For those that have been on the waiting list for the all-new Nissan Leaf, you're not alone. Consumers have been eagerly awaiting the arrival of their very own all-electric car, but according to Kicking Tires, car buyers will have to wait just a little longer.
“We've already reported on some of the initial supply constraints Nissan is having with its Leaf, and the delays will continue for the next few months to come, according to a company spokesman,” reports Kicking Tires.
Retuers has reported similar delays, but Nissan contends that production will soon be ramped-up to meet demand.
“We’ll build more Leafs in the next two months and add overtime and holidays to keep up with production of the other vehicles on the line,” said Seiji Honda, head of the Oppama, Japan factory. “Right now, about one in every seven cars is a Leaf, and we’ll start building more until we reach maximum capacity in March.”
Nissan has built 3,000 Leafs since October. When the pace of production reaches full capacity, Nissan will be able to build about 4,000 Leaf EVs per month. For now, the Leaf is only being built in Oppama, but production will start at Nissan's Tennessee and Sunderland factories in 2012 and 2013, respectively. Regardless, the automaker expects to deliver the Leaf to all 20,000 U.S. customers by September.
The delays in Leaf production have been made for good reason. The automaker is working with an all-new platform and a new electric-only powertrain. As a result, Nissan wants to ensure each Leaf, and each lithium-ion battery pack, emerges from production with the highest level of quality. Nissan also wants to provide the best level of customer service and a premium ownership experience to the first Nissan Leaf drivers. That's why no additional reservations will be accepted until current orders have been processed.
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