"I'd never buy an electric car" said the Nissan salesman as I turned in my Leaf lease

[AnOutsider]

Lets check our egos for a second, and consider the perspective.

I can understand his thoughts. On the one hand, his primary experience is the Leaf - not exactly the best looking car. It doesn't give any presence or invoke much emotion other than a couple of giggles when you see it and think of a circus jingle - it suffers from the old school design of EVs - make em as weird looking as possible so people know its an EV. Lame. That doesn't even begin to touch on the fact that its range is limited to barely practical for most of the population except those living within a few miles of their destination or those that can ensure a charge station (and a long delay) wherever they end up.

Agreed. Doesn't fully excuse the guy talking down on his own product, but I don't think the Leaf would work for the masses in its current form. I suspect that if the Leaf were the only EV around, the general consensus might be the same.

I had a guy stop me on the way in to WAWA this morning thinking I was in a masarati. Once he learned it was electric and fast, he asked for more information on this company he'd never heard of.

 

[scottm]

In my city of 1 million people, there are several Nissan dealerships. Total # Leafs in stock on the lots across all dealers: 1 car. Fully loaded model.

Queried one dealer: how many you sell? One last year.

Our province and federal system of tax rebates for EV cars of any kind: $0
Other provinces, like our neighbours to the left rebate: $7500.

Net export revenue of my province comes from: Oil. Tar sands.
Seven out of 10 vehicles here are half-ton trucks and the more expensive the better, I guess... Dropping or dressing up to $65K to $80K apiece is common. Add Diesel dresses and "Allison transmissions" in 3/4 ton format, these trucks cost more than my Tesla. Red necks love 'em. Family vehicle and grocery getters.

The Leaf "salesman" at a Nissan dealer was actually the fleet manager, he was the one picked to take the training. Hence, the only one who knows much about it. His real job: selling fleets of commercial vehicles... yup, more trucks. They don't even bother real salesmen with the Leaf.

Asked another salesman in the showroom at another dealer, "got any Leaf's to look at". Points to far corner of the lot and says I think there's one out there... then went back to what he was doing.

Can I charge my Tesla at your charge point out there (attached to dealer wall)? "Sure." At least he was nice about it. Um... it was ICEd!

I tried to get my car close to the charger anyway. The shop emptied of mechanics to come out and oogle my Tesla. "Wow, first I've seen!" Never did plug in.

I want a 2nd e-car. I want to drive a Leaf, to try one out. it's range would meet the needs for second car. Heavily loaded with nice stuff, not found on Tesla S. And many things on-par.

Kinda funny looking car, tho.

I'd like to see a restyled Leaf. Or a Tesla model 3.
Whichever comes first, is probably the one I'll buy.

Price of oil dropping like wildfire... half the value in one year! OMG gas is cheap now. How can e-cars compete with cheap fuel prices!? You fool for buying e-car.

Yesterday: Husky (oil) expansion project closes and 1000 (yes one thousand) people given pink slips under their camp door saying "your last day on the job site was yesterday, go home". Site guarded not allowing anybody to pass even to collect person items.

That's what happens when oil falls.

News today: metal fabricator shop trying to figure out if they can make things to supply an industry other than oil mining. Gee!! Really!? Good time for planning a little diversification.

All the while... I negotiated a FREE year's worth of electrons from my utility biller. Zero cents per kilowatt. For a year. Yup! Signed a contract for that and the following 4 years at 7.35 cents per kilowatt.

Do you think e-cars have a future... GO NISSAN GO TESLA GO anybody who "gets it" !!!

 

[iadbound]

Heavily loaded with nice stuff, not found on Tesla S. And many things on-par.

Just curious -- Which stuff did the Leaf have that Tesla is missing? (other than, I assume, better media integration with phones).

 

[ReddyLeaf]

Our Nissan dealer sales and service are very supportive and service is knowledgeable. Drove the Leaf for 2 years then bought the Tesla. The sales manager said. " Dam I wish they would let me buy and drive one. They also are Tesla friendly charging. There are a few Tesla/Leaf owners on this form.

