The LEAF has no gasoline engine; it is 100% battery-powered. About 108 horsepower, top speed of about 94 mph. It is perfect for my 34 mile daily commute; I charge the battery to 80% (supposed to give longer life than charging fully), and have about 28 miles in reserve when I get home at night. Almost all highway miles; 45 to 55 mph.
The car is comfortable, peppy and very quiet, of course. Air conditioning works extremely well, even in our 115 degree summer days. Heater is fairly good, but it really uses a lot of battery power. Fortunately, you can program the car to turn the heater on a few minutes before you leave for work, thus using 240 VAC power from the charging system instead of precious battery power. Makes the car a joy to drive on cold winter mornings.
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| Monika and me at Antelope Valley Nissan |
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| Victor Salas, who made buying this car a real pleasure! |
I have to admit, I really don't like the LEAF's looks. But it has one feature that makes it a great car... it costs almost nothing to drive. I keep track of the electricity it uses. I have about 6500 miles on the car, as of mid-September 2011, and it has cost right around five cents per mile for "fuel". This when gas was over $4.00 per gallon here most of the spring.
If you're interested in a LEAF, check out this web site:
www.mynissanleaf.com
Tons of great information there!
