Nissan shifts EV strategy to premium vehicles, not ‘discount cars’ like Leaf

[DougWantsALeaf]

My personal belief is that the old line companies have not yet figured out how to adapt to the changing business model.

A car which will improve post purchase and require updates (...aka additional investment)
A car which requires much less servicing
An expectation that the car will eventually cost less than the equivalent ice

Where is the upside for either manufacturers or dealers. That said, the change is becoming big enough that it will be hard to kill, especially as battery and automation software investment now has kicked in.

The car companies will become data companies using the platform as their collection device (aka pixel Phone or Fitbit). And the dealers...will need to find a new way to add value.

 

[danrjones]

I'm not commenting on battery replacement at all. You really can't answer the second obvious question?

TOYOTA!

:lol:

 

[EVDRIVER]

I'm not commenting on battery replacement at all. You really can't answer the second obvious question?

TOYOTA!

:lol:

Classic

 

[danrjones]

I'm not commenting on battery replacement at all. You really can't answer the second obvious question?

TOYOTA!

:lol:

Classic

Sorry...

TESLA

But some of what was said does feel true. Nissan seems to have no incentive to provide upgrades for current leaf owners. It does feel a bit like the cell phone game. New every two?

 

[EVDRIVER]

TOYOTA!

:lol:

Classic

Sorry...

TESLA

But some of what was said does feel true. Nissan seems to have no incentive to provide upgrades for current leaf owners. It does feel a bit like the cell phone game. New every two?

Why would they then screwed people on the packs.

 

[danrjones]

Classic

Sorry...

TESLA

But some of what was said does feel true. Nissan seems to have no incentive to provide upgrades for current leaf owners. It does feel a bit like the cell phone game. New every two?

Why would they then screwed people on the packs.

I'm not sure what you mean?

 

[GaleHawkins]

Classic

Sorry...

TESLA

But some of what was said does feel true. Nissan seems to have no incentive to provide upgrades for current leaf owners. It does feel a bit like the cell phone game. New every two?

Why would they then screwed people on the packs.

Why do you say that?

 

[EVDRIVER]

Nissan does not care about LEAF owners, they have a long history of that starting with the degradation issues and others. Now they are forced to face the reality that they don't sell enough LEAFs to be profitable. Look at their original projections. Now they will be selling higher cost EVs, hopefully with packs that last.

 

[powersurge]

Let us get to a place where we can all agree on a number of points and move forward from there.....

I think we can all agree that:

- EVs have not been pushed into the market at anywhere near the rate that would be expected in the past 10 YEARS.
- There does not appear to be a market (or aftermarket) for the long-term maintenance and repair of EVs, especially for the multitude of Leafs
that are already out there.
- New EVs are continually hyped, and released while an adequate volume of new EVs are not making it to dealers for sale.
- Nissan is apparently changing its business model direction of the Leaf to be in the "luxury-priced" level in the future.

What does that say to me?:
1) The current population of Leafs in the hands of consumers will be abandoned by the company, without the potential of long-term spare parts. (Car will be killed prematurely from company neglect).

2) As per recently published news items, Tesla, Nissan, and other companies will relegate the EV to a position of high-priced, luxury "toy" status, where drivers will not own the cars, but lease them while the cars are new. (The ultimate fate of the cars will be in the hands of car companies when the leases are returned).

3) Car companies (while petroleum is abundant and cheap) are in no rush to shoot themselves in the foot by saying bye-bye to the $$$ they can
make from ICE cars.

What do you think?

 

[GaleHawkins]

I have read Nissan is adding a more like a Tesla model 3 but nothing about dropping the Leaf.

Dealerships have taken a beating messing with EV sales and service.

I'm sure it has cost Nissan a ton of money the way they have stood behind the Leaf.

The way our used Leafs are being shipped out of the USA due to overseas demands makes for higher prices I expect.

 

[LeftieBiker]

The model that Nissan is adding, the Arriya (?), looks like a larger, CUV version of the Leaf.

 

[lorenfb]

I have read Nissan is adding a more like a Tesla model 3 but nothing about dropping the Leaf.

Nissan's corporate marketing department with this new strategy will further reduce Nissan's market share of the BEV market.
As mentioned before, Nissan will never be able to achieve the sales volume of the M3. Nissan will be lucky to achieve just
10% of what Tesla sells. Presently its high mark, Infiniti, sells marginally against Lexus. This new strategy is laughable!

 

[GaleHawkins]

I have read Nissan is adding a more like a Tesla model 3 but nothing about dropping the Leaf.

Nissan's corporate marketing department with this new strategy will further reduce Nissan's market share of the BEV market.
As mentioned before, Nissan will never be able to achieve the sales volume of the M3. Nissan will be lucky to achieve just
10% of what Tesla sells. Presently its high mark, Infiniti, sells marginally against Lexus. This new strategy is laughable!

