Leasing is playing a big part in sales of plug-in electric vehicles (EVs), as they are much higher in MSRP than comparable fuel efficient ICE vehicles, and keeping payments in check is part of the marketing for now. Mitsubishi has an arrangement with Ally Financial for lease as low as $249 a month for its “I” electric car, about $40 less than lease payments for the Nissan Leaf. Mitsubishi drivers put down $3,498 for a 36-month lease, with the car listed at $30,675 MSRP. Not long ago, Nissan dropped lease payments for its Leaf as low as $289 a month from $349, but it extended the lease to 39 months and increased the down payment by $1,000 to $2,999.
For the Honda Fit EV, owners are paying $389 for a 36-month lease. While higher than competitors such as Mitsubishi and Nissan, it is a zero down lease. The plug-in electric vehicle is far only available in California and Oregon, and will be expanding to six East Coast marketing in early 2013. So far, the EV in this category (non-luxury electric sedan) that has the highest price point is the Ford Focus Electric, with its $439 a month payment, $2,490 down payment, $595 acquisition fee, and $3,524 due at signing.
