Nissan Leaf

[happy]

The way for Electric vehicles has come a long way. It is definitely the way for the future.
There is still some unsorted stuff like Fossil Fuel or Nuclear Power Stations who powers up the charger but that is another story.

In Switzerland, many cars are hybrid and many drivers are eagerly waiting for the Full Electric versions to arrive as Production cars/bikes. In many mountain resorts, gas-vehicles are forbidden (long time already) and only local electric taxis are allowed.
This is ultra-important to reduce carbon footprint of tourists to a minimum.

If you have children or are serious about the future for them, we must all support Electric vehicles (even if they cost a little more now and have some issues to sort out).

Good discussion here!

 

[anglachel]

I sure like the idea of an electric car. Sounds very tempting. My electric rates in winter are under 5 cents/ kWh. I could drive that Leaf pretty darn cheap.

But, . . . I can buy an awful lot of gas for my 11 year old vehicle that only cost me $5k used 8 years ago, instead of buying a new $25,000 car (with tax payer help, no less). The cost of the car just has to come down first before it's feasible. Maybe someday it will make sense.

Greg

That initial cost was what put me on the NC700x instead of the Zero DS...

I could either get 2 NC's for the cost of one DS (plus potentially paying for a quick charger).
Or I could buy one NC and get gas for the next 140k mile, and pay for all the oil changes along the way.

Now if I planned to commute 500 miles round trip each day... it'd make a lot of sense to get the lower maintenance Zero, and rack up the milage, after ~1 year of riding it'd be paying for itself (over the NC)... but with my 10 mile round trip commute it'd take the better part of 53 years...

I might have even still gone for the Zero if there were the infrastructure to support it... but as it stands I can gas up the NC anywhere in the country in a matter of minutes... where the Zero would need a charging station (or an outlet) and those aren't as easy to come by when going cross country... When they are I might end up getting a Zero. (really need to sell the wife that it's what she wants... but with her choice right now being the PCX the same math applies where we could get a PCX and her first 250K miles worth of gas and oil changes...)

That being said, I like the idea of the elio for something to drive in the winter once the snow starts to fly... something small for commuting and super efficient... if I need to haul stuff I'll take the wifes car... or better still get the wife to take this on her longer commute and I'll take the larger car when the motorcycle isn't an option...

 

[Naked_Duc]

I sure like the idea of an electric car. Sounds very tempting. My electric rates in winter are under 5 cents/ kWh. I could drive that Leaf pretty darn cheap.

But, . . . I can buy an awful lot of gas for my 11 year old vehicle that only cost me $5k used 8 years ago, instead of buying a new $25,000 car (with tax payer help, no less). The cost of the car just has to come down first before it's feasible. Maybe someday it will make sense.

Greg

Yes, it makes total sense for you to keep driving your current car. It's all paid for so all you have to put toward the car is gas. Now that's way cheaper than buying a new car. For some though, an electric car might be a viable option, when you are considering next car.

The scale hasn't tip toward electric cars yet. The electric technology is still new and has a long ways to go. On the other hand, gas-power cars have made big strides toward that 40mpg milestone. But I do see the balance tipping toward electric or other alternative fuel powered cars in the near future. Oil is limited and gas price will only go up and up. Batteries are going to get better and electric cars are getting cheaper, with better range. There will be more charging stations. There will be more manufacturers making electric cars and more models to choose from.