The buzz around the Nissan Leaf continues to build. Nissan is running sixty-second ads during the 2010 Winter Olympics to prime interest. Media outlets from CNN to the New York Times are running features on the Leaf that cover everything from how the car works to how big cities are making infrastructural changes to accommodate electric cars.
The big question remains: is America ready for the first all-electric family car of the 2010s?
Nissan is betting that the Leaf will fulfill the daily driving needs of about 90 percent of commuters. Here’s why: the average driver covers about 25 to 40 miles on the road each day. The Nissan Leaf will deliver up to 100 miles of driving between charges. Nissan is confident that should be enough to accommodate nearly everyone from soccer moms to students to typical commuters.
“Some people will say with 100 miles of range on a single charge, that may not be enough,” says Mark Perry, director of product planning for Nissan. “That’s fine. Ninety percent of the driving population goes less than 100 miles a day.”
Driving distance is the elephant in the room when people discuss electric cars. Whether it’s the 40 miles promised by the Chevy Volt before the gas engine kicks in, the 100-150 miles promised by the Tesla Roadster or the 100 miles promised by the Nissan Leaf, prospective buyers must ultimately determine just how many miles are enough miles. In other words, not all cars fit all lifestyles.
Let’s Talk about Charging
As Perry points out, The Leaf is a “pure plug-in, battery-powered electric car. No tail pipe. No emissions. No oil. No gas.”
That means you plug this car in to a standard 220- or 110-volt outlet and let it charge. Using a 220-volt charger, the Leaf will charge within eight hours or overnight. Plugging the car into a standard 110-volt outlet doubles the charging time.
Nissan plans to offer an in-garage charging unit in the purchase price. They will also connect buyers to licensed electricians who will install the station at the driver’s residence or workplace.
Bundling the charging station with the car appears to be a smart strategy on Nissan’s part. It’s arguably the most effective way to help ensure that the car and charging station work as expected from the moment of purchase.
Pricing for the Nissan Leaf Announced Soon
Pricing has not yet been announced but is expected in April of this year. Perry claims the Leaf will be comparable to the price of a typical five-passenger, gas-powered vehicle. To ensure the vehicle remains affordable, which is an attribute Nissan is aggressively touting, it seems realistic to expect the Leaf to cost between $25,000 and $30,000.
One other pricing consideration: a tax credit. Today, the federal government is offering a tax credit up to $7,500 on the purchase of a plug-in hybrid or battery electric vehicle. While there is debate that a direct-to-consumer rebate of $7,500 would be a more compelling offer to turn electric car browsers into buyers, the tax credit remains the only program available today.
But don’t expect to visit your local Nissan dealership this December and drive away with a Leaf. The purchase process is a bit more involved.
It begins by adding your name to a priority/waiting list Nissan will release this April. Nissan will require a refundable deposit (the actual deposit price is not yet known) to secure the option of ordering the vehicle in August.
Nissan claims more than 50,000 people have expressed interest in evaluating and possibly purchasing the Leaf when it reaches showrooms in December 2010. Of course, it’s realistic to expect that only a relatively small percentage of “hand raisers” will actually purchase the vehicle. But if even half of the hand raisers purchase the Leaf, it marks a significant step toward electric vehicle adoption in America.
With room for five people, a 90 mile-per-hour top speed and a range of 100 miles, the Nissan Leaf appears to be an attractive option for green drivers who are ready to embrace a zero emission ride.
See the Nissan Leaf at the 2010 Detroit Auto Show (courtesy of TFLCar.com)
Nissan Leaf 2010 Olympic TV Ad