40 Kwhr SV & SL - Endangered Species?

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J

joeriv

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 24, 2013
Messages
287
Location
Fairfield County CT
Here are the MSRPs for the Leaf lineup:

S: $29,990
SV: $32,490
SL: $36,200
S+: $36,550
SV+: $38,516
SL+: $42,550

IMHO the SL for sure looks like a dead duck compared to S+ Pricing - I would think range would outweigh luxury, but that’s me. The 40 Kwhr S looks like a “get them in the showroom and upsell them” car. If there’s a fire-sale on the 40 Kwhr versions I might trade-up!
 
I'm not sure I follow you, beyond you expressing your personal preference. You have the S and S+ for those looking for range only, and the SL and SL plus fr those looking for maximum range and power plus "luxury" (which isn't provided by leather seats, IMO). For me, the SV+ is the best deal.
 
The difference between the SL and SV+ is about $2,300 - I would think it’s a no-brainer to go with the SV+, but then again that’s me. I look at the lineup and I don’t think Nissan has the volume to justify a 6 car lineup.
 
joeriv said:
The difference between the SL and SV+ is about $2,300 - I would think it’s a no-brainer to go with the SV+, but then again that’s me. I look at the lineup and I don’t think Nissan has the volume to justify a 6 car lineup.
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By making leather seats and Around View parking cameras available only on the SL, they have been forcing an up-sell to get those features.
 
With the $35K Tesla Model 3 now a reality, I'd say that all the Leafs are in trouble and fire sales on the 40KWH are extremely likely. The "partial Premium" with better interior and longer range is $37K. That puts real pressure on Leaf's pricing model. Summer sales are normal for Nissan anyway but I'd expect some real bargains on the Leaf. The Mid Range Model 3 is $40K and is better equipped than an SL+.
 
johnlocke said:
With the $35K Tesla Model 3 now a reality, I'd say that all the Leafs are in trouble and fire sales on the 40KWH are extremely likely. The "partial Premium" with better interior and longer range is $37K. That puts real pressure on Leaf's pricing model. Summer sales are normal for Nissan anyway but I'd expect some real bargains on the Leaf. The Mid Range Model 3 is $40K and is better equipped than an SL+.
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Heated steering wheel?
 
WetEV said:
johnlocke said:
With the $35K Tesla Model 3 now a reality, I'd say that all the Leafs are in trouble and fire sales on the 40KWH are extremely likely. The "partial Premium" with better interior and longer range is $37K. That puts real pressure on Leaf's pricing model. Summer sales are normal for Nissan anyway but I'd expect some real bargains on the Leaf. The Mid Range Model 3 is $40K and is better equipped than an SL+.
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Heated steering wheel?
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Indeed! Until Tesla figures out just what features make a car luxurious, and which ones mainly make it annoying, they will not be cornering any Markets. I suspect that Volvo will have a better idea of what makes a great sports/luxury sedan.
 
joeriv said:
I don’t think Nissan has the volume to justify a 6 car lineup.
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I'm not sure I agree. Tesla has sold multiple battery capacity versions for ages.
johnlocke said:
With the $35K Tesla Model 3 now a reality, I'd say that all the Leafs are in trouble and fire sales on the 40KWH are extremely likely. The "partial Premium" with better interior and longer range is $37K. That puts real pressure on Leaf's pricing model. Summer sales are normal for Nissan anyway but I'd expect some real bargains on the Leaf. The Mid Range Model 3 is $40K and is better equipped than an SL+.
Click to expand...
I agree that there's pressure but nobody would be paying MSRP on a 40 kWh Leaf and nobody would be paying MSRP on Leaf Plus after not too long.

Tax credit on Nissan EVs will remain $7500 for quite awhile. Compare to https://www.tesla.com/support/incentives and theirs going to 0 on 1/1/20.

MR 3 at $40K is only available in black. Want other colors, that's another $1500 to $2500 more. Want "autopilot" (since SL+ comes with ProPilot Assist)? That's another $3K. So, if I want a color that's acceptable to me (white) + AP, that's $45K minus $3750 tax credit. And, it's still missing features that I do use on my Leaf and Bolt: AM radio, Sirius XM radio, aux in jack (yes, I do use this), Around View Monitor/Surround Vision equivalent (love this). And, there's no CarPlay nor Android Auto. I use CarPlay in my Bolt. It's nice.

