23. Another LEAF Savings - More Than 6 Hours a Year

As I've shown earlier in this blog, during the 10 months I've owned my LEAF, it has saved me a LOT of money on gas.  It generates zero emissions, thus helping to save the environment.  I've saved on routine auto maintenance as well because the LEAF has required zero maintenance (no oil changes, etc.)

In many parts of the country the LEAF can drive in HOV lanes and park free in spaces reserved for electric cars, a huge potential time saving.

It just occurred to me that there's another way the LEAF saves me time.  

When I pull into my garage at the end of the day, I automatically plug in the LEAF without even thinking about it.  If I forget for more than 15 minutes after arriving home, the car sends me a reminder text message.  (I never drive it enough in a day to require recharging away from home.)

It takes about 10 seconds to connect the charger and another 10 seconds to unplug it as I'm leaving the next morning.  I do this once a day during the week and sometimes twice a day on weekends (not because I need to, but just because I like to stay topped off).  That adds up to an average of about 140 seconds a week or 2 hours a year I spend plugging and unplugging my car.

Now compare that to the time I would have wasted standing mindlessly beside my gas car at the filling station, say 10 minutes once a week or 8.6 hours every year.

With my LEAF I've therefore reclaimed more than 6 valuable hours of my life every year.  Granted that's not such a big deal, but I can sure think of better ways to spend those 6 hours than standing mindlessly at the gas pump in the heat or cold or rain.

Every time I leave my garage I'm "topped off" with clean electrons that will carry me in comfort for 75-100 miles, far more than I drive around town in a day.  How often do you leave your garage in the morning with a full tank of gas?  

I love my LEAF!