Monday, November 08, 2010

Electric Car Update

A few weeks ago I got an in-home inspection to determine whether I was eligible for a free charging dock for my Nissan Leaf.  And it turns out, I am!  So, that's $1500 that I don't have to spend to install a charger.

The charger is at the same high voltage level as the plug that connects to your range or your dryer, and it takes about 8 hours to charge the car from 0% to a full battery.  Using a regular wall plug, it would take 18 hours.  Using a fast 400-Volt charger, it takes about 30 minutes to charge from empty to about 80%, but that's not what they install at your house.

It'll cost me a dollar at most to fully charge my battery.  My employer is installing special charging stations at work, so I may charge even less than that at home.

And I am now able to order my Nissan Leaf!  I am really excited about it.  I talked to the dealership last week.  The good news is, they are not tacking anything onto the price above the MSRP.  The bad news is, I'm not sure when the car is arriving.  Depending on when I get it, I have to make different financing plans.  I'll be eligible for a $7500 tax rebate, but if it comes after January 1, then I'll have to wait a while before I get my money back, and the car payment for a (roughly) $35K car is not cheap.

So, I have to talk to the salesman and find out when it arrives.  I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it will be December 31 or earlier.

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