.

I'm from Central Valley of CA and no go.
Rat is from SF Bay Area (or Silicon Valley) and no go. (I'm surprised at that one)
Aptera1213 is from AZ and no go.
Andy from Texas and no go.
Somehow Gilroy CA got in.

Seems like a poor kickoff. Sombody really screwed up on the design of this reservation system.

[AndyH]

He's just saying he did...you're too gullible...LOL He didn't get lucky!

Oh no. Are you saying that Futura=Wilbur? :evilgrin0020:

I just (1632 CDT) got a call from a friend in Laguna Hills - his email arrived. After following the custom link, which lands one at the 'soon' video, there's a 'continue' button on that page...

Andy

[speedgsx98]

I put down mine and it was accepted at around 2:33pm

I'm from San diego BTW, got the email in my inbox at 2:27pm, saw it at 2:30.

[JimmyDreams]

I put down mine and it was accepted at around 2:33pm

I'm from San diego BTW, got the email in my inbox at 2:27pm, saw it at 2:30.

Same email time. Was just pulling into my driveway. Reservation completed about 2:35ish. LOTS of BS questions to answer. I also put my name on the list for a free charger install at my house. We shall see how this all plays out....

[aptera1213]

From Live Chat:

Ok Gavin. They have just started to release the emails within the last hour and they are going in batches. As long as you have signed up for the email updates prior to 4/20, you will receive your reservation invitation today.

[speedgsx98]

And now...we wait. Which should be no problem for us Aptera (un)faithful. We've been well conditioned ;-)

[AndyH]

Colors...

Red, Silver, White, Black, and light blue (Aqua Globe)

And now...we wait. Which should be no problem for us Aptera (un)faithful. We've been well conditioned ;-)

Sad but true. At least I can reserve one of these...

(where's my email?)

[palmer_md]

my email arrived 2:30 just as I was typing the previous message. I was then able to log in and complete the reservation process.

I think the system is probably ok, just that somebody found a way into it early and got a reservation before they got the email (i think).

[earther]

From Live Chat:
Ok Gavin. They have just started to release the emails within the last hour and they are going in batches. As long as you have signed up for the email updates prior to 4/20, you will receive your reservation invitation today.

I received my email from Nissan at 2:27pm (california time) and it contained the link to the reservation site.

However, I actually had reserved mine half an hour prior to getting the email, when someone here from the forum pointed out that they had been able to just log in and do it (though apparently this doesn't work for everyone).

Oh, for the record, I live in Gilroy (up near San Jose area).

-Steve

[aptera1213]

Sigh, still no email. Oh well. I guess if I am too far back in line I can just get the Ford FocusEV...will probably be about the same time frame.

I will just put my name on lots of lists and grab the first EV that I can get my hands on.

Gavin

[AndyH]

"We're happy to see reservations coming in. Due to high volume, we're extending the window until 9 pm EDT tonight. Hang in there! "

http://twitter.com/NissanEVs



Other reports coming in:

http://priuschat.com/forums/nissan-hybrids-evs/79355-leaf-deposit-4.html
http://priuschat.com/forums/nissan-hybrids-evs/79361-1pm-4-20-deposit-email-get-yet.html

[Rat]

OK, I'm in. Confirmation # ends 516B. I don't know if they are in order.

[jsnable]

We got ours too - will see you around town Rat!

Jay

[speedgsx98]

my number ends in 080F I picked the silver color

[aptera1213]

got mine...

Thanks for reserving your place in automotive history. The Nissan LEAF™ has limited availability. by June 30, 2010 we will provide you with more details regarding availability of Nissan LEAF in your market and how to begin preparing your home for your new car.

confirmation number:
XXXXXB78

amount charged:
$99

reserved on:
04/20/2010


White...like the Aptera :)

Now we wait till June for the next step.

Gavin

[eestorfan]

My email came at 2:55 MST (same as PDT), ordered silver (my present car is white)...conf. # ends in A6

[futura]

my email arrived 2:30 just as I was typing the previous message. I was then able to log in and complete the reservation process.

I think the system is probably ok, just that somebody found a way into it early and got a reservation before they got the email (i think).
Yeah, I got the email about 2:30 like most folks. Dunno why I got in earlier but while I was there I registered another account and ordered one for my brother (different address, CC etc). I ordered the full featured model; I forget the designation; also has a quick charger port for 0-80% charging in < 30 mins.
Hadn't seen that before. The other differences I knew about -- PV panel on roof and rear back cam. Yeah, I filled out the free quick-charger option for my brother's car. I see no way to get back in to do that after the fact. Anyone here know how?

