The Adventure Begins . . .

It's official!  We have begun our EV Adventures with our first all electric car - a 2013 Nissan Leaf.  In 2008 we bought a Toyota Prius, and we have loved every minute.  Now we are ready for the next step, to go ALL ELECTRIC - the Leaf.  We looked all over the Midwest for a good deal.  We test drove 2013, 2014 and 2015 Leafs at different trim levels.  We were looking for an inexpensive car to replace our 2010 Honda Fit - a car we LOVED that got about 30-32 mpg with LOTS of cargo room.  I made giant Excel spreadsheets, calculating the benefits of buying versus leasing, FIT versus Leaf, etc.  I also researched kbb and Edmunds for fair prices to pay.

Desired extras:  Back-up camera, 6.6 kWh charger, QuickPort Charger (80% battery in 30 minutes), Cruise Control

We decided on the 2013 even though it lacks cruise control and does not have CarWings (where you can use your phone to monitor and help control your car's charging and climate.)   Our local dealer had added in a back-up camera, 6.6 kWh onboard charger (standard in 2013) and a quick port charger to this car (where you can charge at certain stations to 80% in 30 minutes).   

We liked the 2014 SV model, which also had these things, but it was $5000 more!!  Not worth it! 

Sticker Price:  $31, 230

Reduced Price: $27, 154

Nissan Incentive:  -$3,500

Nissan Incentive:  0.0% APR for 72 months

Gov't Tax Credit (will receive when we do our 2014 taxes): - $7500

NET PRICE (without trade in):  $16, 154!!

Only bummer:  Insurance is $231 more expensive (per 6 months) with my current insurance provider

Trade In On 2010 Leaf:  $9000 (We were hoping for $8000, the car had quite a few dings and dents!)  (KBB said we would only get 9,400 if we sold it privately.)   

So, we bought it!! 

Will we love it?  Will it work as a family car (2 adults + 2 kiddos under 6)?  Will we charge for free all the time?  STAY TUNED!