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TV Ads for 2018 Nissan Leaf

2K views 8 replies 5 participants last post by  redpoint5 
#1 ·
I have seen several full 30 second ads this week for the new 2018 Nissan Leaf. The most I have seen for the Bolt is a one second cameo in their First Time Chevy Owners campaign. Is Nissan wasting their money or does Chevy not believe in the Bolt?
 
#2 ·
My guess is the Leaf has higher profit margins on their car than Chevy (which might have negative margins according to some). You advertise the products that bring you money.

One reason Nissan might have higher margins is that it has a smaller battery, which is the most costly part of of the vehicle.
 
#4 · (Edited)
They get the packs from LG at a decent price, but under contracts that specify the volume years in advance. LG could sell GM a larger number, but if it needs to upscale its factory there will be a lead time.

IOW, I think GM decided how many Bolts to make 2017-2018 a couple years ago, ordered that many packs and drivetrains from LG, and that is exactly how many Bolts they will make. If they are selling at a reasonable price, why advertise?

Having a few tens of thousands of Bolts driving in N America is plenty for GM to collect long-term engineering data on how the Bolts are used, wear and handle things like fast charging. They would not want to do mass production until the mass market demand is there....

Our Bolts will give GM the courage to mass market Bolts and Bolt-derived models when (1) they judge the demand/price/profit to be there and (2) LG is ready to sell them enough packs at a price they like.
 
#6 ·
From behind, the new Leaf looks just like the Bolt. The one distinguishing feature is the tail lights. The two cars appear to be about the same size. The MSRP of the Leaf is significantly lower: about $5000 USD. That's the only reason I can imagine for anyone to choose the Leaf over the Bolt, unless they simply couldn't find a Bolt to purchase in a timely manner.
 
#7 ·
I've been in both, and my impression is that the Bolt has a higher 'CUV-like' seat, and better front and rear legroom and headroom. This comes at the expense of the cargo volume, which is bigger (longer front to back) in the LEAF (at least with the seat upright). On the outside, GM did a better job packing the drivetrain in the front, so the Bolt is shorter.
 
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