[AndyH]

I'm in as well! The email arrived at 1737 Central.

Blue; confirmation ending 9481

Andy

[jhm614]

I'm in! I got the email at 5:38 pm CDT and had the reservation complete by 6:10 pm CDT

I went with White -- Reservation ends with: E81B

[earther]

amount charged: $99

Interestingly enough, I actually see TWO charges from Nissan: one for $1 and then the second for $99. I wonder if the first charge is just a "test" of card validity that is just temporary? (not that I really care, it's just a buck afterall, compared to $30k purchase!). Just curious if it showed up that way for anyone else...

-Steve

[earther]

my number ends in 080F I picked the silver color

For what it's worth, my confirmation number is D3ADF1EF (have no idea if there's a way to decipher that into a region, queue position, or color/type of vehicle).

I ordered Blue and the version that had the navigation system (not sure if that was the "fully loaded" or standard version).

-Steve

[AndyH]

Interestingly enough, I actually see TWO charges from Nissan: one for $1 and then the second for $99. I wonder if the first charge is just a "test" of card validity that is just temporary? (not that I really care, it's just a buck afterall, compared to $30k purchase!). Just curious if it showed up that way for anyone else...

-Steve

Mine did too. Banks have been doing a $1 'pre authorization' when a card is charged then a second transaction for the total. The $1 charge won't finish processing and will 'go away'.

Andy

[LTLFTcomposite]

LTL is on the list! Probably still two years away but it's fun to dream about it!

Wish they had given advance warning on the color choices, I almost couldn't handle the pressure making that decision on the spot.

[speedgsx98]

LTL is on the list! Probably still two years away but it's fun to dream about it!

Wish they had given advance warning on the color choices, I almost couldn't handle the pressure making that decision on the spot.

I knew red, blue or black wasn't an option at all. It took me about 10 sec to decide between white or silver. White hasn't been a popular color since the early 90's.

[LTLFTcomposite]

For what it's worth, my confirmation number is D3ADF1EF (have no idea if there's a way to decipher that into a region, queue position, or color/type of vehicle).

I ordered Blue and the version that had the navigation system (not sure if that was the "fully loaded" or standard version).

-Steve

From my reading of it both models have navigation. The features listed for the extra $900 or so didn't sound that important to me. If there are other things like nicer interior trim that the SL includes but weren't on the list I'll regret cheaping out on that one.

[mikekinney]

Leaf Reservation Number: 52BD78CD

I only have one garage space, so the first / best plug-in car wins! If aptera wants my money they would be advised to come out first. I guess if I test drove an aptera that was in production I might wait for it, but not otherwise.

[John Mammoth]

Reservation confirmed for Black Leaf @ 3:48 PM PST. Confirmation # - F6E8BF7B. My hope is the black will make it seem less cat-fish like. Anyone know if Californians will see an even lower lease rate due to the $5000 state rebate?

[prberg]

I placed my reservation today as well. Very cool. I hope Nissan delivers a reliable solid EV that will move us into the future. It would be even better if Aptera was able to do that... but I'm not going to wait forever if there are other options.

Quick question... as much as I wanted black, I'm wondering if it would reduce efficiency? I live in Los Angeles where there is lots of sun and hot weather. Would the darker colors put more strain on the battery or motor (assuming the car is in the hot sun and would get hotter than with a lighter paint color)?

thanks,
Peter

[speedgsx98]

81B6080F

Since people are getting confident posting their numbers, here's mine. Let's try to make something of these.

Silver, base model, order completed around 2:34 pacific time on 4/20/10

[palmer_md]

did anybody get any kind of confirmation email? I did not print the page with the confirmation because I figured they'd email it to me. I never got a confirmation back and there seems to be no way to log back into your account and look at the reservation or make any changes to the reservation.

[javan]

I just logged into the reservation site and they did have a confirmation number for the Leaf my wife reserved this afternoon. I stopped by the local dealership on the way home from work, and they were talking about sponsoring a trip down to the Bay Area for those of us way up north here, going together with other reservationistas in a sponsored trip to see and test drive a Leaf when available. Sounds like fun. I'm excited for this mass market development. Jim in lovely Trinidad, CA

[palmer_md]

aha, I guess I have two accounts. I tried with another user name and I found the "my account page". Thanks.

