Receiving your new car is exciting, but to be the first in the country to receive a new model as well makes it truly special. Following the official launch of the 100% Electric Nissan LEAF at the Kuala Lumpur International Motor Show 2013 (KLIMS13) recently, the first proud owner of the 100% Electric Nissan LEAF was recently handed his keys by Edaran Tan Chong Motor (ETCM).
The very first LEAF owner in Malaysia was, however, ‘camera shy’ and preferred to remain low-profile, so one of his employees, Mr. Peter Mun and his wife instead represented him at the key handover ceremony which was held at the Nissan showroom in Petaling Jaya.
A detailed briefing was given on how to operate the car by an ETCM representative before getting behind the wheels of the brand new Nissan LEAF.
The LEAF owner, who is a strong advocate of eco-living, also owns his own business related to this cause. He said: “My family and I are very eco-conscious which explains why we were very excited when we got to know that the Nissan LEAF was finally available in Malaysia. We first got to know about this electric car through the LEAF Ambassador programme which was conducted last year and also saw the LEAF advertisements in newspapers. My family practices recycling as part of our lifestyle and we even collect rainwater to water our plants, clean the house, wash our clothes as well as clean our cars”.
“I will be getting my employees to utilize this LEAF as a company car as it is definitely cost-saving – there is no need to stop for petrol top-ups and no more worries about increases in fuel prices either! My wife can’t wait to drive this car to work as well as use it to run her errands. It feels good to know that we are doing something to contribute to the betterment of the environment. The best part about the LEAF is that it produces zero-emissions which is definitely kind to the environment.”
ETCM also handed over the keys to a 2nd LEAF Owner within the same week but, for security reasons, this owner does not wish to publicize his identity.
Prior to the handover to the first customer, ETCM installed two Electric Vehicle (EV) charger units; one at the owner’s home garage and another one at his office compound. The purchase of a Nissan LEAF comes together with one EV Charger that will be installed by ETCM at no extra cost at the owner’s preferred location.
Realizing the importance of having an EV charging infrastructure, ETCM, in partnership with First Energy Networks (FEN), has already installed EV charging stations around the Klang Valley, Penang, Malacca and Johor Bahru for the added convenience of LEAF owners. There are currently 15 public EV charging stations available and owners of EVs can use them at no charge for the time being. More EV charging stations will be installed in the future to extend the network.
The 100% Electric Nissan LEAF comes in 5 colour choices – Pearl White, Blue Ocean, Brilliant Silver, Metallic Slate and Super Black and is available for RM168,800.00 on the road.