But yes, Tesla does have other numerous advantages (e.g. OTA updates often, fast DC FC speeds, unmatched DC FC network in the US, etc.)
 
I agree. There are two annoying things about the model 3. No heated steering wheel and no Chademo/ CCS compatibility. Without the latter in our province you are tied to a proprietary charging system that is no where close to the already existing CCS/Chademo network not to mention with the recent expansion announcements from the last week that will more than double the network as well branching out to cover the North, all the island etc, a model 3 would be a very limited use vehicle here.

If CCS/Chademo compatibility come back into the mix we’ll consider it but otherwise Tesla is dead to us for now.
 
cwerdna said:
But yes, Tesla does have other numerous advantages (e.g. OTA updates often, fast DC FC speeds, unmatched DC FC network in the US, etc.)
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'Fast' DC charging does not begin to describe the difference. I currently AVERAGE 90 kW charging on road trips and Supercharger V3 is coming. Between the much faster charging and network ubiquity in the US, I would not care to road trip any EV other than a Tesla, and only Tesla let me go ICE free.
 
For me, price, reliability, range, backup camera, heated seats and steering wheel.

I don't need the 60kWh battery. I've been living with a 10kWh battery in my 2011 and a 4x upgrade in range would be plenty. If I could put a 40kWh in my 2011, I would in a heartbeat.

Also, the Leafs have the ability to do V2G if Chademo and 2013+, whereas Tesla does not (yet). Having 40kWh of battery backup for my solar system would be awesome. Current market costs for 40kWh battery backup is around $30k. Sure, Tesla powerwall is cheaper, but it's almost impossible to get.
 
Lothsahn said:
For me, price, reliability, range, backup camera, heated seats and steering wheel.
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Pretty much matches my wife's requirements for a 0.5x car. Our $6,300 LEAF fits the bill admirably. Although now that she has tried out the Tesla back-up camera and screen I get to hear some whining how the display is too small in the LEAF and the lines do not curve to match the steering wheel.
 
"Least cost" shoppers may still pick the 40kwhr S at $29,990. But I agree, the 150-mile SL may be dead, at only $350 less than the S+.
 
Also consider this: Nissan dropped the Leaf 24 when it introduced the Leaf 30, then about 2 years later it dropped the Leaf 30 when the Leaf 40 came out. Now two years later the Leaf 62 comes out - if history repeats, the Leaf 40 will be dropped.
 
joeriv said:
Also consider this: Nissan dropped the Leaf 24 when it introduced the Leaf 30, then about 2 years later it dropped the Leaf 30 when the Leaf 40 came out. Now two years later the Leaf 62 comes out - if history repeats, the Leaf 40 will be dropped.
Click to expand...

If there are few range complaints with the 40kwh Leaf, and it is cheaper to produce and sell, I think it will remain in the lineup. Previous Leafs were all at the very low end of "acceptable" range. The car I think most likely to be dropped is the 40kwh Leaf S, with the un-optioned 40wkh Leaf SV replacing it at the bottom.
 
LeftieBiker said:
By making leather seats and Around View parking cameras available only on the SL, they have been forcing an up-sell to get those features.
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Yup, I bought an SL because of the Around View parking cameras (and the heated side view mirrors are a bonus), not because it's luxurious. That feature alone was worth the slightly increased price.
 
LeafTaxi said:
"Least cost" shoppers may still pick the 40kwhr S at $29,990. But I agree, the 150-mile SL may be dead, at only $350 less than the S+.
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That depends on your needs. I bought a 2019 SL while fully aware that the SL+ was coming. Sure, I would prefer more range, especially since my hilly 104-mile round-trip to work sometimes is too much for the 40 kWh battery in the cold weather, necessitating a fast-charge on the way home from work. That said, the minimum I would accept was ProPILOT Assist and birds-eye view. In other words, I would not have bought a new LEAF without those features. Viewed in that light, given the choice between an SL and an S+, I would take the SL. And I did.
Others have other needs, of course.
 

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