Want to help the environment? California residents will be able to get their hands on the Nissan Leaf as early as December 2010. Advocates of environmentally friendly products have been talking about other choices for powering cars for years. Is it finally time?
The advantages are many. Nissan’s Leaf is emissions free. That?s music to the ears of anyone who thinks it?s unreasonable to pollute the air we breathe to the point where we have a smog alert system. When the air is unhealthy to breathe, the Air Quality Management District issues a smog alert, advising people not to exercise outdoors. All because we can’t seem to break our reliance on gasoline powered engines. What if driving your car didn’t pollute the air at all? Imagine that everyone drives a car that doesn’t pollute the environment.
The Nissan Leaf is completely emissions free. That?s music to the ears of anyone who thinks it?s ludicrous to poison the air we breathe to the point where we have a smog alert system. The AQMD issue smog alerts, telling the community that the air is unhealthy to breathe and advising them to limit outdoor activities. Soccer practices, picnics and recesses are cancelled and people are forced indoors. All because we can’t seem to break our addiction to gasoline powered engines. Imagine driving as much as you want without contributing one gram of pollutants to the problem. Imagine that everyone drives a car that doesn’t pollute the environment. As an added green bonus, the Leaf will be almost fully recyclable at the end of its life, so it won?t end up in a landfill.
One major obstacle to any alternate fuel vehicles has been price. Research and development makes new technology expensive. Nissan is offering the Leaf for around $35K in the United States. There is some speculation that Nissan is willing to lose money at the beginning in order to establish itself as the major player in the electric car market. The price of the Leaf is higher in Japan. Car buyers can claim a $7,500 tax credit, bringing the effective price down to $27,500. This is low enough to compete with the Toyota Prius and the Honda CR-V. A home charging station costs about $2,200 installed, and are eligible for a tax credit of 50% of the price.
The other challenge comes in on long drives. If you were driving from one state to another, you would need to charge your battery along the way. The Leaf’s battery can be charged up to 80% capacity in about half an hour at a quick charge station. That?s practical for long trips. You can charge your car while you stop for a meal. It even makes sense for restaurants that cater to long-distance travelers to install quick charge stations ? if there are enough Nissan Leafs on the road.
In spite of the few remaining problems, I think the Nissan Leaf is practical for most drivers.
Written by Hannah Valez San Bernardino Nissan Dealer San Bernardino Nissan Dealer
categories: cars,automotive,nissan,electric cars,leaf,honda,CR-V,toyota