Posted on 05/07/2014 9:16:24 AM PDT by ctdonath2
I did it. I got an electric car. A Nissan Leaf.
Whatever the origins, the confluence of factors made it absurd not to. Buyers get a $7500 credit off federal taxes. Georgia offers $5000 off purchase or lease. Power usage costs about $25/mo (vs gas at $150-300). That, plus negotiating, makes a 2 year lease net cost $0, if not negative. That I was driving a '98 POS facing major repairs, plus legislative movements reconsidering the incentives, made it a must-do.
If you're in a state with similar incentives, and have any reason at all to get another car, do it.
Environmentalism? Reducing pollution et al is a good thing, but as I was otherwise looking at a Jeep Wrangler, not a major factor. Taxation/redistribution? Getting mine $$$ back is a good thing. If they're gonna legislate it, use it.
Just a happy new nifty car owner here, had to share. Get your free car now if you can.
Exactly. I’m relishing the abuse I’m getting here.
You didn’t subsidize my ride, I did. I’ve payed WAY more than $12500 in unfair taxes, now I get some back.
I leased. The dealer is the buyer, who gets the $7500 credit and passes much of it on to me.
Don't know about the range, but with constant high torque across the whole range it did 0-60 in 3.3 seconds.
Well put.
Why did you go for the Leaf over the Chevy Volt? They’re both in the same price range but the Volt gives you the gasoline option.
I had to read it a few times, then smiled. Nicely done.
Yes, that ... just in “gun metal” gray. Yes, that’s what they call the color. My wife made the decision, noting it fit the driver.
The acceleration is seriously amazing. Very fast.
For what? I paid for it. Yes I know where the money came from: my paycheck.
I got a rental Prius for a three week work trip. I think you are correct. It did pretty well driving back and for to the job site. I drove three and 1/2 hours from OKC to Fort Worth and the mileage was pretty mediocre for a car that small in two wheel drive. Something around the low to mid 30’s. I think the high highway speeds are pretty hard for the engine carrying a large bank of batteries.
I work at a very PC well known company in Oregon and we have some charging stations in the area where I park so I’ve seen a few of these around.
But I have to go between Portland and Seattle a lot so wouldn’t work for me.
The Integra got about 20 mpg. Ford advertised the Fusion Hybrid at a whopping 47 mpg, but many owners (myself included) reported actual sustained value of 37 mpg. Ford claims their higher mpg is due to pristine testing environments for hybrids okayed by the EPA.
When in gas only mode, the car gets about 22 mpg. The Fusion goes into battery mode about 1/3 of the time. The battery regenerates via the gas motor as well as regenerative braking.
With recent programming updates, the car can go into battery mode at speeds up to 80 mph for highway driving. My highway mpg with the combined gas/electric motor has been about 35 mpg. Surface road driving has seen mpg peaking 50 when driving on lots of slight downgrades. When returning in the other direction, the battery mode goes on much less, resulting in an mpg in the high 20's to low 30s. This averages near the 37 for round trip driving for me.
-PJ
Zero to 60 in 10 seconds is adequate, but not fast.
You should have gotten a free Tesla.
What you need to do is donate some of the money you saved to pro 2nd Amendment and other conservative causes. That'll restore the balance to the FR universe- and piss off the libs :-)
You can drive a 4 banger camry too and get around that. Lots of new cars will achieve that with no batteries. I think my folks got a bit extra for a bit, but now the car is a couple years old and the gasoline engine kicks in immediately, it barely uses batteries. The constant stopping and starting of the engine uses gasoline too.
It’s a big joke, and it’s on us. Of course after a certain time, you’ll have to replace all those batteries, and that’s expensive and not every environmentally friendly heh.
I have had mine for almost 2 years. It is a really great commuter car and fun to drive. I wish more people in central California drove them because our air quality is the worst in the country. The money for rebates has already been allocated. Why should only liberals get this money?
“The acceleration is seriously amazing. Very fast.
Zero to 60 in 10 seconds is adequate, but ...”
It is the low end torque that makes it fun to drive.
Apples and oranges.
Something must be wrong with that Camry. I have a 2012 Camry hybrid LE that has averaged over 46.3 mpg since purchasing new in March 2012.
I am very satisfied with this car. Zero problems so far.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.