If you are a fan of the electric car, Nissan has a treat for you. I had the chance to see the new Nissan Leaf at the 2013 Chicago Car Show and it is so awesome! This sporty number not only looks great but the savings you will see when you own this car are even better! I didn’t know this, but learned Nissan introduced their first electric car, the Nissan Altra, at the LA International Auto Show at the end of 1997. Although the Altra was produced from 1998-2002, only 200 of the car were made, being used mostly by employees of utility companies and other related industries.
The Leaf (which stands for Leading, Environmentally friendly, Affordable, Family car) was first introduced in the USA and Japan in December 2010. Now the Leaf is the best-selling highway capable all electric car in the world. In a time where saving money is crucial, it makes complete economic sense to buy a car that will give you an extraordinary 99 miles per gallon in gasoline equivalent. Since the Leaf is an electric car, no gasoline fumes are emitted nor tailpipe pollution. In 2010, the Nissan Leaf won the coveted Green Car Vision Award; in 2011 it won the European Car of the Year as well as the World Car of the Year. For the years 2011-2012, the Leaf was also awarded the Car of the Year in Japan.
The Leaf is smartly styled in such a way that it stands out from the competitors comparable cars. The up-slanting headlights redirect the airflow away from the mirrors on the doors which cuts down on the wind noise a great deal. The low beam LED headlights use less electricity than conventional halogen headlights, therefore saving money in this respect. The Leaf has a front mounted electric motor as well as a lithium-ion battery pack will last for 109 miles before it needs to be recharged. Experts estimate that after 10 years of use, the battery in the Leaf will retain up to 80% of its capacity. The official range for an electric car as designated by the EPA is 117, while the Leaf boasts an incredible 160! The EPA has also announced that the energy the Leaf consumes can be equaled to a car that would get 99 miles to the gallon of gasoline. Now that is some heavy duty savings!
You can choose from 7 colors including Blue Ocean, Metallic Slate and Cayenne Red. Here are the different models and their features:
The Leaf-S includes:
- A base price is $21,300
- 130/102 city/highway MPH
- 4 doors plus a hatch and seating for 5
- Nissan Intelligent Key with push button ignition
- Hands free Bluetooth phone system
- Heated front and rear seats
The Leaf-SV includes all the features of the Leaf-S as well as:
- A base price of $24,320
- Nissan Navigation System
- 16” Alloy Wheels
- 6.6 kW Onboard Charger
The Leaf-SL includes all of the Leaf-SV features as well as:
- A base price of $27,340
- 17” Alloy Wheels
- Quick charge port
- Auto on/off headlights
- Fog Lights