The Nissan Leaf made a brief stop at the North American International Auto Show before departing early and heading back out on its nationwide tour. The Leaf was on hand for the press preview days and was met by many with incredible praise. Nissan appears to have created the hype necessary to successfully sell the Leaf and reports are suggesting that the company is in fact ahead of its competition.
As AP Auto writer Tom Krisher said, "The Nissan Leaf gets a spot in the top five (cars that wowed the crowd) because it begins the new era of the electric car."
Additionally, James Bell an analyst for Kelley Blue Book said, "The Leaf gives Nissan a public relations advantage over rivals because it's fully electric at a relatively low price."
The Leaf will constantly be contrasted with the Chevy Volt. Both achieve remarkable fuel economy and both are groundbreaking vehicles, but the Volt was notably absent from Tom Krisher's list of "5 Cars That Wowed the Crowds at the Detroit Auto Show."
Electric cars and hybrids were the stars of this years show and by this time next year, several EVs will be available for purchase. The industry is undergoing a change that has not been seen perhaps ever before.
The introduction of the new exhibit called "Electric Avenue" at the NAIAS shows the automotive interest in electric vehicles. The public reception of the new exhibit and interest in vehicles on display show curiousity. With more and more EV unveilings scheduled for upcoming auto shows, it is apparent that automakers are serious and many buyers appear to be eagerly awaiting their arrival.
Source: AP Article by Tom Krisher, Detroit Free Press Sun. Jan 24th