[futura]

I did a quick livechat with a couple of followup questions.
According to "Meg": Order confirmation emails will be sent in the next day or so.
The option to submit for the free in-home Etec charger is based on zip code so when you registered it determines whether to show that choice or not.
I was wondering why the option came up for my reservation but not my brother's.

Oh well. That was fun. Now it's back to waiting and speculating. Aptera has trained me well.
Res# 07ABB47E
Cheers

[earther]

I did a quick livechat with a couple of followup questions.
According to "Meg": Order confirmation emails will be sent in the next day or so.
The option to submit for the free in-home Etec charger is based on zip code so when you registered it determines whether to show that choice or not.
I was wondering why the option came up for my reservation but not my brother's.

Oh well. That was fun. Now it's back to waiting and speculating. Aptera has trained me well.
Res# 07ABB47E
Cheers

Darn. I would have thought the SF bay area would have been a sure thing for eligible zipcodes, but apparently not. I don't recall an option to sign up for the free charger.

-Steve

[butter]

Oh, I had been wondering about this free charger installation some people were talking about, since I wasn't offered that option. But thanks for determining this, Futura, and thus calming my nerves a bit (that I didn't somehow miss it in the heat of filling out my form). On the other hand -- DARN it! Why didn't I get selected? (FYI: I'm in a southern coastal suburb of LA County.)

[AndyH]

Folks - I just learned something and wanted to share. Folks in internet and blog land are nagging Nissan for their lack of active climate control for their packs.

The battery manufacturer (http://www.eco-aesc.com/en/fieldtest.html) says they have more than three years of road test expererience with the current LiMn pack, 20 vehicles in the test fleet, and two of the 20 over 150,000 miles (I'd like to think that's 150,000 miles on the same pack but might not be).

That seemed very good to me. Then I stumbled on details of the Nissan Altra (http://www.altfuels.org/events/testdriv/altra.html) - one of the vehicles from the mid-90's CARB ZEV mandate - an EV1 stable mate, so to speak. It was a cross-over vehicle before there were crossovers. It was also apparently the first to use lithium ion cells on the road - laptop style LiIon - Tesla style...

120-140 miles on a charge (http://www.allcarselectric.com/blog/1036152_nissan-altra-a-look-back-at-the-worlds-first-li-ion-powered-ev). In 1997. When the best GM could do in the EV1 was lead-acid and the 'more advanced' cars used NiMh.

At this point, I'm thinking that Nissan deserves the benefit of the doubt when it comes to how to manage a lithium pack. :biggrin:

Go Nissan!

Andy

[Rat]

I created not one but two logins during my earlier attempts (i.e. pre-email). Then I got the email and clicked the link, which took me to the register page yet again. When I tried to use one of the prior IDs, it wouldn't let me, saying it was already taken, so I created a third and when I was done it let me order the Leaf. The name, address, zip code, and email were all the same as one of my earlier IDs; only the user ID was different. Then I tried logging in with one of the earlier IDs. It let me log in but wouldn't let me order the car, despite the same zip, etc. So this leads me to believe that they are not sending out the emails or allowing registration based simply on zip codes, but have a way of tracking based on when you registered, either using email address, a cookie, their own database, or something else, and accepting orders first from those who registered earlier, but possibly with some preference among those based on location, etc.

[Rat]

Darn. I would have thought the SF bay area would have been a sure thing for eligible zipcodes, but apparently not. I don't recall an option to sign up for the free charger.
-Steve
Don't give up hope. It can still happen. At the event in Santana Row the rep said there would be free charger consultation and site assessment, or maybe free charger and installation for the first X buyers. I don't remember the number but she was advertising it here. I suspect that they are going to roll out the electricians in the order of where they plan to first distribute the cars. That's a lot of up front money to put it out there for everybody this early.

[LTLFTcomposite]

Don't give up hope. It can still happen. At the event in Santana Row the rep said there would be free charger consultation and site assessment, or maybe free charger and installation for the first X buyers. I don't remember the number but she was advertising it here. I suspect that they are going to roll out the electricians in the order of where they plan to first distribute the cars. That's a lot of up front money to put it out there for everybody this early.

I wonder if they will require load calculations or just check to see if you have two open slots in the service panel.

The video was kind of amusing... they show the guy sitting in a gourmet kitchen with double 48" sub-Zs behind him, but the service panel in the garage was this dinky little thing like you'd have in an apartment.

[scottsim]

I reserved one, though may offer my reservation for sale...A $99 line spot makes sense....The Prius PHEV is working well for me, though not the pure EV the Leaf is.

