Green carmaker will be in the black

Nissan Leaf U.S. launch accelerates with 8,000 reservations, zero-emission EV rollout in December across key states, 100-mile range, $32,780 pricing before tax credits, incentives lowering cost, mass-market electric car strategy.

Nissan Motor Co said it is on track to book 25,000 U.S. orders for its Leaf electric vehicle by the end of the year and the automaker will be making money on the green car.

Nissan has taken 8,000 U.S. reservations for the hatchback, set to go on sale in the United States in December following an EV rollout at its headquarters earlier this year, since it started taking orders nine days ago, Mark Perry, Nissan's North America director of product planning and strategy, told Reuters on the sidelines of an industry conference.

"We are on a double time march for launch," Perry said. "We are on our way to have 25,000 firm orders by December."

Nissan's U.S. launch of the car will start in California, where it made its first EV delivery earlier in the market, and then include Arizona, Washington, Tennessee and Oregon. The automaker also is launching the car in Japan and Europe in late 2010.

Production of the Leaf will start in Japan and later at plants in the United States and the United Kingdom.

Leaf sales will be capacity restrained, as EV demand outstrips supply in many regions, in the first two years until the U.S. plant comes on line, Perry said.

The five-passenger car will be the first fully electric car launched by a major automaker. It is designed to provide a 100 mile 160 kilometer range on a full charge and is priced at $32,780, amid an EV price war shaping consumer options, not including federal tax credits or other incentives.

"We are making money at the price that we announced," Perry said. "We priced the car to be affordable. We priced it for mass adoption."

Nissan is counting on electric cars to help it close the gap on rivals led by Toyota Motor Corp and its gasoline-electric Prius, the world's most popular hybrid, even as its EV deal competition with GM intensifies in North America today.

Federal tax credits of $7,500 will cut the Leaf's retail price to about 10 percent over the $23,000 starting price for a Prius. Federal tax credits have been phased out for the Prius.

State incentives could cut the cost further. In California, the top U.S. alternative car market, credits could reduce the Leaf price to $20,280.

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