Thai
Elite Member
February 28, 2011 (WPVI) -- Electric vehicles are being touted as the car of the future. The Nissan Leaf has just arrived in showrooms. And the Volt went on sale a few months ago.
At the Consumer Reports Auto Test Center, testers have checked out the Volt, which has a backup gasoline engine, and the Nissan Leaf, which is 100 percent electric.
Range (how far an electric vehicle can go on a charge) is a big issue. Testers have found that cold weather is a problem. The Nissan Leaf can go about 100 miles on a charge in ideal conditions. But in Consumer Reports' experience, driving in cold weather can easily shorten that to about 65 miles.
The Chevrolet Volt, in low temperatures, has trouble fully heating the car. It can go anywhere from 25 to 50 miles before the gasoline engine kicks in, which can take the car up to 300 miles. But the added gasoline engine makes the Volt expensive, and on long drives you may use more fuel than you would in a conventional hybrid such as the Prius.
As for recharge time, the Volt takes about 4 to 5 hours using a 220-volt charger installed in your home. The Nissan Leaf takes about 8 hours on average.
The Leaf is less expensive, costing about $35,000. The Volt is about $45,000. But even with federal and state tax credits, Consumer Reports says that neither is likely to save you money.
Consumer Reports says that electric vehicles have come a long way. But they have a long way to go before they're ready to replace the average person's primary vehicle.
If you're interested in a car that will be kind to the environment and save you money, Consumer Reports recommends the Toyota Prius.
Consumer Reports has no commercial relationship with any advertiser or sponsor appearing on this Web site.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Woohoo...Prius still #1 in the hybrid world!! :zoom:
At the Consumer Reports Auto Test Center, testers have checked out the Volt, which has a backup gasoline engine, and the Nissan Leaf, which is 100 percent electric.
Range (how far an electric vehicle can go on a charge) is a big issue. Testers have found that cold weather is a problem. The Nissan Leaf can go about 100 miles on a charge in ideal conditions. But in Consumer Reports' experience, driving in cold weather can easily shorten that to about 65 miles.
The Chevrolet Volt, in low temperatures, has trouble fully heating the car. It can go anywhere from 25 to 50 miles before the gasoline engine kicks in, which can take the car up to 300 miles. But the added gasoline engine makes the Volt expensive, and on long drives you may use more fuel than you would in a conventional hybrid such as the Prius.
As for recharge time, the Volt takes about 4 to 5 hours using a 220-volt charger installed in your home. The Nissan Leaf takes about 8 hours on average.
The Leaf is less expensive, costing about $35,000. The Volt is about $45,000. But even with federal and state tax credits, Consumer Reports says that neither is likely to save you money.
Consumer Reports says that electric vehicles have come a long way. But they have a long way to go before they're ready to replace the average person's primary vehicle.
If you're interested in a car that will be kind to the environment and save you money, Consumer Reports recommends the Toyota Prius.
Consumer Reports has no commercial relationship with any advertiser or sponsor appearing on this Web site.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Woohoo...Prius still #1 in the hybrid world!! :zoom:
The Prius, for example (since i owned one), is actually a very nice midsize sedan with tons of room & practicality, relatively quiet on the highway, and has a pretty good sound system. And if you go higher in the range, then you get stuff that only top luxury cars get. LED headlights are unheard of for anything under $50k outside Lexus. For instance, my Advance Tech Pkg (ATP) has stuff that is only seen in Lexus costing around $48,000 or more! And to get it in a BMW or Audi, you need to spend well over $55-60,000. And my Prius cost me around $35k out the door. And let me tell you, once you use Dynamic Range Cruise Control (DRCC), you won't go back to ordinary cruise control! Beyond the usefulness of ATP, it is also been proven in the Euro market to prevent accidents and injuries. (BTW, this is why the Prius is outselling the Honda Insight by a wide margin despite the Insight costing several thousands less...people in a Prius not only want good gas mileage, but also refinement and features.)
: