Nissan Leaf Electric Car Coming To Canada. Will It Save You Cash?

It's been a long time since a fully electric car has held as much promise as the Nissan Leaf. In fact, the vehicle has been garnering solid reviews and appears so promising that some governments, municipalities and electricity companies are preparing to meet the Leaf's recharging needs, anticipating that it will be the first of many viable electric cars on the market.

The Leaf will be released in Vancouver, Canada toward the end of 2011 and rolled out in other provinces in 2012. Nissan hasn't released an official Canadian price for the vehicle as yet, but the car maker has released figures in U.S. dollars, allowing us to get a rough estimate of how much the electric car will cost consumers. The early verdict looks very positive.
How Far Does It Go?
Until now, a short battery life meant electric cars were only suited to short-distance travel. It's this factor that Nissan has sought to address in the Leaf by extending the distance the vehicle can run on one single charge to 160km. An empty battery will take eight hours to fully charge using special charger installed at your home that uses 220/240-volts. If you charge it using a 110/120-volt circuit, it will take a whopping 20 hours.

How Much Will It Cost To Buy?
Nissan says the Leaf will retail at about US$32,780 in the United States. Unless the Canadian dollar shoots well above parity, you can assume it will cost slightly more here. Despite the official price tag, most people will pay significantly less due to government rebates. The Ontario government has announced it will provide a rebate of between $5,000-$8,500 depending on the size of the battery used in the car. A 24kWh battery will be eligible for the full rebate. The U.S. federal government has also announced a rebate of US$7,500, lowering the cost to US$25,280. Some states have offered additional incentives; California will knock a further US$5,000 off. But electric car buyers will also need to factor in the cost of buying an at-home battery charger. These generally cost between US$700 and US$1,200, according to ConsumerReports.org. Many home owners may also find they need to pay to have their electricity upgraded to handle the faster 240kWh charger. Municipalities in the U.S. and Canada have committed to installing public battery chargers, but given the time required for charging, at-home chargers will be essential.

How Much Will It Cost To Run?
According to The Globe & Mail, the cost of running an electric car is significantly less than a gas vehicle. For example, a relatively efficient gas car averages about eight litres of gas per 100km. Over a year, or 20,000 km, the cost of running that vehicle would be $1,600 based on a gas price of $1 a litre. On the other hand, the electric car would cost about $360 to power based on the average cost of electricity in Canada, which is 10 cents a kilowatt hour and the need to charge the vehicle every 160km over an average 20,000km driven a year. That works out to be 77.5% cheaper.

How Much Will It Cost To Maintain?
Like all batteries, lithium-ion batteries lose efficiency over time. Nissan says it will guarantee the life of the battery for eight years. Thereafter, owners may find they need to replace the battery, which will likely be very expensive.