Nissan “Disappointed” by U.S. Demand for Leaf EV

Nissan Motor Co. is disappointed that sales of its Leaf electric car are falling short of the company's goal of selling 20,000 units in America this year. So says Nissan Executive Vice President Andy Palmer, whose duties include global product planning and marketing communications.

CEO Carlos Ghosn predicted in January that the Leaf would double last year's U.S. volume to reach 20,000 units in the 2012 calendar year. But in the first nine months of this year, demand for the EV has plunged 28% year over year to 5,200 units.

Palmer tells reporters Nissan hasn't yet abandoned its goal but now expects to double sales in the fiscal year ending March 31, 2013. But he adds that hitting the target is "pretty irrelevant" in the long-term scheme of EV sales growth.

Palmer acknowledges that the company has been "pretty lousy" at communicating with Leaf customers. One mistake he cites: Not impressing on new owners that performance would vary depending on climate and driving conditions.

A group of Leaf owners in Arizona have griped that the car's range is diminished in hot weather. Last month Nissan announced the creation of a global advisory board to improve EV communications.

Palmer denies rumors that the retirement last month of Mark Perry, director of product planning and advanced technology, was related to Leaf performance issues.