Picking up on the theme of our last post, numbers are important. Especially this one, if you live in San Diego: 866.
So, why is the number 866 important to you? Because, according to Nissan, as of June 24, that is how many San Diegans have placed their $99 deposit on a Nissan LEAF. But perhaps more importantly, the first 1,000 San Diegans that buy or lease a LEAF will get a new home charger at no cost from the EV Project if they agree to participate in a survey. Oh… and they will also get a reduced experimental electricity rate if they re-charge their LEAF during non-peak hours. All this according to a recent article from the San Diego Union Tribune. The cost of the charger has been pegged at somewhere around $2,200. The federal government will provide a tax credit of 50% of that amount if you are not lucky enough to get a free charger.
So how low are the experimental rates? That depends. The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) has approved 3 experimental rate groups. All use the carrot and the stick approach. Charge off-peak, get a reduced rate. Charge during peak hours and pay as much as five times more. The rates range from a low of around 7 cents to a high of 38 cents per kilowatt hour. Fortunately, the LEAF has internet (or smart phone) connectivity so you can plug it in when you get home from work, but tell it to start charging at midnight so it will be ready to go when you leave for work at eight the following morning. But let’s take a look at some provided examples.
If your gasoline-powered vehicle gets 30 mpg (and let’s face it, not many vehicles average 30 mpg in combined driving), with gas at $3.00 per gallon, it costs $10 to drive 100 miles. Under the experimental rate system, driving 100 miles could cost as little as $1.44, or as much as $9.00. If in the real world, your gasoline-powered vehicle averages 25 mpg combined, it would cost $12 to drive that same 100 miles. Either way, it looks like the LEAF driver comes out ahead. So let’s do some extrapolation: if we were to drive these vehicles 12,000 miles per year, fuel cost on the 25 mpg vehicle would be $1,440 per year. The LEAF would range from a low of $172.80 per year to a high of $1,080 per year.
So, if you live in San Diego, and you are thinking about a LEAF, there is still time. But that early-bird window is starting to close.
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Leafguy, Will the participants In the San Diego EVO project receive thier delivery in December even if there are people who have an earlier pre- order date but live outside the San Diego area and are not part of the EVOPoject. For example my pre-order was made on May 15,2010. There are a 1,000 or more living elsewhere in California that have an earlier pre-order date than me. Will they get delivery before me.
stanley
Stan:
That’s a great question! Unfortunately, one I don’t know the answer to. In essence, I’m a guy, just like you, that has a deposit on a LEAF. I just wanted more information about it, and couldn’t find a site that offered well researched information. So I started my own. Look for a post on this today or tomorrow.
Ernie