How far can you travel in an electric car? One man from Washington State in America has travelled more than 100,000 miles in his Nissan LEAF saving over $9,000 that he would have had to spend on fuel if it hadn’t been for the electric car.
Steve Marsh of Kent., Wash. said:
“With a daily commute of about 130 miles, I’ve saved more than $9,000 compared to my old gas-powered car since I bought my LEAF. With plenty of public charging options, as well as a charger installed at my office, my LEAF is a perfect car for my commute.”
Although most electric cars are currently more aimed at the commuter doing short distances and after many research tests the average has been shown to be around a 30 mile round trip; you could be forgiven for thinking that electric cars wouldn’t accumulate high mileages until many years later. However, longer commutes such as Mr Marsh does daily mean that over 1000 miles are covered in less than ten days – really putting the batteries and recharging system to the test.
Mr Marsh added that in order to achieve his 130 mile round trip, he charged his car at work, topping up the battery in the process. He has also praised Washington for it’s infrastructure, allowing him to be range-anxiety free thanks to abundant charging points.
Erik Gottfried, director of Electric Vehicle Sales and Marketing at Nissan said:
“While many early buyers were excited to buy a LEAF for environmental reasons or to reduce our dependence on foreign oil, Steve Marsh is a prime example of consumers who approach electric cars with a practical mindset. Most buyers now choose LEAF for the simple economics that Steve recognized right away. Nissan LEAF costs much less to drive and maintain than a gas car yet still provides a great driving experience.”
Although this may be a relatively unique case study, it does show that in specific circumstances, electric cars can make for huge savings overall despite their initially high asking price.
How many miles have you covered in your electric car? Comment below.
Source for quotes; Nissan
