Nissan has just announced a new ad campaign, leading up to a new Leaf commercial in September, you can watch some of the other commercials in the campaign now on Youtube! Links below, followed by the Nissan Press release

Innovation that Lasts, Kidzilla - Video 1
Innovations, Video 2
Innovation for Safety, Brake Override - Video 3
Innovation for Daddy, Father to Be - Video 4



NISSAN LAUNCHES ‘INNOVATION FOR ALL’ BRAND CAMPAIGN TO BUILD ON US MARKET GROWTH

New campaign to feature full line of Nissan vehicles, innovations that drive them

FRANKLIN, Tenn. (Aug. 25, 2010) – Nissan North America, Inc. (NNA) today announced a significant new marketing initiative to showcase the strength of Nissan’s innovative product portfolio and build on 10 straight months of sales growth for the Nissan brand in the U.S. market. The campaign, to be headlined under the theme “Innovation for All,” will launch on Aug. 28 and permeate a variety of medium and targets over the next several months.

“Innovation for All” will begin with a series of five television spots that capture Nissan’s history, track record and process of innovation. The campaign features the full line of Nissan products – from the 100-percent electric Nissan LEAF and Altima mid-size sedan to the Z sports car, Titan full-size pickup truck and cube ® activity vehicle. The versatile campaign also will appear in print and online with a consistent look and feel.

“Innovation has been the heart and soul of the Nissan brand for nearly 100 years,” said Jon Brancheau, vice president, Marketing, NNA. “‘Innovation for All’ isn’t simply a new marketing idea. It’s the very foundation of Nissan worldwide. This campaign captures Nissan’s spirit and continued drive towards innovation – not just for the elite, but for everyone.”

The campaign, developed by longtime partners TBWA\Chiat\Day Los Angeles, depicts Nissan’s innovation through a series of stories that are in turn whimsical, heartwarming, technology-minded, spirited and poignant. “We’re sharing Nissan stories that are as exciting, intelligent and innovative as the brand itself,” said Rob Schwartz, chief creative officer, TBWA\Chiat\Day Los Angeles.

The first of the “Innovation” ads will debut Aug. 28 during the ESPN College Football Preview Show:

·         “Innovations” – A celebration of Nissan’s current innovations, including smart phone apps, recycled materials, air purifiers, the Juke – the world’s first Sports Cross – and the 100-percent electric Nissan LEAF.

The second set of ad spots, set to air beginning Sept 1, include:

·         “Baby” – A soon-to-be dad transforms his 370Z into a Maxima sports sedan for the arrival of his first child.

·         “Kidzilla” – A little boy’s toy car collection endures a beating, from dog-chewing to water plunges, but the Nissan Altima remains unscathed – just like in the real world.

·         “Dime” – One of the most important safety innovations that Nissan delivers in every new car is its brake override system. This ad shows that a Nissan truly can stop on a dime.

Sept. 9 marks the debut of “Polar Bear,” a highlight of the “Innovation for All” campaign as it previews the Nissan LEAF – the world’s first mass market, affordable zero-emission 100-percent electric vehicle. In this story, a polar bear journeys from the icy Arctic through forests, highways, train tracks and over bridges to the big city and then on to the suburbs, where the animal finds someone who is trying to help – the owner of an all-electric Nissan LEAF.

The “Innovation for All” campaign represents a significant marketing initiative for Nissan, aiming to deliver over 200,000,000 media impressions before the end of 2010.

In North America, Nissan's operations include automotive styling, engineering, consumer and corporate financing, sales and marketing, distribution and manufacturing.  Nissan is dedicated to improving the environment under the Nissan Green Program 2010 and has been recognized as a 2010 ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year by the U.S Environmental Protection Agency. More information on Nissan in North America and the complete line of Nissan and Infiniti vehicles can be found online at www.NissanUSA.com and www.InfinitiUSA.com.

PRESS RELEASE

Nissan Announces National Market Roll-Out Plan for Zero-Emission Nissan LEAF

- More than half of 17,000 reservations located in initial launch markets -

SAN JOSE, Calif., July 27 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Today, nearly 17,000 future Nissan LEAF drivers are learning when the world's first affordable all-electric, zero-emission vehicle will be available in their markets. Consumers who have placed reservations for the Nissan LEAF received a communication today regarding market timing and next steps in ordering the all-electric vehicle.

Nissan LEAF first will be available to consumers in December, in California, Washington, Oregon, Arizona and Tennessee. These areas are home to The EV Project – the largest electric vehicle and infrastructure deployment ever undertaken. The EV Project is a result of a partnership with charging infrastructure provider ECOtality and partially funded by a grant from the U.S. Dept. of Energy. Customers in these first five launch states, who represent more than 55 percent of total Nissan LEAF reservations, will be able to place firm orders for the Nissan LEAF starting in August.

Nissan LEAF will be introduced to Texas and Hawaii shortly thereafter, in January 2011; North Carolina, Florida, Georgia, Washington DC, Virginia, Maryland, South Carolina and Alabama follow in April 2011; and be rolled-out to the balance of the nation beginning in Fall 2011 with availability in all markets nationwide by the end of that year.

