While there aren’t any official numbers yet on insurance costs of the Nissan Leaf since it isn’t out yet, based on what we know of how insurers arrive at their numbers, some inferences can be made. The good news is, it looks likely that the Leaf will be a very low cost car to insure.

The big Nissan warranty of eight years or 100,000 miles means that they are picking up the slack which should mean insurers will be able to charge less. The same warranties are offered on most Nissan vehicles, including the Nissan Versa.

Accident rates are arguably expected to be lower due to the limited 100-mile range of the Nissan Leaf. This will mean less time on the road in general and therefore less chance of getting into an accident.

If range anxiety really does dwell in the minds of most drivers, then they could reasonably be expected to ease off on the accelerator and drive a little more cautiously to conserve battery power.

What will also be interesting to see is whether insurers penalize the Leaf due to its silence. Will the lack of engine noise result in higher accident rates since people, animals and other cars will have one less sense to detect the presence of the car? What do you think, will that be a factor in Leaf insurance costs?

You may conclude speculating on the new Nissan Leaf specs. They have been release and there shouldn’t be any real surprises here beyond it being a little lighter than what was being rumoured.

The 2011 Nissan Leaf specs are as follows. A 24 kWh batterythat can be quick recharged in less than 30 minutes and a range of 100 miles. Maximum torque is 206.5 pound-feet from 0 -2,730 RPMs, roughly equal to a 2.5 liter V6 engine. The Leaf accelerates from 0 – 62 mph in 11.9 seconds and has a top speed of 89 miles per hour. It weighs in at 3,366 pounds and has a maximum available horsepower of 107.

As we and other electric car sites have noted, the top speed and acceleration numbers have both been bested by test drivers, so take them for what they are – conservative.

Al Castignetti, the division VP of Nissan, recently stated at the groundbreaking event in Tennessee that more than 50% of the 130,000 Nissan Leaf pre-orders came from people who currently own a Toyota Prius.

Castignetti went on to say that, “. It tells us that there is a segment of eco-friendly consumers who are interested in going to the next level. They own a hybrid vehicle. But if the next step is available, they want to take it.”

Castignetti described the enthusiasm that Nissan dealerships have been expressing about the Leaf and explained that in order for a Nissan dealership be allowed to sell the Leaf they must install a minimum of two electric car charging stations. All larger Nissan dealerships will be required to install four charging stations with one that is reserved for Nissan Leaf owners.

According to Business Week magazine, Renault-Nissan’s CEO Carlos Ghosn said that his company has 56,000 orders for the Leaf in the United States. The car will be available late this year, and Ghosn said that real mass production will start in 2012, when the alliance plans to have capacity to 500,000 electronic vehicles in Japan, Europe and the United States.

Nissan announced that over 50,000 people had signed up to be on the reservation list and that pre-orders would not start until April. That list allows people to move to the head of the line when it comes time to order the Leaf, but it’s not an official intent form.