Yes, I had a very nice Thanksgiving, thank you. And it got even better on Friday when I received a check for $2,500 from the California Center for Sustainable Energy for leasing the 2011 Nissan Leaf SL. Since I had paid $2,000 in drive off fees when I started the lease last August, it was like getting reimbursed plus covering one month payment of $449.
Going to its Web site I saw that rebates are available for many electric cars, trucks and motorcycles. The rebate definitely was motivation for me to get the Leaf since it is a bit more expensive than an ordinary gas engine car. I was also influenced by the fact that the federal government allows a $7,500 tax credit for the Leaf. Because of these two incentives, the cost of the Leaf fell into my budget.
Philip Reed, Edmunds Senior Consumer Advice Editor @ 4,176 miles
Categories: Nissan Leaf
My Nissan Leaf SL has almost 4,000 miles on it and I've never run out of juice, gotten stranded or had to walk home. I never got sick in the middle of the night, had to drive the hospital and didn't have enough range to get there. I never had a fuse blow and came out to find my car uncharged when I needed to go to work. The worst thing that happened was that, on my way home from work one time, I thought of going to a shopping mall to buy something but it seemed too far. I went there the next day and bought the thing that I really didn't need anyway.
And yet, I'm worried that electric cars won't catch on. I sense a flat spot in the public's interest in electric cars despite the release of the excellent movie, "Revenge of the Electric Car." Even NPR, in a couple of recent shallow stories, is crapping on electric cars.
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Categories: Nissan Leaf
A storm came through Saturday night and blew down a lot of stuff from the trees around my house. I came out in the morning and found this appropriately placed visitor on my rear bumper. I didn't put it there. I promise.
Behind the storm was a cold front and when I drove to work this morning it was 45 degrees. I know that's not harsh for many people reading this who live in the north. But running the Leaf's heater put a dent in my efficiency. I usually get about 4.3 miles per kWh (kilowatt hour). This morning it was 3.6. But it was worth it to be comfortable and I still have 54 miles of range for my 31 mile commute.
Philip Reed, Edmunds Senior Consumer Advice Editor @ 3,160 miles
Categories: Nissan Leaf
I've been driving my 2011 Nissan Leaf for three full months now and I now have a pretty clear picture of what it costs me for my 62-mile per day commute, which I do four days a week. The key numbers are miles per kilowatt hour (miles/kWh) and the cost of electricity. This is similar to miles per gallon (mpg) and the cost of gas.
I've been gathering this data over the last three months and putting it into what I call an "uber-spreadsheet." I've been slicing the data a number of ways. I'll give you just a thin slice today. This is a work in progress so I'd love to hear any reactions to it.
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Categories: Nissan Leaf
Wouldn't you know it -- on the night I went to see "Revenge of the Electric Car" I had to drive up in a gas-powered test car instead of my 2011 Nissan Leaf SL. While it would have been nice to get the approval of my "peeps," as my friend at Edmunds has taken to calling them, the Leaf was still well represented. Leaf drivers had gathered not only to see Chris Paine's follow-up to his 2006 film "Who Killed the Electric Car?" but also to get a free charge at a 440-volt charger generously supplied by Nissan, which organized the screening. The guy running the generator (which, ironically, was powered by a diesel generator) told me 16 Leafs fed at the trough while the movie was playing inside.
I met Paine before the screening began and found we have one thing in common: we both own a red Leaf. Unlike me, however, Paine also has a Tesla Roadster and a Chevrolet Volt. This prompted me to ask how he liked the coming 2012 Toyota Prius Plug-In Hybrid. "Hey, I'm in favor of any car with a plug," he told me. However, he said he wouldn't be adding the PHEV to his stable of cars.
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Categories: Nissan Leaf
Back in August I began leasing a 2011 Nissan Leaf and I'll be posting my thoughts about driving it in this blog. I'm also hoping that other Nissan Leaf owners, and eventually the owners of other electric cars will post their thoughts as well.
Even though I've been interested in electric cars for a long time, I wasn't interested in buying a Nissan Leaf because I didn't like the light blue color featured in all the ads. But one morning I was walking through the garage here at Edmunds.com and I saw a red Leaf. A voice inside me said, "Hey, I could drive that car!" The color change seemed to reshape all the questionable design choices. Let's face it, folks. This ain't a great looking car. Like the Toyota Prius, this very different car has been given a very different design. But in red or black it looks its best.
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Categories: Nissan Leaf