"We are pleased to see so many people making a choice for a zero-emission future by placing reservations for the Nissan LEAF," said Brian Carolin, senior vice president, Sales and Marketing, Nissan North America. "Consumer feedback and market readiness have been key drivers in developing our phased rollout. Nissan is able to target areas of customer demand for early launch, while continuing to work in future markets to ensure the continued success of electric vehicles."

Nissan North America also is informing its consumers that the lithium-ion battery pack that powers the Nissan LEAF will carry a warranty of 8 years or 100,000 miles – matching U.S. market competitive conditions.

Consumers who have reserved the Nissan LEAF online will be invited to place orders through their dealer for the vehicle in advance of market roll-out timing, allowing time for consumers to select a dealer and assess home charging needs. Nissan is continuing to take reservations for the Nissan LEAF through its website, www.NissanUSA.com. Interested consumers are encouraged to place a reservation, which entails a $99 fully refundable fee to secure a spot on the list to place an order.

The reservations process has educated Nissan about more than just geographic distribution. Some information we've learned about future Nissan LEAF drivers includes:

* Favorite color: The favorite color of Nissan LEAF owners is blue. More than 30 percent of reservations are for blue Nissan LEAF electric cars. Silver is a close second, at about 26 percent. The remaining reservations are close to evenly split among red, black and white.
* Trim level: About 75 percent of Nissan LEAF orders are for the SL trim level, which adds a rearview monitor, solar panel spoiler, fog lights, and automatic headlights.
* Home and Parking: About 75 percent of people who placed reservations own a single-family home. About 68 percent have attached garages, while an additional 18 percent have detached garages or carports. Home ownership and dedicated parking are important factors for Nissan LEAF drivers who plan to charge their vehicles at home.
* Purchase time: About 67 percent of Nissan LEAF reservations holders have indicated that they'd be ready to purchase or lease a Nissan LEAF within one year of placing the reservation. An additional 24 percent indicated they would be ready in one to two years.
* Interests: Several primary interests are inspiring people to order a Nissan LEAF. Cited interests include energy independence (35 percent); environmental consciousness (34 percent); and cost/fuel economy (20 percent).


In North America, Nissan's operations include automotive design, engineering, consumer and corporate financing, sales and marketing, distribution and manufacturing. Nissan is dedicated to improving the environment under the Nissan Green Program 2010, whose key priorities are reducing CO2 emissions, cutting other emissions and increasing recycling. More information on the Nissan LEAF and zero emissions can be found at www.nissanusa.com.

SOURCE Nissan North America

So apparently Coulomb Technologies will be announcing (on Thursday July 8th) that they received a grant to install 1600 charging stations in certain parts of California. I’m not quite clear on if these will be home charging stations or something else, but if they are home stations let me be first on the list!

I’m in the target area, between San Francisco and San Jose! Apparently they will also be available in Sacramento and Los Angeles. If anyone from Coulomb reads this, consider me totally interested. I’ll gladly share all sorts of data! :)

source autoblog green

Damn, I should start taking the 101 to work more often, wish I had seen this (not sure when it was taken, but it was very near my house/work!)!

We've got the scoop, hear it here first! Check out the new Nissan Leaf iAd announcement and video!

I must say, after watching this, as a die-hard Android user I have to think maybe a iPhone would work? bah I can't think like that

Nissan and its zero-emission Nissan LEAF are proud to be one of the first brands and the only automotive brand to date to use Apple’s innovative iAd for iPhone.  Just like the iPhone, Nissan LEAF is 100% electric and 100% in demand as the world’s first mass-production, zero-emission car.  iAds will help Nissan continue to reach the early adopters and target customers who have already placed more than 15,000 reservations for the Nissan LEAF, which will be available beginning in December with full mass-market availability by 2012.

The video demonstrates the functionality that the new iAd format - - launching TODAY July 1 by Apple for iPhone - - offers the millions of iPhone users interested in learning more about Zero Emission Mobility and the new Nissan LEAF.

So there has been some discussion here on LeafOwner.com about the potential that dealers will try to price gouge when the Leaf comes out. I recently went to visit a local Nissan Dealer, Boardwalk Nissan in Redwood City and will admit I didn't have the best of experiences, they didn't have ANY info on the Leaf at the time, I am hoping that has changed, so I just reached out to a sales guy who contacted me due to the previous sales guy I was dealing with having left.

So here's what I emailed the guy, I'll post back to this thread later when I hear back, assuming I hear back.

NAME REMOVED,

Thanks for the phone call last night. I do have a few questions that I could use your assistance.

I have money down on a Leaf (I paid $99 back on 4/20), I realize they aren't going to be available until December, but was wondering if you had any more info about them?

Here's what I currently know. By the end of this month Nissan will be contacting me to give me more info. Sometime this summer they will send out an electrician to the house to see if installing a charger is possible or not, and to give an estimate of what that cost will be. This fall they are going to be doing some driving promotions where you can test drive a Leaf. This fall those who are interested will work with a dealer to purchase the car. Then sometime starting in December a lucky few who preordered the Leaf will get them delivered, I am hoping because we are in the bay area that I have a good shot at getting one of the first, also because I preregistered very early on.

