Ever since I watched “Who Killed the Electric Car?” a few years ago, I’ve been wondering what’s happening in the electric car industry. The latest news comes from Nissan with it’s Leaf. Orders in the U.S. will start April 20th and Nissan is aiming for 25,000 orders by December 2010.
The Nissan Leaf is a four-door hatchback that looks similar to the Toyota Prius and Honda Fit. It is a 100% electric zero-emission vehicle. It can get up to 100 miles with a single charge from home. While the Volt, which can go 40 miles on full electricity before a small gas engine kicks in to provide power.
Here is the new Nissan Leaf. It looks very futuristic. And a name that reminds you of Nature. Photo from Automotive News.
The more car companies get into making an electric car, the more choices we’ll have. And it also helps that the Nissan “Leaf” has a competitive starting base price of $32,780. But buyers can get a $7,500 electric vehicle tax credit. Making it about $25,280. Still pretty expensive for me. But the industry also reports electric car prices should go down more by 2015.
Other electric cars in the market is the Toyota Pruis and Honda Insight. Chevrolet will also introduce the Volt sometime later this year. Even Tesla (Roadster) of Silicon Valley is in the electric car market with their $100,000 sports car.
If I was in the market for a new car, I would want an electric car. But I don’t know if I want a 1st generation car. Then again maybe the first model out is well built. But I would like to see if there are any problems other consumers may encounter. And just like Apple’s products, the next generation model may have more to offer.
Either way, getting an electric car would be a good purchase. Both for your pocketbook and the environment. No need to help OPEC get rich anymore or having to pump gas at the station and smelling gasoline fumes.
Here’s a little FAQ from the Nissan Leaf:
Q: How long will the battery remain charged if you leave it parked where you cannot charge it?
A: This depends on a variety of factors like ambient temperature, age of the battery and how much energy is in the battery when you park it. However, the drain is very small relative to the battery’s capacity.
Q: Is there a timeline for the development of sufficient “charging station” infrastructure to make this competitive with ICEs?
A: We are working with all levels of government and private corporations to grow infrastructure. You can help by supporting this growth.
Q: When plugging the car in, will it be possible that the car is “smart” enough to pull electricity during non peak hours?
A: You can program the car to charge whenever you like. Most people will charge overnight at off-peak times like their cell phone.
What’s better than an electric car is one that runs on water. And last summer, Japan’s Genepax introduced us to one. But that will be a whole other post for me. In the meantime, check out the photo here.
8:10 pm on April 8th, 2010
I think when the price goes down, the tax credit will also decrease and eventually disappear as more people are using it, just like the hybrid vehicle tax credit.
I’m like you, I’m not so sure about the first generation vehicle, and I hope other company will start making it also, like the Toyota or Honda. It’d be nice to park your car and charge it at night, ideal for people with a car garage. As for those that live in the city or apartment, I wonder how they would charge their vehicle?
9:47 pm on April 11th, 2010
The electric car industry was talking about asking major retailers to install the charging station (while people shop). And for apartments dwellers, maybe they can built charging stations in the parking garage.
In Sunnyvale, California the local Fry’s Electronic store has an electric vehicle charging station. It’s always nice to see business do that.