Nissan Motor Co., aiming to be the top seller of electric vehicles, said it expects at least 20,000 U.S. orders for the battery-powered Leaf model by the time the car arrives at dealerships next year.
The automaker will start taking reservations for the small hatchback early next year, with initial deliveries by the end of 2010, said Fred Standish, a spokesman for Nissan's North American unit. The company hasn't worked out details such as how much of a deposit will be needed to reserve a car, he said.
Nissan is using a $1.6 billion U.S. loan to retool its Smyrna, Tennessee, plant to make the Leaf, as well as hybrids and other fuel-efficient models. Japan's third-largest automaker plans to rely initially on imported Leafs to meet U.S. demand before beginning U.S. production by 2012.
Carmakers are readying electric vehicles in response to U.S. demand to boost fuel efficiency, volatile oil prices and concerns that carbon exhaust is contributing to climate change.
Nissan's initial U.S. order goal was reported earlier by trade publication Automotive News, citing comments from Carlos Tavares, the Tokyo-based company's chairman for the Americas.
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