Nissan: "Everyone in their Leaf" by end of summer

Buried within an article found in the San Jose Mercury News is a tidbit of information that might help clarify Nissan's delivery plans for its all-electric Leaf. The news story mostly talks about Olivier Chalouhi, the first non-celebrity to take delivery of the automaker's electric hatch, but Nissan spokesman Tim Gallagher also reveals that the Leaf's widespread roll out will kick off soon, telling the Mercury News: "By the end of summer, our goal is to have everyone in their car."

Gallagher's word implies that Nissan intends to fill all 20,000 U.S. orders placed for its electric hatch by the end of summer 2011. If this is true, then we expect Nissan to shift into high gear and start delivering, oh, a thousand or so Leafs per week before too long. As we've reported before, there can sometimes be a discrepancy between the words of the automaker and those of customers awaiting delivery of their Leaf, but Gallagher's words make us think those times might be over.

[Source: Mercury News]