I spotted this all-electric Leaf on my way into work a few weeks ago. The Leaf is one of the first full-electric vehicles available in the United States. Production began in 2010 but the cars are still a rare site on the roads despite having an MSRP of $28,980 for a the new 2014 model. It's main competitor the Chevy Volt carries an MSRP of $34, 185 (The Volt also features a backup gasoline engine which the Leaf does not) The lack of a backup engine hurts the Leaf. This 2013 has a 110hp motor that can go a mere 75 miles on one charge. which makes it unsuitable for anything other than limited city driving. The key to the success of an electric car in the United States will be range due to the lack of EV charging stations that are starting to become common in Europe. The longest EV range currently belongs to the Tesla Model S boasting 265 miles on one charge. But with a base price of $69,900 (The base model can go only 208 miles on a charge) the car is out of most individuals grasp. The Leaf has sold 42,100 units in the US as of December 2013 and is currently the highest selling electric car in the country. With a 0-60 time of 9.9 seconds it is par for the course among gasoline microcars but don't expect to see one tearing it up at your local race track. The Leaf reminds me a lot of the first gen Honda Insight Hybrid. It was popular but did not have the best sales figures. It did however get people talking about Hybrid cars and now they are everywhere. I feel that the Leaf will serve the same function: a catalyst towards more electric cars on US roads.
Matt
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