[1051]

I just reserved a Blue leaf, but depending on delivery time may change to a Prius.

[futura]

I wonder if they will require load calculations or just check to see if you have two open slots in the service panel.

The video was kind of amusing... they show the guy sitting in a gourmet kitchen with double 48" sub-Zs behind him, but the service panel in the garage was this dinky little thing like you'd have in an apartment.
That video made me laugh also. FWIW, the form I filled out for the free Etec charger asked lots of questions about my electrical situation:
Do you own or rent your residence?: Which of the following best describes your residence?: Attached, Unattached? No garage?
Which of the following best describes the location where you will normally park your Nissan LEAF for charging?: Inside, Outside, Street?
Which of the home layouts best describes the location of your home's electrical panel in relation to the inside area where you will charge your LEAF?:
Counting the LEAF, how many vehicles will you have in this location?:
What is the name of your electric utility company?:
Do have any outstanding permits, suspensions, red tags?:
Looking inside the electrical supply panel to your home, are there circuit breakers or screw-in fuses?:
Looking inside the electrical supply panel to your home, there is a service supply breaker. What is the supply breaker rating?:
If your electrical supply panel has circuit breakers, are there two unused slots above or below each other?:
What is the square footage of your residence?:
How old is your residence?:
Are you planning any new electrical work that will require an electrical permit (for example, adding a spa, pool, or air conditioning)?:
Have you had major electrical work in your residence in the past five years that required an electrical permit (for example, added a spa or air conditioning)?:
Are there any obstructions between your electrical panel and the garage that could interfere with installing new wiring?:
The home charger requires a space of approximately 2 feet wide x 4 feet tall x 18 inches deep. Are there any obstructions inside your garage that could interfere with mounting the charger on the garage wall?:
Do you currently have a wireless internet connection at your residence that could be used for charger data transmission?:
Do you plan to stay in this residence for at least the next two years?:
Is your home part of a Home Owners Association that might have to provide approvals for this installation?:
Will use the Nissan LEAFTM for:
If you plan to commute with the LEAF, how far is your workplace from where the LEAF will be parked and charged at your residence?:
If you plan to commute with the LEAF, how many days per week do you commute?:
How often would you use the LEAF to drive to a destination such as a movie theater, restaurant, shopping center, or doctor's office?:
How many miles do you think you would drive the LEAF each year?:
The electric vehicle charging station is a fully featured unit with capabilities to communicate with smart phones. Do you have or plan to obtain a smart phone with internet applications?:
What brand smart phone do you have or plan to obtain?:

[solardude]

Reserved a Red LEAF
#0733DFFB

[Matthijs]

http://usera.imagecave.com/w4abj/ev-s/colors.jpg
http://usera.imagecave.com/w4abj/ev-s/99.jpg

[KarenRei]

Pout... I really want to reserve one :(

[LTLFTcomposite]

Pout... I really want to reserve one :(

Why didn't you?

[Matthijs]

Why didn't you?

http://apteraforum.com/showpost.php?p=50709&postcount=3

[base428]

I was on the mailing list, but nothing received yesterday regarding how to reserve a Leaf. For one reason or another, the Leaf doesn't interest me. Perhaps it's the lack of battery temperature control or that it looks like an old VW Rabbit. If I'm going to plop down $32k, I want either an aerodynamically efficient vehicle (Aptera 2h) or an EREV (Volt). However, the MM Duo might be an option to get me through the next few years......

[Stunt Driver]

reserved blue one. Just in case. Allthou I don't think i will be getting another standard looking car at full price. I'd be happy to lease it for a year, but 3 years will drain $14k dollars - that's a bit too much for a paytime.

But let's wait and see

[speedgsx98]

Leasing anyone? I'm personally more interested in leasing vs buying. After a 3 year lease, there may be more viable options than just the leaf. Considering that a lease has a pre-determined purchase value at the beginning of the lease, and I'll have the right to buy if I desire. I'm pretty sure I'll be going with a lease on this one(assuming I don't buy the Aptera). Seeing as this is an early effort, I also see potential issues with resale value if after a few years, something with significantly better range or performance comes out, especially considering pricing on battery technology is assumed to drop over the coming years. And for those who don't know, the tax credit is figured into the lease according to Nissan.

So, I think for Aptera...it's highly important that they beat the Leaf to market. Otherwise, even with a potentially better product; Nissan will have taken all the early adopters out of the mix. And the early adopters are the ones that were willing to take a risk on a new/unproven brand.

