Nissan LEAF

[Connemara]

A few people I know have been on the waiting list for the Chevy Volt, and all are disappointed in the car's final specs. Not fully electric, etc. It seems like the Nissan LEAF is the next big electric car project. There's no gasoline involved and allegedly the starting MSRP will be around $25K (I think the Volt is $40k).

Is anyone on the list? Any news on the LEAF? I'm intrigued.

 

[Logan]

I sat in a Volt at the auto show the other day. I didn't like it at all. Seemed kinda cheap on the inside. They had a leaf there but I couldn't sit in it. But electric vehicles aren't really practical, waiting all night to 'fuel up' doesn't make sence. Plus batteries are dirty as hell.

 

[imageWIS]

Originally Posted by Logan

I sat in a Volt at the auto show the other day. I didn't like it at all. Seemed kinda cheap on the inside. They had a leaf there but I couldn't sit in it. But electric vehicles aren't really practical, waiting all night to 'fuel up' doesn't make sence. Plus batteries are dirty as hell.
Yeah, because oil is so clean:

 

[aizan]

no battery chargers at your work's parking lot?

 

[shibbel]

That $25K number is after a tax break iirc.

 

[Baron]

Originally Posted by Connemara

are disappointed in the car's final specs. Not fully electric, etc.

The only think I don't like about the Volt is the price. I wouldn't want an all electric car with no on the road refueling options. You can be fully electric with the Volt if you drive it like you'd drive the Leaf. The Volt is also more attractive and more powerful.

 

[sinnedk]

Here is the thing, volt/leaf are going to be for the everyday consumer, if you want a luxury electric car then you go for the Tesla S link http://www.teslamotors.com/models/gallery it has a fully touch screen dashboard, looks very slick

 

[Dragon]

Originally Posted by imageWIS

Yeah, because oil is so clean:

well it's not like the batteries are powered by solar or anything like that, so that bird is still f*cked.

 

[Harold falcon]

Originally Posted by imageWIS

Yeah, because oil is so clean:

Where do you think the electricity comes from?

 

[Pilot]

Originally Posted by Dragon

well it's not like the batteries are powered by solar or anything like that, so that bird is still f*cked.

Originally Posted by harvey_birdman

Where do you think the electricity comes from?

Bingo! electric cars are not the solution to the short or long term problem.

I think it is going to have to come down to solar power. I've read that if we could harness the suns energy for 1 day we could power every car in the world for a year. which seems kind of crazy

 

[Blackhood]

The thing is though, once the world is dependent on electricity the oil firms will have no choice but to invest in new ways to harvest it.

At this stage no one gives a **** about electricity because its all about light bulbs and TVs.

 

[Ambulance Chaser]

Originally Posted by Baron

The only think I don't like about the Volt is the price. I wouldn't want an all electric car with no on the road refueling options. You can be fully electric with the Volt if you drive it like you'd drive the Leaf. The Volt is also more attractive and more powerful.
Yep. HUGE design flaw in the Leaf.

 

[ComboOrgan]

Originally Posted by harvey_birdman

Where do you think the electricity comes from?
yeah, it's a two step problem 1. power cars with electricity 2. switch most electrical generation to nuclear Electric cars match up beautifully with nuclear power, since nuclear provides high baseload with less variability than coal. Since electric cars do most of their "refueling" at night when there is plenty of available baseload, it's a good solution. So there is still good reason to switch to electric - it's taking the first step, and hopefully the government/utilities will follow though with the next step

 

[SField]

Originally Posted by Pilot

Bingo! electric cars are not the solution to the short or long term problem.

I think it is going to have to come down to solar power. I've read that if we could harness the suns energy for 1 day we could power every car in the world for a year. which seems kind of crazy

That's a massive if. If we had the technology and infrastructure to be able to do that, we wouldn't be driving cars anymore. We'd have already figured out teleportation.

 

[SladeDT]

So... why not electric car + solar panels at the home? win win?