Good news for Leaf owners! Nissan came out with some exciting news today, and stated that they will be matching GM on the length of the battery warranty. So what does that mean? Well, for 8 years and 100k miles, you will have full manufacturer coverage on your battery. Nothing like a little peace of mind.
Chevrolet and Nissan are playing a nice game of tit for tat at the moment, as both are trying to get the largest foothold into the marketshare. Nissan matches Chevrolets warranty terms, and Chevrolet has a lease planned out that’s only $1 a month more than the Leafs.
All we know is that we expect the San Francisco Bay Area to be covered in both cars, as enough high tech companies employ many forward thinking people. Dealerships in the Bay Area, such as Boardwalk Auto Center should do well, as they have both Chevrolet and Nissan franchises, and will allow customers to see both cars side by side to see which one is the best for their needs.
On Tuesday, July 27th, Nissan will announce the dealer roll-out of the Leaf at Plug-In 2010. After that announcement a dealer communication will be sent out to the field, dealers, and EV sales leaders. Sounds like one more good reason to look into Plug-In 2010.
Also in the works, Nissan will be starting the request a quote to dealers from customers with Leaf orders on August 27th. Boardwalk Nissan, our favorite Nissan dealer in the San Francisco Bay Area, has already confirmed they’ll sell for MSRP.
It sure is an exciting time to be interested in EV’s!
GE Introduces Smart Grid-Compatible Electric Vehicle Charger
* GE WattStation™ is an easy-to-use electric vehicle charger designed by renowned industrial designer Yves Behar
* Will help utility companies manage electricity demand, expanding consumer access to electric vehicle charging stations
* Significantly decreases time required for full car charging
SAN FRANCISCO, CA, July 13, 2010 – GE (NYSE: GE) today introduced the GE WattStation, an easy-to-use electric vehicle (EV) charger. Designed to help accelerate the adoption of plug-in electric vehicles, GE WattStation significantly decreases time needed for vehicle charging and, using smart grid technology, allows utility companies to manage the impact of electric vehicles on the local and regional grids.
Steve Fludder, vice president of GE ecomagination, said, “Widespread electric vehicle adoption depends on having charging stations that integrate the need for quick charging with the personal need for easy functionality. GE WattStation will meet this challenge.”
Combining functionality with consumer friendly form from renowned industrial designer Yves Behar, the GE WattStation on average decreases electric vehicle charging time from 12-18 hours to as little as four to eight hours compared to standard charging “level 1″, assuming a full-cycle charge for a 24 kWh battery.
“Good design is when a new technology enters our life and makes it simpler, beautiful and healthy” said Yves Behar, founder of fuseproject. “The GE WattStation achieves this with a welcoming design that is seamlessly integrated in the urban landscape and becomes a natural part of our daily driving routine”
Dan Heintzelman, president & CEO GE Energy Services, said, “For more than 100 years GE has worked to optimize energy use. Given our expertise in electrical distribution, WattStation is a natural progression in our commitment to creating cutting edge innovation for the next century.”
GE WattStation will be commercially available globally in 2011. GE will unveil a specialized home version of the charger later this year.
In addition to the GE WattStation, GE recently announced two new partnerships to advance electric vehicle adoption. In April 2010, Project Get Ready, a non-profit initiative led by Rocky Mountain Institute to help communities prepare for electric vehicles, named GE a technical advisor focusing on design and planning of the local and regional electric grids for electric vehicles.
In May 2010, GE Global Research and Nissan signed a separate three-year Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to explore new technologies that are needed to build a reliable, dynamic smart-charging infrastructure.
For more information on GE WattStation, including preorder details, please visit www.ecomagination.com/wattstation.
Recently Nissan had a tent set up at a Livestrong bike race in San Jose, CA, and they were showing off the Leaf front and center. Members of LeafOwner.com and MyNissanLeaf.com planned to show up, and we were all really excited to see it in person. For some of us, it was the first time seeing the Leaf in person, and for some of us, it was a repeat.
The booth was similar to what Nissan had set up at the Amgen Tour of California, with a few minor changes here and there. We were all a little disappointed that the Leaf was roped up and locked as usual, but thanks to the free lunch Boardwalk Nissan provided the Nissan staff, we were able to see inside, and get a few more pictures of the interior. The most surprising thing of all was how massive the trunk of the Leaf is! None of us were expecting to see such a cavernous spot behind the rear seats.
It was a pleasure meeting the early adopters of the Leaf, and we can’t wait to see them again!
Nissan is sponsoring the Livestrong campaign, and will have a Leaf on hand July 10th-11th in San Jose, CA. Future Leaf owners from MyNissanLeaf and LeafOwner, plus a few of us from Boardwalk Nissan are planning on stopping by tentatively between 10am and 11am on Saturday July 10th, and are thinking of having a group lunch session afterward.
Follow the thread here on LeafOwner.com for the latest details.
In the mean time, here is a Leaf spotted cruising down the 101 freeway near San Francisco. Why do I always miss the ones that are close by!?