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Auto Insurance Views » Blog Archive » Nissan Leaf Electric Vehicle …
Sit down and take a deep breath, EV fans. the Nissan Leaf electric car will cost $32,780 when it rolls into showrooms in December. Add in the federal EV tax credit, and the bottom line is $25,280, a price that makes the Leaf competitive with the Honda Civic and the Toyota Prius.
Nissan announced the price today and said it starts taking reservations for the Leaf electric car April 20. the five-passenger hatchback sports a 23 kilowatt-hour lithium-manganese battery that’s good for a claimed 100 miles and recharges in eight hours. the Japanese automaker plans to crank out 50,000 Leafs in 2011. with some 85,000 “hand-raisers” expressing interest in getting one, some EV advocates believe Nissan’s priced the car so competitively it could have trouble meeting demand.
“I think it’s an excellent price,” said Paul Scott, a founder and board member of the EV advocacy group Plug-In America. “I think Nissan is going to have a hard time keeping them on the showroom floor, especially in states that have additional tax credits. in California, it’s going to be a hell of a bargain at $20,028. They’ve really nailed it. It’s very, very affordable.”
We must note that these prices are for the United States only, and Nissan is offering the Leaf for sale or lease only as a complete package. it is not leasing the battery separately from the car here in the United States, though it might do so elsewhere.
Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn has been among the loudest EV evangelists and is determined to make Nissan a player in the field. the company almost certainly is taking a loss on the Leaf, just as Toyota did with the Prius, in a bid to grab as big a chunk of the market as possible before cars like the Chevrolet Volt and Ford Focus EV appear, Scott said.
“They’re probably banking on battery costs coming down,” Scott said. “And they will come down.”
MSRP is but one part of the equation. Operating cost is the other variable, and on that score Honda and Toyota should be worried. Nissan’s priced the Leaf cheaper than the Civic and Prius once you’ve figured in energy costs.
“Lifecycle ownership costs of the Leaf over five years is $28,180 versus a Civic at $28,338 and the Prius at $29,358,” said Trisha Jung, chief marketing manager for the Leaf. “That’s the cost of the vehicle, the cost of the charging station and the cost of the electricity.”
A word on the math: Nissan figured electricity costs at 11.64 cents per kilowatt-hour and gasoline at $2.94 a gallon and assumes you drive 12,000 miles a year. the purchase price come down further if you include the tax credits or rebates several states offer. California and Georgia, for example, offer a $5,000 tax credit.
Nissan says the numbers work out in the Leaf’s favor if you lease one, too. although Nissan gets the federal EV tax credit because it actually owns the car, it will pass it along to consumers as an incentive. Sign a 36-month lease and put $1,999 down, and your monthly payment will be $349.
“If you include the energy costs, it works out to $408 a month for the Leaf, $414 a month for the Civic and $389 a month for the Prius,” Jung said.
That’s for the base “SL” model, which includes, among other features, a navigation system that identifies local charging stations and smartphone connectivity that lets you activate and monitor charging and other functions remotely. another $940 gets you the “SL” model that adds, among other things, a backup camera and a solar panel on the rear spoiler that trickle-charges the battery running the radio and other accessories.
The 220-volt charging station you’ll need to keep the car going will cost you about $2,200, but that includes the installation. a federal tax credit will cover half the cost, said Dave Mingle, Nissan’s senior director for customer management and business strategy. later this summer, customers who reserve a Leaf through the Leaf website can schedule an in-home assessment. EV infrastructure company Aerovironment will send an electrician to your house to provide an estimate, line up the permits and install the charger.
“We expect the average cost to be $2,200,” Mingle said. “That’s all in — it includes the charging station and full installation.”
If you live along the Interstate 5 corridor in Oregon or in Seattle, San Diego, Phoenix-Tuscon or east-central Tennessee, you could get a free charger. the Department of Energy has awarded Etec a grant to install as many as 1,200 charging stations in each of those five markets through a program called the EV Project. of course, you’ll have to share your charging data with the the feds to help plan a broader charging infrastructure.
Nissan starts taking reservations for the Leaf on April 20. Paying $99 (refundable if you change your mind) buys you a place in line when Nissan starts building the cars in September. the first cars roll into showrooms in December and will be available in the five markets of the EV Project plus the San Francisco Bay Area and Los Angeles. Nissan plans to offer the car nationwide by the end of 2011.
Still no word on what kind of warranty the car or the battery will have. Nissan promises to announce that before April 20.
