19,000 of them in Japan.
I was told that NISSAN has the "capacity " in Japan to build GLOBAL demand for the Leaf until "at least 2015/2016 and the plant in Tennessee will build the car from a "kit" and most likely the battery plant will remain idle.... I was told NISSAN can't pay back the Dep. of Energy loan and the collateral is a taxpayer baked IDB bond. NISSAN does business in Iran. The Treasury bank was used to fund the loan.
Can someone INVESTIGATE? It's time America got RESPECT!!!
From WIki
Production
The first vehicles sold in the U.S. were produced at Nissan’s plant in Oppama, Japan, which started production on October 22, 2010.[38][101] The plant has an annual production capacity of 50,000 vehicles.[38] Production of the electric car was disrupted for several months beginning in March 2011 due to the earthquake and tsunami in Japan, and as a result, Nissan announced it was not able to reach its 2011 production target of 50,000 Leafs.[102] Nissan expects to increase sales in 2012 to 40,000 units from 20,000 in 2011, as production returned to normal output and the Leaf will be available in more European countries and more regional markets in the U.S.[103]
Commercial U.S. production is slated to begin in December 2012 at Nissan's manufacturing facility in Smyrna, Tennessee.[59] This plant will be modified with aUS$1.4 billion loan granted by the US Department of Energy to allow the manufacturing plant to produce the Nissan Leaf and its advanced batteries. The retooled plant is expected to create 1,300 jobs.[104][105] The Smyrna plant is expected to produce up to 150,000 vehicles and 200,000 battery packs annually.[105] Nissan plans to unveil the upgraded 2013 model year version Nissan Leaf for the North American market in December 2012, once production of the electric car begins in the Smyrna plant.[59][106]
The Leaf will also be produced at Nissan's plant in Sunderland, England, beginning in 2013.[107] The UK produced Leaf will be sold only in Europe and is expected to have an improved driving range, lower price and a more European design.[108] Nissan will benefit from a GB£20.7 million grant from the British government and up to GB£220 million from the European Investment Bank.[107][109] The plant will produce 60,000 lithium-ion batteries a year, and it also is expected to deliver 50,000 Leaf EVs a year.[107] Once production starts at the Sunderland plant, Nissan expects to reduce the Leaf price in the European market by 2013.[110]
Nissan Leaf is a unique combination of elegance,style and eco-friendly mechanics.Its price is a issue but no doubt people are buying it.
ReplyDeleteYes- some are BUT not the amount needed for the leaf to be a success . The battery is outdated . NISSan will not create the jobs promised. Taxpayer money was wasted. Worse Nissan does business with IRAN.
ReplyDeleteThe state Dept. never should have approved the Treasury bank for funding it. I'm going to ask DDTC to investigate HOW a foreign company that shares technology with IRAN got American money for R & D