No, not me.... Nissan.
Nissan has a new 100% zero emissions vehicle in the works. It is called the Nissan LEAF and should be available in late 2010.
Troubadour and I have a 2007 Nissan Versa 4 dr. hatchback, which we love. You have probably seen a picture of it when I did the blog on our canoe trip in June. We love the Versa but it would be nice to have something electric with zero emissions for commuting. Troubadour commutes 12 miles each way to work everyday, whereas I luck out with 3 miles each way.
The LEAF looks promising. Althought at first it reminded me of the Versa, Troubadour quickly pointed out the front end looks rather like a catfish. He says it like that is a bad thing.
According to Nissan's website, the LEAF is.... "100% electric. That means it burns zero gas and produces zero emissions. But, this is no golf cart. Off the line, Nissan LEAF performs like a V-6. Plus, there's room for five."
Nissan is claiming:
1) Zero emmissons tailpipe;
2) 100% electric - no gas required;
3) Competitively priced;
4) Speeds up to 90 mph;
5) 5 passenger, 5 door; and
6) Advanced airbags, premium audio, Nissan navigation and more.
Treehugger.com has a really good article on the LEAF as well, and it can be viewed through this link. Their article is reporting that Nissan is planning on selling the vehicles, but leasing the batteries. I believe this might hamper sales depending on how they approach the leasing process/terms and cost. They are claiming it can go 100 miles without a charge,that is good.
One can hope that Nissan has sat back and watched how the other manufacturers have designed their hybrids and gone one step further. If you have ever watched "Who Killed the Electric Car?", you pretty much know what happend to the first round of electric vehicles. It appears that Nissan is helping to bring electric transportation to us regular folk. Although they will not give a stated price at this time, they are claiming that it will be comparable to other family sedans. Does that mean under $20k, under $25k, or under $30k? We'll see.
- Au Revoir
"Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower."~ Albert Camus
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Trobairitz:
ReplyDeleteI am not sure I would want to purchase a 1st generation fully electric vehicle. For your short commute a regular conventional internal combustion engine would be best. Your Versa should serve you for many more years. You will save more fuel by getting that Bonnie or TU250.
bob
bobskoot: wet coast scootin
Although I think the LEAF is cool, I agree with you, I would not be able to justify the cost of an electric vehicle. That much money would buy a lot of gallons of gas.
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