Nissan to reopen LEAF reservations for launch markets on May 1

April 21, 2011April 21, 2011 Omar Rana 2011, Compact Cars, electric-cars, electric-vehicles, LEAF, Nissan LEAF, Nissan LEAF EV

Nissan is getting aggressive with its US marketing efforts for the Leaf. The reservation process will be reopened to select consumers on beginning May 1st, as both production and US deliveries escalate into the thousands. The first reservation campaign closed in September, after the company reached its goal of 20,000 reservations in the US.

Click here for more news on the Nissan LEAF.

The process will first be reopened in the states where the launch took place; Arizona, California, Hawaii, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas, and Washington. First opportunity will be given to those individuals who have registered on Nissan’s site; there are about 340,000 registrants. More states will follow.

“Nissan is pleased to report that the first vessel carrying post earthquake-produced Nissan LEAFs is scheduled to arrive to U.S. shores April 27,” said Carlos Tavares, Chairman, Nissan Americas, at the keynote address of the New York International Auto Show. “Nissan LEAF deliveries are about to grow from the few hundreds, to the many thousands, and all current customer orders will be fulfilled by the end of this summer.”

More than 500 Nissan LEAFs have been delivered to U.S. consumers since the December 2010 launch.

Click here for our review on the Nissan Leaf.

Refresher: Power for the Nissan LEAF comes from a 107-hp electric-motor that runs on power supplied by lithium-ion cells. On a full-charge, the Nissan LEAF allows for a driving range of 100 miles with a top speed of 90 mph. A full charge takes up to 8 hours on a standard 200V outlet. Buyers can opt for the DC 50kW quick-charger, which recharges the battery up to 80 percent in under 30 minutes. Prices for the 2011 Nissan LEAF will start at $32,780 but with a federal tax-credit prices will come in as low as $25,280, or for a lease payment of $349 a month.