[Aditya]

Japanese carmaker Nissan could launch the Leaf all-electric hatchback in India. If it is launched here, it will be a Halo product for the company.



With the Government of India kicking off the FAME (Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of (Hybrid &) Electric Vehicles) scheme, Nissan is working on speeding up its activities related to bringing the car to the country. It has aimed at being the first global OEM to introduce an all-electric car in India.



However, Nissan expects some more support from the government and municipal bodies in terms of charging infrastructure and taxes. The Leaf's introduction in India will largely depend on this.



The Leaf has an 80 kW motor which makes 240 Nm of peak torque right from the start. This makes it little more exciting to drive than other electric vehicles. Additionally, with a fully charged battery, the car has a driving range of 135 km. Nissan is planning to bump this up to 400 km.



On the safety front, the Leaf is equipped with features such as ABS, EBD, six airbags, vehicle dynamic control and traction control system.

The Leaf is the best-selling electric vehicle in the world. More than 1,60,000 units have been sold.

Source: Autocar Professional

[rdhawan15]

The Government should adopt a national policy to encourage use of electric cars. Rather than banning old vehicles, it should throw in subsidies and inducements so that people sell their diesel cars and embrace electric cars.

While Nissan Leaf will have the obvious advantage of having a well-set product, this will encourage other manufacturers to go electric.

[sj_koova]

Have driven this in US. This is a wonderful car. Very spacious and neat interiors. Exterior is far better and bigger size than Micra. I liked the power delivery as well. If you really do spirited driving, battery will drain faster, but it delivers the power you ask for.

I was hoping to see this in India.

[nareshov]

Better late than never! I recall the days (mid-'11) when I would drop into the Nissan showroom at Kasturba road and ask "is LEAF going to be launched anytime soon?" and the manager would go "what LEAF?".

Bring it on. Anything that looks better than a Reva is welcome. May Tesla reach our shores some day.

[heydj]

Like the looks of this car. Hope we get this here though infrastructure upgrade would be needed in terms of charging points.

High time Tesla should also try and make inroads into the Indian market.

[naveenroy]

Wow, this is indeed good news. But again, pricing. For me, the Reva is a put-off only because of the price. If it was say 2L, I would surely have got one already.

Do EU countries support battery cars with discounts etc?

[Holyghost]

It is a good move. It will definitely encourage other manufacturers to bring in electric vehicles in India, which in turn will enable more charging stations.
I have plans to buy e2o this year. It would be interesting if Volt and i-miev too joins the party.

[Rajeevraj]

This article indicates that Maruti may launch a Hybrid Swift if the schemes and plans announced by the government are favorable

http://auto.ndtv.com/news/maruti-suz...n-india-753808

[GTO]

I had driven the Leaf 2 - 3 years back in Delhi. Some brief observations from that drive are available in this post.

The Leaf's biggest achievement is that it looks, drives & feels *nearly* like a regular car. It's quite an accomplished package. That said, I don't think Nissan is the right company to back it in India. Their sales & marketing function is a disaster. If they can't sell a 3.5 lakh Micra, there is no way they'll be able to sell such a niche vehicle. And their awful dealers won't have a clue on how to service the Leaf.

For masses to accept a game-changing technology, it's better one of the established brands (Maruti, Hyundai, Honda, Toyota) launch it first. Look at the AMT = Just the fact that it was a Maruti & available in the nook & cranny of this country (1000+ dealers) made people try it out. Today, the AMT"s demand exceeds supply.

Originally Posted by rdhawan15

Rather than banning old vehicles, it should throw in subsidies...

For electric cars to succeed, they should find a viable business model *without* government subsidies. Then we're talking.

More than electric cars, I think hybrids are the next big thing for India (Toyota has big plans in the area). A hybrid is designed for exactly our driving conditions and - for or less than the upgrade cost of a diesel - a hybrid can double your fuel economy. Think small petrol hatchbacks giving 25 kpl, wow!

[rdhawan15]

Originally Posted by GTO

More than electric cars, I think hybrids are the next big thing for India (Toyota has big plans in the area). A hybrid is designed for exactly our driving conditions and - for or less than the upgrade cost of a diesel - a hybrid can double your fuel economy. Think small petrol hatchbacks giving 25 kpl, wow!

Agreed. Remember Suzuki's punchline - 'Kitna deti hai?'

Honestly speaking, I think we are miles away from having Leaf in India with the issue of charging stations and so on. The Government, on its part, should create a favorable eco-system for electric cars and throw in goodies for inducing people to move over to electric cars. If Mr. Modi could offer LED bulbs on installments, we can look forward to some sort of inducements for electric/hybrid cars.

I am sure there would be many takes for the Nissan Leaf if it was launched tomorrow. I, would love to have it and use it for my daily commutes. Bring it on Nissan !!! For the sake of goodness, it does not look like a Reva !!!

[Rajeevraj]

Originally Posted by GTO

For masses to accept a game-changing technology, it's better one of the established brands (Maruti, Hyundai, Honda, Toyota) launch it first. Look at the AMT = Just the fact that it was a Maruti & available in the nook & cranny of this country (1000+ dealers) made people try it out. Today, the AMT"s demand exceeds supply.

More than electric cars, I think hybrids are the next big thing for India (Toyota has big plans in the area). A hybrid is designed for exactly our driving conditions and - for or less than the upgrade cost of a diesel - a hybrid can double your fuel economy. Think small petrol hatchbacks giving 25 kpl, wow!

+1 to both these points. Hybrids are the way to go and it needs Maruti to take the initiative to make it a game changer. Anyone else launches, it will remain a niche product. The Swift is one of India's top selling and most loved cars. A swift hybrid would be the perfect vehicle to make hybrid the next big thing in India.

Originally Posted by Rajeevraj

This article indicates that Maruti may launch a Hybrid Swift if the schemes and plans announced by the government are favorable

http://auto.ndtv.com/news/maruti-suz...n-india-753808

[srishiva]

Hope the Hybrids will have electric only mode and can also can go upto 50 or 60 kms Too optimistic but will really help our cities

[volkman10]

Nissan plots low cost, low spec EV for China and emerging markets like India !

Nissan, having earlier tested the waters for the Leaf in India but the car could be too expensive for the Indian market, now is in discussions with its Chinese partner Dongfeng to develop the low-cost, low-spec EV for China, India and the rest of the emerging market.

a low-spec EV developed in China can interest India, can interest many other developing markets. That's why we are paying attention to this. This is not something specific to China, this is something which can become part of a global demand

http://www.autocarpro.in/news-intern...ts-india-17165

[volkman10]

Nissan To Launch Leaf In India In 2018 .

Nissan will launch the Leaf in India by 2018, with a showcase at the Auto Expo as well. The decision, however, hangs on when the Leaf will be updated globally, but expect it to hit Indian soil by 2018.

Link

[handsofsteel]

I had been to Sri Lanka earlier this year and this car really caught my eye.I had to take it for a drive. Caught hold of a friend, took him to the nearest dealer and asked him for a TD. Due to some reason the car wasn't there. My friend caught hold of a car at the nearest signal and requested the driver to allow me a small drive. surprisingly, the guy agreed and also provided his feedback from a user's perspective. It emerged that
-the after sales service was very proactive (and rarely required).
-The car cost the equivalent of 14 lakh.
- Nissan had a country wide tie up with a particular food chain, cinema theatres and many malls to have charging points at their parking slots. The driver had to park his car for a paid 'quick charge' of 30/60 minutes and was good to go. Needless to say, this symbiotic relationship worked great for everyone.
the car seemed to be a very popular one on the roads. Personally, I loved it. I would say, bring it on.