Chris Hammond is

Chris Hammond

Chris Hammond

is a father, husband, leader, developer, photographer and car guy. Chris has long specialized in ASP.NET and DotNetNuke (DNN) development, so you will find a variety of posts relating to those topics. For more information check out the about Chris Hammond page.

If you are looking for DotNetNuke consulting please visit Christoc.com Software Solutions

Find me on Twitter, GitHub and LinkedIn.

Nissan Leaf Posts

Nothing like last minute notices..

Today only, from 11am-1pm there will be a Nissan Leaf at Boardwalk Nissan in Redwood City. You can visit, take a look, and I hear even sit in it. I might head down over lunch and take some photos, haven't quite decided yet.

C
If you're interested in test driving a Nissan Leaf get ready. Nissan just posted a schedule for events that you can sign up to drive the cars. You have to RSVP, and it doesn't look like all the events are open yet.

https://drivenissanleaf.com/Event/Def...

choose a tour stop

click on view details for more information about the tour stop and schedule your Nissan LEAF™ drive time

tour stop state city dates  
AltCar Expo CA Santa Monica 10.1.2010 - 10.3.2010 view details
Orange County Auto Show CA Anaheim 10.8.2010 - 10.10.2010 view details
NTC Promenade CA San Diego 10.15.2010 - 10.17.2010 view details
Westfield Century City CA Los Angeles 10.22.2010 - 10.24.2010 view details
Dean Karnazes Silicon Valley Marathon CA San Jose 10.29.2010 - 10.31.2010 view details
SolarWorld OR Hillsboro 11.5.2010 - 11.7.2010 view details
Westfield Southcenter WA Seattle 11.12.2010 - 11.14.2010 view details
San Francisco International Auto Show CA San Francisco 11.20.2010 - 11.28.2010 view details
Tempe Festival of the Arts AZ Tempe 12.3.2010 - 12.5.2010 view details
4th Avenue Winter Street Fair AZ Tucson 12.10.2010 - 12.12.2010 view details
The Domain TX Austin 12.17.2010 - 12.19.2010 view details
coming soon TX Houston 1.7.2011 - 1.9.2011
coming soon TX Dallas 1.14.2011 - 1.16.2011
coming soon FL Jacksonville 1.21.2011 - 1.23.2011
coming soon FL Miami 1.28.2011 - 1.30.2011
coming soon FL Orlando 2.4.2011 - 2.6.2011
coming soon GA Atlanta 2.11.2011 - 2.13.2011
coming soon TN Chattanooga 2.18.2011 - 2.20.2011
coming soon TN Knoxville 2.25.2011 - 2.27.2011
coming soon NC Charlotte 3.4.2011 - 3.6.2011
coming soon NC Raleigh 3.11.2011 - 3.13.2011
coming soon DC Washington 3.18.2011 - 3.20.2011
coming soon TN Nashville 3.25.2011 - 3.27.2011

Leaf UpdateSo Nissan has started sending out emails to "request a quote" from your dealer. I got mine this afternoon and jumped! We'll see what Boardwalk Nissan does now ;) (hey Brendan, remember all those kind words I had, would ya?)

"Hi Chris. We have some exciting news. You can now request a quote* from your local Nissan Dealer and place an order for your Nissan LEAF™. 

We appreciate your support of Nissan LEAF, and we're happy to say that you'll soon be one step closer to owning one.

To get started, click below."

I priced the car out at just over $35k, and said I was interested in Leasing the car. I figure if I'm ever going to lease a car this will be it. I don't hold on to cars for very long, so a 3 year Lease will actually be pushing it for me, but I'm gonna be a father soon, perhaps it's time to grow up :D 

Nissan Leaf Commercial Polar Bear
Nissan has just announced a new ad campaign, leading up to a new Leaf commercial in September, you can watch some of the other commercials in the campaign now on Youtube! Links below, followed by the Nissan Press release

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XwL0SYcmdg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cRvIxi0MgNg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C0tcR2dU6HQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=96-gXmVcj0g



NISSAN LAUNCHES ‘INNOVATION FOR ALL’ BRAND CAMPAIGN TO BUILD ON US MARKET GROWTH

New campaign to feature full line of Nissan vehicles, innovations that drive them

 

FRANKLIN, Tenn. (Aug. 25, 2010) – Nissan North America, Inc. (NNA) today announced a significant new marketing initiative to showcase the strength of Nissan’s innovative product portfolio and build on 10 straight months of sales growth for the Nissan brand in the U.S. market. The campaign, to be headlined under the theme “Innovation for All,” will launch on Aug. 28 and permeate a variety of medium and targets over the next several months.

 

“Innovation for All” will begin with a series of five television spots that capture Nissan’s history, track record and process of innovation. The campaign features the full line of Nissan products – from the 100-percent electric Nissan LEAF and Altima mid-size sedan to the Z sports car, Titan full-size pickup truck and cube ® activity vehicle. The versatile campaign also will appear in print and online with a consistent look and feel.

