One standout vehicle is the S model which is manufactured by Tesla. Mileage limitations won’t be a huge issue with the Tesla because it can offer a 200-300 range depending on your needs. The car can also sprint from 0 to 60 mph in just  5.6 seconds and will have a top speed of 120 mph. Moreover, it is said to have a quick charge feature that allows the car to charge in 45 minutes. The company also intends to release an electric sports Roadster.

It looks as if Americans are finally ready for an electric car. And it makes sense; after all electric autos are better for the environment and should save us a substantial amount of money when it comes to filling up at the pump. Nissan’s Leaf has struck a chord with American shoppers and managed to sell out before its public launch.  The Leaf was even chosen to lead the New York Marathon, an ultra popular event broadcasted all over the world. Over thirteen thousand people have placed ninety nine dollar deposits down to reserve this revolutionary car.

Nissan is working hard to meet the demand and has been diligently installing public charging stations in dealerships across the States. The first stations will be installed in TN, CA, WA, OR and AZ. The Leaf will be released initially in these states because they are part of the EV project; a joint project conducted by the government and Ecotality with the intent of constructing charging stations for the public. Charging the Leaf at a public station will only take 30 minutes while it may take up to eight hours at a residential station.

Oregon appears to be a competitive and viable market for electric automobiles. Oregon is actually one of the major testing markets for electric cars and public charging stations. Nissan planned a well attended event in Hillsboro, OR which allowed prospective shoppers to inspect the vehicle in person and even take her out on a fun test drive. A large number of shoppers waited in line for their turn.

The Leaf is powered by an eighty kilowatts electric motor which is backed up by a lithium battery pack. The engine is capable of 107 hp and 207 lb feet of torque. When it comes to distance, the car has the ability to travel up to one hundred miles before it needs to be recharged. Numerous factors such as acceleration, driving style and the flow of all traffic, all determine how far the vehicle can go before it needs a recharge. If you have a long drive to work then this car would probably not be suitable.

As you would expect, the interior is ultra modern and slick with a white interior which is set off by the soothing cool blue lighting from the dashboard screens and LCD. The battery is situated on the floor under the seats and as a result the Leaf is extremely spacious and roomy. Standard features include a navigation system and compatibility with Bluetooth devices. Extra features for your convenience include keyless ignition, alloy sixteen inch wheels, a tilt adjustable steering wheel, cruise control and an audio system with six speakers. If you decide to purchase the SL model you get a solar panel and an optional rearview camera. The Leaf has been filled with a plethora of advanced safety mechanisms including an airbag system, an Anti Lock Brake System and Traction Control.

The Leaf is arriving in December so be on the lookout ; you might see one soon on the roadways or at your local Los Angeles Nissan dealer.  Judging from the pre-order numbers, it appears that Americans are ready and eager to own a zero-emissions vehicle. The Leaf is competitively priced at $32,780 and the price is lowered further with a tax credit of $7,000.

If you are in the Los Angeles area, visit your Beverly Hills Nissan and Culver City Nissan dealer for excellent prices on Nissan vehicles.

2011 Nissan Leaf

We’d all like to reduce or eliminate our reliance on gasoline for a variety of reasons. In spite of great strides in emissions reductions, gasoline engines are still a major factor in air pollution. America’s appetite for oil from distant countries plays a large role in our economic and foreign relations policies. Switching to a form of energy that could be created in the United States could only improve the situation. These are laudable goals, and it’s good to see Americans thinking of long-term goals that will be good for the country as a whole. Many people are even willing to pay a little more than necessary to help achieve these goals, but there is a limit. Alternative forms of energy won’t really gather long-lasting momentum until they become cost effective for the majority of consumers.

We’ve seen the number of hybrids on the road increase, partially due to government incentives and spikes in gasoline prices. But the price of hybrids remains stubbornly higher than the price of comparable gasoline-only cars. For example the new 2010 Honda Civic Hybrid starts at $23,800, while the regular Honda Civic sedan starts at $15,655. The majority of consumers are only going to spend the extra $8,000 if they think they can recoup that cost. Is the better gas mileage going to help you save $8,000 over the life of your car?

The regular Civic gets about 29 mpg, which is pretty good. Compare that to 42 mpg for the Civic Hybrid. Using an average of 15,000 miles per year and a price of $3 per gallon, we see that the owner of a regular Honda Civic would pay about $1,551 in a year, compared to $1071 for the owner of the hybrid. That’s a savings of only $480 a year. It would take more than 16 years to break even. Most people don’t keep their cars nearly that long.

The culprit is the price of the batteries. Like most other car manufacturers, Honda uses a nickel-metal-hydride (NiMH) battery in its hybrids. Price is not the only drawback to these batteries. They tend to lose capacity over time if they are not fully depleted before being recharged. As their capacity decreases, so does your gas mileage.

There’s a newer type of battery called the lithium-ion battery. It’s being used to power all-electric vehicles like the Nissan Leaf and the Chevy Volt. They have a longer range and they hold a charge better than NiMH batteries. Unfortunately they also cost more. A price tag of about $10,000 makes it expensive to go green. The other cost that no one seems to mention in regards to all-electric vehicles is the cost of the electricity itself. Unlike hybrids, where the engine recharges the battery when you drive, batteries on all-electric cars are recharged by plugging in to an electrical outlet in your garage. The power company is going to charge you for the electricity.

Rechargeable car batteries are relatively new. As consumer interest in cleaner cars with low operational costs increases, so will research and development of these batteries. Until they get significantly less expensive, hybrid and electric vehicles will not be economically viable choices.

There are several reasons that electric cars have not already replaced the gas engine, and they’re challenging to overcome, especially in the short run. The first is range. How far away from home can you get, and will there be a place to recharge along the way? How much does the car cost to buy and operate? Does it have guts?

The new Nissan Leaf can drive up to 100 miles on a full charge. That’s a lot further than most people drive in a day. Drivers would plug it in at home to charge overnight. It only takes 4 to 8 hours to fully charge the battery. You can even program the car to charge late at night when demand for electricity is low. For those occasions when you need to go further than 100 miles in a day, Nissan is working with various cities to install quick charge stations that can charge the battery 80% in about half an hour. You could find these quick charge stations with the Leaf’s navigation system and charge your battery while you stop for a meal.

Before you invest in one, check for quick charge stations in places you might travel. Over time they’ll become more available. If coverage is weak in the places you drive, you might not want your new Leaf to be your only car. Still, in a two car family, an electric car would be an ideal day-to-day commuter car.

Because of the expense of an electric battery, electric cars haven’t historically been able to compete with gas engine cars on price. The Nissan Leaf hasn’t yet announced its retail price, but some experts anticipate a price of around $25,000, including the $7,500 tax rebate. That puts it within reach of the average family. The battery lasts about 5 years, so you’d have to figure in the price of a battery every five years against the gas savings.

What about power? We’ve all driven electric golf carts. Is that how an electric car feels?  Not this one. The Nissan Leaf accelerates like a V-6 gas powered car. Nissan’s U.S. tour will show these electric cars in Los Angeles in November. Mass production will start in the U.S. in 2012. The new 2011 Nissan Leaf will be available on a limited basis in selected U.S. cities in 2010. You should be able to buy one at many Southern California locations, since this is one of the areas where Nissan is working to offer quick charge stations. Soon you’ll be able to test drive a Nissan Leaf in Redlands, San Diego, or Los Angeles. Only time will tell if electric cars will become the norm, but the Leaf seems to have a good chance at breaking through that barrier.