Category : LEAF Electric Vehicle
It’s been one year since I started driving my Nissan LEAF electric car. The biggest adjustment has been getting used to the range which can be as few as 60 miles and up to 80 miles without recharging. I’ve experienced my share of close calls getting back to the garage charger at my house. It’s easier to justify the close calls when I count the dollars saved driving on electric power versus gasoline power. I’m making my comparisons to my previous car, a Toyota Prius, which did pretty well on gas mileage at about 35-40 MPG. I like saving money every single time I drive my LEAF. It’s been worth the risks so far.
Excited about NEW logo for my LEAF. See ya’ll on the road sometime in San Diego.
Here’s a way to experience all-electric vehicle driving without owning your own electric vehicle. It’s called Car2Go, and I checked it out at the 2012 San Diego International Auto Show.
Ecotality continues to install more public charging stations in the San Diego area. If you’re wondering where you can find charging stations, Blink Network has this handy locator map.
One of the major barriers for acceptance of electric vehicles is the limited number of miles you can drive before recharging the car. San Diego is taking steps to knock down this barrier, or at least make it smaller, by installing public charging stations like the ones now available in Balboa Park. There are now 10 of the Blink charging stations installed in Balboa Park. At least for now they are free to use. All you need is a swipe card from Blink to activate the charger. The Blink chargers at Balboa Park are similar to the Blink charger installed in my garage at home that I use to charge my Nissan LEAF. There are plans to install more public chargers in places where people might go for a couple of hours, and now they can get some extra “juice” while enjoying a park, shopping mall, or wherever they might go.
A big incentive for me to purchase an electric vehicle in 2011 was the promise of a $5,000 rebate check from the Center for Sustainable Energy in California. The program called the Clean Vehicle Rebate Project sent checks to the first 1,800 or so LEAF owners in California. The check definitely made the LEAF a more affordable vehicle on top of cutting out gas emissions and costs. I’m happy to say I was able to receive the check while the program was still funded.
Just over 10 months after registering online to purchase a Nissan LEAF electric vehicle, I finally pick up the LEAF at Pacific Nissan in San Diego. Find out more at kerrygarnett.com or at electriccarrealestateguy.com
San Diego Gas and Electric inspects my new electric panel for the Blink EV charger that will charge my LEAF at my house.
The Blink electric charger gets installed in my garage. The charger runs on a 220v connection. It will charge my LEAF overnight in about 6 hours from an almost zero charge.
Only the second time I got to sit inside a Nissan LEAF electric car came at the San Diego Auto Show in January of 2011. It was the first time that I saw the LEAF at the annual show. One of the things I remember about seeing the LEAF for the first time was the sense that it was a real car and that I could make it work for my real estate business and personal driving needs.