Nissan’s Leaf is going to be one of the first “affordable” all-electric cars to hit Australian roads this year. If that news excites you, you’ll be happy to know that the company are now taking reservations for the new car.

Because demand for a vehicle that can only drive 117km between charges is relatively low, Nissan is requiring potential buyers to “reserve” their vehicle before handing over the cash. The process involves having your home inspected to make sure your household electricity is up for the challenge of charging up a car every day, as you can see from the video. It also involves a suitability test – Nissan doesn’t want any drivers who need a car to travel 100km to town breaking down on the side of the road, after all.

The Leaf will sell from $51,500, and will be available from 13 different Nissan dealers across the country. Because of the unique purchasing process, it’s not likely that the Leaf will become a best seller overnight, but Nissan is placing plenty of expectation on the electric vehicle to have mass market appeal in the long term. Whether that pans out or not is another question all together.

Web: Nissan