Nissan Leaf

When: You can reserve yours by paying a $100, fully refundable reservation fee, which will allow you to be one of the first to place an order. Nissan will start taking orders in August.
The Leaf will become available in select markets in December 2010 with additional availability in the beginning of 2011. Full rollout by 2012.

Nissan has received 19,000 preorders and is supposedly sold out for 2010. Nissan may have to stop taking reservations for the time being.

What: The Nissan Leaf will be one of the first electric cars on the market. The Leaf produces zero emissions and runs solely on electric power. The vehicle is powered by 48 lithium ion battery modules. The car is charged by plugging in the vehicle to an electric vehicle charger, located in the front of the car. The Leaf has a relatively advanced charging system that will allow you to do things such as preheat or pre-cool the car while charging it, therefore allowing you to conserve battery power while driving (heating the vehicle, etc. while driving, will reduce the range of the car). There is a timer that allows you to control when the car charges, in addition, you will be able to remotely control charging. You will need a home charging station which Nissan believes will cost around $2,200, depending on the age of your home. Yet federal tax credits may reduce a significant amount of the cost through at least December 2010. The vehicle comes standard with Nissan’s navigation system and the interior is loaded with a unique high tech digital interface. The car also points you to local charging stations on the navigation screen so you’re never stuck searching for a charging station. The compact and aerodynamic Nissan Leaf will likely be a hit when it arrives on the market in the very near future.

Price: $32,780 (after tax savings, as low as $25,280)

Range: 100 miles (electric power)

Top Speed: 90 mph

Seating Capacity: 5 people

Learn more at: http://www.nissanusa.com/leaf-electric-car/index

Visit Transportation Page for Nissan Leaf Video