Nissan just announced that the 2018 LEAF electric car has started production. What's more is that it will be available in dealerships across the United States in January, starting at $29,990.
The new LEAF will be produced at the Smyrna Vehicle Assembly Plant in Smyrna, Tennessee, joining the Nissan Rogue, Pathfinder, Altima, Maxima, and Infiniti QX60. The facility started building cars for Nissan in 1983, assembling roughly 640,000 vehicles per year. LEAF production outside of the U.S. will be handled by the Sunderland, England facility, and Oppama plant in Yokosuka, Japan.
"With the LEAF's low starting price and latest suite of Nissan Intelligent Mobility features, we're excited to ramp up production and bring the LEAF to market next month," said Jeff Younginer, vice president of manufacturing at the Smyrna plant.
The 2018 Nissan LEAF debuted earlier this year with a major design overhaul, ditching the old LEAF's strange looks for a more conventional appearance. It will do 150 miles on a single charge, meaning, you won't need to plug it in after every commute. The LEAF will also be one of the first cars to feature ProPilot stop-and-go assist and e-Pedal one-pedal driving, embracing Nissan's Intelligent Mobility initiative.
The LEAF has sold more than 114,550 units in the United States since 2011, many of those coming from the Smyrna plant. However, will its fresh look and new features be enough to sway electric car buyers from the Chevy Bolt and Tesla Model 3?