Though the Nissan Leaf was set to debut this year in December, it appears to already be a hit with consumers.

According to Autoblog.com, Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn announced the Leaf was sold out during a speech he was giving to the Detroit Economic Club on May 26. He added that the automaker received approximately 13,000 orders for the electric car that will reportedly come with a price tag of $32,780.

Those who did reserve a Leaf of their own placed a $99 deposit.

In an effort to combat the demand, Nissan is also reportedly building a battery plant next to its main North American auto-assembly plant in Smyrna, Tennessee. It is slated to open in 2012.

“What we’re doing here will radically transform the automotive experience for consumers,” Ghosn told Bloomberg Businessweek. “Production of Nissan Leaf and lithium-ion batteries in Smyrna brings the United States closer to its goal of energy independence, creates green jobs and helps sustain American manufacturing.”

Some automotive analysts are predicting this will start an electric car boom, and possibly increase sales of used hybrids on the market among environmentally conscious consumers who do not want to wait.

Officials with Nissan recently announced that the automaker’s U.S. design chief, Bruce Campbell, will retire at the end of March and will be replaced by Alfonso Albaisa, who is currently the vice president of Nissan Design Europe.

Campbell, who has worked for the carmaker since 1980, is credited with designing some of the Nissan’s most influential models, including the Pulsar NX, the Gobi small truck as well as the Maxima and Xterra production vehicles, according to Auto Week. He also played a prominent role in the design of Nissan’s new North American headquarters, located in Nashville, Tennessee.

“The era of designing cars just for North America is coming to a close,” said Campbell, quoted by Automotive News. “The job today is to make global cars work. That makes good business sense, but it can be a challenge for a designer.”

The Japanese auto manufacturer has said that Campbell will continue to work as a part-time consultant over the next few years.

Meanwhile, Albaisa will soon begin his second stint with Nissan America. The first time around, he was credited with heavily contributing to the redesign of the Altima and the Rogue.

On Thursday, officials with Nissan announced that they will be recalling approximately 540,000 cars worldwide due to brake malfunctions and incorrect fuel gauges.

The safety initiative will involve six Nissan brands, including the Titan, Armada, Frontier, Pathfinder, Quest and the Xterra, making it the largest recall in the company’s history. Most affected models were produced between 2008 and 2010, and the majority of the vehicles being recalled were sold in the U.S.

The Nissan Titan and Armada are being recalled for faulty brake pedal pins, while the rest of the vehicles are being brought back to fix fuel gauges that inaccurately display the amount of gas left in the tank. Due to the issue, some Nissan models may run out of gas even though the fuel gauge indicates there is still an adequate supply, the Christian Science Monitor reports.

“Keep at least half a tank showing on the fuel gauge and you won’t have to worry about running out of fuel,” recommends company spokesman Fred Standish.

The automaker will be sending out notices to owners of recalled vehicles in the next few days.

Used Nissans in New York could start attracting more attention when racing enthusiasts learn the manufacturer has entered into an interesting partnership with Sony.

Nissan and Sony want to let racing simulation fans get behind the wheel of a real sports car and take on the Silverstone Circuit in England, according to CNET.com. Individuals participating in the GT Academy competition will first have to post record times in four stages of Gran Turismo 5, Sony’s racing simulator for PlayStation 3.

The fastest 20 entrants of each country competing will then race each other to win stage two, says the news source. In stage three, these national winners will battle it out amongst themselves to make it to the final round, in which they’ll go to Silverstone.

Polyphony Digital is expected to release Gran Turismo 5 to the U.S. public on February 2, according to VGReleases.com. The most recent installment in the series is Gran Turismo 5 Prologue, which became available in April of 2008. The GT Academy competition could generate interest that might benefit sales of used Nissans in New York and elsewhere.

On November 19, Nissan North America announced pricing for the 2010 370Z Coupe, but used 350Zs in New York and elsewhere might offer comparable performance for a fraction of the price.

Nissan’s 2010 roadster is available in two trim levels: the 370Z and the 370Z Touring. Both will cost Japanese car enthusiasts over $30,000 and are available in a new color, Black Cherry. The 370 is available with either a six-speed manual gearbox or a seven-speed automatic, the latter adding $1,470 worth of heft to the roadster’s sticker price at both trim levels. The 370Z has four-wheel independent suspension and a 3.7-liter V6 that produces more than 330 horsepower.

Z-line cars trace their heritage so far back their hoods used to wear Datsun badges. Production of the Datsun 240Z began in 1969 and two versions were manufactured – one for the U.S. market and another for Nissan’s own in Japan. Over the last 40 years, the Z has been redesigned five times.

The 370 is the 350’s successor and their similarities are recognizable at first glance. The cars’ front wheels are pushed all the way forward and their rear wheels are pushed all the way back. However, the 350’s wheelbase is almost four inches longer, according to Edmunds.com. But the roadsters share a similar stance because the 350 is also more than two inches longer than the 370.

In terms of performance, it looks like the 370Z has the 287-horsepower 350 beat by about 45 ponies. Combine that with the weight reduction of roughly 140 pounds that was partly achieved by shortening the car, and it seems the 370Z is going to be faster off the line.

Car and Driver says the 2007 350Z will reach 60 MPH in 5.2 seconds, and complete the quartermile in 13.7 seconds at 104 MPH. Motor Trend says the 370Z gets to 60 in 4.7 seconds and does the quartermile in 13.3 seconds at 105.6 MPH, so it seems the specs make sense.

There is one last factor that some car buyers may want to take into consideration before they decide which Nissan roadster they would prefer to purchase. Edmunds says that a 2007 350Z can sell for as little as $16,500, while Nissan will get $29,990 for its least expensive 370. The average car is driven approximately 12,000 miles per year, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, which means the odometer of a 2007 350Z will probably read about 36,000.

Although the 370Z is faster, smaller and lighter than its predecessor, a 2007 350Z costs about half as much. Cars today will put six digits on the clock without a problem, so 36,000 miles isn’t necessarily a lot. Whether car shoppers choose to buy a new 370 or a used 350 in New York, it seems they will be getting their money’s worth because Nissan has been perfecting its Z-line cars for several decades now. After all, Jay Leno has a Nissan in his garage and it’s parked near his Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren.

Many companies approach the marketplace from a variety of angles to better their chances of boosting sales, and Nissan’s latest strategy could make both new and used Altimas in New Jersey more popular.

In 2009, Nissan announced the LEAF, its zero-emission electric car, which will eventually become available in North America, Europe and Japan, according to the Wall Street Journal. The LEAF proves Nissan is investing more into going green, and the manufacturer is trying to bolster its eco-friendly reputation by holding the LEAF Zero Emissions Student Competition, which gives students a chance to discuss the future of the auto industry and win a scholarship.

The 2007 Altima Hybrid is another environmentally-friendly Nissan. It gets 34 miles per gallon, according to FuelEconomy.gov. This midsize vehicle costs less than $2 to drive 25 miles and uses Toyota‘s hybrid technology, which became popular thanks to the Prius.

Used Altima Hybrids in New Jersey might start attracting more attention now that Nissan has made another push toward protecting the environment with the zero-emission LEAF.