CORRECTED: Nissan says that the Leaf will have a five-passenger capacity, not four, as this story stated earlier.
Photos: Jon Snyder / Wired.com
See also:
- Want a Nissan Leaf EV? Here’s What you do.
- Nissan’s Leaf Ushers in the Electric Era
- Nissan’s Electric Leaf Spreads the EV Gospel
- DOE Secretary Chu Throws $1.4B Loan To Nissan Leaf
Nissan Leaf Electric Vehicle is Surprisingly Affordable
Auto Insurance Views » Blog Archive » Nissan Leaf Electric Vehicle …
Nissan Leaf Electric Vehicle Is Surprisingly Affordable
Sit down and take a deep breath, EV fans. the Nissan Leaf electric car will cost $32,780 when it rolls into showrooms in December. Add in the federal EV tax credit, and the bottom line is $25,280, a price that makes the Leaf competitive with the Honda Civic and the Toyota Prius.
Nissan announced the price today and said it starts taking reservations for the Leaf electric car April 20. the five-passenger hatchback sports a 23 kilowatt-hour lithium-manganese battery that’s good for a claimed 100 miles and recharges in eight hours. the Japanese automaker plans to crank out 50,000 Leafs in 2011. with some 85,000 “hand-raisers” expressing interest in getting one, some EV advocates believe Nissan’s priced the car so competitively it could have trouble meeting demand.
“I think it’s an excellent price,” said Paul Scott, a founder and board member of the EV advocacy group Plug-In America. “I think Nissan is going to have a hard time keeping them on the showroom floor, especially in states that have additional tax credits. In California, it’s going to be a hell of a bargain at $20,028. They’ve really nailed it. It’s very, very affordable.”
We must note that these prices are for the United States only, and Nissan is offering the Leaf for sale or lease only as a complete package. it is not leasing the battery separately from the car here in the United States, though it might do so elsewhere.
Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn has been among the loudest EV evangelists and is determined to make Nissan a player in the field. the company almost certainly is taking a loss on the Leaf, just as Toyota did with the Prius, in a bid to grab as big a chunk of the market as possible before cars like the Chevrolet Volt and Ford Focus EV appear, Scott said.
“They’re probably banking on battery costs coming down,” Scott said. “And they will come down.”
MSRP is but one part of the equation. Operating cost is the other variable, and on that score Honda and Toyota should be worried. Nissan’s priced the Leaf cheaper than the Civic and Prius once you’ve figured in energy costs.
“Lifecycle ownership costs of the Leaf over five years is $28,180 versus a Civic at $28,338 and the Prius at $29,358,” said Trisha Jung, chief marketing manager for the Leaf. “That’s the cost of the vehicle, the cost of the charging station and the cost of the electricity.”
A word on the math: Nissan figured electricity costs at 11.64 cents per kilowatt-hour and gasoline at $2.94 a gallon and assumes you drive 12,000 miles a year. the purchase price come down further if you include the tax credits or rebates several states offer. California and Georgia, for example, offer a $5,000 tax credit.
Nissan says the numbers work out in the Leaf’s favor if you lease one, too. although Nissan gets the federal EV tax credit because it actually owns the car, it will pass it along to consumers as an incentive. Sign a 36-month lease and put $1,999 down, and your monthly payment will be $349.
“If you include the energy costs, it works out to $408 a month for the Leaf, $414 a month for the Civic and $389 a month for the Prius,” Jung said.
That’s for the base “SL” model, which includes, among other features, a navigation system that identifies local charging stations and smartphone connectivity that lets you activate and monitor charging and other functions remotely. another $940 gets you the “SL” model that adds, among other things, a backup camera and a solar panel on the rear spoiler that trickle-charges the battery running the radio and other accessories.
The 220-volt charging station you’ll need to keep the car going will cost you about $2,200, but that includes the installation. a federal tax credit will cover half the cost, said Dave Mingle, Nissan’s senior director for customer management and business strategy. Later this summer, customers who reserve a Leaf through the Leaf website can schedule an in-home assessment. EV infrastructure company Aerovironment will send an electrician to your house to provide an estimate, line up the permits and install the charger.
“We expect the average cost to be $2,200,” Mingle said. “That’s all in — it includes the charging station and full installation.”
