Nissan Offering 8-year Warranty on LEAF Battery

Nissan North America announced that the Nissan LEAF battery pack will carry a warranty of 8 years or 100,000 miles – matching U.S. market competitive conditions.

Earlier this month, General Motors said its Chevrolet Volt extended range electric vehicle would carry the identical warranty for its battery pack.

Nissan came out with the announcement at the same GM was unveiling the pricing for its Volt saying that that Volt will be available for the same lease price as the LEAF.

The LEAF has a $32,780 base price while the Volt starts at $41,000. Both cars also are eligible for a federal tax credit that will cut their prices by $7,500. The Volt’s price would fall to $33,500 while the LEAF’s would drop to $25,280. Some states, such as California, Georgia and Oregon, offer additional tax breaks that lower the price further.

There are also leasing options available on a 36-month term which will set you back $349/month with an initial payment of $1,999, which is about equal to the Volts’s.

Leasing levels the playing field. If Nissan offers a lease at around $349 a month, that might just about match Chevrolet’s expected $350 a month lease with $2500 down on the Volt.

Nissan puts the LEAF on sale in December and intends to sell 20,000 of the five-door hatchbacks in the U.S. in the first year and then vault up to 150,000 in sales in 2013.

At first, the Nissan LEAF will be available in California, Washington, Oregon, Arizona and Tennessee, states representing about 55% of 17,000 reserved vehicles.

Nissan said customers can make firm orders in August. In January, the car will hit markets in Texas and Hawaii. In April, the Leaf will be available in North Carolina, Florida, Georgia, Washington D.C., Virginia, Maryland, South Carolina and Alabama.