Some Facts About This New Electric Car Will Astound You
You've seen the commercials and you've heard the hype. But there are still some things you may not know about the Nissan Leaf. Here are some of the better features:
#5- It's Made From Recycled Plastic Bottles
In fact, 60 percent of the plastic on the Leaf's interior is already recycled material—much of it comes from used water bottles—and at the end of the Leaf's lifespan, 99 percent of the 3375-pound vehicle weight is recyclable and can be transformed back into water bottles or other Leafs.
#4- The Leaf Can Text You
The Leaf can communicate with the owner's cell phone using an e-mail-based system that manages the charging system. It will notify you when the batteries are charged, at which point you can control the air-conditioning system so the cabin reaches a specified temperature before you get in the car. It will also notify you by text message if charging is interrupted, which alleviates the need to physically baby-sit the charging station or stare at an extension cord for hours on end.
#3- It Can Go 95 MPH
Not that we encourage speeding, but electric cars often have the rap of having little power. Not the case with the Nissan Leaf.
#2- The Nav System Displays Your Reacable Area In Real Time
The standard navigation system displays the range in graphic form, with a halo around the car's current location, which provides a visual estimate of how much farther you can go before recharging. The navigation system is in regular communication with Nissan's databases using satellite networks, and displays nearby charging stations on the screen.
#1- The Bottom Line?- $19,280
Starting at $25,280 (after a $7,500 federal rebate), the Leaf costs less than the average new car sold in America. In addition, some states offer extra incentives. For instance, California offers a $5,000 clean-vehicle rebate, and Colorado residents are eligible to receive an additional $6,000 tax credit, which brings the price tag down to $19,280. Even for $26,000, the Leaf is a lot of car.
Lessees can cash in immediately with a government-subvented lease deal of $349 per month (in which case Nissan's financial subsidiary takes the refund).
As for the optional $2,200 charging station, the government currently offers a $2,000 tax credit toward installing a personal charging dock in your garage, which puts the cost at less than what you'd pay for an iPod Nano. Moreover, Nissan estimates that there will be 12,000 public charging stations in place across the country by this time next year.
Thursday, February 9, 2012 at 3:13PM ;)
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