 

“Innovation has been the heart and soul of the Nissan brand for nearly 100 years,” said Jon Brancheau, vice president, Marketing, NNA. “‘Innovation for All’ isn’t simply a new marketing idea. It’s the very foundation of Nissan worldwide. This campaign captures Nissan’s spirit and continued drive towards innovation – not just for the elite, but for everyone.”

 

The campaign, developed by longtime partners TBWA\Chiat\Day Los Angeles, depicts Nissan’s innovation through a series of stories that are in turn whimsical, heartwarming, technology-minded, spirited and poignant. “We’re sharing Nissan stories that are as exciting, intelligent and innovative as the brand itself,” said Rob Schwartz, chief creative officer, TBWA\Chiat\Day Los Angeles.

 

The first of the “Innovation” ads will debut Aug. 28 during the ESPN College Football Preview Show:

·         “Innovations” – A celebration of Nissan’s current innovations, including smart phone apps, recycled materials, air purifiers, the Juke – the world’s first Sports Cross – and the 100-percent electric Nissan LEAF.

 

The second set of ad spots, set to air beginning Sept 1, include:

·         “Baby” – A soon-to-be dad transforms his 370Z into a Maxima sports sedan for the arrival of his first child.

·         “Kidzilla” – A little boy’s toy car collection endures a beating, from dog-chewing to water plunges, but the Nissan Altima remains unscathed – just like in the real world.

·         “Dime” – One of the most important safety innovations that Nissan delivers in every new car is its brake override system. This ad shows that a Nissan truly can stop on a dime.

 

Sept. 9 marks the debut of “Polar Bear,” a highlight of the “Innovation for All” campaign as it previews the Nissan LEAF – the world’s first mass market, affordable zero-emission 100-percent electric vehicle. In this story, a polar bear journeys from the icy Arctic through forests, highways, train tracks and over bridges to the big city and then on to the suburbs, where the animal finds someone who is trying to help – the owner of an all-electric Nissan LEAF.

 

The “Innovation for All” campaign represents a significant marketing initiative for Nissan, aiming to deliver over 200,000,000 media impressions before the end of 2010.

 

In North America, Nissan's operations include automotive styling, engineering, consumer and corporate financing, sales and marketing, distribution and manufacturing.  Nissan is dedicated to improving the environment under the Nissan Green Program 2010 and has been recognized as a 2010 ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year by the U.S Environmental Protection Agency. More information on Nissan in North America and the complete line of Nissan and Infiniti vehicles can be found online at www.NissanUSA.com and www.InfinitiUSA.com.

So have your dealers started calling you to ask what your order date is? I got a call from Boardwalk today. I said very positive things about Brendan, I hope that doesn't come back to burn me ;)

I was told by the GM that there would likely be no test drives before they get a demo vehicle in December, I sure as help hope that isn't true. Nissan has been saying driving tours will happen sometime this fall.
Myself and a buddy headed down to Plugin2010's public night down in San Jose this evening. To be honest, there wasn't much to be learned there, though there were a few interesting things to see.

They had the usual blue Leaf that has been around California a few times now (I've tracked it down and photo graphed it twice), though tonight was a little different. There were no red ropes this time, so people could get right up on the car. It was mostly unlocked, but they weren't too happy when people opened the doors (I swear I didn't! but saw a few try). The car was cleaner than when it was out on display in the open as I've seen it before, though had a number of finger prints on it by the end of the night. They also had the various accessory lights on, see some of my photos for those.

Nissan also had a battery pack on display, that was cool to see. 
Nissan Leaf Battery Pack IMG_5501

In addition to the Nissan info, there was an AV Charger there on display, I got a number of photos from that.
IMG_2491 IMG_2489 
IMG_2488


In addition to the AV charger on display there were a TON of other chargers available. I talked to one of the Coulomb Tech reps for a bit (I think he was a founder of the company) and he seemed to talk like their charging units (mainly the free ones) would only be made available to the GM/Ford/Smart car buyers, not to Nissan Leaf buyers, but we'll see how that plays out. Since they are local I am hoping to reach out to them again soon and see what more info they can provide.

Check out all of the rest of the photos posted from the night
Here's a quick rundown of what's been posted on NissanUSA.com

State by State Info
August 2010-
Arizona, California, Oregon, Tennessee, Washington
September 2010- Hawaii, Texas
December 2010- Alabama, Dist. of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia
Fall/Winter 2011- Remaining 36 states

Coming in Late August the website will get
the Nissan LEAF payment estimator - estimate your monthly lease or finance payment
enhanced vehicle configurator - an eco design package, hologram kickplates and more factory accessories will be available through our enhanced configurator
updated range and battery lifecycle information - more on how Nissan LEAF fits your driving lifestyle

and in the fall
the 100% electric Nissan LEAF tour will commence Fall 2010. the tour will feature a test drive* for LEAF reservation holders, information on public charging infrastructure and home charging options. tour dates and locations will be communicated in September.

check out http://www.nissanusa.com/leaf-electri... for more info
Good news today on the Nissan Leaf front! They bowed to the pressure from all of us at LeafOwner.com (kidding of course) and went with a 8yr 100k mile warranty for the leaf!
http://green.autoblog.com/2010/07/27/...


