EV first impressions: Nissan Leaf isn't for everyone (yet)

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By Liz Enbysk

SGN Managing Editor

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Friends and I took Nissan up on its invitation to test drive the all-electric Leaf Sunday

morning. The company had a slick operation set up in a parking lot at a nearby mall, herding scores of visitors through a series of tents to showcase the Leaf's battery technology and performance capabilities before letting us get behind the wheel.

I’ll admit, I'm not much of a car person (although I wouldn't be disappointed to see a Tesla roadster sitting in my driveway). What car I buy is typically based on lifestyle needs and what we can afford at the time. But I know I want the next car I purchase to be an all-electric vehicle – and judging from the turnout and questions people were asking at the Leaf event Sunday – many others are thinking the same thing. It's becoming increasingly obvious that replacing gas guzzlers with battery-powered EVs is the right thing to do. Question is, will it really be do-able for many of us any time soon?

In the next few years manufacturers will be rolling out an increasing number of plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs).  And charging stations along major thoroughfares will eventually become as ubiquitous as gas stations are today. But we aren't there yet.

Range and cost are key challenges

With the ability to go about 100 miles on a full charge, the Leaf probably makes most sense today as a commuter car. Research indicates there are lots of people who will be able to drive to the office in the morning, run a few errands after work and still get back home without needing a charge.

See more:   About the Leaf ·     2011 Nissan Leaf: GreenCarReports best car to buy in 2011 ·     Program to track charging habits of Nissan Leaf early adopters ·     EVs and batteries get a jumpstart: Nissan breaks ground on new plant   Other EVs ·     Tesla stock soars ·     Ford names first markets for Focus Electric ·     Audi eyes lead in premium electric car market ·     UK company develops a wind-powered EV ·     EVs overhyped? New report says probably so   Stay connected with SGN ·         Smart Grid News Talk forums ·         Get LinkedIn with Jesse ·         Join SGN on Facebook ·         Follow us on Twitter ·         Try our RSS feed ·         Get our email digest

But there are also people like my friends who did the test drive with me. They are on the interstate between Seattle and California eight to 10 times a year, sometimes more. Stopping to charge up every 100 miles – even assuming they could luck into fast- charging stations that can do a full charge in 30 minutes -- would still add hours to their trip. For people like them, a hybrid is going to make more sense, even if they’d rather say goodbye to gasoline and go all-electric.

Pike Research surveyed 1,000+ U.S. consumers last summer on their attitudes toward PEVs and found that price sensitivity is a key factor. The Leaf MSRP quoted on the Nissan website is $33,720, but the $7,500 federal tax incentive can bring it down to around $25,000, and other incentives or credits may also apply. Still, $25,000 is going to be high for a lot of people just needing basic transportation.

The Leaf is a kick to drive, though. Instead of the standard gear console there’s a joystick-type gizmo that’s pretty fun. And there's a dashboard that lights up like a Christmas tree. The car seemed easy to maneuver, and it was almost eerily quiet. While it seats five, space may be tight if you’re piling in the kids and the dog and all of your gear for a family road trip.

I was curious what my local utility was doing to help customers prepare for EVs, but didn’t have to wonder long. Puget Sound Energy had a booth set up at the Leaf demo with information on what they're doing to support electric vehicles.

Conclusion: I still want my next car to be all-electric. But it may be a couple of years before I'm confident I can jump on the freeway and get where I'm going without that range anxiety we've been hearing about.