The Sunday article “Turning over a new Leaf” didn’t accurately state the cost of a Nissan Leaf. First, the MSRP is $29,000 to $35,000 depending on package level (the article should have stated $21,000 to $27,000 after, not before, the $7,500 federal incentive.) A word about that: proponents of electric cars seem to consider this to be a permanent entitlement. The reality? It’s limited. There are over 250 million registered passenger vehicles in the U.S. — it’s a fantasy to think taxpayers can afford to spend (borrow another) $2 trillion to subsidize complete replacement with electric cars.
Another consideration is battery replacement cost. The Leaf battery is warranted for 8 years/100,000 miles and costs $5,500 (plus installation, another $1,000 to $1,500 since it covers over half the underside of the car and weighs 600 pounds). There are growing accounts of Leaf batteries being replaced under warranty. Note that Nissan loses money on every Leaf and every battery sold, let alone the warranty costs (a hidden subsidy for the purpose of corporate image and to gain technological experience.) Maybe this is why the Kelly Bluebook on a 2011 Leaf (original base $35,000) with 50,000 miles is only $9,000 (a very poor 75 percent depreciation.)
The reality is electric cars are not cost effective. Gas would need to get up to $8 to $10 a gallon to make them competitive (which will be offset by the increased efficiency forced by the coming ramped up MPG standards.) And they’re only practical for commuting and regional use because they roughly need a half-hour charge for every hour driven, rendering long trips impractical if not painful (Tesla has models with 2?½ times the batter capacity and range of a Leaf, which means 2?½ times the charging time.)
At best, electric cars may be successful for a certain niche market, e.g., for a couple with a 60-80 mile daily round trip commute, with a second “family” vehicle for other uses. Myself? I have a 7-mile daily round trip commute, and only drive around 4,000 miles locally/regionally per year. I can’t ever see myself owning a Leaf.
Jim Anderson
Everett
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