Franklin, Tennessee – Nissan will begin taking reservations for its new Leaf electric car in the U.S. in the spring of 2010, reporting that nearly 22,000 people in North America have contacted the company since the car’s unveiling in August.

“The groundswell of interest, especially from people in our initial launch markets, demonstrates to us the importance of a reservation system,” said Carlos Tavares, head of Nissan’s operations in North, Central and South America. “Our goal is to confirm at least 20,000 reservations for Nissan Leaf by the time we deliver the world’s first mass-market zero-emission car in late 2010.”

Leaf will initially be manufactured in Japan, but beginning in late 2012, Nissan will manufacture the car and its lithium-ion battery pack for the U.S. market at its plant in Smyrna, Tennessee.

Nissan will invite people to receive updates and information about Leaf through a reservation system that will tell them when the car is available, either for test drives or to take home. About 70 per cent who have contacted Leaf reside in markets where the all-electric car will first be brought to market, including San Diego, California; Tucson, Arizona; Seattle, Washington; Portland, Oregon; and Los Angeles. Of those who have contacted Nissan, about half report that they want a Leaf as soon as it’s available, while another 45 per cent indicate interest in owning an electric vehicle within the next two to three years.

Leaf will tour major markets in the U.S., beginning in Los Angeles in November. For more information, visit Nissan Leaf.