Orders for Nissan Leaf Exceed Production Capacity

Nissan Leaf
Nissan Chief Executive Carlos Ghosn says the automaker has received 13,000 orders in the U.S. and Japan for its new electric car, the Leaf, exceeding production capacity.

Nissan Motor Co., which will start selling its Leaf electric car this year, aims to cut the cost of the vehicle’s lithium-ion battery pack to less than $370 per kilowatt-hour to make a profit from the model.

The target compares with the Japanese government’s industrywide estimate of about 150,000 yen ($1,600) per kilowatt-hour, said Masahiko Otsuka, president of Automotive Energy Supply Corp., a joint venture between Nissan, NEC Corp. and NEC Tokin Corp. that is making the battery for Nissan.