Electric Nissan Leaf priced at $33,000 in U.S. | Hacker News Reader

Electric Nissan Leaf priced at $33,000 in U.S.

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11 pointsgbookman14 comments

They also partnered with Hertz, so you'll be able to rent one to really see how it does:

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2010/02/hertz-car-rental-nis...

This is a good move, because a quick test-drive won't be enough to truly determine if an electric car would work for your lifestyle.

I don't know if Nissan does it with all vehicles, but when I went to test drive a 350Z, the dealership let me keep it all day to see if I liked it enough to buy. It had exactly the effect they expected ;-)

For a new type of vehicle like the Leef, it would be an even better idea.

I think part of the appeal for an electric car for me is the much lower maintenance and higher reliability, if the EV1 was any indication. Perhaps that could be rolled into the justification for the price.

It's an electric motor, avionics (car-ionics?) and other things, not many moving parts. If you are truly paranoid about having "an engine breakdown" the motors are small enough that you can carry a spare. :)

I think GM is going to really be sweating considering the Leaf will end up being $10K+ cheaper (after rebates and credits) and will be produced in higher quantities from a brand (Nissan) that doesn't have all that negative press associated with it that GM has had over the past 18 or so months

But the Volt has a backup in that it can run on Gas. I just don't see there being a large market for a purely electric car (at least not until there are widespread charging stations).

Plus, and maybe it's just me but if a person is willing to buy a $33,000 car and a roughly $2,200 charging station (which you need since it takes 16hrs to charge over a normal 110V socket) I don't think money is their primary concern. Especially when it's a car with such significant limits (can't go faster than 85mph and can't go further than 100 miles)

The primary market for cars like this won't entail a full charge/discharge cycle in daily driving, so it is very practical to charge over common 110V. Don't think that a vehicle like this needs to suit every driver in every market in order to be successful -- there are plenty of places in the US (and in Canada) where a 40-50 mile driving day would be closer to the norm. And in northern areas, where industrial parking lots have long offered power for block heaters in winter, one could quite possibly see 110V being made available as a cheap sort of "happy worker" benefit while the driver is on shift. (Even if the cost of electricity were to, say, triple in a hurry, that's only 12-15KWh for an 8-hour shift -- a lot cheaper than a dental plan.)

The question really isn't whether 100 miles would be fine most days it's what happens when you get stuck in traffic or you have to drive somewhere unexpected for an emergency. Without the ability to quickly stop at a gas station to refuel you're severely limiting yourself (and while I agree there will be more sockets in the future I think that's more a 5 year cycle than it is something that will happen right away)

Stuck in traffic isn't really an issue for an electric -- there's no idle cost (apart from environmentals and, of course, the head-splitting and door-rattling stereo). And how many times have you had an immediate need to drive 200 miles out of your way so quickly you couldn't rent?

[EDIT-ADDED] And the sockets are there already in a lot of places (think Michigan, Wisconsin, the Dakotas, most of Canada) it's just a matter of not turning off the switch at the end of February.

Ah, but the nice thing about an electric car is that getting stuck in traffic doesn't hurt the mileage. In fact, I would not be surprised if it gets better mileage in stop-and-go than going 70. Especially since the 100 mile range they are advertising is based off of a test designed to simulate driving around downtown LA during rush hour (I'm assuming if it got better mileage on the freeway they would be advertising it's freeway range).

One thing to remember is that with an electric vehicle there's no such thing as 'idling'. If you're stationary in a traffic jam the car isn't going to be using much juice (stereo, etc only) so that really shouldn't affect the range...

> The primary market for cars like this won't entail a full charge/discharge cycle in daily driving, so it is very practical to charge over common 110V.

However, the leaf is not a very good "only car". It's at best a second car, and probably commute only.

$33k is a lot of gas, and it also takes insurance and registration.

The Leaf is more of the "microwave oven" of vehicles. It's vastly more convenient for most trips, but there are some things it just can't do.

It's been said that the best range extender for an electric car is a rental car. The net present value of two weeks' car rental per year, forever, is probably less than the $10,000 difference between the Volt and the Leaf.

The Volt will also require regular oil changes and other engine maintenance. About the only regular maintenance for a pure EV is putting air in the tires.

I agree, but on the other hand, the Leaf has a range of 100 miles, according to the article, while the Volt will have a range of ~300 miles. I see the 100 mile range as a serious limiting factor for the Leaf (at least for Texans like myself). It'd make an excellent second car, however, or would be great if you live in the NE or area with good rail systems for inter-city travel.

Oh no, how many bad jokes will we have to hear regarding "Leaf" and "4/20"?

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