The company says it’s adjusting the price because of outside influences.
Despite competing in a tough new car market, Nissan thinks it deserves to give its still-fresh Leaf a price hike in the UK.
A Nissan official told Autocar this week the price change is due to, “market demands and other influences, such as inflation and cost base.” Considering the company’s Sunderland plant supplies the Leaf to the UK and surrounding countries, those “other influences” sound like they could be related to uncertainty of Britain’s exit from the European Union – and uncertainty as to how long the uncertainty will last.
The Leaf’s base price jumps to £27,995, up £1,805, even after the government subsidy of £3,500. That’s in a class that includes the likes of the Volkswagen e-Golf and Hyundai Ioniq Electric, and it’s for the base model rated at 168 miles of range in the UK.
However, the Leaf e+ (Leaf Plus in the U.S.) is now in full production for the UK and boasts much more standard equipment and 239 miles of range, which is more competitive with the likes of the Kia e-Niro.
And Nissan might be OK thinking it can stop subsidizing the Leaf’s base price so much, considering it has about a third of the EV market in the UK and is still wildly popular among electrics in Europe.
Source: Autocar