Tag Archives: nissan leaf

$17,500 Off a Nissan Leaf Electric Car Now Extended to all of Williston (and Beyond)

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In a recent post, we reported that Green Mountain Power customers could participate in a program that gives a $10,000 discount on a 2017 Nissan Leaf. More recently, Vermont Electric Co-op has worked out a partnership with Nissan to also offer a that $10,000 discount to all its customers.

There’s more information in the previous post, but to recap: the Nissan Leaf is a reliable, well-reviewed, all-electric vehicle with an estimated 107-mile range between charges. EVs like the Leaf have much lower fuel cost than the average gas car (on average, just over 1/3 the cost) plus much lower maintenance costs. The batteries have proven durable and lasting, and by some careful estimates an EV like the Leaf will last twice as long as a gas car. The biggest limitation, of course, is that you have to recharge, and that takes longer than pumping gas. However, you can charge at home overnight, and there are a lot more charging stations in the area than you might guess:

Interactive charging station map available at ChargeHub

In addition to the $10,000 discount, most taxpayers can qualify for a $7,500 tax credit (note that this is a credit deducted from your tax liability, not just a deduction from your income calculation). Vermont Electric Co-op also offers a $250 bill credit to customers who buy an electric car.

Not all Nissan dealerships are participating, but there are three in the region where you can get a Leaf with this discount, so you can comparison shop. You don’t have to pay sticker price minus the discount: you should be able to get a better price from your dealer. The three participating dealerships are:

$17,500 Off a New Electric Car for GMP Customers

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Green Mountain Power has just announced a new program for its customers in partnership with Nissan, giving buyers of the 2017 Nissan Leaf a $10,000 discount. This is in addition to a $7,500 tax credit for which most new Leaf buyers will qualify. The base MSRP for a Nissan Leaf is $30,680, meaning buyers who take advantage of the discount and who qualify for the tax credit can get a new Leaf for $13,180.

In addition to savings on purchase of the car itself, electric car buyers enjoy much lower fuel costs and much lower maintenance costs, with no oil changes and few moving parts to wear out.

You may have heard that electric cars aren’t really any better for the environment than gasoline cars. That story has gone around the Internet a lot, but it’s not true. You can read some of the details here.

Transportation is the single biggest factor in most individuals’ and families’ carbon footprints, and cars are the biggest part of the transportation carbon problem. Buying an electric car is one of the very best ways you can reduce your carbon footprint.

The 2017 Leaf has an estimated electric range of 107 miles on a full charge. This goes down a little in winter, but it’s also a conservative number; careful driving can get better range. Many families have an electric car for local transportation and a gas car or hybrid for longer drives. Other electric cars currently available have a greater range: for instance, the Chevy Bolt has a range of 238 miles, and the Chevy Volt (yes, it’s ridiculous that they have two cars with such similar names), while it has only a 53 mile electric range, has a backup gasoline engine that kicks in automatically when the battery runs out of power.

In this deal sounds too good to be true, I can explain Nissan’s motivation here: in a few months they’ll start selling the 2018 Leaf, which has much greater range and some other advantages. Discounting the 2017 models so steeply offers them a change to generate interest in the brand and get the old stock off the lots before it’s eclipsed by the new model.

Questions or concerns about electric cars? Check out the information at Drive Electric Vermont, comment here, or contact us.

Get Up Close with Electric Vehicles June 15th at the Library

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On Monday, June 15th, residents of Williston and the surrounding area will get a chance to learn about electric vehicles (EVs) first hand in the second installment of Sustainable Williston’s Sustainable Energy series. Local EV owners and dealers will bring electric cars and electric bikes for attendees to examine up close.

EV expert Dave Roberts of Drive Electric Vermont will offer a presentation covering topics like electric vehicle types and options, greenhouse gas emissions, and charging both at home and on the road.

Larry Gilbert of ZoomBikes will also briefly discuss electric bikes.

The event begins in front of Williston’s Dorothy Alling Library at 6:15 PM, where attendees can look over EVs and talk to EV owners. At 7:00, Mr. Roberts will offer his multimedia presentation next door at the Old Brick Church. At 7:45, the event moves back to the library parking lot for a second chance to see the vehicles until the event ends at 8:15. Light refreshments will be served. The event is free and open to all, with no preregistration necessary.

Test drives of the Chevy Volt will be available at the event through Shearer Chevrolet.

Some of the electric vehicles at the event will include …

Volkswagon eGolf

Volkswagon eGolf

Mitsubishi iMiev

Mitsubishi iMiev

Evelo electric bike

Evelo electric bike

Chevy Volt

Chevy Volt

Cadillac ELR

Cadillac ELR

Nissan Leaf

Nissan Leaf

Vermont Organization Offers $500 Rebates on Electric Vehicles

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The Federal government already offers tax credits of up to $7,500 on the purchase of a new, qualifying electric car. This isn’t just a deduction: a tax credit increases your refund or decreases your amount owed rather than just affecting your taxable income. Well, if that wasn’t enough to whet your wallet, now a Vermont organization called Drive Electric Vermont is offering an additional $500 incentive for each electric car.

Tesla Model S

Tesla Model S

Electric vehicles are sometimes restricted in terms of range, though some (the Chevy Volt, for example) have backup gasoline engines, and others (e.g., Tesla models) have such a long driving range that it generally isn’t an issue. Regardless, owning an electric car means changing some habits, including getting used to charging the vehicle, sometimes over the course of hours, rather than filling gas in minutes.

Chevy Volt

Chevy Volt

However, electric vehicles are much less expensive to drive in terms of fuel than gasoline or diesel powered vehicles. Regardless of the source of the electricity, they’re also far better for the climate, though of course the most climate-friendly way to go is to charge your vehicle with a renewable energy source like wind or solar.

Many Vermont communities now offer rapid EV charging stations, sometimes for free. For example, my credit union (Vermont State Employees Credit Union) is adding a new charging station at its Montpelier location.

Nissan Leaf

Nissan Leaf

Electric vehicles do tend to be a good bit more expensive than gasoline-powered vehicles, but Federal rebates and this $500 incentive can help take some of the sting out of that.

Disclaimer: Sustainable Williston has no affiliation or direct experience with Drive Electric Vermont.