The Electric Car

I just finished reading up on the new Nissan Leaf, which is expected to hit dealers later this year. After reading about the ability to only drive 100 miles on the tank, I cannot help but wonder if the $32,000 price tag is actually worth it. Granted, the US government has established a $7,500 rebate on the purchase of the car, but I cannot see the car being worth the extra expense. If you average about $1200 a year on gasoline, which is pretty common for a daily commute, you would have to drive an equivalent nissan versa (which is the base that the Leaf is designed around) for nearly 8 years. Mind you, that is 8 years that you would run the risk of having to purchase a new battery for the leaf and have to consider the fact that electricity, although cheap, is still going to cost you in order to power the car. I like the idea that nissan and other car companies have with producing all electric cars, but I do not believe we are at the point where these kinds of cars are economical, and everyone knows how important money is these days. I wish Nissan luck, but a car where you can only go 100 miles a day (which would prevent you from taking any road trips) just does not seem to fit in this economy.