It may only be March, but I already know what I’m putting at the top of my green holiday wish list: A 2011 Nissan Leaf. It was announced yesterday that the electric vehicle (EV) will be available for both purchase and lease in select markets in December.
It may even be possible to realize my wish, thanks to a hefty federal tax credit of $7,500 that will knock the price of the Leaf down to $25,280. That credit will also be factored into leasing deals, which are expected to start at $349 a month. And because I live in the state of California, where an additional $5,000 tax rebate is available, the cost could be even lower. (Green car enthusiasts living outside the Golden State need not feel excluded; $5,000 and $1,500 tax credits are available in Georgia and Oregon, respectively.)
The Leaf may not seem as affordable as, say, a Honda Fit, but factor in the operating costs and the Leaf starts to look pretty tempting: Charging the Leaf for 100 miles will set you back a mere $3 in electricity costs; compare that with the more than $11 in gasoline to drive the same distance in the 2009 Fit (based on the current national average fuel price of $2.94 a gallon). Plus, the prospect of never again having to stop at a gas station is pretty compelling. Take that, ExxonMobil!
An electric vehicle isn’t without environmental cost, however. EVs increase demand for electricity — and if the electricity from your utility isn’t coming from a green source like solar or wind, you could be passing the buck to coal-fired power plants.
Read the whole story here.
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