Stopped in for a visit at De Cormier Nissan in Manchester and had a very good conversation with a Nissan Leaf sales specialist. The Nissan Leaf is an all electric plug-in automobile .

Topics discussed included: range anxiety, charging options and times,  the battery pack and safety, the future of battery technology and range, options for the Leaf, driving styles and how they affect range, safety ratings, regenerative braking and some positive customer stories about charging a Leaf in Vermont.

Some of the interesting items that came out of the discussion: the leaf can be charged fully for about 4 dollars. The Nissan Leaf actually has better range when driven on back roads. There is a great variety of charging stations available all over CT, you can use an app on your cell to see where they are, you can also reserve a time to charge your leaf at a charging station that is convenient. Best of all; many charging stations are FREE, yep you can charge up your Leaf for nothing!

I have driven the Nissan Leaf on both the highway and back roads and I have to say it is a very good car. There is plenty of interior room, controls and dash are well laid out, the car is responsive, handles well and the power is quite good. Although the electric motor is considerably quieter than any combustion engine, I love the subtle, turbine like sound it makes when you press accelerator.

The one thing I kept thinking after I drove it is simple; the Leaf is just as good, if not better than any small car on the road today.

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