Readers Are Talking About 2011 Nissan Leaf, and It's Mostly Good
By John O'Dell May 26, 2010
Edmunds' Inside Line recently spent some time behind the wheel of a test car using a near-production prototype of the powertrain for Nissan's new all-electric Leaf and reports the purpose-built EV is not only smooth and refined, but also "implausibly good fun to drive."
Even better, with a $32,780 sticker that can be offset by as much as $12,500 through federal and state tax credits, the Leaf will be a truly affordable choice for most folks considering alternatively fueled transportation.
Nissan says it has taken more than 19,000 refundable deposits for the car in the U.S. and Japan and our early review certainly has shoppers and enthusiasts buzzing on Edmunds.com.
Some wonder if Nissan has a potential game changer on its hands. Others are concerned sales may be hampered by the car's limited range, not to mention competition from that other upcoming eco-darling, the plug-in hybrid Chevrolet Volt.
So-called "range anxiety" appears to be the biggest worry for would-be EV drivers, but Leaf proponents point out the driving habits of the vast majority of people place them comfortably within the Leaf's estimated 100-mile range.
As one said, "If your daily ride is less than 60 miles total and you have another car available for longer trips, [the Leaf] seems like a great everyday vehicle."
But others fret that their specific driving needs -- such as extended highway commutes or even just running the air conditioner on a hot summer day -- might have some severely range-draining effects. Said one, "If 'range anxiety' turns into 'real anxiety,' I will pick a hybrid." Another said, "For my purpose at this point the Leaf is not feasible." But that same reader would consider a Leaf "if Nissan can somehow increase the range to 200 miles."
Still, one reader said, "This car would actually work... for me here in Reno" because "the entire town is within a 25-mile radius." And someone else pointed out "there are a lot of people in the U.S. driving cars they only need one day a year," reasoning a Leaf could work for many of them if they just "rented a specialized car only when they needed it" - for example, to go on a long trip.
Of course, the 2011 Chevrolet Volt solves the range issue with its internal-combustion engine that provides juice if the batteries are depleted. Given that, and considering the comments so far, you might think most readers would prefer it to the Leaf. Not so.
"The Volt seems to cost about $10K (or 30 percent) more than the Leaf," said one, concluding, "If I were buying one of these two, I'd go for the Leaf, hands down."
Others point out the Leaf "is vastly more simple," meaning "no oil changes, no oil/gas/air filters, and many fewer moving parts than on a gas-powered vehicle." Said one, "I don't want the hassle and expense of maintaining an engine that I have no need of."
Offering a stronger point of view, another reader argues that "if we decide to go with an electric vehicle I want an ELECTRIC VEHICLE, not something with a tailpipe that will only [be] having me send SOME of my money to countries where people hate the U.S.," noting pointedly "the Chevy Volt can't make that claim."
A few try to grapple with just how "green" is an electric car such as the Leaf. One observed that "where I live a plant burns coal and spews emissions into the air to create electricity" and "a majority of the electricity produced is lost in the old and outdated transmission system."
But a different reader counters that "even if you charged an electric car with power that came 100 percent from a coal-fired power plant, it would still cost less and pollute less than individual gas-powered internal-combustion engines on every vehicle" -- not to mention coal is "domestically produced, not imported."
In the end, no matter where they land in the debate, our readers clearly are "very excited about the new electric cars coming out in the next few years, whether they be extended-range electrics like the Volt or pure electrics like the Leaf," as one of them summed up nicely, with even Volt enthusiasts quick to offer "kudos to Nissan for focusing their first electric car on everyday folks in terms of pricing and usability."
And that's the word on the street. -- Mark Holthoff, Edmunds.com manager of Customer Support
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Read Green Car Advisor's July 2009 review of the first Leaf prototype.
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There's plenty of negative talk too, but it generally gets muted. This article is a great example.
How is this article an example of muting negative talk? It includes both positive and negative comments.
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