[solardude]

regarding range; when i was reserving, and was asked my daily commute distance, for grins and giggles, i checked "100 miles". The system then wouldn't let me proceed and said i needed to talk to a rep. to discuss my needs before proceeding. I backed up and checked "50 miles" and was able to proceed.

[aptera1213]

Yeah...I kinda liked the questions...it was a good way for Nissan to make sure users aren't blindsided...

Of course I clicked "20 miles a day commute" and also clicked "car will be garage kept in an attached garage"...after that the site almost started drooling and said, "walk this way to the VIP room sir." :)

Gavin

[pk-sd]

Reserved a blue one. Reservation process was really easy. I was sold at $3300 MSRP. Rebates (as much as $14500) are just icing on the cake.

[LTLFTcomposite]

Leasing anyone? I'm personally more interested in leasing vs buying. After a 3 year lease, there may be more viable options than just the leaf. Considering that a lease has a pre-determined purchase value at the beginning of the lease, and I'll have the right to buy if I desire. I'm pretty sure I'll be going with a lease on this one(assuming I don't buy the Aptera). Seeing as this is an early effort, I also see potential issues with resale value if after a few years, something with significantly better range or performance comes out, especially considering pricing on battery technology is assumed to drop over the coming years. And for those who don't know, the tax credit is figured into the lease according to Nissan.

So, I think for Aptera...it's highly important that they beat the Leaf to market. Otherwise, even with a potentially better product; Nissan will have taken all the early adopters out of the mix. And the early adopters are the ones that were willing to take a risk on a new/unproven brand.

Depending on the final numbers with battery warranty and residual price to buy out at the end of the lease I am thinking the same as you. The lease reduces the risk on a number of fronts.

[1051]

With all of the rebates you can buy the car for just over 20K. In Calif we have a Fed, state and a Fed for part of the charger cost.

[palmer_md]

http://usera.imagecave.com/w4abj/ev-s/99.jpg

How were you able to reserve one? Are you going to have it shipped home?

[butter]

Pout... I really want to reserve one :(

Hi Karen,

I don't know if this has already been posted elsewhere and/or you already figured this out, but just in case you didn't, I'm subscribed to the LEAF's Facebook fan page and this morning they posted the following message:

Nissan LEAF

We’re so excited that so many of you have taken the first step in acquiring the Nissan LEAF!

For those that have had problems with the process, we apologize and will work to resolve your issues. If you signed up before the Priority Reservation Period, but have not received your reservation email OR did receive the email..., but are not able to complete your priority reservation on the site, please contact our helpline at 1-877-NO GAS EV (664-2738) or use the “live chat” functionality on the Nissan LEAF website. Don’t worry, Priority Reservation is open until mid-May!

Good luck!

[Matthijs]

Hi Karen,

I don't know if this has already been posted elsewhere and/or you already figured this out, but just in case you didn't, I'm subscribed to the LEAF's Facebook fan page and this morning they posted the following message:

Nissan LEAF

We’re so excited that so many of you have taken the first step in acquiring the Nissan LEAF!

For those that have had problems with the process, we apologize and will work to resolve your issues. If you signed up before the Priority Reservation Period, but have not received your reservation email OR did receive the email..., but are not able to complete your priority reservation on the site, please contact our helpline at 1-877-NO GAS EV (664-2738) or use the “live chat” functionality on the Nissan LEAF website. Don’t worry, Priority Reservation is open until mid-May!

Good luck!

http://apteraforum.com/showpost.php?p=50810&postcount=12

Cool to see so many people are taking the plunge. And helping each other out!

[Matthijs]

How were you able to reserve one? Are you going to have it shipped home?
I wish! No I believe this is the reservation of the forum member "Hill". He is also over at the Prius forums. But maybe in the future I will try (with some help) to import one (Aptera or Leaf) to the Netherlands. Because prizes are already stated (nonofficial) to be €35.000. And because no extra taxes apply I could get one from the states. But warranty and registering can be a challenge.

btw, Nikki Gordon Bloomfield drove some feet in the Leaf today. (Non prototype version) And did a lap in the Versa version.

NgIh5wJLrCs
Link (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NgIh5wJLrCs)

[aptera1213]

Quiet...smooth

"love it to bits." is a pretty strong endorsement.

