Nissan To Commence Leaf Electric Car Pilot Run This Year In India

Nissan took the wraps off their new generation Leaf electric car on September 6, 2017 in Tokyo, Japan. With the new Leaf, Nissan takes its electric car to the next level as it is based on a completely new design language, gets autonomous features and promises extended travel range with its more powerful battery. While we have already told you what the 2018 Nissan Leaf all about is, we have some good news for the Indian audience. While we had earlier reported that Nissan is considering the Leaf electric vehicle for India with pilot runs to commence this year, we now have confirmation that the company is indeed serious with this plan. Nissan will commence with their test runs for the new Nissan Leaf in India by end of this year with a possible launch sometime next year. 

(2018 Nissan Leaf)

Also Read: Nissan Leaf Electric Car Considered For India; Pilot Run Planned Later This Year

While speaking to carandbike.com, Daniele Schillaci, Executive Vice President, Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., said, “India is a key market for Nissan and with the government’s decision to go all electric by 2030, we welcome this decision. We will very soon start with pilot runs for the new Nissan Leaf in India with a possible launch in 2018.”

Schillaci also expressed concern over the lack of infrastructure in the country for electric vehicles. He said, “We are happy to associate with the Indian government to promote our electric vehicle in the country. We are in continuous dialogues with the authorities and have shared our knowledge and experience with them. But, without proper infrastructure in place, this won’t be possible. There is a need for electrification in the country which the government needs to address. While 2030 looks very far away now, a lot of work needs to be done to achieve that target.” 

(2018 Nissan Leaf)

Also Read: 2018 Nissan Leaf: All You Need To Know

While talking about why Nissan is the pioneer in electric vehicle segment and its competition with Elon Musk’s Tesla, Schillaci said, “We launched the first generation Leaf at a time when there was no competition. We built the product from scratch with no base product in place. The electric vehicle segment is open for everyone and we are happy that other manufacturers have taken inspiration from our product. But they still have a very long way to go as we have already launched our second generation while they (Tesla) are still in its first generation. We welcome the competition and are happy that our product is used as a role model.” 

(2018 Nissan Leaf)

Nissan will initially commence with the dry test runs for the new generation Leaf while seeking incentives from the government to promote sales of the car. While it will come through the CBU route, Nissan hopes that they could localize the product at a later stage. If successful, it will work in the government's favor as it aims have an all-electric vehicle fleet by 2030. The 2018 Nissan Leaf will go on sale in Japan next month with deliveries for the US, Canada and Europe to start in January next year. It will be sold in more than 60 markets worldwide