Nissan LEAF Outselling Chevy Volt

The Nissan LEAF and Chevy Volt launched around the same time, both offering American drivers electric vehicle options. Automobile magazine decided to see which car was most capturing the consumers' attention and the LEAF came out as the clear winner so far. Nissan has sold 3,875 LEAFs so far in 2011 while Chevy has sold 2,745 Volts.

One would assume that the combination of all-electric and gasoline engine like the Volt offers would be more desirable to drivers right now since electric charging infrastructure is slowly expanding, but it seems that a price difference of $8,000 is a bigger factor. The LEAF costs $32,780 before tax incentives and rebates while the Volt starts at $41,000.

These sales numbers only reflect six months of activity, but this could be a great sign for automakers getting ready to release all-electric models, especially since these sell numbers include the production setback Nissan faced after the tsunami that hit Japan in March. Nissan expects to deliver 10,000 - 12,000 vehicles by the end of 2011.

via Automobile

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Efficiency
written by Sarthak Nayak, July 07, 2011

Without any external charging, Volt gets only 30+ mpg, whereas Prius gives 50+ at a much lower price. That is another reason why I wont buy a Volt.

-1

Efficiency and Convenience
written by Sold on Volt, July 08, 2011

My commute is less than 35 miles. With charging the Volt will hardly ever have to use gasoline, and I won't have to own a second car when I need to drive the occasional long distance. Energy efficiency while on electricity far exceeds the best a Prius can do. Don't buy the Volt or Leaf for primarily long drives.

ehhh
written by Todd Horst, July 08, 2011

I think in this situation both are selling all that are produced. So nissan has just been more effective at ramping up production.

This doesn't make sense
written by beforewisdom, July 08, 2011

This doesn't make sense. I seem to remember that with a tax break or some sort of other federal government deal the Volt costs in the 30Ks when all is said and done. The Volt doesn't have range issues.

-1

ehh....nice try
written by Todd Horst, July 08, 2011

Both cars are selling what they produce, id wait to make any claims until a year or two from now when both have exhausted their waiting lists and production is at its max. Basically so far nissan has just been better at ramping up, thats all. Both these cars have their place and are light years better than most the vehicles on the roads today. That said I will be buying a leaf when they hit 200-250 miles per charge, as i prefer a full ev, cheaper price, and have another vehicle for longer distances and family travel. I just need an eco friendly commuter, that can occasionally handle the family in local trips or in a pinch.

@Sarthak
written by Jeff, July 08, 2011

Saying "30+ mpg" for the Volt is pretty darn misleading when the actual EPA figure is 37 mpg. (35 city/40 highway)

And "50+ mpg" for the Prius is wrong since the actual combined EPA figure is exactly 50. (51 city/48 highway)

I'll grant you that the Volt range-extended mpg is disappointing, but the main point of the car is to drive on electric power most of the time.

I also echo the other commenters pointing out that the sales figures are completely limited by supply, not demand. So the interpretation in this article that these sales figures mean that consumers are more likely to buy pure electrics is misplaced.

Reality check, Low-rated comment [Show]

sick of correcting people
written by Jeff, July 10, 2011

Yes, coal is dirty, but your blanket statement about "more pollution" coming from EV's is just false. There have been plenty of studies showing the opposite. (Carnegie Mellon's Department of Engineering and Public Policy have done several if you care to google it.)

Using the AVERAGE U.S. power generation, less GHG emissions and most other pollutants (with SOx being a notable exception) result from EV's. And the energy grid is getting cleaner and cleaner every year, so it only gets better in the future.

Granted, in some regions that are more heavily dependent on coal than the national average, you may be better off driving a "regular" hybrid or a standard, high-mileage gasoline car. But for the average American, EV's are the cleaner choice.

Re: Reality check
written by WEb, July 10, 2011

Here's a link to more on the arguments of electric vs. gasoline-powered car overall emissions..

http://www.electroauto.com/info/pollmyth.shtml

Reality check
written by Slav Hermanowicz, July 11, 2011

Just for comparison, last year's Prius sales in the US were about 140 THOUSAND units making it third model after Camry and Corolla.

Love my Leaf so far
written by David, August 01, 2011

Have had my Leaf since March. It cost me $28 in electricity to drive 1,000+ miles. That's an 80% cost reduction per mile driven.

High Costs
written by ron, September 03, 2011

The price of both these cars seems high when compared to the Prius. But as David states maybe an 80% reduction in fuel costs justifies the price.

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