I am looking for a dealer who is going to sell me a Leaf at or below MSRP, I am not willing to pay a markup cost for this car, and I will find a dealer that will sell me one at a good price, even if I have to tow the car home to do it. I would hope that Boardwalk Nissan can do this, but I have never purchased a car from you guys so I don't know what to expect yet.

I'm a Nissan kind of guy, I have a 350z currently (my second one) and I've owned a 240z and 280z as well. My wife and I were in at Boardwalk looking at Jettas, that was for her as a replacement for the F-250 she drives right now (for that horse trailer we talked about). The Leaf would be my commuter car if I get one.

Thanks for your help,

Chris

Have you reached out to a dealer? Had any luck?

Chris, thank you for reserving a Nissan LEAF™. you live in an area that will be one of the first to start the order process, which begins in August and continues for the next few months. during this time, you'll be notified when to contact your dealer. together, you will confirm your options, and talk about price, trade-ins and any incentives that are available. 

So today my wife and I headed up to Sacramento (110 miles or so from where we live). In case you hadn’t heard there’s this little thing going on in the state this week, called the Amgen Tour Of California, only the largest bicycle race in the United States. While I have attended a bike race or two in the past, and taken quite a few photos at them, the race itself was not the reason we headed up there.

On Friday we received an email that Nissan would be travelling around with the bike race with a Nissan Leaf in tow, setting up at the finish festivals letting the public see the car. Since I registered for the opportunity to purchase a Leaf on 4/20, I’ve been stoked about this whole process, and I just had to see the car in person. So the wife and I hopped into the Project350z and drove up to Sacramento for a few hours.

We got up there, found a decent parking space and headed off to walk around the various vendors trying to track down the Leaf! We ended up seeing all the vendors and finding the Nissan booth last. I spent probably an hour or so there, taking various photos, looking the car over, and talking to various reps who were there. Unfortunately the car was pretty much on lockdown, you could get close to it, but couldn’t open up any of the fun parts! The windows were up on this sunny beautiful day, and unfortunately that caused for some glare problems with trying to take interior pictures. I took 152 photos, but after trying to filter through some of them we’ve uploaded a large number of them.

Hopefully by taking a look at some of these photos you’ll see different things on the Leaf that you might not have seen in other photos that have been published elsewhere.

We didn’t learn too much different from the event, but it was nice to see the car in person. The only major thing I learned was that in addition to the $7500 government tax credit, California residents may be able to get a $5000 tax rebate, as well as the rebates for the charger installation. That could really make the Leaf a no brainer!

Here are some of the photos, though be sure to check out the full listing of photos from the Amgen Tour Of California Stage 1

• Through the Nissan LEAF website via NissanUSA.com, the customer will create an account, configure his or her vehicle, and answer questions to complete a driving profile.
• Consumers will be asked to pay a fully refundable $99 reservation fee by credit card.
• After placing a reservation, a customer will be able to indicate a preferred dealer. 
• Consumers who reserve a Nissan LEAF will receive confirmation numbers. Nissan will provide individual updates for their reservations by June 30. 
• Reservations are limited to one per household. 
• Consumer inquiries about the reservation process can be answered at the Nissan LEAF call center, 1-877-664-2738.

Nissan is a proud sponsor of the Amgen Tour of California. The largest cycling event in America, the 2010 Amgen Tour of California is a Tour de France-style cycling road race, presented by AEG, that challenges the world’s top professional cycling teams to compete along a demanding course. 
Visit the Nissan booth at the Finish Line Festival at each stage of the Tour, and you’ll have the chance to see and enter to win the all new, 100% electric, zero tailpipe emissions Nissan LEAF™. See dates and locations below.
STAGE 1: May 16, 2010, 11am-4:30pm
MBT Lifestyle Festival, L St & 11 St, Sacramento, CA 
STAGE 2: May 17, 2010, 11am-4:30pm
MBT Lifestyle Festival, Santa Rosa Ave & 3rd St, Santa Rosa, CA
STAGE 3: May 18, 2010, 11am-4:30pm
MBT Lifestyle Festival, Beach St & Riverside St, Santa Cruz, CA
STAGE 4: May 19, 2010, 11am-4:30pm 
MBT Lifestyle Festival, 12th St & I St, Modesto, CA
STAGE 5: May 19, 2010, 11am-4:30pm 
MBT Lifestyle Festival, Panorama Dr & Mt Vernon Ave, Bakersfield, CA
STAGE 6: May 20, 2010, 11am-4:30pm
MBT Lifestyle Festival, 880 Summit Blvd, Big Bear Lake, CA
STAGE 7: May 21, 2010, 11am-4:30pm
MBT Lifestyle Festival, 880 Summit Blvd, Chick Hearn Ct & Figueroa Dr, Los Angeles, CA
STAGE 8: May 21, 2010, 11am-4:30pm 
MBT Lifestyle Festival, 880 Summit Blvd, Townsgate Rd & Village Glen, Thousand Oaks, CA
www.amgentourofcalifornia.com/