Nissan Leaf headed to South Africa in 2013

It’s official. Nissan will launch the Leaf in South Africa “as soon as conditions allow.”

While addressing attendees at the 2011 Johannesburg International Motor Show, Pierre Loing, Nissan’s vice-president of product and strategy, told showgoers that the success of the award-winning Leaf has paved the way for acceptance of electric vehicle technology.

Following recent discussions with South Africa’s government, Nissan now intends to release the Leaf there, possibly within the next two years. Nissan South Africa managing director Mike Whitfield stated:

We intend to bring the Leaf to South Africa in 2013, subject to confirmation of government policy on charging infrastructure and customer incentives. There is more work to do before we can confirm its launch in South Africa but this underline both Nissan’s, and this country’s, commitment to delivering a more sustainable future for road transport.

The moral of this story seems awful similar to that “Field of Dreams” flick: If you build the infrastructure, the Leaf will come.