The Nissan Leaf is Japan’s entry into the totally-electric car market. The Leaf has a battery and no gasoline engine. The range is advertised at roughly 100 miles. The price in the United States is about $32,000. I hope Nissan can sell a grunch of these things and help with the problem of getting charging stations set up where people can drive longer trips with them.
But the Leaf illustrates a problem with green gadget technology in general: It’s overpriced and underperforming. The Leaf’s range and performance are inferior to a gasoline-powered car, and it costs a lot more money than a car of comparable size and passenger toting capacity such as a Honda Fit.
Well, somebody has to start somewhere. Electric cars potentially offer some advantages that gasoline and diesel never can, such as emission-free transportation inside major cities. But Americans aren’t going to snap these up in big numbers until they can make a whole day trip without getting stranded. And the Leaf can’t do that. The Chevy Volt can, but that’s because it’s got a gas burner on board.
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