Louth Motors: Nissan Electric Price Shock

Some numbers for you about Nissan to start. Their overall sales this year are up 34% against a market that is up slightly at just 1.6%. Their electric and hybrid sales are both down 15% and 48% respectively with a 160% increase in petrol sales.

The Qashqai and Juke are neck and neck in terms of sales to be the best Nissan seller with both of them in the top 10 and 60% of Nissan cars sold are automatic. So a good year for Nissan so far but the numbers send out many mixed messages.

A bit like Nissan themselves. They were a mass market pioneer into the all-electric space with the Leaf which has been around since 2010 but it took until 2022 for them to follow-up with the next all-electric model, the Ariya, which is a great name for a car.

Then things went down a different path and the Qashqai and X-Trail got e-Power. That’s an all-electric driving experience but to power it they have fitted a petrol engine that charges a battery that drives the electric motors. And they have put a lot of effort into that to get people to go “electric”.

I remain unconvinced as you have to fill up as before so where is the carbon offset? I know there is carbon produced to create electricity somewhere if it is not from renewables, but at least with all-electric there is no emission from the tailpipe within our cities.

Pictured above: Nissan Leaf

I think Nissan feels like it has options and choices on which way to go and are hedging but they’d probably be better off picking a preferred propulsion method. Or are they way ahead of the market in foreseeing a slower than expected takeup and migration to all-electric?

Hindsight historians will no doubt give us their tuppenceworth in a few years time.

Meanwhile I got the chance to drive the Leaf and Ariya again recently, which conveniently coincided with Nissan’s price reductions to stimulate sales.

The Leaf got a €5,000 price reduction in advance of the 2024 new year sales and was without a doubt a reaction to the keen pricing from the new arrivals from China.

It showed Nissan was prepared to roll up the sleeves and fight and the headline figure at the time for a new Leaf was €28,495 and there was a zero % finance offer available too.

Now, for a 242 reg, you could be in a Leaf for €21,995 for the 40kWh battery XE model through a combination of the SEAI grant and a €6,500 trade in booster.

The entry Ariya Engage model after all offers could be yours for €37,995. Let’s analyse that for a moment. The Ariya compares very closely in dimensions to the new VW Tiguan but that starts at €48k.

The Ionic 5 from Hyundai starts at €44,495 and has a 58kW battery compared to the 66kW one in the Ariya. Similarly, the Tuscon in Hybrid form starts at €43,995 with the plug-in costing more.

The point being clearly that the Nissan Ariya, which was beset by supply issues when initially launched, is now very keenly priced. It is also one of the best looking electric, or any, car out there.

I found the whole ambiance in the car calming and serene and drove it with the environment in mind. The zen way you drive trying to conserve energy is relaxing and rewarding.

My spell in the Leaf cemented the view that whilst the prices may have changed the cars haven't. The Leaf is and feels like a quality product and in this it’s second generation I think it looks the best.

It has dropped to need to scream “look at me I’m electric” that a lot of electric cars seem to have identity issues with. The 270km range with the 40kWh battery will work for those who predominantly drive in an urban setting.

To get the 62kWh battery model, that claims 385km, you need to find €40,090 which is a world away from the keen offers for the smaller battery models.

The Leaf is again whisper quiet and feels very agile and nimble. The instant power delivery of electric cars is always lovely to experience and never seems to relate to the published figures for performance.

The endless torque you get from an electric motor makes it hard to directly compare against a petrol or diesel and thus you always seem to think it outperforms and feels better. Since I got my home charger fitted I have forgotten about remembering to head out to charge the car before I return it.

It eliminates the nagging, subconscious finger pointing at yourself for recharging and makes EV ownership a lot easier. All that makes any over enthusiastic driving fairly penalty free in terms of recharging costs and recharging time because as long as you make it home you can charge it, usually fully, overnight.

Nissan has two very good electric offerings in the Leaf and the Ariya. The Leaf has a legion of fans who attest to their reliability and how easy they are to assimilate into your life. The Ariya is the car that should have followed the Leaf a lot sooner but was worth the wait.

They have overcome those supply issues and have outsold the total for last year by 50% after just 5 months this year. Sales of the Leaf on the other hand are down and I attribute that to the range from the 40kWh battery when compared to the range of others for the money.

The offers against that backdrop were needed to offset that deterrent. As always when buying cars you need to do the numbers for buying and now more importantly and honestly for using.

You just might find that an unemotional look at your car usage could see you in an electric car, with the smaller battery at a knockout price that will meet your actual needs and not what you think you need.