The Nissan Leaf has already been awarded "2011 European Car of the Year"; it is due for customer deliveries in March 2011. Because, the Leaf is a fully electric vehicle Nissan has had to equip a selected few dealerships to give the best regional coverage for Nissan LEAF customers and for their commitment to customer service as buying a Leaf may not be as easy as buying a used Nissan in Kent.
Nissan UK has selected 24 dealerships; these dealerships will have a fast charge facility which will allow EV customers to charge their Nissan LEAF up to 80% capacity in 30 minutes. Nissan has selected these dealerships and equipped them with fast chargers to ensure that over 90% of the UK population are no more than 50 miles from a fast charger.
Nissan has already got experience in setting up specialist centres which it had to set up for UK sales of its GT-R Supercar. The Nissan LEAF dealers will have a sales specialist, an EV Relationship Manager (EVRM), who will act as a single point of contact at the dealership for Nissan LEAF customers.
Paul Willcox, Managing Director of Nissan Motor (GB) Limited said: "The appointment of the Nissan EV network is another milestone in the launch of the Nissan LEAF here in the UK. We are confident that this network of dealers will provide the best service for our customers who have already ordered a Nissan LEAF, and offer the best advice to those who are yet to take the plunge."
Customers who have already placed an order for a Nissan LEAF will now be able to choose their preferred dealer. Once chosen, every customer will be contacted by their respective EV Relationship Manager and offered the opportunity to test drive the Nissan LEAF early in 2011.