Bostonians can now charge their electric cars for free… if they drive a Nissan LEAF, that is. Nissan has rolled out its “No Charge to Charge” promotion in Beantown, which lets Nissan LEAF owners charge for free at Nissan dealerships for two years.
Here comes from standard PR speak from Nissan:
“Nissan LEAF is an attractive option for Boston car buyers because it is fun to drive and offers significantly lower operating costs when compared to a gas-powered car,” said Andrew Speaker, director, Electric Vehicle (EV) Sales & Marketing, Nissan. “EV charging infrastructure continues to grow in Boston, and access to free public charging for new LEAF buyers helps make owning an all-electric vehicle even more cost-effective and convenient.”
I have to admit that I think those are all very good points. The quotes just have too much of that PR feel, and would have been more useful with some hard stats or a little more flair.
Though, the Nissan press release did follow up with some number fun, stating that the fast chargers available at some dealerships allow you to charge from 0 to 80% in just 30 minutes.
If “No Charge to Charge” sounds familiar, that’s probably because it’s been rolled out in 17 cities now. The other locations include San Francisco, Los Angeles, Sacramento, San Diego, Fresno, Seattle, Portland (Oregon), Chicago, Atlanta, Indianapolis, Nashville, Phoenix, Dallas-Ft. Worth, Houston, Denver and Washington, DC. By the end of the year, Nissan intends to have the program up and running in 25 markets.
Of course, the Nissan LEAF is the top-selling electric car globally as well as in the US to date. Over 180,000 LEAFs have been sold globally, and over 80,000 have been sold in the US.
The LEAF can be had for under $22,000 in the US after the federal tax credit for EVs, making it one of the most cost-competitive electric cars on the market. Other incentives exist in cities and states around the country, since EVs are a great way to improve public health, reduce air pollution, and fight global warming.
You can read more about the LEAF in my review of the leading electric vehicle here.