Having to wait for 2013 LEAF might not be so bad

leaf-solar-out1editors-blog-entry3So, I’m slowly starting to come around – and maybe this is what Nissan expected all of us April 2010 reservers in the Forgotten 36 U.S. states (meaning all the states which aren’t official rollout markets for the LEAF) might do anyway.

The longer I have to wait, the more I don’t want a 2011 or 2012 LEAF. I want a 2013 LEAF.

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Actually, Nissan just officially slammed the door on 2011 LEAFs after delivering about 4,000 here in the U.S. Now, when I log into my LEAF account, it says “2011 LEAF is now sold out.”

So no worries about “having” to settle for a 2011 LEAF anyway – not that there ever really were any, except among perhaps the most optimistic (and naïve?) Forgotten 36 reservations holders.

So, how worried are those of us who hold a April 2010 reservation for a LEAF from the Forgotten 36 that we might get stuck with a 2012 LEAF?

2013 LEAF to have 6.6 kW charger
“Worried”? “Stuck”? What are you talking about!?

Well, the way I see it, if I’m going to have to wait another year or so to get a LEAF, it might as well be one equipped with a 6.6 kW onboard charger, you know, one capable of getting the car charged in four hours from a 240-volt charging station rather than the eight hours 2011 and 2012 LEAF owners are looking at with their 3.3 kW onboard chargers.

The so-called “cold weather” package (heated seats, battery heater, etc.) slated to come with the 2012 LEAF doesn’t fire me up at all — although we do live in a clear four-season climate that can sometimes see real wintry weather.

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But the 6.6 kW charger, that’s another thing altogether. That’s worth waiting for!

Getting used to the wait
Plus, the longer we wait – we’re closing in on a 1 ½ years since we made our LEAF reservation and ticking – the more used to waiting I get.

And, after such a long wait, waiting a few months longer to get a clearly better-equipped 2013 LEAF might not feel so bad.

In fact, I don’t want a 2012 if I’m going to be among the last to get a 2012 before the 2013s arrive in the U.S., I’m guessing (or maybe naively hoping?), sometime about a year from now.

What about you – what are your thoughts on this?

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