US: Nissan to roll out electric vehicle ahead of schedule in Illinois

Chicago Tribune - "We're reacting to what I think is a very positive commitment on the part of the city of Chicago to installing charging infrastructure," said Brian Carolin, Nissan senior vice president of sales and marketing. "We were not anticipating getting around to Illinois until the end of the year, so we've pulled it forward."

Chicago announced this year that hundreds of electric vehicle charging stations would be installed in the city and surrounding suburbs by the end of 2011. In February, the city announced a public-private partnership that will install 280 charging stations in the Chicago area.

350Green LLC, a San Diego-based company building the stations, was able to cut its costs in half for the $8.9 million project by cobbling together a package of $2 million in federal and state grants along with federal tax credits.

Nissan said more than 4,000 Leafs have been delivered in the U.S. Carolin said 90 percent of customers opted to include a socket for plugging into fast-charging stations like those being installed in Chicago. All electric vehicles on the market, including the Leaf, have a separate plug for slower charging that can take several hours.

The first 2012 Leafs are expected to be delivered to Chicago in the fall. The manufacturer's suggested retail price ranges from $35,200 to $37,250. Monthly leasing will start at $369.

Carolin said customers who've already reserved a Leaf can begin ordering on Monday. New customers can reserve or order a Leaf beginning Aug. 4. It typically takes four months for a customer to receive a vehicle after ordering, he said. "We're pretty confident you will get one of those Leafs if you reserve a spot," he said.

Nissan closed its reservation system for the 2011 model in September because it had received more orders than it could accommodate.

The 2012 models — to be sold in Leaf's existing markets and 10 new ones, including Illinois — are slightly more expensive because their batteries have to be kept warm when temperatures dip.

The battery warmer in the 2012 Leaf acts like a blanket, Carolin said. The car also comes with a heated steering wheel and seats.

Customers in several remaining states, including Indiana and Ohio, will be able to order the Leaf by the end of the year.