3. It's Crazy Cheap To Drive a LEAF

Do you like my license plate?

     Nissan has a website named "CarWings" for LEAF owners only.  I've set my LEAF to automatically report its operational data to Nissan wirelessly at every startup; so I can log onto the CarWings website and look at cool stats and graphs about my energy use.


     Here's my summary after 12 days of driving:


• I've driven my LEAF a total of 390 miles with an average energy consumption of 4.4miles/kWh.


• I pay $0.14/kWh for Austin "green" energy which is supplied exclusively by West Texas windmills.  Austin's coal-generated electricity is cheaper, but I'm willing to pay the higher rate because I like the idea of driving my car on non-polluting, renewable wind power alone.

• At that rate it costs me about 3 cents to drive a mile in my LEAF with the AC running full blast.  Is that awesome, or what?


• I've had the car for 1/3 of a month already, and I've spent only around $12 to drive 390 miles.  Cool!


• According to CarWings I've so far eliminated 253 pounds of CO2 emissions I would otherwise have spewed into the air from my tailpipe over those 12 days!


     Not only do I feel virtuous driving my LEAF on wind power, but I'm also having FUN with this frisky little car.


     So far I haven't found a single negative to mention about the LEAF.  Kudos to Nissan for getting everything right from the git-go with this car.