PRESS RELEASE

Nissan Announces National Market Roll-Out Plan for Zero-Emission Nissan LEAF

- More than half of 17,000 reservations located in initial launch markets -

SAN JOSE, Calif., July 27 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Today, nearly 17,000 future Nissan LEAF drivers are learning when the world's first affordable all-electric, zero-emission vehicle will be available in their markets. Consumers who have placed reservations for the Nissan LEAF received a communication today regarding market timing and next steps in ordering the all-electric vehicle.

Nissan LEAF first will be available to consumers in December, in California, Washington, Oregon, Arizona and Tennessee. These areas are home to The EV Project – the largest electric vehicle and infrastructure deployment ever undertaken. The EV Project is a result of a partnership with charging infrastructure provider ECOtality and partially funded by a grant from the U.S. Dept. of Energy. Customers in these first five launch states, who represent more than 55 percent of total Nissan LEAF reservations, will be able to place firm orders for the Nissan LEAF starting in August.

Nissan LEAF will be introduced to Texas and Hawaii shortly thereafter, in January 2011; North Carolina, Florida, Georgia, Washington DC, Virginia, Maryland, South Carolina and Alabama follow in April 2011; and be rolled-out to the balance of the nation beginning in Fall 2011 with availability in all markets nationwide by the end of that year.

"We are pleased to see so many people making a choice for a zero-emission future by placing reservations for the Nissan LEAF," said Brian Carolin, senior vice president, Sales and Marketing, Nissan North America. "Consumer feedback and market readiness have been key drivers in developing our phased rollout. Nissan is able to target areas of customer demand for early launch, while continuing to work in future markets to ensure the continued success of electric vehicles."

Nissan North America also is informing its consumers that the lithium-ion battery pack that powers the Nissan LEAF will carry a warranty of 8 years or 100,000 miles – matching U.S. market competitive conditions.

Consumers who have reserved the Nissan LEAF online will be invited to place orders through their dealer for the vehicle in advance of market roll-out timing, allowing time for consumers to select a dealer and assess home charging needs. Nissan is continuing to take reservations for the Nissan LEAF through its website, www.NissanUSA.com. Interested consumers are encouraged to place a reservation, which entails a $99 fully refundable fee to secure a spot on the list to place an order.

The reservations process has educated Nissan about more than just geographic distribution. Some information we've learned about future Nissan LEAF drivers includes:

* Favorite color: The favorite color of Nissan LEAF owners is blue. More than 30 percent of reservations are for blue Nissan LEAF electric cars. Silver is a close second, at about 26 percent. The remaining reservations are close to evenly split among red, black and white.
* Trim level: About 75 percent of Nissan LEAF orders are for the SL trim level, which adds a rearview monitor, solar panel spoiler, fog lights, and automatic headlights.
* Home and Parking: About 75 percent of people who placed reservations own a single-family home. About 68 percent have attached garages, while an additional 18 percent have detached garages or carports. Home ownership and dedicated parking are important factors for Nissan LEAF drivers who plan to charge their vehicles at home.
* Purchase time: About 67 percent of Nissan LEAF reservations holders have indicated that they'd be ready to purchase or lease a Nissan LEAF within one year of placing the reservation. An additional 24 percent indicated they would be ready in one to two years.
* Interests: Several primary interests are inspiring people to order a Nissan LEAF. Cited interests include energy independence (35 percent); environmental consciousness (34 percent); and cost/fuel economy (20 percent).


In North America, Nissan's operations include automotive design, engineering, consumer and corporate financing, sales and marketing, distribution and manufacturing. Nissan is dedicated to improving the environment under the Nissan Green Program 2010, whose key priorities are reducing CO2 emissions, cutting other emissions and increasing recycling. More information on the Nissan LEAF and zero emissions can be found at www.nissanusa.com.

SOURCE Nissan North America

Nissan sent out an online survey asking about warranty and battery life for the Nissan Leaf.

From reading through the survey it looks like they are considering 5yr/60k warranties, or 8yr/100k warranties.

There is definitely a lot of information in the survey, and they ask a lot of "what would it take to make you not buy a Leaf". I was pretty strict on I won't accept a 5yr/60k mile warranty, I have no interest in the risk of being an early adopter of the Nissan Leaf if they aren't going to back the product with a very rigid warranty. 

Nissan Leaf Survey


Here are a couple more screenshots from the Survey

What was your overall response to the survey? Did you get it today? Did you fill it out? What do you think the Warranty should be?
RSS URL

2011 Nissan Leaf

For a brief moment in time I owned the 105th Nissan Leaf built and shipped to the USA. The posts below are about my Leaf adventure.