If you live along the Interstate 5 corridor in Oregon or in Seattle, San Diego, Phoenix-Tuscon or east-central Tennessee, you could get a free charger. the Department of Energy has awarded Etec a grant to install as many as 1,200 charging stations in each of those five markets through a program called the EV Project. Of course, you’ll have to share your charging data with the the feds to help plan a broader charging infrastructure.
Nissan starts taking reservations for the Leaf on April 20. Paying $99 (refundable if you change your mind) buys you a place in line when Nissan starts building the cars in September. the first cars roll into showrooms in December and will be available in the five markets of the EV Project plus the San Francisco Bay Area and Los Angeles. Nissan plans to offer the car nationwide by the end of 2011.
Still no word on what kind of warranty the car or the battery will have. Nissan promises to announce that before April 20.
CORRECTED: Nissan says that the Leaf will have a five-passenger capacity, not four, as this story stated earlier.
Photos: Jon Snyder / Wired.com
See Also:
Business Highlights
Tuesday, March 9, 2010 at 3:13 p.m.
Feds to probe cause of runaway Prius in California
EL CAJON, Calif. (AP) – A Toyota Prius that sped out of control on a California freeway was towed to a dealership Tuesday while federal and company inspectors converged on the car to determine whether a stuck gas pedal was to blame.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration sent two investigators to examine the car after Monday’s incident, said Olivia Alair, a spokeswoman for the Department of Transportation, which oversees NHTSA. Toyota Motor Corp. spokesman Brian Lyons said the automaker is sending three of its own technicians to investigate.
James Sikes, 61, of Jacumba, told authorities that the accelerator malfunctioned Monday as he drove his Prius on Interstate 8 in San Diego County. The car reached 94 mph during the 20 minutes before a California Highway Patrol officer helped get the Prius driver to slow down and turn off the engine.
Job openings up sharply in January to 2.7M
WASHINGTON (AP) – Job openings rose sharply earlier this year, evidence that employers are slowly ramping up hiring as the economy improves.
The number of openings in January rose about 7.6 percent, to 2.7 million, compared with December, the Labor Department said. That’s the highest total since February 2009.
The report is a sign that the economy is soon likely to generate consistent job gains. some economists expect employers to add up to a net 300,000 jobs in March, though as many as a third of them could be temporary hiring for the 2010 Census.
Stock investors ask: What’s the next big thing?
NEW YORK (AP) – A year after the stock market began its comeback from 12-year lows, investors are looking for the next big thing.
Stocks have lost some of the momentum that propelled the Dow Jones industrial average up 61.4 percent from its close of 6,547 on March 9, 2009. That’s natural – bull markets tend to slow down as they head into their second year. but the lethargic pace of the economic recovery has also been a bit of a drag on stocks. and so investors are waiting for signs that the economy is ready to put up some solid, sustainable growth numbers.
The Dow on Tuesday rose 11.86, or 0.1 percent, to 10,564.38. The Dow remains 25 percent below its peak of 14,164.53, reached in October 2007.
Class-action lawsuits could cost Toyota $3B-plus
MIAMI (AP) – Toyota owners claiming that massive safety recalls are causing the value of their vehicles to plummet have filed at least 89 class-action lawsuits that could cost the Japanese auto giant $3 billion or more, according to an associated Press review of cases, legal precedent and interviews with experts.
Those estimates do not include potential payouts for wrongful death and injury lawsuits, which could reach in the tens of millions each. still, the sheer volume of cases involving U.S. Toyota owners claiming lost value – 6 million or more – could prove far more costly, adding up to losses in the billions for the automaker.
Chevron to shed 2,000 jobs, sell some assets
Chevron Corp. said Tuesday it will cut 2,000 jobs this year and sell some overseas operations as it revamps its struggling refinery, marketing and transportation operations.
The job cuts represent almost 12 percent of its 17,000 workers in the so-called downstream part of its business and just over 3 percent of its overall work force.
Executives of the second-largest U.S. oil producer are still deciding where and when they will eliminate the jobs as they try to complete the restructuring by the third quarter, company spokesman Lloyd Avram said. Additional cuts are expected next year.
Chevron said it will also seek bids for the Pembroke refinery in southwest Wales, and fuels marketing, aviation and lubricants businesses in the Caribbean and some markets in Central America.
Kroger 4Q profit falls 27 percent; margins shrink
CINCINNATI (AP) – The Kroger co. is sacrificing some profits to court financially strapped shoppers who are buying more groceries at lower prices, counting on them to keep coming back when better economic days finally arrive.
