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Community Corner

Go Electric. Go Nissan Leaf.

In light of the talk about golf carts, I thought it appropriate to mention another fully electric vehicle (and no, this is not a hybrid) that gives you the feeling that you are driving a newly washed car every day.

It’s the Nissan Leaf.  Now, I am not a huge product promoter but this is the first car I have driven that is actually fun to drive and awesome to own.

The difference between the Leaf and a golf cart?  The Leaf is fully electric, street legal, tops out at 90 mph, can drive in HOV lanes with one (1) passenger, fits two (2) child car seats and it’s FREE for a two (2) year lease. 

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Yes.  FREE.

OK. Let’s do some math for cost of ownership over a two (2) year lease.

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I used to drive a gas guzzling SUV with a car payment of $450 per month or $10,800 for two (2) years.  Add gas of $50 per week (this is more like lowballing my actual weekly gas expenses), four (4) oil changes per year at $25 per oil change and $1284 per year for insurance.  Total cost of ownership for the SUV over two (2) years is $18,768. 

Way too much money to spend when a zero emission, plug into your standard wall outlet, lower cost option exists.

My Nissan Leaf lease payment is $305 per month (after the available Federal tax credit is applied—by the way, I am only a consumer and not a tax advisor) or $7,320 for two (2) years. 

Add $0 for gas.  Yep, I don’t have to hit another gas station to fill up--ever! 

Add $0 for oil changes.  Yep.  No oil changes.    

Add $1430 per year for car insurance.

The total cost of ownership for my Nissan Leaf over a two (2) years is $10,180.

What about the increased power bill?  Add an additional $10 per month to the power bill or $240 for two (2) years.  Total cost of ownership for the Nissan Leaf over two (2) years is $10,420. 

Two (2) year savings = $8,348!

This doesn’t even take into account the fact that the State of Georgia allows consumers a tax credit of $0 to $5,000 on purchases or leases of Nissan Leafs.  Not a tax deduction.  A tax credit.  Reader’s Digest--more money in your pocket.

The obvious question?  What’s the catch?  And yes, there is one. 

The catch is that the car, on a single charge, can achieve 100-120 miles on surface streets (i.e. in the city) and about 80-90 miles on the highway (for those of us that regularly exceed the speed limit).

So, if you commute less than 35 miles one way, work from home and go in and out of the house on a regular basis, don’t take long trips or have a second vehicle that you can take long trips in, have two (2) kids or less and have a standard wall outlet in your garage (you can simply plug the car into the wall!), the Nissan Leaf is the perfect vehicle for you.





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