Yeah, it is all but spring (40 degrees? Spring?) and I’m continuing to clean up the "ripped pages" from long ago read mags (like here) – this one from Fortune, Jan 17, 2011 where they did an auto review – the Nissan Leaf. Now, it is small, maybe cute, but the overriding feature is that it is electric – an EV. I knew that this was a puff piece when the authoress described it as "bright, shiny, and eager to please".
Yes, sugary seemed to be the operative adjective with which to paint the piece. What caught my eye was first this;
"The moon-faced, wallmounted unit can replenish the Leaf’s lithium ion batteries in eight hours."
And then this:
A black sack in the rear hatch area contained the backup charging cord – a simple three-prong affair with which you can top off the Leaf in a mere 20 hours or less."
Got that? Run it past the normal range, about 100 miles (yeah, try getting that in mid-Feb at night in NH), and in a MERE 20 hours (or less!), you can be on your merry way. Sounds like a merry way to rack up lots of frequent stayer points at ye old tavern inn. I think the use of the word "mere" was in the wrong sentence – compared to 20 hours, I think that "mere" would have been better applied to the "eight hours".
So, let’s see – how many of you are enthralled with waiting even 15 minutes to pull up to the regular gas pump??
Remember: that electrical cord is most likely, at the other end, connected to a coal fired generating plant – you know, the kind that Obama said he was going to bankrupt? And for the eco-minded amongst the driverati, what’s the impact on the environment when that battery pack has got to be swapped out. High price, long charge times, enviro-hazard, and a whopping 100 mile range – what’s not to like?
