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:
