a 2013 Leaf for the woodgeeks

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Yup. At $0.12/kWh (the national average), the fuel cost per mile is roughly 25% that of gasoline at 22mpg. I think spouse is actually getting 3.5 mi/kWh.

The net $5000 savings over 36k miles pays about half of the lease cost. When I estimated repair, maintenance and depreciation on the vehicles it replaced, that was another few thou. I think I am out of pocket for $60/mo on the lease.

In PA, I was able to buy 100% wind power for $0.124/kWh on a 2 year contract (current rates are slightly higher), so I have zero carbon emissions per mile at the same time.

but in my case i'm getting 50
That is an ideal commute for a VW TDI. Which is a heck of a lot more car IMHO. If a car is a box that takes you from place to place then there is nothing wrong with a Prius. If you enjoy the experience of driving a car AND want impressive fuel mileage then go test drive a TDI. Yes, I am probably biased. Yes, I love torque.

i used to do 45 miles each way all highway at a past job, and got from 42-45 mpg in my '04 prius. Now I drive city and highway about 23 miles each way and average 48-51 mpg.
 
you know, this EV mileage limitation might be the best reason to buy, "would love to pickup broccoli but i only have 16 miles left".
 
but in my case i'm getting 50

i used to do 45 miles each way all highway at a past job, and got from 42-45 mpg in my '04 prius. Now I drive city and highway about 23 miles each way and average 48-51 mpg.

Yeah, you might only see a 50% reduction in energy cost per mile by going EV. ;lol
Of course, you might also be a weird EV hypermiler who can get 120 miles out of the Leaf.
 
Well, I ended up buying one (see my other thread I started). What threw me over is that Nissan had/has a $3500 incentive to use their financing, then MA came out with an additional $2500 rebate so that knocked $6K off the price compared to what I was looking at. I ended up buying rather than leasing as the net amount was worth it, walked out with the 2013-S+ Charger package (Sounds like what you got) for a very comfortable price.

Sent the wife off on a 74 mile drive the next day... she had some anxiety when it complained about needing to charge, but she made it!

Welcome to the club!

Sounds like a great set of incentives that brought the price down into the teens. A very fun/comfy new car for that kind of cost.

The wife and I are having a lot of fun with our Leaf, now well north of 1000 miles. We have invented a whole new lingo....when we see a Prius, we say: "Oooh look! a gas guzzler!" (when we see any other ICE car we go "Ooh look! Its a gas-wagon monstrosity!")
 
I love to see the passion for EV.
 
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I think Chevy and others are missing the mark with their advertising. Driving enjoyment should be listed as one of the top features.
It seems like GM is barely advertising the volt at all. Could be the margins are too thin to spend a lot of money on ads. Probably pays better to advertise the Escalade and the Silverado,sadly.
 
In contrast Nissan seems to be pouring incentive cash to move the Leaf (but also not advertising much, except with viral videos).

I think every Leaf the sell (perhaps at a loss) sells a few more by word of mouth. One of my neighbors is close to pulling the trigger. They have already sunk billions in engineering, probably makes sense to pass for now on profit to grow volumes/acceptance in advance of the Leaf Gen 2 in 18 mos (with 2x the range).
 
. Driving enjoyment should be listed as one of the top features.
As a gearhead who grew up in adoration of infernal combustion engines and the beautiful noise they make I find now that I get more of a tingle down my spine when I hear the electric whine/growl of an electrically powered vehicle along with the constant push back into the seat I've only experienced otherwise during takeoff in a jet plane.
 
As a gearhead who grew up in adoration of infernal combustion engines and the beautiful noise they make I find now that I get more of a tingle down my spine when I hear the electric whine/growl of an electrically powered vehicle along with the constant push back into the seat I've only experienced otherwise during takeoff in a jet plane.

in 50 years "old timers" will sound just like this as the kids are flying silently in their hover crafts.
 
Can't wait til they get rid of tires on vehicles. That will save a whole lot of petroleum.
 
in 50 years "old timers" will sound just like this as the kids are flying silently in their hover crafts.

When I was a kid, I was told we would all have hovercrafts by now...
 
I was hoping for a transporter by then, you know beam me to Boston Scotty....

Seriously, the more I think about it though the more I think we should move toward electricity as our standard for conveyance of energy.
Its seems we waste a huge amount of money/resources/safety building and maintaining the infrastructure needed to move chemical energy sources around (e.g., heating oil, motor fuel, etc.).
IMO we'd be better off using those fuels along with renewable sources, nuclear, etc. at centralized power generation facilities.
We should improve our electrical grid and invest in storage technology and methods for getting electrical power to vehicles, trains, trucks, etc. along with buildings and factories.
 
