Nissan Leaf, EV's are coming back!

[rgathright]

Here is a more practical looking electric car. I heard Fox News state that it would more affordable than the Chevrolet Volt.

Phoenix, AZ and other test markets will get this car this spring! So Nissan has already beat Chevy to the punch with initial rollout.



The Energy Collective | First Look | The Nissan Leaf, electric car

[Daox]

Thats good to hear. According to another article I was reading today...

While GM hasn't officially announced the Volt's base price, Whitacre said it likely will cost customers about $32,000, including tax breaks.

Pretty expensive!

[Daox]

Haha, they even put a solar panel on the roof. I hadn't seen this in any other reviews to date.

All this and solar, too?

Yes, the Leaf comes equipped with a small solar panel built into the roof at the back of the car. Not large enough to power the car’s main battery, the panel does keep all electrical accessories charged (lights, radio, etc.)

[rgathright]

Originally Posted by Daox

Thats good to hear. According to another article I was reading today..

Pretty expensive!

Hold on! You do realize that the cost is due to the hi-density battery pack right?

Look at what Prius owners are spending for their EV conversion batteries and you should feel better about the pricing.

[Daox]

Yes, I know. I meant that the volt is going to be expensive. I was planning on the leaf being at least 30k.

[rgathright]

Originally Posted by Daox

Yes, I know. I meant that the volt is going to be expensive. I was planning on the leaf being at least 30k.

I am very conflicted on the Chevrolet Volt... should I pay the high price tag when so many other options are being released this year?

I tried contacting my Chevy dealer in Lake Charles about a preorder but after repeated attempts they will not make any commitments for me.

I am going to try and see what my Nissan dealers says about a reservation for the Nissan Leaf.

I will update this thread with any details.

[NeilBlanchard]

It also looks like we will see the Th!nk City at the end of this year, and a electric Ford Focus sometime in 2011. The Mitsubishi iMiEV will (hopefully) be in the mix, too. Add in the BYD e6 (5-passengers, 250 mile range!), the Coda -- this is growing!

http://gas2.org/2010/01/10/detroit-a...st-green-cars/

And in an ideal world, we will start to see the Aptera 2e in a year or two...

[KITT222]

Originally Posted by rgathright

I tried contacting my Chevy dealer in Lake Charles about a preorder but after repeated attempts they will not make any commitments for me.

The Volt isnt even in production yet. Its in the test phase.

The Chevy Volt is more expensive because its not an EV, its an EREV: Extended Range Electric Vehicle. The technology is more expensive, but gives you the confidence that you wont run out of charge. GM also says a full electric Volt is coming sometime after the regular Volt.


Its so cool to see so many electric cars coming. Lets see what happens in the near future!

[RobertSmalls]

The Volt should be less expensive than the Leaf because the Volt is a Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle, with ~40mi EV range. The Leaf needs $10k-22k of lithium batteries to achieve its 100mi EV range.

[KITT222]

Originally Posted by RobertSmalls

The Volt should be less expensive than the Leaf because the Volt is a Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle, with ~40mi EV range. The Leaf needs $10k-22k of lithium batteries to achieve its 100mi EV range.

The Volt is not a plug-in hybrid. It is an extended range electric vehicle. The only reason there is a gasoline motor is so when the batteries drop to 30% charge, the gas motor kicks in, and recharges the batteries. Its an EV1 with with four doors, and an in-car recharging station.