Nissan Philippines Inc. (NPI) kicks off Monday, (May 10), sales activities for its first full electric vehicle (EV) the Nissan LEAF with a price tag of P2.798 million at its three dealerships in Metro Manila, but is asking for government support to accelerate adoption of this environment-friendly vehicle.
Atsushi Najima, NPI President and managing director, said they are making available three charging stations initially at its dealerships in Metro Manila and four others are being planned in the coming months for a total of seven, creating the largest nationwide EV changing station network in the country by end this year.
Najima also said they are working closely with government and Congress for the passage of the EV Bill to accelerate adoption of EVs in the country.
Foremost, NPI is asking for lower tariff from the current 30 percent. He did not specify the exact tariff rate but said that a 5-10 percent reduction in tariff would already be enough to reduce price of LEAF, which is imported from UK.
“Am I expecting zero (import tariff)? Zero is great, but even if we can reduce by 5 or 10 percent I can reduce the price accordingly, but am not sure if this can help EV adoption,” he noted.
They are also asking government for infrastructure support especially in the setting up of EV charging stations.
Najima even said the EV market in the Philippines as “extremely” small yet but he stressed that once the government provides support for its adoption, the landscape is expected to change quickly.
In terms of market, Nissan Leaf is targetting the tech savvy Filipinos, who would be attracted with the new technologies in the world’s first mass produced EV since 2010.
Secondly, they are looking at the environment-conscious Filipinos as another market for this clean vehicle.
While the company has no sales projection yet, NPI got a strong interest of between 200 to 300 Filipinos when they first displayed the LEAF in Glorietta and Alabang in December last year.
According to Najima, the advantages of Nissan is the fact that it is a pioneer in EV with the first mass production since 2010 in Japan. Last year, LEAF has sold over half a million units and is present in 50 countries globally.
“We have the heritage, technology, and experience as we developed EV vehicle since 1947 just after World War II. We have the strength in battery technology,” he added.
Should there be huge demand for EV Leaf in the Philippines, Najima said they are confident they have enough units to supply the local market. He, however, noted of the global shortage in semiconductor/chips that may affect the global supply chain for EV production.
“Finally bringing the Nissan LEAF to the Philippines is a high point in our efforts throughout the years to inform and educate the Filipino public on the benefits of EV adoption. The Nissan LEAF is key to realizing our vision of enriching Filipino lives towards a more connected, sustainable, and resilient society,” said Najima.
As an embodiment of Nissan Intelligent Mobility, the Nissan LEAF represents innovations in the areas of power delivery. The Nissan LEAF has a 40-kWh lithium-ion battery that has a range of up to 311 kilometers on a full charge, based on the New European Driving Cycle (NEDC) standards. This is the equivalent of traveling between Quezon City and Bonifacio Global City twice a day for five days for a daily commute, or a one-way out of town trip to Baguio.
Powering the Nissan LEAF is a revolutionary, all-electric e-powertrain providing a maximum output of 110kW or 150ps and 320 Nm of instant torque. The Nissan LEAF can go from zero to 100 km/h in 7.9 seconds, while reaching a top speed of 140 km/h.
Charging the Nissan LEAF is easy and convenient as owners are provided with multiple charging options.
The Nissan LEAF can be fully powered up in 15 to 18 hours at home through a dedicated wall outlet with the supplied universal charging cable. Owners can also go to quick charging stations found in select Nissan dealerships nationwide and power up their Nissan LEAF to a full charge in as fast as 40 to 60 minutes.
A welcome innovation for drivers everywhere is the Nissan LEAF's e-Pedal. This feature allows drivers to start, accelerate, decelerate, and stop using just one pedal by increasing or decreasing the pressure applied to the accelerator. When the accelerator is fully released, regenerative and friction brakes are applied automatically, bringing the car to a complete stop. This makes the Nissan LEAF ideal for stop-and-go city traffic since the need to shift from one pedal to another is reduced, making driving simpler and more convenient.
The Nissan LEAF is also packed with intelligent driving assistance features that give drivers more confidence and peace of mind. These features include Intelligent Cruise Control, Intelligent Around View Monitor, High Beam Assist, and Hill Start Assist. It also features Intelligent Emergency Braking, Intelligent Driver Alertness, Rear Cross Traffic Alert, Blind Spot Warning, Lane Departure Warning, Intelligent Lane Intervention, and Intelligent Trace Control to help ensure the safety of both the driver and passengers.
Both contemporary and timeless, the Nissan LEAF has a sleek design starting with the two-tone body and its iconic floating roof. The EV Blue accents and V-Motion grille complement the entire look. Inside, the Nissan LEAF greets both drivers and passengers with spacious seating for five.
More than just a car, the Nissan LEAF also has vehicle-to-everything (V2X) technology that enables bi-directional charging to use energy from the LEAF battery to power homes and equipment, or simply give back energy to the power grid.
The Nissan LEAF also comes with a 3-year vehicle warranty or for the first 100,000 kilometers, whichever comes first. It also comes with an 8-year battery warranty or for the first 160,000 kilometers, whichever comes first. Customers can avail of the Nissan LEAF from three dealerships: Nissan Mantrade Makati, Nissan Otis, and Nissan Cebu South - V. Rama, each equipped with EV charging systems for the exclusive use of Nissan LEAF owners.