Originally published on CleanTechnica.com
Even as a satisfied Nissan Leaf driver, I pay attention to every note of news from Tesla Motors and thoroughly enjoy Elon Musk. Most EV enthusiasts respect Tesla. Sometimes in awe, we follow every move Tesla makes. So, even as fans of Nissan zero-emissions vehicles, we need encouragement to stay in the Nissan EV fold. The Model 3 crowd basking in anticipation seeps into our minds, and we wonder if we should join as well. Nissan’s timely No Charge to Charge expansion keeps more of us happy with Nissan, though.
Nissan is trying to keep us content. Nissan sparkled on the first of July with an announcement of such an extension, to 11 new markets: Chattanooga, Tennessee; Cincinnati, Ohio; Cleveland/Akron, Ohio; Columbia, South Carolina; Columbus, Ohio; Detroit, Michigan; Knoxville, Tennessee; Las Vegas, Nevada; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Providence, Rhode Island; and Reno, Nevada.
Back in another July — 2014 — Nissan first launched its No Charge to Charge promotion in 10 markets. Now, it is found in a total of 38 markets in the US. The perk offers “new LEAF buyers two years of complimentary public charging with the purchase or lease of the all-electric car from participating LEAF-certified dealers.”
The move by Nissan jumps out in front of the Tesla news that CEO Elon Musk slid in earlier in the year — news that caused some amount of disappointment to the flood of coming Model 3 owners during an exuberant pre-registration explosion. Musk’s word is that the Tesla Model 3 electric sedan will not offer free Supercharging with its $35,000 base sticker price. In other words, if you were thinking that the Model 3 would get the same “free” (complimentary) Supercharging as the more expensive luxury Teslas (Model S and Model X) — it won’t. There will be a package — that will cost as well.
Some of the free chargers in my city are changing to a price soon as well. The No Charge to Charge benefit for new LEAF owners will make a difference.
“The 2016 Nissan LEAF has a starting price of $26,700** after the federal tax credit of $7,500 for the SV model and $29,290** for LEAF SL after the federal tax credit. Both the SV and SL models boast an EPA-rated range of 107 miles on a single charge,” Nissan adds — in case you weren’t aware of those numbers.
The Nissan LEAF and Nissan e-NV200 were the EVs of COP21, and the LEAF shows global sales upwards of 224,000, including 94,000 in the US, making the LEAF the world’s best-selling electric car. Two years of free charging should increase the LEAF’s sales — especially for the around-town driver (not all of us need long range). Day to day, we have a short circle we drive. It is to work, to school, to home, to store, to play — all in a few loops around town that the Nissan LEAF easily makes. Charging quickly at one of the free chargers while you work or play is easy enough to do in many places and lives.
In a straightforward way, Nissan continues: “The economics are easy — when you buy a Nissan LEAF you save money on fuel and spend less on regular maintenance costs, and that’s in addition to federal and state tax incentives and other benefits that are available in select markets,” said Brian Maragno, director, Nissan Electric Vehicle Sales and Marketing.
“We know that public charging is a key element in providing additional range confidence for electric vehicle drivers, and free public charging is a great way to make Nissan LEAF an unrivaled value for the average American driver.”
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