(c) Bertel Schmitt

Nissan’s second-generation Leaf, launched yesterday with aplomb, appears to be quite well received. There was apprehension among Nissan’s PR cadre that the company would get a public drubbing for equipping the car with a battery only good for 150 miles. But the media definitely got the message that the new Leaf is so equipped to hit a price point. Motortrend even came up with new math: “Why 29,950 is more important to some than 150.” As in dollars, and miles.

Nissan could have easily equipped the new Leaf with a 60-kWh battery that would better Tesla’s Model3, and match the battery of Chevrolet’s Bolt. That it wasn’t done is a triumph of sound business over bragging rights. Nissan wants to “democratize” EVs, as Nissan’s chief marketing officer, Daniele Schillaci, likes to put it. Schillaci wants to sell the Leaf to all people who are in the market for a C-segment sedan, not just to EV converts. As a mass-market maker, Nissan knows the power of price points, and of value for money.

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