One of the perks of representing Nissan North
America is that I get to check out their latest offerings. In this instance,
I’ll get the chance to take the wheel of the new 2016 Nissan LEAF at the Massachusetts
State House Electric Vehicle Ride and Drive on Thursday, September 17.
The
Massachusetts State House Electric Vehicle Ride and Drive is one of scores of
events being held all across the country during National Drive Electric Week. National
Drive Electric Week, September 12-20, 2015, is a nationwide celebration to
heighten awareness of today's widespread availability of plug-in vehicles and
highlight the benefits of all-electric and plug-in hybrid-electric cars,
trucks, and motorcycles.
The State
House Ride and Drive is being co-hosted by Reps. Jonathan Hecht (D-Watertown),
Frank Smizik (D-Brookline), Brad Hill (R-Ipswich) and Senator Jamie Eldridge
(D-Acton). The event is open to all legislators and State House employees from
10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. In addition to two Nissan LEAFs, there will be other
types of EVs from multiple automakers. Both Secretary of Energy and
Environmental Affairs Matthew Beaton and Secretary of Transportation Stephanie
Pollack, among other dignitaries, are scheduled to participate.
If you haven’t
driven an EV, you’d be surprised how much fun they are. I first drove a LEAF when visiting
Nissan’s North America’s headquarters in Franklin, Tennessee. The first thing I
noticed was how the torque was so instant. The LEAF is moving before other cars
have sent fuel to the pistons, cranked the rods, and found first gear. The second thing was how the
regenerative braking slowed the vehicle when I took my foot off the gas pedal
(oops, I mean the accelerator). I barely used the brake and quickly
began to master one-foot driving.
Electric
vehicles are rapidly gaining in popularity. They are less expensive to maintain than standard vehicles because they
have so few moving parts to repair, replace, lubricate, etc. They’re even more
convenient to fuel than gasoline vehicles–just plug it at work, when you get
home at night, or at the increasing number of public charging stations.
Moreover, you don’t need $70,000 or more for a Tesla Model S or a Cadillac ELR
to own an EV.
The 2016
Nissan LEAF has a starting price of $26,700 after the federal tax credit of
$7,500. When combined with the electric vehicle rebate administered by the
Division of Energy Resources, residents of Massachusetts can save an additional
$2,500 off that sticker price. Since the launch of the LEAF in December 2010, Nissan
has become the global leader in EV sales with an all-electric car specifically
designed for the mass market.