The nation’s largest traditional grocery chain Tuesday reported earnings fell 27 percent in its fourth quarter, while sales rose 7 percent with help from gasoline sales that were boosted by discount incentives for regular customers.
Kroger reported fourth-quarter profit of $255.4 million, or 39 cents per share, down from $349.2 million or 53 cents, a year ago. Sales were $18.6 billion. Analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters expected 34 cents per share on $17.73 billion of revenue.
EU urges US to join in action against speculators
BRUSSELS (AP) – European officials urged the U.S. to join in a crackdown on speculators who bet against Europe’s currency union, warning they might ban some credit default swaps – opaque financial instruments blamed for worsening the world financial crisis.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Tuesday that “quick action is needed,” calling on the U.S. to “make a gesture” and curb the trades. Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou, in Washington, DC to meet with President Barack Obama, is also calling for curbs on speculation which he blames for making his country’s debt crisis worse.
The European Commission threatened to ban “purely speculative naked sales on credit default swaps of sovereign debt” and said it would ask for a similar move globally at the Group of 20 summit of leading and emerging economies in June.
Oil settles lower, ending brief rally
NEW YORK (AP) – Oil prices trimmed some early losses, but still ended lower Tuesday, after rising steadily since the end of last week.
Benchmark crude for April delivery lost 38 cents to settle at $81.49 per barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Earlier, oil dropped as low as $80.16.
Tradition Energy analyst Addison Armstrong said the dollar strengthened against the euro ahead of talks between President Barack Obama and the Prime Minister of Greece, which has been reeling from financial turmoil.
Jobless aid measure clears Senate hurdle
WASHINGTON (AP) – Legislation to give additional months of unemployment benefits to people who have been out of a job for more than half a year cleared a key hurdle Tuesday that guarantees it will soon pass the Senate.
The sweeping bill also would prevent doctors from absorbing a crippling cut in Medicare payments and extends health insurance subsidies for the unemployed through December. It would add $132 billion to the budget deficit over the next year and a half.
Eight Republicans voted with Democrats to defeat a GOP filibuster of the measure, setting up a final vote on Wednesday.
Abbott paying $450 million for Facet Biotech
NEW YORK (AP) – Abbott Laboratories says it will buy Facet Biotech for about $450 million in cash, expanding the company’s access to biotechnology drugs, including a potential treatment for multiple sclerosis.
Facet and its partner Biogen Idec plan to move the potential multiple sclerosis drug daclizumab into late-stage development in the second quarter. The company also has potential cancer treatments in various stages of development with other partners.
Abbott will pay $27 per share, marking a 67 percent premium to Facet’s closing price of $16.21 Tuesday. both boards of directors have already approved the deal, which is expected to close in the second quarter.
by The associated Press
The Dow rose 11.86, or 0.1 percent, to 10,564.38.
The S&P 500 index rose 1.95, or 0.2 percent, to 1,140.45. The Nasdaq composite index rose 8.47, or 0.4 percent, to 2,340.68.
Benchmark crude for April delivery lost 38 cents to settle at $81.49 per barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.
in other Nymex trading, heating oil fell 1.57 cents to settle at $2.0898 a gallon, and gasoline dropped 2.89 cents to settle at $2.2603 a gallon. Natural gas lost 1.1 cents to settle at $4.516 per 1,000 cubic feet.
in London, Brent crude was down 56 cents to settle at $79.91 on the ICE futures exchange.
Totaled Your Gas Guzzler? New Insurance Replaces With Hybrid
Building on its years of developing green-themed insurance for buildings and vehicles, Fireman’s Fund Insurance Company has introduced hybrid upgrade auto insurance.
 
The coverage allows policyholders to move up to a hybrid model or its equivalent if their vehicle is damaged to the point that it’s a total loss.
The upgrade only applies to a vehicle’s first three model years, so no turning in a ‘99 Toyota to get a Prius, and replaces vehicles with similar equipment and options. Fireman’s Fund also said the new policy is structured to cover the extra cost of the new vehicle, and not just the value of the destroyed vehicle.
While overall hybrid vehicles sales are lagging compared to last year this time, hybrid sales have risen more than 18 percent from April to May. Giving people the ability to switch to a hybrid and cover all of its cost after an accident or other incident can only help that.
