Word: richters
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...networks of charging stations. The effort isn't limited to Japan: Nissan has formed 27 partnerships around the world to clear the way for EVs. "They know people are going to need [an electric-vehicle ecosystem] and it's got to be part of the package," says Chris Richter, senior research analyst for CLSA, a Hong Kong-based brokerage. "Nissan is pulling together the whole package of subsidies, charging, recycling of batteries - the whole kit." (See the 12 most important cars of all time...
...rental company, to roll out EVs throughout European countries including France, Germany, Belgium, Spain, Italy and the U.K. from 2010. And the Renault-Nissan alliance has an agreement with Monaco to develop a charging network there over the next two years. "Charging stations are like a security blanket," says Richter. "People don't want to have to worry that they're going to be stuck...
...Another smart move for Nissan is what Richter calls the "batteries not included" approach. The lithium-ion batteries that power the Leaf are expensive - about $10,000 per car - so Nissan is leasing battery packs to buyers rather than selling them with the EV, reducing the sticker price...
...Nissan plans to build 50,000 EVs at its Oppama plant in its first full year of production. The company anticipates sales of 200,000 in 2012, when the car will be sold globally. Richter says 200,000 is a conservative goal. But Yoshida argues that it's far from certain drivers will switch. "There's still a big question mark [regarding sales] because of consumer perception caused by the limitation of driving range...
...make EVs an easier sell to those who might be put off by a high initial cost, Richter says, car companies are getting creative about pricing - for example, by allowing buyers to lease expensive battery packs to spread the cost over the lifetime of the car. The electricity required to run an electric car costs about a penny a mile, he says, compared with 10 cents a mile for a gas-powered vehicle. "Think of a battery as part of the fuel of the car," says Richter. "When you buy a new car you don't buy 10,000 gallons...