Welcome to the club!

The wife and I are having a lot of fun with our Leaf, now well north of 1000 miles. We have invented a whole new lingo....when we see a Prius, we say: "Oooh look! a gas guzzler!" (when we see any other ICE car we go "Ooh look! Its a gas-wagon monstrosity!")

I have to say I've enjoyed this car more so far this week than I recall with any other I have bought. Then again, I'm generally more of a "meet the functional requirements" type on these things... never paid for extras if I could avoid it.

I think by the end of the week we'll have put close to 500 miles on it, not a bad first week but this will be unusual use, not the normal/average.

Kids are good at plugging/unplugging so I think that will fall into our routine, takes about as much time/effort as getting into the car does.
 
Harley is now jumping into the fray with an electric bike. Of course it wont have their signature rumble harley is famous for but a cool whoosh like jet taking off sound. Not something im interested in anymore. I like a lot of framework around me as i age and become more fragile.
 
Ah, Carma.

Leaf is in the shop....wife was driving in Philly on Thursday, got rear-ended by a guy on a bicycle. Guy was swerving to avoid another car, lost control and put shoulder and head through the rear window and caved in hatchback. He appeared aok, with only minor cuts, and went to the ER for a checkout.

Repair estimate is $2500, with our $500 deductible. Should be good as new in 10 days, since the parts are all 'special order', coming from TN.

FYI, in my financial spreadsheet, I neglected that the insurance co would up our charge significantly relative to the beater it replaced.

In hindsight, maybe justified. :confused:
 
It seems like GM is barely advertising the volt at all. Could be the margins are too thin to spend a lot of money on ads. Probably pays better to advertise the Escalade and the Silverado,sadly.
Might just be a different demographic is being targeted. I have seen full page color ads for the Volt in some mags I read. Still, I think they should target a broader, younger audience. The Volt is really fun to drive and a pleasure to take on trips too.
 
Let me get this straight....a guy on a bike did 2500 dollars damage to the rear of your vehicle?

True story...my other half backed my truck up the hood of an older Porsche.. The only way I could tell is where it wiped the dirt from the bottom of the bumper. Porsche...different story.;sick
 
Apparently the bicycle was undamaged too.
 
Ah, Carma.

Repair estimate is $2500, with our $500 deductible. Should be good as new in 10 days, since the parts are all 'special order', coming from TN.

FYI, in my financial spreadsheet, I neglected that the insurance co would up our charge significantly relative to the beater it replaced.

In hindsight, maybe justified. :confused:

If you have contact info for the guy that hit you I'd ask for at least the deductible from him. My roommate in college hit a car (I think it was a toyota) from the side riding his bike - put his butt through the driver's window (scared the heck out of the driver I'm sure). While it was fun to razz him about it, he was responsible for the damage and had to make good on it.

I was surprised that our insurance rate actually dropped a hair (like $60/yr) swapping the Hyundai for the Leaf. I was braced for an increase on the assumption new car would be higher...
 
I think the wife said +$600/yr on the insurance. ;sick
 
I think the wife said +$600/yr on the insurance. ;sick

Auto insurance costs are quite the topic. While I understand much of the business "risk management' side of it, once you add in the regulatory and individual attitudes to the mix the complexity of it all becomes overwhelming rather quickly. Understanding why the cost changes for one vehicle to the other certainly is not intuitive to me. I get that some are 'safer' and some cost more to repair etc, but predicting which way it will go - that is the hard part.
 
Well, I ended up buying one (see my other thread I started). What threw me over is that Nissan had/has a $3500 incentive to use their financing, then MA came out with an additional $2500 rebate so that knocked $6K off the price compared to what I was looking at. I ended up buying rather than leasing as the net amount was worth it, walked out with the 2013-S+ Charger package (Sounds like what you got) for a very comfortable price.

Sent the wife off on a 74 mile drive the next day... she had some anxiety when it complained about needing to charge, but she made it!
I began talking to a Nissan Dealer last week about a leaf. I also live in MA and the final price I would be getting for the Leaf would be between 18-19K, after the $3500 incentive, $7500 fed tax credit, $2500 state rebate. This price included all taxes and other dealer charges but did not include the upgraded charger.

What is your final price after all incentives and extra charges?
 
I began talking to a Nissan Dealer last week about a leaf. I also live in MA and the final price I would be getting for the Leaf would be between 18-19K, after the $3500 incentive, $7500 fed tax credit, $2500 state rebate. This price included all taxes and other dealer charges but did not include the upgraded charger.

What is your final price after all incentives and extra charges?

Is your quote for the 2014 MY or 2013? IIRC Slow, like me, got the 2013.
 
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