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Hybrid – CC license by jiazi, Prius – CC license by Listener42
Totaled Your Gas Guzzler? new Insurance Replaces With Hybrid
Toyota suffers from bad news
Toyota is ranked as No. 8 in Business Week and Interbrand’s rankings of the 100 best global brands. Toyota is the only automotive brand in the top 10 of that study, and the name was valued at $31.3 billion in 2009, down from $34.1 billion in 2008.
Toyota estimates the cost for its recalls and lost production and sales at nearly $2 billion, which experts say is low. But Toyota customers also will suffer as the value of their existing Toyota models declines, and it’s unclear what the long-term impact on the Toyota brand might be.
Vulnerable to first-time buyers
Last week, ALG, the auto industry arbiter of used vehicles’ value, forecast a 5% decline in its “perceived quality index” for Toyota over the next three years. that will result in a small 1% decline in what a vehicle is worth at the end of a 36-month lease, but that estimate preceded news of U.S. and Japanese probes of brakes on the 2010 Prius.
“Toyota’s situation needs to be remedied quickly and without future recalls,” said Matt Traylen, ALG’s chief economist. “If they do, then it should have minimal impact to perceived quality.”
Edmunds.com analyst Joe Spina said dealers are offering as much as 10% less on recalled Toyota trade-ins, although he adds that dealers may sell those same vehicles for more in a few weeks if the recall goes smoothly.
Four out of five people — 79% — are aware of the automaker’s crisis with accelerator pedals, brakes and reports of unintended acceleration, according to Marzilli.
“It’s hard to know what existing Toyota customers are thinking,” Marzilli said, “but someone out there now shopping for a first vehicle will find it much easier to turn to another car company.”
Toyota customers have been loyal, but the temporary production and sales suspension of eight models contributed to a 16% drop in its January sales from a year earlier.
You think Electric Cars are Expensive? Try Fords $100K F-250
Think Electric Cars are Expensive? try Ford’s F-250 Full-Sized Truck ‘).insertBefore(‘.post > .entry’); digg_related({domain:”gas2.org”,container:”#digg-related”,width:”",height:”",endPoint:”stories/upcoming”});}//–>
Think paying $100,000 for an electric car is obscene? how about $100K for an F-250?
As much was we covet electric cars like the Tesla Roadster, most of us balk at the $100,000 sticker price. But with gas prices at or above $4 / gallon, the cost difference isn’t as dramatic as you might imagine.
The NYTimes reported last week that if you account for total ownership of a full-sized truck, including insurance, interest, repairs, taxes, and gasoline, a big vehicle like Ford’s F-250 will now set you back $100,000 in the first five years of ownership. five years is the average amount of time an owner keeps one of these trucks.
- » see also: Toyota Officially Unveils Baby Prius Concept, again Hints at Whole Prius Family
- » Get Gas 2.0 by RSS or sign up by email.
Obviously, the average person and automakers alike are noticing how expensive large vehicles have become (GM just announced it would stop making trucks and SUVs at four of its North American plants). Until may, full-sized trucks accounted for 13% of the US vehicle market. They’ve now now plummeted to 9%. Ford’s F-series trucks have been the best selling vehicle annually since 1976, but for the first time in years the top selling vehicle last month was a car: the Honda Civic sedan.
Unfortunately, there isn’t a great renewable energy replacement for heavy duty trucks yet, besides incorporating hybrid technology (like GM has done) which can boost fuel economy by 20%, or modifying the fuel system to accept high ethanol blends (50% of GM’s fleet will be Flex-Fuel by 2012).
One thing has been made abundantly clear: the threshold for buying a full-size truck has gone up a few notches. I was shocked earlier this month when my mechanic said he would be downsizing to a Toyota Tacoma for his daily commute. will he keep the full-sized truck? Of course, he says, because well, he still has a boat and horse trailer to haul around.
Posts Related to Electric Cars and Gas Prices:
- An Electric Car You Can Buy Today: the $20K TRIAC EV
- Save Gas without Losing your Shirt: 3 Gas Saving Devices with High Scam Potential
- An Electric Car with Muscle: the 175 MPGe X1 Prototype by Wrightspeed inc.
- Low Impact Living: Think Hybrid Cars are Too Expensive?
- Goodbye Trucks and SUVs; Hello Gas Saving… Geo Metro?
Sources:
New York Times-
Big Vehicles Stagger under the Weight of $4 Gas
Detroit Automakers Compete for a Vanishing Truck Market
Photo Credit: Ford
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You think Electric Cars are Expensive? try Fords $100K F-250