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2012 Nissan Leaf Lease Now $219 A Month, Incentives Increase

 
7,412 views Oct 1, 2012
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2012 Nissan Leaf in the Apple iPhone 4S commercial

2012 Nissan Leaf in the Apple iPhone 4S commercial

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With ongoing consumer concerns about battery longevity in hot climates, not to mention an all-new 2013 Leaf electric car just around the corner, NIssan has dropped the price of leasing a 2012 model. 

According to The Washington Post, Nissan started September with enough 2012 Leafs in its inventory to keep dealers supplied with cars for 114 days. 

That’s nearly 4 months of supply, almost twice the ideal auto industry target of 60 days’ supply. 


As a consequence, Nissan has dropped the headline price of a 36-month lease on the 2012 Leaf from $249 per month with $2,999 down to $219 per month with $2,999 down. 

That makes the Leaf $30 cheaper to lease per month than its closest plug-in rival, the 2012 Chevrolet Volt. 

A reduction in lease pricing isn’t the only incentive being used to get more people buying 2012 Leafs, however.

In addition, the newspaper reports, the average discount available on a 2012 Nissan Leaf has risen from $850 in January this year to $3,250, before any state and federal purchase incentives have been applied.

For those worried about the long term life of the Leaf’s 24 kilowatt-hour battery pack, especially with regard to premature range loss in hotter states, leasing a Leaf could provide a less risky way to go electric than an outright purchase.

2012 Nissan Leaf

2012 Nissan Leaf

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Despite lower leases, however, the majority of Leaf sales in the U.S. -- around 70 percent -- are outright purchases.

Are you tempted by the new, lower lease deals to buy a Nissan Leaf, or are you worried about battery life? 

Or perhaps you’re planning on waiting for the 2013 Leaf. 

Whatever your thoughts, let us know then in the Comments below. 

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Comments (21)

  1. fb_1001015277 avatar John Briggs Posted: 10/1/2012 5:23am PDT

    Personally, I would be inclined to wait this one out until more is known about the batteries.
     
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  2. fb_777648896 avatar Robert Blanchard Posted: 10/1/2012 8:47am PDT

    Ummm... tempting but the 2013 New Leaf with 6.6 charger is keeping me from jumping the gun... I waited this long I can wait a bit more...
     
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  3. fb_1009991842 avatar Ron Wagner Posted: 10/1/2012 10:11am PDT

    If I needed a small car I would go for it, if there was no other large fee involved. Especially if I drove a lot locally, but had another car for trips.
     
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  4. gorr avatar gor r Posted: 10/1/2012 10:28am PDT

    Even if they lowered the lease price, you still need a second gasoline car and also even if they lowered the lease cost then the apartment dwellers do not often have a secure parking or a place in a garage that they own and can install a dedicated charger. So this car do not just have the cost as a problem to overcome. To be serious it take a gasoline generator to back-up the battery so this car compare to the volt is way costly.
     
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  5. fb_1470388190 avatar David Laur Posted: 10/1/2012 10:58am PDT

    i have to have 2 cars because we have two commuters but the LEAFs range is good enough to cover either of us. occasionally i need to go a bit farther for work and if in doubt, i switch over to the Prius but generally the LEAF takes the LONGEST planned drive of the day because the savings is extreme. Average gas prices in WA rose AGAIN to $4.03 a gallon. switching to winter formula gas means no more 43-54 MPG in the Prius. it will be more like 45-47 now...
     
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  6. sustainable2020 avatar Erik Roberts Posted: 10/1/2012 11:20am PDT

    The current Leaf, like all current EVs, are not ideal for every single vehicle consumer out there and no one is claiming such. Your points are irrelvelant and not applicable to those already considering a Leaf.
     
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  7. fb_1470388190 avatar David Laur Posted: 10/1/2012 10:54am PDT

    that is a great price. i have 22,457 miles on my LEAF and about a 2-4% degradation in range so it would be a great great option for anyone in WA. no sales tax here on the lease. i paid nearly double for my lease and dont have climate control. sure the 2013's will have better climate controls and 6.6 KW charging (dont need it. have DCFC here) but that price is too hard to ignore
     
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  8. fb_1559222512 avatar Xiaolong Li Posted: 10/1/2012 11:17am PDT

    I think the lease will help some. For buyers who have 2nd cars AND capability for charging, but worrying about technology, this is a perfect chance to get into the market without worrying long term effect.

    Also, EVs have lower maintainence and relatively high initial cost, that will be offset by the lower lease payment.

    In California, the State offers $2,500 towards the Leaf. So, that pretty much wipe out the down payment. With $219 per month, you can pretty much drive the car for free with the gas money saved.

    Of course, I would advice against this in AZ, TX and Southern CA. (Just in case you need the longer range with the battery degrades significantly).
     
