In the midst of the hype surrounding the Detroit Motor Show, Nissan has quietly announced that it will shave $6,000 from the base price of the all-electric Leaf hatchback in order to combat dwindling sales.
Nissan explained that it can afford to sell the Leaf for less because it has managed to save money on some of the parts that make up the 2013 model. Furthermore, the final assembly point of all U.S.-bound Leafs recently shifted from Japan, where a strong yen slashes profits, to Smyrna, Tennessee, where the Japanese firm's flagship North American plant is located.
When the new pricing comes into effect next month, the base-model 2013 Leaf S will sticker for $28,800. In California, the car will cost just $18,800 after federal and state incentives are factored in, putting it roughly in the same ball park as popular gasoline-electric hybrids like the Toyota Priusc and the Honda Insight.
In spite of the Leaf's thoroughly disappointing sales figures, Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn announced that the company will continue to develop electric vehicles in the future.
"Zero emission [vehicles] are here to stay," saidGhosn in Detroit. "I fundamentally believe it is the technology of the future."
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