A new Nissan LEAF group buy in Texas brings the price of the electric vehicle down to $11,500

When successful, group buys can be a very efficient way into electric vehicle ownership. They are not always successful, however, as demonstrated by a massive attempt with over 2,500 people trying to buy the Nissan LEAF in Montreal and being shut down by the automaker earlier this year.

A new group buy in Texas now has the backing of the Japanese automaker and has managed to secure some truly impressive prices – bringing the price of the electric vehicle down to $11,500 for the base option.

Update: We received reports from people attempting to get the deal and you need to use Nissan’s financing. Some have even reported “bait-and-switch” tactics. Beware going in. 

The initiative is led by Smart Charge America and Nissan in Austin, Texas. They claim that they are offering up to $20,500 in discounts and incentives on the price of the vehicle.

Here’s how they break down the discounts and available government incentives:

• $10,000 Group Buy incentive discount toward the purchase of a Nissan LEAF from a participating Austin Area Nissan dealer through January 3rd 2017
• $7,500 Federal tax credit for the purchase of an electric vehicle
• $1,000 Federal tax credit of 30% of the cost of a home charging station, including installation (up to $1,ooo)
• $1,500 Austin Energy rebate of 50% of the cost of a home charging station, including installation (up to $1,5oo)
• $500 Smart Charge Residential is offering an additional 15% off the cost of installation of a home charging station (up to $500)

It brings the price of the 2016 LEAF S with a 24 kWh battery pack to just $11,510. When you account for gas savings, that’s basically a free vehicle after ~10 years.

You can even get a 30 kWh battery option for just $15,000 – down from the $32,450 MSRP. If you are in Texas and you need a decent daily driver, it’s certainly worth considering. You can visit Smart Charge America’s website for more information.