Gavin

[Matthijs]

http://usera.imagecave.com/w4abj/ev-s/colors.jpg

Did someone notice the pretty big "Antenna" on the roof. That was not on the earlier pictures I have seen.

abg has a gallery of the reservation pictures: http://green.autoblog.com/photos/nissan-leaf-registration-screens/#2914697

[SlowSRT4]

btw, Nikki Gordon Bloomfield drove some feet in the Leaf today. (Non prototype version) And did a lap in the Versa version.

NgIh5wJLrCs
Link (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NgIh5wJLrCs)
Tire squeal is not wheelspin, and that is easy to do on ANY vehicle, so I'm not sure why she's that impressed, except for the quietness and smoothness produced by an electric motor of course.

[AndyH]

One data point on the squeal/spin thing... The motor in the LEAF makes the same power as the motor Ford put in the mid-90s-2003 Ranger EV. That puppy has decent performance - even at close to 5000lbs and carrying more than 2000 lbs of lead-acid batteries. And one can do donuts in the Ranger...

[Danny]

I called the Nissan customer number with the intention of reserving a Leaf, but was only able to register for email updates. They said I will be notified by email when I can actually reserve one. We'll see.

[eestorfan]

With all of the rebates you can buy the car for just over 20K. In Calif we have a Fed, state and a Fed for part of the charger cost.

With taxes, etc. I figured yours in CA would be around 23K...what a steal! :) If you are one of the first 1000 buyers in CA (and 4 other states) you may be able to get the home charger free...you have to qualify on the EV Project's website.

[futura]

Leasing anyone? I'm personally more interested in leasing vs buying. After a 3 year lease, there may be more viable options than just the leaf. Considering that a lease has a pre-determined purchase value at the beginning of the lease, and I'll have the right to buy if I desire. I'm pretty sure I'll be going with a lease on this one(assuming I don't buy the Aptera). Seeing as this is an early effort, I also see potential issues with resale value if after a few years, something with significantly better range or performance comes out, especially considering pricing on battery technology is assumed to drop over the coming years. And for those who don't know, the tax credit is figured into the lease according to Nissan.

I'm still working out the lease vs. buy thing. Buying has advantages if you can spare some cash up front (mine is earning a whopping 1.25% right now):
1) Before the 3 yr lease is up there may be more viable options (Aptera?...Aptera?...). So, if I want to sell after 2 yrs either because there's another more desirable EV on the market, or the car is not working out for my needs, I can, without penalties.

2) I don't like dealing with car dealers. When it comes time to turn the car in my residual value is going to be subject to all the nit-picking issues of car dings, road grime and tire wear. In 2014, if EV's are super popular and gas is $5 in Calif, the car may be worth much more than the residual but the dealer will benefit from that issue not me. To paraphrase the indicted Gov. of Illinois "I've got something that's f***in' golden and I'm not gonna give it away". If the car is worth less than the residual, watch out for dealer nit-picking.

3) I may very well keep it and if I'm lucky enough to get both the Fed and Cal rebates it's a fantastic deal.

The only pro-lease issues I can see right now is there's less risk if it turns out the residual is much more than the value of the car on the open market.
Also, I pay less sales tax (MSRP - residual) * 9.x%

Any other big advantages to leasing that I am missing?

[eestorfan]

regarding range; when i was reserving, and was asked my daily commute distance, for grins and giggles, i checked "100 miles". The system then wouldn't let me proceed and said i needed to talk to a rep. to discuss my needs before proceeding. I backed up and checked "50 miles" and was able to proceed.

I checked '70 miles' and it went through ok. Only two days a week will I put on 70 miles commuting, the rest should be around 20 or so.

[evmavin]

I'm still working out the lease vs. buy thing. Buying has advantages if you can spare some cash up front (mine is earning a whopping 1.25% right now):
1) Before the 3 yr lease is up there may be more viable options (Aptera?...Aptera?...). So, if I want to sell after 2 yrs either because there's another more desirable EV on the market, or the car is not working out for my needs, I can, without penalties.

2) I don't like dealing with car dealers. When it comes time to turn the car in my residual value is going to be subject to all the nit-picking issues of car dings, road grime and tire wear. In 2014, if EV's are super popular and gas is $5 in Calif, the car may be worth much more than the residual but the dealer will benefit from that issue not me. To paraphrase the indicted Gov. of Illinois "I've got something that's f***in' golden and I'm not gonna give it away". If the car is worth less than the residual, watch out for dealer nit-picking.

3) I may very well keep it and if I'm lucky enough to get both the Fed and Cal rebates it's a fantastic deal.

