subject: Can I Afford The Electric Leaf? [print this page] When I first saw the likes of the Nissan LEAF or the Mitsubishi i-MiEV I thought they are ideal for my commute to and from work as well as other business and personal trips. The Nissan LEAF looked even more appealing when I found out that charging the Nissan LEAF's batteries costs around 2 and the car has a range of more than 100 miles.
As well as massive savings on fuel costs, cars like the LEAF are exempt from road fund license fees, London Congestion Charge and parking charges in some cities. When selling the car on there is not much to lose either - independent experts CAP have predicted the Nissan LEAF will retain 47% of its on the road price after three years and 30,000 miles which is better than current hybrid and diesel models.
To help introduce private buyers to the electric LEAF, Nissan is offering the LEAF on a Personal Contract Purchase (PCP) scheme as it would a used Nissan X Trail, with the LEAF though the residual value is being underwritten by Nissan. Buying the car with the PCP scheme means buyers can be an 'electric vehicle pioneer' and pay the same in monthly costs as a conventional hybrid or diesel car, while still making those massive savings on running costs.
Paul Willcox, managing director of Nissan Motor GB said: "Buyers can be confident that the LEAF will not lose value any faster than a conventional rival, thanks to the verdict of independent industry experts. Nissan is happy to show its confidence too and underwrite the future value using a PCP scheme. This will help drivers get behind the wheel of the new European Car of the Year 2011."
Here is a quick example, with a deposit of 3,850 a buyer can have the Nissan LEAF with monthly payments of 397.17, as with all PCP plans after the 3 year agreement is over the car can be handed back, refinanced or traded in.
