2013 Nissan Leaf better and much cheaper with US manufacturing

Nissan Leaf made in TennesseeThe Nissan Leaf has just got better for 2013. It gets a new 6.6-kW charger, a more efficient heater, and a better regenerative system. To onlookers, the biggest difference will probably be the availability of a blank interior, a big change from the light beige which was the only color available until now. Another substantial novelty, though invisible, is that the Leaf is now built in Smyrna, Tennessee. This is precisely what the video below shows.

But there’s another bigger news, and a quite surprising one too, a very significantly reduced price. 2013 Nissan Leaf now comes with 3 trim and equipment levels. Base is the Leaf S, which costs $28,800. Next comes the Leaf SV at $31,820 while the top level model is the Leaf SL at $34,840.

This is very substantial as the 2012 Leaf started at $35,200. With the federal tax credit, in some states, it will now be possible to get Nissan’s electric car for less than $20,000! Sure, the base Leaf doesn’t have the navigation system, and it has the slow 3.6-kW charger, but it’s a lot of car for the money. Europeans will dream to be able to get an EV as nice as the Leaf for so little money. But maybe U.K. manufacturing will get the price down in Europe too…