This is identical to my experience (without having bought a Tesla yet). Both Leaf specialists at my dealership now have Leafs. They didn't (or weren't allowed) get the 2011 or 2012, probably due to the limited number available in our area. Now with more Leafs available, they are advocating and selling a product that they have personal experience.

 

[nanimac]

A friend of mine went to Nissan here in Hawaii and was considering the leaf..the salesperson recommended against it and pushed them toward a Sentra instead....he said it was a hassle to charge it..lol..funny thing is Oahu is a low-range island since it's so small so there are tons of Leafs here...

 

[scottm]

Just curious -- Which stuff did the Leaf have that Tesla is missing? (other than, I assume, better media integration with phones).

Be brave and visit the Nissan site yourself... do a side by side comparison of top Leaf model with Tesla model S.

Here's a starter: 360 degree around the car top view video. That's just magic, so cool, watch yourself parallel park from above! Compared to... Tesla has a review view video (which is a legal mandate).

 

[AB4EJ]

Well, to be fair, I love my LEAF, even though the local Nissan dealerships know nothing about it. Still after my experience with leasing the LEAF my plan is to get a Tesla X, and buy it, rather than lease. I guess I would say that I am sold on the EV concept & experience. (Preaching to the choir on this forum). Now I want range.

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Be brave and visit the Nissan site yourself... do a side by side comparison of top Leaf model with Tesla model S.

Here's a starter: 360 degree around the car top view video. That's just magic, so cool, watch yourself parallel park from above! Compared to... Tesla has a review view video (which is a legal mandate).

I had to search, but eventually found the Nissan "Around-View monitor" - available on several Nissan cars: Around View Monitor | NISSAN | TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES

 

[bollar]

Well, to be fair, I love my LEAF, even though the local Nissan dealerships know nothing about it. Still after my experience with leasing the LEAF my plan is to get a Tesla X, and buy it, rather than lease. I guess I would say that I am sold on the EV concept & experience. (Preaching to the choir on this forum). Now I want range.

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Scott - I have a LEAF, and I have never heard of this feature you mention, a 360 degree view video. I couldn't find it on the Nissan web site either... could you post a link? - B.

Scroll down on the features page, about 3/4's of the way down: Nissan LEAF Electric Car Features

Around View® Monitor

Parking is a snap with the available Around View®Monitor.
[*] Using four cameras, the system creates a virtual bird’s-eye-view of the Nissan LEAF®, and transmits the image to the LCD monitor, for easier parking.

 

[eloder]

The lack of ICE-focused dealers is the #1 reason I want a Tesla sometime in my future, and it definitely will be key for Tesla even if a competitor manages to unveil an actual competitor to the Model III.

Right now I'm currently in the middle of a six month wait for a smart electric drive with a non-refundable deposit, for a car that was launched in the US less than a year after the Model S and has been nationwide for over a year. My dealer doesn't have a clue about the car and knew little on even how to order one, and even getting to the order spot with him was hard enough. "Yes, I know I'm currently leasing a gas smart with you. Yes, I want to order an electric smart today. Yes, I'm very willing to pay whatever you want on a deposit for that order". Rebuttals between every single sentence, so frustrating! Meanwhile, two dealers in California alone have more cars than the total number of US February sales for the model.

Hopefully the Model III will be out within three years of my car's delivery. Or better yet, perhaps we'll get a nice rise in TSLA stock so I can purchase a Model S

 

[bluenation]

tbf, ignorant sales persons are something that tesla does well, in spades.

but i agree, dealers are just...sad.

 

[martinwinlow]

"Price of oil dropping like wildfire... half the value in one year! OMG gas is cheap now. How can e-cars compete with cheap fuel prices!? You fool for buying e-car. "

I'm beginning to wonder if OPEC's real target is EVs and not Putin/shale oil/pick-your-own-conspiracy-theory.

