Nissan Leaf unexpectedly drawing in the oldies; 84% are over 40

A lot is happening over at Nissan's Oppama facility in Japan this week. Test drives of the production Leaf are underway as we speak and Nissan is slowly letting some more information trickle out. From those detailed range numbers to the pedestrian warning whistle and now even some demographic info, Nissan is letting it all hang out. Looking at those early demographic numbers for Japan, we discover that the game-changing Leaf is an unexpected hit among older buyers.

According to Nissan's announcement, older buyers have shown a strong interest in the electric car during the Leaf's pre-order period. In fact, more than one out of three (34 percent) potential buyers are over the age of 60. In addition, buyers between the age of 40 and 60 account for 50 percent of pre-orders. When you add it all up, an unexpected 84 percent of potential Leaf buyers are over the age of 40. Here's something that might be equally as surprising: fewer than five percent of Leaf buyers are in their 20s. Why does the car of the future appeal to the older crowd while being shunned by the younger generation of tech-savvy kids? Who knows, but we'd guess it has something to do with the price tag that puts it out of reach for your typical compact car buyer.

[Source: The Age, Nissan-Leaf]