I have some big news… I got a Nissan Leaf! I would’ve told you all earlier, but I’ve been so busy driving it around that I’ve hardly had time to even sit at the computer lately. But I just had to take a moment to show you all my new baby!
For those of you who haven’t heard, the Nissan Leaf is a 100% electric car, and my Honey and I have been on the waiting list for a year and a half, just dying to get behind the wheel. We finally got one a couple weeks ago, and it’s everything we hoped it would be.
I absolutely love telling people about this car, and here are answers to the three questions almost everyone asks:
- It’s 100% electric, and doesn’t take gasoline at all. There is no tank!
- It can go about 100 miles on a single charge.
- I can charge it at any regular household outlet, and can top it off at any time. I can charge it even faster with an optional 240V charger (which we just purchased).
The best thing about this car is that it’s SO quiet that you can hardly even hear it. In fact, most people don’t even believe me when I tell them it’s running, because it hardly makes a sound. The other best thing is that it’s so smooth, quick, and responsive that it’s a joy to ride. The other other best thing is that it’s completely decked out inside with bells and whistles. And the OTHER other other best thing is that I haven’t been to a gas station in over two weeks!
If any of you are curious about this car or are thinking about getting one, feel free to leave me a comment. I love this car and I’m more than happy to answer any questions you’ve got!
11 comments so far:
how do you charge it if you are on a long trip?
I’m SO excited to finally hear about someone who has one! I have been “looking” at the leaf ever since I first heard about it, and it just sounds so cool! I know that Nissan plans on adding a bunch of public charging stations in my area, so I am considering purchasing one in the next few years, once my current car payment is paid off. What is the leg room like inside? I am very tall, and that is one problem I had when I was looking at hybrid cars, because they are typcially smaller. Congratulations on your new car!
Sheryl, I won’t be able to take any long trips with the car (over 100 miles) until there are lots of “quick charge” stations installed along the highways, which take only 30 minutes to give the car a full charge. There are more being installed all the time, and I hope that within a couple years there will be enough that I will be able to drive long distances. For now, though, I’m very happy to have it as my commuter car that gets me to and from work with plenty of charge for errands, too.
Danielle, my Honey is like you and has been looking into the Leaf since Day 1. He got me intrigued, and when we test drove one last year, I was hooked. Right now there are no public charging stations near where we live, but I expect some will be added before too long. The car has great leg room. Several of my friends are pretty tall guys and have been pleasantly surprised at how comfortable they were in both the driver’s seat and the back seat.
Congratulations!!! We bought our Leaf and it was delivered in September and we LOVE LOVE LOVE it!!! It drives so amazingly doesn’t it? And, you’re talking (well reading) from 2 very fast drivers. My husband drives the Leaf (he’s 6’4″ and needed a car that his head wouldn’t touch and this works great) and I drive an Audi and I can say that the Leaf has great get up and go and can jam up hills with no problems. If it could go further on a single charge, we’d both probably have one. We have solar too, so it’s even better on the environment;) Now with the Leaf, Solar and Chickens, we’re feeling so uber eco-friendly and downright hippy;)
Good for you and have fun!
Shauna, you are so right about the Leaf’s get-up-and-go power. That instant torque is amazing. When I take off at a light, I always leave everyone far behind without even trying. I’m still waiting for a day when I am stopped next to sports car so I can really test it
You crack me up with your hippy-ness. I might like to have chickens one day, but I’d much rather have a cow — I dabbled in cheesemaking a couple years ago but couldn’t find a good source of milk!
What kind of mileage do you get? What if you are going on a long trip over 100 miles what do you do about charging it? Congrats
Hi Delores! On a full charge, I can get about 100 miles, depending on how I drive. It takes about $2.00 in electricity for a full charge, so that means it costs me about 2 cents a mile to drive. If you compare that to gasoline at a price of $3.50 a gallon, then it’s approximately equivalent to 175 miles a gallon!
Right now, there are not enough nearby “quick charge” stations fo rme to consider taking a trip over 100 miles, but eventually there will be. I could plan my route and be sture to stop at the places where I can fill up in about a half hour.
Congratulations and welcome to the club
My husband and I have owned our Leaf since April and absolutely love it. Enjoy it, especially the not going to the gas station bit 
Thanks, Pam! It’s so exciting to meet fellow Leaf owners. I hate the gas station, too!
Welcome to the club!!
Got mine at the end of July this year. 4,000 Miles later I am still enjoying the whisper quiet, smooth and fast ride
For those inquiring here about leg space etc. The two front seats have ample leg room and a great deal of head room. I often brush the roof of small cars, with the LEAF there are 4-5 inches of headroom!!
Back seats aren’t as comfy, OK for kids, kiddy seats and booster seats, but a little cramped for adults.
Trunk space is OK and the back seats do come down to make a lot of cargo room.
Enjoy your ride, don’t fight too hard over who drives it each day
JP, I can’t believe you have put 4000 miles on it so fast! Although I’ve put 600 miles on in about 3 weeks, so I guess I can believe
You’re right — my Honey and I both want to drive it every day, but we’re working out a pretty good way to share.