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  9. sustainable2020 avatar Erik Roberts Posted: 10/1/2012 11:28am PDT

    I have a close relative that is in the market now for a plug-in due to his vehicle being totaled a couple weeks ago so this offer is now more enticing. However, $3k at sign in is twice as much as what GM is asking for n 5 times more then for the Fit EV. Bring that drive off amount to under $1k n they'll get him n many more to lease those Leafs quickly.

    2013 Leaf is going to be better with a range hopefully near 100 miles but it will be the first year of US production for the Leaf n I fear there will be a few small problems this first year as a result. I'd be very reluctant to purchase a 2013 Leaf...maybe a 2014 my instead.
     
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  10. MrEnergyCzar avatar Mr EnergyCzar Posted: 10/1/2012 1:08pm PDT

    Will the new Leaf battery be liquid cooled?

    MrEnergyCzar
     
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  11. john_v avatar John Voelcker Posted: 10/1/2012 1:41pm PDT

    No, it won't.
     
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  12. Mikenorthwest avatar Mike Fink Posted: 10/1/2012 1:23pm PDT

    Ww are waiting for the 2013 Nissan Leaf with faster charging and more range.
     
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  13. Krafter324 avatar RIck Scinta Posted: 10/2/2012 7:45am PDT

    The lease deals are amazing for the Leaf and the Volt. I couldn't wait any longer and traded in my Altima for a Volt a couple days ago. LOVE LOVE LOVE so far and got an awesome deal. I have a short commute to work, so I doubt I'll be at the gas station much going forward.
     
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  14. fb_1097215683 avatar Don Moore Posted: 10/2/2012 7:54am PDT

    As a Volt owner (purchased) I could not pass up a Leaf lease for my wife. It was almost given away at $116.00 per month for the lease payment. Even including the down payment the total payment was under $219. Nicely appointed car but do not like constant concern with charging and range. Volt power train eliminates those worries and has been flawless in its operation.
     
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  15. dberg avatar d berg Posted: 10/3/2012 11:27pm PDT

    Hi Don, Can I ask where you got such a good lease deal?
     
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  16. fb_749714186 avatar Paul Eng Posted: 10/2/2012 8:02am PDT

    Yikes! The next step: Nissan will be PAYING customers to take the 2012 Leaf! ;-)

    Seriously though... It's an attractive lease price, but the 2013 model will be (slightly) technically better with a faster on-board charger and (hopefully) better thermal management for the batteries.

    That said, I still wouldn't jump at either model Leaf because, personally? It's just appears a bit ugly.

    Thankfully, I have a 3-year lease on a Ford Focus Electric--and what a HOOT on wheels! And by the time I give it up in 2015, who knows what will be around?
     
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  17. fb_100000568457300 avatar Vincent Wolf Posted: 10/2/2012 1:32pm PDT

    Our leaf is performing wonderfully with no battery losses and this has been Colorado's hottest summer since record keeping began. Over 78 days above 90. So why people are having this problem is a mystery because ours works great!! We routinely get nearly 100 miles a day without AC and above 80 with it.
     
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  18. fb_1559222512 avatar Xiaolong Li Posted: 10/3/2012 12:35am PDT

    90 deg F isn't all that hot for a Li-ion battery. The degradation doesn't really start until 60 deg C or 140 deg F.

    That is also internal temperature of the Li-ion cells. But when AZ, TX or some part of the CA hits 125 deg F in air temperature, the internal temperature of a Leaf battery pack can easily get up to the 140 deg F when used under heavy load or with fast charging.

    The hotter it gets, the quicker it degrades...

    I wonder if any of the "degraded" Leaf owners have down any temperature data collection...
     
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  19. globespinner avatar Mark Dodge Posted: 10/3/2012 5:24am PDT

    The official Nissan site still has the $249 lease rate.
     
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  20. fb_775248754 avatar Tom Cotter Posted: 10/4/2012 4:22pm PDT

    My family has two cars. One car (Leaf) stays in town and the other car (Jetta) goes out of town. We have three kids, so that is a bit tight at times.

    Here is our car strategy:

    2011 Nissan Leaf
    Range of approx. 70-110 miles
    Cost approximately $16,000 after incentives which included $7,500 federal tax credit, $5,000 California state rebate and $3,000 local air district rebate (San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District). I also talked the dealer into a 5% below MSRP discount.

    2002 VW Jetta TDI (manual)
    Range of approx. 1,000 miles
    Paid $12,000 for a used car. Spent $1,300 for a conversion kit from www.greasecar.com. I spent about another $800 on filter equipment. Can burn free waste veg oil or biodiesel/diesel in the stock tank.
     
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  21. fb_775248754 avatar Tom Cotter Posted: 10/4/2012 4:24pm PDT

    Here is my story about our Nissan Leaf I posted on Green Car Reports. I am happy to talk about how we use the solar power system on our home to charge the car and reduce our 'fuel' cost.

    http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1079579_why-i-drive-a-nissan-leaf-electric-car-one-owners-story
     
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