Grey imports: How a Canberra couple obtained first long-range Nissan Leaf

The Driven

A Canberra couple has documented their journey buying a 62kWh e+ Nissan Leaf – a long range variant of the popular electric vehicle offered by Nissan overseas but not in Australia – as a “grey import”.

Grey imports offer a chance for people to buy models – and more recently also variants – of vehicles not offered in Australia, both new and secondhand.

Recent changes to the grey import laws, coupled with a small number of new electric models available locally, means that models like the 62kWh Leaf (which is only available new here with a 40kWh battery) could help fill a gap in the lagging local EV market.

A recent Evenergi report covered by The Driven has also touted a business model that would see more electric vehicles brought into Australia, where a lack of policy has forced car makers to direct new stock overseas.

While this plan has met with considerable opposition from the local car industry, it hasn’t stopped Shane and Karen Maher who will take ownership of their new Nissan Leaf from Japan in August.

“To our knowledge it will be the first privately imported e+ Nissan Leaf into Australia,” the couple, who flew to New Zealand to test drive the vehicle, citing a lack of adequate charging infrastructure in Australia for a five day test drive, told The Driven.

To read the full version of this story – and view the photo gallery – on RenewEconomy’s electric vehicle dedicated site, The Driven, click here…

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