Time will tell if Nissan's new EV strategy is laughable or if your comments on their strategy is laughable. My bet is on Nissan.

Dad taught me that NEVER was a mighty long time so I try to avoid using NEVER so I eat less crow.

The Leaf is in demand in some grey markets where Nissan has not marketed to or was slow reaching those markets and per the next article link service is available from 3rd party importers. In the USA the used grey market Yanmar tractors developed over the years and third party service and parts sources followed. Now Yanmar has set up dealerships for their new equipment so success in grey markets by third parties can be meaningful to a brand long term.

https://thedriven.io/2019/02/13/th...grey-imports-such-as-30kwh-leaf-from-japan/
Note the comments from readers.

A 10 year head start over EV players just getting to the market gives Nissan good EV penetration world wide today. The numbers by countries are in the link below.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nissan_Leaf

No doubt the former CEO of Nissan turned out to be part of the problem instead a part of the solution and we will see how they recover from that speed bump that left them on rock bottom per reports.

https://www.deccanherald.com/business/nissan-profits-hit-rock-bottom-as-ghosn-weighs-733775.html

The Leaf is our 6th Nissan since 1973 but the first one without an engine and gas tank. The Nissan PU served us well for 30 years and never needed brakes or exhaust repair the 140K miles we drove it. I expect the same out of the Leaf.

 

[lorenfb]

The Leaf is our 6th Nissan since 1973 but the first one without an engine and gas tank. The Nissan PU served us well for 30 years and never needed brakes or exhaust repair the 140K miles we drove it. I expect the same out of the Leaf.

You're conflating two issues; whether Nissan makes good products in their low end of the automotive market and whether they can
compete in the high end of the BEV automotive market, e.g. with Tesla. My first Nissan, a Pathfinder, lasted 530K miles without any major
problems other than timing belts (every 60K), brakes (every 80-90K), and clutches (only two). I now have a 2012 Xterra at 60K miles
without any problems. The only costs have been oil changes & tires. My 2013 Leaf at 74K still has 10 bars & no problems, which I still
drive after recently getting my '19 Leaf (now @ 5.5K miles). So even though Nissan competes well in the lower end of the automotive
market, it's not considered by most consumers as a high end status/premium vehicle producer, again the example is the Infiniti
at its marginal sales. As a result, Nissan will find it extremely difficult to transform its image to compete with a Tesla or Audi in the
high end BEV market.

 

[LeftieBiker]

No doubt the former CEO of Nissan turned out to be part of the problem instead a part of the solution and we will see how they recover from that speed bump that left them on rock bottom per reports.

It's a bit more complicated than that. Paging Cwerdna!

 

[user 24513]

I have always liked Nissan, since our first Datsun pickup, for being sturdy under-valued simple vehicles. The Leaf Plus is our first new vehicle ever, so counting on the trend to continue. Fancy don't matter (as they say), ground clearance and durability are more important. Hopefully Nissan keeps the Leaf and supports it for the likes of me....

 

[GaleHawkins]

I have always liked Nissan, since our first Datsun pickup, for being sturdy under-valued simple vehicles. The Leaf Plus is our first new vehicle ever, so counting on the trend to continue. Fancy don't matter (as they say), ground clearance and durability are more important. Hopefully Nissan keeps the Leaf and supports it for the likes of me....

Maybe this Leaf will go into production some day.

[/url] https://www.motor1.com/news/378219/nissan-leaf-dual-electric-motors/ [/url]

 

[user 24513]

That would work! although it looks as close to the ground as current models- give me more height and less power, please......

 

[powersurge]

I have always liked Nissan, since our first Datsun pickup, for being sturdy under-valued simple vehicles. The Leaf Plus is our first new vehicle ever, so counting on the trend to continue. Fancy don't matter (as they say), ground clearance and durability are more important. Hopefully Nissan keeps the Leaf and supports it for the likes of me....

Maybe this Leaf will go into production some day.

[/url] https://www.motor1.com/news/378219/nissan-leaf-dual-electric-motors/ [/url]

We don't need a Leaf with two motors... We need Leaf +s that are readily available, and not at the $45K prices that I had seen. We need EVs that are in the hands of more people, and that are readily serviced and repaired at prices similar to ICE cars.. I couldn't care less about a 4x4 electric.

 

[GaleHawkins]

$30K EV's with 300 miles of range are still a few years away I expect. EV's today are net losers for their makers it seems. Tesla reports more net loss than profits over the years.

EV's are not a commodity items today. One can get the Leaf's gas sister the Versa starting around $15K.

Today EV's are not for the budget minded vehicle buyer. We're paying a premium to help finance future transportation technologies.