I'm shameless... don't hate (Leaf)

[smart fortimo]

I have to confess... I just signed up as a Nissan Leaf insider

I'm hoping I can inside-track an EV in my near future and I don't know if waiting for smartUSA to solidify the deal for NA is, well--- SMART!

So I thought I'd get in line for what looks like what might be 1st out of the EV chute. (I'm not considering the Volt $$$$ )

Anyone else getting in line for a Leaf?


Timo

[BigWarpGuy]

I am still paying off two vehicles. It will be a while before I consider another car.

Nissan Leaf; One Mans Vision Now Reality

It looks nice. The article says the batteries will cost $10,000.00 and will take 8 hours to charge.

[Orphan-Beggar]

yep
Nissan Leaf Electric Car | Nissan USA Official Site

[Krootie]

Batteries? While trying to turn green, I purchased a self propelled battery lawn mower this spring. It supposedly can mulch a regular size lawn. NOT! I can cut my front lawn one day - recharge and cut the back yard the next. The beast weighs 112 pounds - but I've adjusted to it's limits. Nothing cheap about this mower either and it doesn't cut in damp grass.

And to think I had hoped for a battery Smart car rather than gas.

GEEZ, . . . I love my smart! And will wait for the 3rd or 4th generation Battery Cars.

[Orphan-Beggar]

Black & Decker Outdoor | Cordless Mower

[Terry Stibal]

We went battery powered electric with our mowing a long (circa fifteen years) time ago.

Ours is made by Black and Decker, is not self-propelled, but can cut and mulch in damp grass with gay abandon. Our yard is typical for our Texas subdivision, and (unless you let the grass grow for more than a week) the mower will do both front and back yards without a problem.

We've been very satisfied with the electric way of doing the lawn, and my lovely wife especially likes the fact that it starts first time, every time.

But, it's never farther than sixty feet from an electric outlet. Don't think that I want an electric car that travels any further...

[Neonspinnazz]

That's the only problem I see with electrics; battery changes.

The Prius battery costs $13,000 and needs to be replaced every 5 years. I don't know but I don't feel like buying a new "car" every 5 years. At that rate you'll never finish paying for it, so how the heck are you saving your money?

And what many Prius owners don't know is that the manufacturing process of the Prius is not really "green" at all. It's probably equal to that of a factory that makes DASH 9 locomotives. The battery's materials (Zinc, ect.) is mined in different parts in the world by none other than polluting trucks and shovels. Then they're shipped by; you guessed it, a freighter to where all of the Prius parts come together to finally be assembled. This part of the process is the only "green" part. Toyota claims that the batteries are recyclable to a certain point. When they no longer can be recycled they are taken to a secure place where they cannot pollute the earth. So they end up in a giant Prius battery landfill... NICE (This info was from a friend's grandmother, who owns a Prius overdue for a battery change).

The Tesla batteries cost around $15,000 aswell and need to be required to be replaced in every 10 years. That's tolerable for a long distance, electric sportster. You might save a little something after you get done paying its $100,000 price tag. They don't seem to have any info on the manufacturing process nor where batteries go.

Then comes along smart. While I do believe that smart will find a better way to mine "greener" then Toyota does, there's still the issue of where the batteries will eventually end up. But I think smart may find a way to make them FULLY recyclable.

Now here's Nissan. While their lineup is not all too fuel efficient and more about performance, the Leaf is a new light. While 100 miles on a charge doesn't sound like much, think about this: The Chevy Volt will only go 40 miles before it goes to gas. Nissan takes pride in what they make so I think they too will take the smarter path of "green" production to go along with their green product.

The Leaf, the Volt, the smart ED, and the Tesla all seem to be leading the way into the future...

While Toyota on the other hand, needs to straighten up and fly right. Even their crash safety ratings have been lacking lately.

[Krootie]

Originally Posted by Orphan-Beggar

Black & Decker Outdoor | Cordless Mower

Why limit yourself to a Black and Decker?

Try a Self-Propelled Cordless Electric Solaris:
Why Solaris? > Cordless Electric Self-Propelled Mower

[Krootie]

My hilly yard may be draining the battery. Use it continually. This is Wild and Wonderful WV.

[NCC1701]

I fail to see the advantage of an EV, with a couple exceptions.

1) For use in a megalopolis with major air pollution problems. In that case, the pollution will be transferred from the tailpipe to some remote power plant's stacks.

2) For use everywhere else WHEN non-fossil fuel generated electric power is predominant. That day isn't going to arrive in my lifetime.