SAN JOSE, Calif. — Nissan North America on Tuesday revealed more details of its timetable to introduce the 2011 LEAF, the automaker's all-electric, zero-emission vehicle.

Consumers who already have placed a reservation in California, Washington, Oregon, Arizona and Tennessee can take delivery of a LEAF in December. Customers in these states benefit from the EV Project, a program led by charging infrastructure provider ECOtality and partially funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Energy.

Because of the initiative, Nissan indicated customers in these first five launch states — who represent more than 55 percent of total LEAF reservations — can place firm orders for the unit starting in August.

After the calendar turns to 2011, the LEAF is set to be introduced in Texas and Hawaii during January. Then in April, the automaker is making the unit available in dealer showrooms throughout North Carolina, Florida, Georgia, Virginia, Maryland, South Carolina, Alabama and Washington. D.C.

Stores located in the balance of the county are scheduled to have these vehicles available during the fall of next year.

Though the vehicle isn't even in dealer inventory yet, Nissan indicated almost 17,000 reservations for the LEAF have been placed.

"We are pleased to see so many people making a choice for a zero-emission future by placing reservations for the Nissan LEAF," explained Brian Carolin, senior vice president of sales and marketing at Nissan North America. "Consumer feedback and market readiness have been key drivers in developing our phased rollout.

"Nissan is able to target areas of customer demand for early launch, while continuing to work in future markets to ensure the continued success of electric vehicles," he added.

Besides the roll-out schedule, Nissan also reiterated on Tuesday the warranty associated with the lithium-ion battery pack that powers the LEAF. It's set to be eight years or 100,000 miles — matching what the automaker believes to be U.S. market competitive conditions.

No matter when the vehicle officially arrives in a showroom, Nissan encouraged dealers to recommend consumers go ahead and make a reservation for the LEAF. It requires a $99 fully refundable fee and can be completed online at www.nissanusa.com.

Nissan also shared some trends it has learned about future LEAF owners. Some of the highlights include:

—Favorite Color: The favorite color of future LEAF owners is blue. Nissan indicated more than 30 percent of reservations are for a blue model. Silver is a close second at about 26 percent. The automaker said the remaining reservations are close to splitting evenly among red, black and white.

—Trim Level: The OEM found about 75 percent of LEAF orders are for the SL trim level, which adds a rearview monitor, solar panel spoiler, fog lights and automatic headlights.

—Home and Parking: Nissan learned about 75 percent of people who placed reservations own a single-family home. About 68 percent have attached garages, while an additional 18 percent have detached garages or carports. Nissan contends home ownership and dedicated parking are important factors for potential LEAF drivers who plan to charge their vehicles at home.

—Purchase Time: Nissan pointed out about 67 percent of reservation holders have indicated they would be ready to purchase or lease a LEAF within one year of placing the reservation. An additional 24 percent indicated they would be ready in one to two years.

—Interests: The automaker believes several interests are inspiring people to order a LEAF. Cited interests include energy independence (35 percent); environmental consciousness (34 percent); and cost/fuel economy (20 percent).