Interestingly, Tan Chong Motor introduced the Nissan Leaf in Malaysia in May 2013. However, The Nissan Leaf is currently only available as part of a pilot programme to create awareness of the car to the Malaysian government, members of the media, and the general public. In November 2013, Nissan is expected to officially release the Leaf, an all-electric vehicle, in Malaysia.
SEE ALSO: Electric Cars in Malaysia: An Overview
Nissan does its part to promote the Leaf
Nissan is not missing any opportunity to promote the Nissan Leaf either. Nissan was recently seen promoting the Leaf at the NST Autoshow 2013 held at the MATRADE Exhibition and Convention Center in Kuala Lumpur. Nissan also brought the Leaf to the IGEM (International Greentech & Eco Products Exhibition & Conference Malaysia) 2013.
Note that the Nissan Leaf is not the first electric vehicle to enter Malaysian shores. Mitsubishi has already beaten Nissan to that distinction by launching the Mitsubishi i-MiEV, which is retailing for around RM136,000.
Electric Vehicle charging stations in Malaysia
Charging the battery on electic vehicles is one of the the main bottlenecks in this emerging industry, especially in Malaysia where charging is very limited. Tan Chong Motor is tackling this problem though. First Energy Networks, a subsidiary of Tan Chong Motors, has set up charging stations at Sedang’s Petronas Solaris, Bangsar Shopping Center, Suria KLCC (the site of the IGEM 2013) and Lot 10. As of now, customers can use the charging bays for free, though it is not expected to be so for long.
On an ending note
The Nissan Leaf is expected to come with a hefty price tag of around RM200,000, so it remains to be seen how many units the company manages to sell in Malaysia. Tan Chong Motor itself has said that it does not expect to sell more than 10 units every month.
The car has received positive feedback in field tests. If you can handle the price tag and cope with the limited charging options, then you might want to consider Nissan Leaf when it arrives in November.
SEE ALSO: Electric Cars in Malaysia: An Overview
Photo Credit: Nissan
"ExpatGo welcomes and encourages comments, input, and divergent opinions. However, we kindly request that you use suitable language in your comments, and refrain from any sort of personal attack, hate speech, or disparaging rhetoric. Comments not in line with this are subject to removal from the site. "