 

[jerry33]

"Price of oil dropping like wildfire... half the value in one year! OMG gas is cheap now. How can e-cars compete with cheap fuel prices!? You fool for buying e-car. "

I'm beginning to wonder if OPEC's real target is EVs and not Putin/shale oil/pick-your-own-conspiracy-theory.

1. When gas prices are low it's the ideal time to buy any EV other than a new Tesla because the price will be lower. (It's still the ideal time to buy a new Tesla, but the price won't be lower.)

2. EVs are such a small part of the market, it's unlikely that they are OPEC's target. Fracked oil makes more sense.

 

[bhzmark]

car dealer business model: good riddance

 

[scottm]

2. EVs are such a small part of the market, it's unlikely that they are OPEC's target. Fracked oil makes more sense.

Yup, facked oil, shale deposits, tar sands...

... not really a mystery. Too much oil reserves in USA and Canada literally "on tap" and ready to pump. That's OPEC's fear.

Rigs getting shut down NOW in record rates... keeping the oil in the ground, no more tanks to put it in.

Oil Rigs Tumblefor the 14th Week - Bloomberg Business

We definitely have enough oil available to kill the planet, as we know it. Completely.

 

[DrGuest]

Slightly off topic. I woke up Sunday with right rear tire flat, picked up a nail on Saturday. WalMart is the only Tire repair on Sunday. The Tire manager told me the nail was to close to the sidewall to fix and since it was a slow leak, I could just keep pumping it up till my new tires I had pre-ordered, at another shop, arrive in a couple days. Then he says, "Huh, what is this thing (my S85)? It is kinda cute and kinda ugly!" I was glad to leave and not give him my business. Customer Service 101, Don't insult a customers car in front of the customer. Silly Guy.

 

[Bulletproof]

I feel the problem is not so much the automaker, but the dealership association that is hunkering down. Dealerships represent automakers,but are not employed by them. It's a tricky situation and I know Ford and Nissan are working on that. Ultimately, they will need to tell them to shape up or ship out.

 

[TexasEV]

I feel the problem is not so much the automaker, but the dealership association that is hunkering down. Dealerships represent automakers,but are not employed by them. It's a tricky situation and I know Ford and Nissan are working on that. Ultimately, they will need to tell them to shape up or ship out.

Many state dealer franchise laws do not allow the manufacturers to have that kind of leverage over their dealers.

 

[Sunfishsolar.ca]

I think it's fun to refer to my P85 as "the golf cart!" Because when I take said person for a ride it blows ther mind. On a personal note its, to me free from trouble, don't think about jumping in go anywhere car. Just push the excellerator and go kind of car. "Like a golf cart". Sort of a sarcastic, ironic name that you don't get unless you own this rocket ship!

 

[nwdiver]

The anti-EV bias really mystifies me... it's almost as if people INTENTIONALLY ignore the benefits;

It would be interesting to know what percentage of horse people transitioned to ICE and what percentage resisted the shift until the day they died;

 

[Krugerrand]

Heard a Leaf commercial on the radio today advertising 'fast charging for free for up to two years' followed by the disclaimer: chargers may not be available, may not charge at full rate, there may be a fee for charging etc., etc.. It was like listening to a Viagra commercial about how great one's sex life was going to be as long as you weren't one of the unlucky ones that already suffer from one of the dozens of pre-existing medical conditions or are susceptible to the dozens of possible side effects.

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It would be interesting to know what percentage of horse people transitioned to ICE and what percentage resisted the shift until the day they died;

Several pockets stayed with the horse such as Amish and Old Order Mennonites. But more accurately horses/horse populations were far more affected by the introduction of gas-powered tractors than cars, specifically the draft breeds with a number coming close to extinction and a good portion of those still considered rare to this day. The riding horse population and popularity did just fine as transportation for quite some time because roads were still dirt, which turned to deep mud when it rained and cars got stuck, as well the fueling infrastructure took time. When those infrastructures finally solidified, the riding horse breeds became luxury possessions and for entertainment rather than travel and survival.