Sprint: What can you do with 4G? July 30, 2010 4:35 PM PDT
We get a charge out of driving Nissan Leaf
Nissan brought a preproduction version of its new Leaf electric car to San Francisco, letting us get our first drive in the car. As the lead vehicle in what could be a new generation of electric cars, Nissan has done a lot of things right.
The car feels very easy to drive, offering smooth and quiet acceleration. Leaf models will come standard with navigation, which Nissan also ties into the ever important range tools.
Most impressive is the price. At $32,780 it might sound on the pricey side, but a Federal tax credit knocks $7,500 off the price. A number of states also offer a $5,000 tax credit, putting the real price of the Leaf around $20k.
Check out our video as Brian Cooley gets his first taste of the Leaf.
Plus with so many other cars on our packed highways and local roads, as well as our hilly terrain, the 100 mile range on a charge is sure to create battery charge anxiety that a great many of us dont want for our $27,000 egg shaped car.
I like Nissan cars, but this one is a bit out there for me.
I try not to want the same cars that companies use to print their advertising on.
This looks like one of those cars.
Small form factors are for toys, you can't fit many batteries in them, so you can just play around a bit.
I'd prefer a more versatile light and sporty wagon with a few more batteries, but most importantly with the possibility to fill the whole floor of the wagon or part of it with extra battery packs for the longer trips.
The base autonomy should be around 200 miles, with the possibility to double that at least. Maybe with cheaper technology batteries, or the cost of the extra pack would be prohibitive. I'd willingly pay $30K for a wagon with bigger autonomy, without the optional extra battery packs. It should have carbon fiber bodies,, so we can sequestrate more carbon!
At least it's great to have a car available for EV enthusiasts, it will pave the way for the next generation of cars, once more charging points are available. It's a much better car than the Mitsubishi.
Do you mean that they are under-utilizing the capacity when new so that they can increase capacity to match degradation? Very interesting if true. I'd love a link to an article on that.
@ RaulLasVegas -
I don't believe the laptop chargers are that bad. Laptop makers are trying everything they can to get extra battery life. Also, with Li battery technology, you DO want to fully discharge the batteries once in a while (maybe once per month) to maintain optimal performance. I use mine at a desk often, so I run the opposite problem in charging mine too much and not fully draining it often enough. Sure, you can get 10 years, but not at 100% capacity.
I'd be curious to know if that warranty covers the batteries maintaining 'like new' capacity, or if that warranty only covers battery failure. I had one laptop battery stop holding any kind of reasonable charge after only like 6 months... which was considered a 'failure', so covered by warranty. However, about a year ago, I had to replace one (about 3-4 years old) that just didn't hold all that much charge any longer (maybe 40%). Again, I doubt these car makers have any kind of magic technology that computer makers don't.
Where did you get your information? I got only $1900 out of a $2100 tax credit for my Civic Hybrid. I paid much more than $2100 in taxes that year. I used tax preparation software like Turbo Tax. If you do a search on Prius tax credits, you will see that some people got very little of their credit and some people got none (yes,the credit was still in place at the time).
a) wait until buying better more efficient products becomes magically cheaper than buying old stuff, and gold dust rains from heaven on weekends
b) raise taxes on petroleum substantially so buyers see an efficiency differences pay off.
c) Hope that the Chinese and Indians abruptly decide they prefer walking and horses over machines and to concede their prospective wealth to Western nations.
d) just keep letting oil prices rise as the world uses more (supply/demand will ensure this), and work on electric and other fuel sources (like bio-fuels) until we have real solutions that do compete on price.
There is little reason an electric car should cost more than a gas one. Other than the 'computer', it is considerably less complex in both design and manufacture than a gas vehicle. They should also cost WAY less to service if they are properly designed (ie: don't have longevity designed out of them purposely).
The big problem currently, is the batteries. Lithium-ion batters (or similar) just aren't the right technology for vehicles. They don't do great with temp extremes, and we all know how they act in our cell phones and laptops. In a couple years, you'd down to 60-70% capacity, and they are incredibly expensive (not to mention the environmental impact of manufacturing them).
Again, I'm all for electric vehicles. When properly done, we'll see a range of vehicles from ultra-efficient, so performance cars that will totally blow the doors off the best gas cars. And, when electricity is generated by things like solar concentrating plants, it will be extremely 'green' as well. It will happen, and not too long down the road. But, I'm not sure of this amount of subsidy, so people can feel good about their 'greenness' is going to really help. These technologies need to be able to stand on their own, not because they are paid for by the collective.
Even when one does qualify one must realize the money to pay for the tax credits comes from your fellow tax payers. Thank your neighbors, your co-workers and most every working person in your social network if you recieve any tax credits!
I wish some reporter would do a story on the whole federal tax credit issue. Too many consumers are going to be *^%^& when they find out that the $7500 they were inticed with is a non-refundable credit and not a refeundable credit. As you yourself stated, this is indeed the fact and I have myself confirmed this with the IRS on the phone and their website. (http://www.irs.gov/businesses/article/0,,id=214841,00.html). Simply making $50K does not mean that you will get to use the full credit as this credit is applied to one's tax liability after all other deductions and credits have been applied. According to the Tax Policy Center (http://www.taxpolicycenter.org/taxtopics/encyclopedia/Adjusted-Gross-Income.cfm) peoples' taxable income is slightly less than 70% of their Adjusted Gross Income, so using 2009 tax rate single people would have to make around $65,244 and married couples (filing jointly) around $80,095.
Also, people are claiming a $2500 for electric motorcycles when it is the cap, the actual tax credit is 10% of the vehicle and it too is a non-refunable credit. I wish somone in the media would do a story on it.
- by weegg August 18, 2010 7:21 AM PDT
- The batteries are not at all like laptop batteries. They are laminated prismatic Li Ion Mg. Unlike the laptop batteries there is ample area for thermal venting and are better structurally to take a fast charge.
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(28 Comments)Nissan claims over 7 years they will go down to 80% SOC.
I'm stoked to get this car and dump my old car. I mostly ride my Harley, but this vehicle is a perfect second vehicle for me.