As I’ve written about here, I have a Nissan Leaf and it’s the best car I’ve ever owned. When the lease is up in a couple years, I’ll reevaluate whether to buy a new one or switch to a different make of car, but there’s no question that I’m never going to buy another gas-powered car for myself again.
In addition to the obvious benefits to the environment, how quiet the car is, and being able to “fill it up” at home, the Leaf is also shockingly reliable. No oil changes, no random weird noises or parts failing that seem to regularly happen with every other car we’ve owned. Simpler is better.
We’re crossing the point right now where electric cars are not only better in a novelty way for early adopters, but just actually better. Every year there will be more electric cars on the road, from more manufacturers, and every year they’ll chip away at the traditional problems of cost and range.
And there’s even fun stuff like Zelectric Motors, which I discovered via a great video from The Verge. I always thought that if I ever had $60k to blow, I’d get a Tesla. I may need to consider these retrofitted classic VW Beetles instead. They look beautiful. (Although probably helps to live in the San Diego area just in case it does need the occasional trip to be serviced.)
