

Electric Nissan Leaf priced at $33,000 in U.S. - gbookman
http://news.cnet.com/8301-11128_3-20001408-54.html

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MikeCapone
They also partnered with Hertz, so you'll be able to rent one to really see
how it does:

[http://www.treehugger.com/files/2010/02/hertz-car-rental-
nis...](http://www.treehugger.com/files/2010/02/hertz-car-rental-nissan-leaf-
electric-cars-2011.php)

This is a good move, because a quick test-drive won't be enough to truly
determine if an electric car would work for your lifestyle.

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HeyLaughingBoy
I don't know if Nissan does it with all vehicles, but when I went to test
drive a 350Z, the dealership let me keep it all day to see if I liked it
enough to buy. It had exactly the effect they expected ;-)

For a new type of vehicle like the Leef, it would be an even better idea.

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sown
I think part of the appeal for an electric car for me is the much lower
maintenance and higher reliability, if the EV1 was any indication. Perhaps
that could be rolled into the justification for the price.

It's an electric motor, avionics (car-ionics?) and other things, not many
moving parts. If you are truly paranoid about having "an engine breakdown" the
motors are small enough that you can carry a spare. :)

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hotshothenry
I think GM is going to really be sweating considering the Leaf will end up
being $10K+ cheaper (after rebates and credits) and will be produced in higher
quantities from a brand (Nissan) that doesn't have all that negative press
associated with it that GM has had over the past 18 or so months

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SamAtt
But the Volt has a backup in that it can run on Gas. I just don't see there
being a large market for a purely electric car (at least not until there are
widespread charging stations).

Plus, and maybe it's just me but if a person is willing to buy a $33,000 car
and a roughly $2,200 charging station (which you need since it takes 16hrs to
charge over a normal 110V socket) I don't think money is their primary
concern. Especially when it's a car with such significant limits (can't go
faster than 85mph and can't go further than 100 miles)

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stan_rogers
The primary market for cars like this won't entail a full charge/discharge
cycle in daily driving, so it is very practical to charge over common 110V.
Don't think that a vehicle like this needs to suit every driver in every
market in order to be successful -- there are plenty of places in the US (and
in Canada) where a 40-50 mile driving day would be closer to the norm. And in
northern areas, where industrial parking lots have long offered power for
block heaters in winter, one could quite possibly see 110V being made
available as a cheap sort of "happy worker" benefit while the driver is on
shift. (Even if the cost of electricity were to, say, triple in a hurry,
that's only 12-15KWh for an 8-hour shift -- a lot cheaper than a dental plan.)

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SamAtt
The question really isn't whether 100 miles would be fine most days it's what
happens when you get stuck in traffic or you have to drive somewhere
unexpected for an emergency. Without the ability to quickly stop at a gas
station to refuel you're severely limiting yourself (and while I agree there
will be more sockets in the future I think that's more a 5 year cycle than it
is something that will happen right away)

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stan_rogers
Stuck in traffic isn't really an issue for an electric -- there's no idle cost
(apart from environmentals and, of course, the head-splitting and door-
rattling stereo). And how many times have you had an immediate need to drive
200 miles out of your way so quickly you couldn't rent?

[EDIT-ADDED] And the sockets are there already in a lot of places (think
Michigan, Wisconsin, the Dakotas, most of Canada) it's just a matter of not
turning off the switch at the end of February.

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mcdoh
Oh no, how many bad jokes will we have to hear regarding "Leaf" and "4/20"?