The only pro-lease issues I can see right now is there's less risk if it turns out the residual is much more than the value of the car on the open market.
Also, I pay less sales tax (MSRP - residual) * 9.x%

Any other big advantages to leasing that I am missing?


If you have a business you can deduct the payment.

[Schrodinger]

I'm still working out the lease vs. buy thing...
if EV's are super popular and gas is $5 in Calif, the car may be worth much more than the residual but the dealer will benefit from that issue not me.

If that is the case, why not buy the car at the end of the lease for the contractually fixed price, and re-sell it for the higher market value?

[aptera1213]

Got my confirmation email. From Nissan.

Now I'm just waiting for aptera to confirm my cancelation. I sent 4 emails starting on the day the so1 was shown...not a peep back.

Gavin

[scottsim]

Reservation confirmed...Silver, loaded version....supposed to come in around 33K, though don't think that includes the CA Rebate...May put it up for auction...any interest?

[aptera1213]

Confirmed for a white, loaded...33k or 379 a month lease.

Still leaning toward leasing, but will see what the warranty for the battery is (that is my only concern for the LEAF...I know Nissan makes good cars that will last years and year. If the battery warranty is by number of years, well I will want a 10 year warranty. If by mileage, well 100K would be nice, but for me even a 75k warranty would be over 10 years of driving...we don't put many miles on our cars. Basically in order to buy I will want protect from buying a new battery for 10 years.)

I have never leased a car...I prefer to buy...so if the warranty is good, I will likely buy instead. If it is only 5 years, well than I lease for the first time in my life.

Gavin

[LTLFTcomposite]

Confirmed for a white, loaded...33k or 379 a month lease.

Still leaning toward leasing, but will see what the warranty for the battery is (that is my only concern for the LEAF...I know Nissan makes good cars that will last years and year. If the battery warranty is by number of years, well I will want a 10 year warranty. If by mileage, well 100K would be nice, but for me even a 75k warranty would be over 10 years of driving...we don't put many miles on our cars. Basically in order to buy I will want protect from buying a new battery for 10 years.)

I have never leased a car...I prefer to buy...so if the warranty is good, I will likely buy instead. If it is only 5 years, well than I lease for the first time in my life.

Gavin

It would also be nice to know the cost of replacing the battery. If it wasn't too bad that would be a vote in favor of buy vs lease, but I'm guessing it would be a bundle to replace that thing.

[evmavin]

It would also be nice to know the cost of replacing the battery. If it wasn't too bad that would be a vote in favor of buy vs lease, but I'm guessing it would be a bundle to replace that thing.


I can see it now. EVs being stolen for their packs.

[aptera1213]

Wow...hadn't thought of that.

Also a good reason to think hard about Better Place. If you make the car so you can get the battery out in 5 minutes...well that isn't always a good thing...Stop at Starbucks to get a coffee...come out to car on jacks and battery gone....ouch.

Gavin

[LTLFTcomposite]

Wow...hadn't thought of that.

Also a good reason to think hard about Better Place. If you make the car so you can get the battery out in 5 minutes...well that isn't always a good thing...Stop at Starbucks to get a coffee...come out to car on jacks and battery gone....ouch.

Gavin

How long till somebody comes out with "the club" for your battery pack?

Maybe a nice little 400volt charge on the thing if you don't enter the security code. I know that doesn't work, you have to complete the circuit.

Wait a minute though! Aren't there control circuits in the battery? Maybe the battery pack only works in a car it does some sort of authentication with. Or like the radio, when you take it out you have to enter a security code for it to work again.

[jhm614]

Received my confirmation email this morning at 7:20 CDT. Lists my confirmation number but no details about the vehicle. WooHoo!

[aptera1213]

Steering is drive-by-wire.

From the LEAF site....can somebody smarter than me explain if this is good or bad, and why...Thanks :)

Gavin

[evmavin]

How long till somebody comes out with "the club" for your battery pack?

Maybe a nice little 400volt charge on the thing if you don't enter the security code. I know that doesn't work, you have to complete the circuit.

Wait a minute though! Aren't there control circuits in the battery? Maybe the battery pack only works in a car it does some sort of authentication with. Or like the radio, when you take it out you have to enter a security code for it to work again.

No, you can just use the cells and your own BMS or work your way into the software. You can;t just run off with a big pack:) The drive systems would have great value and crashed EV parts will be great for conversions.

[SlowSRT4]

Steering is drive-by-wire.From the LEAF site....can somebody smarter than me explain if this is good or bad, and why...Thanks :)

Gavin
I've heard a lot of discussion about drive-by-wire throttle pedals. There are some people that say there is an associated lag and simply don't like yet another measure of control being removed, they don't like the car's computer handling their throttle input.

Now drive-by-wire steering is new to me. This is what wikipedia says:

Steer by Wire

This is currently used in electric forklifts and stockpickers and some tractors[1]. Its implementation in road vehicles is limited by concerns over reliability although it has been demonstrated in several concept vehicles such as ThyssenKrupp Presta Steering's Mercedes-Benz Unimog, General Motors' Hy-wire and Sequel and the Mazda Ryuga. A rear wheel SbW system by Delphi called Quadrasteer is used on some pickup trucks but has had limited commercial success.
Competitors in the DARPA Grand Challenge, an automated driving competition, relied on 100% DbW systems, in some cases including a SbW system provided by the manufacturer [2].
This is not to be confused with Electric Power Steering.

So basically the system is only used in concepts, and yet the Leaf will supposedly have it? I'm guessing that if your car became disabled or depleted, you wouldn't be able to turn the wheels, since the steer-by-wire system won't have power?

[Danny]

Were all of you who actually have confirmation of a reservation, including your $99, on the waiting list before Tuesday? I tried yesterday and could only get on the registration list.

[LTLFTcomposite]

I've heard a lot of discussion about drive-by-wire throttle pedals. There are some people that say there is an associated lag and simply don't like yet another measure of control being removed, they don't like the car's computer handling their throttle input.


Even with a throttle cable the computer is involved. The cable only controls the opening of the air shutter, from there the throttle position sensor tells the computer the setting and the computer determines how much fuel to squirt on each pulse. So either way it's a system of sensors and actuators. Toyota's problems notwithstanding these systems have a fair amount of redundancy.

Steer by wire is a lot scarier though. If your throttle suddenly decides to go to 100% there are actions you can take, stand on the brakes, put it in neutral, shut off the engine. But what do you do if the the steering suddenly goes to 100% left? (like the country)

[KarenRei]

But what do you do if the the steering suddenly goes to 100% left? (like the country)

Your car gets health insurance?

[futura]

But what do you do if the the steering suddenly goes to 100% left? (like the country)
Chalk it up as a necessary course correction and thank your robot overlords?

[DSC OFF]

Your car gets health insurance?


lol. Classic! :thumbsup:

[Rat]

Were all of you who actually have confirmation of a reservation, including your $99, on the waiting list before Tuesday? I tried yesterday and could only get on the registration list.
I was, and I think probably the answer is yes for everyone.

I registered three times, including twice on 4/20 but only the first ID I used months earlier using my normal e-mail got the invitation e-mail from Nissan that allow me to reserve. The 4/20 registrations, i.e. when I logged in using those IDs, were not allowed to order the car.

[aptera1213]

I was, and I think probably the answer is yes for everyone.

I registered three times, including twice on 4/20 but only the first ID I used months earlier using my normal e-mail got the invitation e-mail from Nissan that allow me to reserve. The 4/20 registrations, i.e. when I logged in using those IDs, were not allowed to order the car.


This. Even if you registered for Nissan Leaf email on 4/19, you could get on the pre-deposit list. If you registered or signed up on 4/20, you have to wait for the next round in May.

Gavin

[nogas]

I was already on the mailing list but created the reservation on the 20th.. Looks like I have confirmation and they ran the charge.. Now the big question is when are they scheduled to start deliveries?

[magnru]

Just got an email from Nissan that Friday 5/14/10 is the last day you can preorder the Leaf. I guess that means if you don't preorder by Friday you can expect to wait a much longer time. I'll wait on Aptera. magnru 'TYPE 2H' #2783

[aptera1213]

I think that is before they open preorders to everybody who didn't sign up early on the Nissan LEAF site. So up till then only the people on the mailing list (about 120k people) could order one. After that everyone else (300 plus million) can now preorder.

Gavin

[Rat]

The two IDs that I created on the 20th finally got the e-mails allowing them to pre-order, but since I had already done so with my original correct ID, I did nothing with these last two emails. They do appear to be giving preference to those who registered early, but I don't know if it is in strict chronological order, by zip code, or a combination of factors.

[palmer_md]

I got my reservation email on May 10th for the id I created on April 20th when I was trying to get into the reservation site early like some others. I too did nothing with this new invitation since I put mine in on the 20th with my original account.