4.20.2010

I reserved a Nissan Leaf


Official site: Nissan Leaf


Comment: My wife is skeptical, but I think this would be a great car to commute back and forth from downtown. I deposited $ 99 today to reserve a spot

Posted by Jim Peet at 4/20/2010 07:06:00 PM

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7 comments:

  1. Daniel StahlApril 21, 2010 at 7:10:00 AM CDT

    I am with your wife on this one. I am not a big fan of electric cars or hybrids. I am not sure the price tag makes it economical. I think once you can purchase an electric/hybrid at the same price you can a regular economy vehicle, then it might be economical.

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  2. Bike BubbaApril 21, 2010 at 8:16:00 AM CDT

    It looks like an old Quest after too long in the dryer. :^) (sorry, Jim!)

    Environmentally, I'm pretty sure a gasoline powered vehicle is a better deal--your off peak electricity that will be coming off spinning reserve is coal fired plants, and making batteries fills a lot of fifty gallon drums full of toxic waste.

    All in all, I *should* love hybrids and electrics, being a EE by trade, but as I calculate things like cost, vehicle capability, and environmental impact, the "honest" part of me doesn't see them as so cool anymore. They really are a niche vehicle to use in situations where gasoline exhaust (which you can almost breathe these days, the CO is so low) would pose a major problem.

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  3. Jim PeetApril 21, 2010 at 9:36:00 AM CDT

    HA HA ... I will be laughing when gas is $ 12 per gallon and I am free gliding on electricity.

    :)

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  4. Jim PeetApril 21, 2010 at 9:59:00 AM CDT

    Actually I am skeptical too about the cost factors. We don't want to have three cars. I would need to sell my beloved truck and you know how handy a pickup is!

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  5. veggiebusApril 21, 2010 at 6:34:00 PM CDT

    It costs about 1/3 of gas cost (at today's price) driving EVs. Less maintenance cost too just from the simple fact that EVs have a lot less moving parts. You will save a lot if you look at the total cost of ownership.

    Since power generation from power plants are a lot more efficient than the car motors, EVs are more green than gas cars even if all power is from coal.

    Then again all power is not from coal. In California coal accounts for less than 1%. 50% natural gas, 50% renewables.

    Then again you can install solar PV to power your car. It's pretty cost effective if you believe that by using no fossil fuel you eliminate your part of a cost partly paid through pains experienced by people in other parts of the world and partly to be paid by our future generations.

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  6. Bike BubbaApril 22, 2010 at 8:06:00 AM CDT

    Time to correct some errors. First of all, the "renewable energy" for California is mostly hydroelectric dams--try getting that one past the environmentalists today, especially since there are no more undammed Columbia rivers to dam.

    Second, natural gas imported from halfway around the world has a fairly significant cost, environmentally speak, as well. The dirty fuel oil burned to power those big marine diesels and boilers produces a huge portion of sulfates emitted into the atmosphere--it makes coal fired power plants look pretty clean in comparison.

    Going further, though they don't burn much coal in California, they import huge amounts of electricity produced by burning coal in neighboring states. The haze of the Grand Canyon is largely keeping LA lit, for example.

    The reality is that when you're charging an electric car at night, you ARE pulling coal fired and nuclear power plants off spinning reserve. Coal is cheaper, but takes a while to fire up--natural gas comes on much more quickly, but is more expensive. So you charge a vehicle at night (lowest rates due to coal fired plants), you will be using power from coal, end of story.

    And the idea that electric vehicles have lower maintenance costs? Better check with Consumer Reports and Edmunds on that one--sorry, ain't true.

    Photovoltaics? Good luck getting that--or for that matter the batteries of an electric car--to work at 20 below with two feet of snow on the ground. Also, until recently, it took more energy to make PV than you'd ever get out of them.

    Sorry; the economics of technologies favored by environmentalists simply don't work out yet.

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  7. Jim PeetApril 22, 2010 at 12:02:00 PM CDT

    When it is available in the Twin Cities I am going to give it a good look. Nissan confirmed my reservation.

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