subject: Car Dealership NJ News: Nissan LEAF Rated Best in Class by EPA [print this page] Car Dealership NJ News: Nissan LEAF Rated Best in Class by EPA
If you speak Nissan, then you now speak superlative. InNJ, Nissan car dealerships will soon be carrying the 2011 Nissan LEAF, the vehicle that theEnvironmental Protection Agency (EPA) has recently labeled best in its class for fuel economy and for the environment. This comes as little surprise the Nissan LEAF operates solely on electricity, emits exactly no greenhouse gases, and brags an unprecedented miles per gallon equivalent of 99 (MPGe).
These ratings are now official, with the EPA having recently completed five-cycle testing on the 2011 LEAF. The EPA has given the LEAF an MPG equivalent of 106 city, 92 highway, for a combined 99 MPGe. Indeed, the LEAF doesn't use any gasoline, so these numbers are calculated using a formula where 33.7kW-hrs are equal to one gallon of gasoline. The EPA's "best for the environment" label is based on the LEAF's zero tailpipe emissions, and the label will be featured on the LEAF when it is released towards the end of 2010. InNJ, Nissan LEAF modelswill also display a maximum driving range of 73 miles on a seven hour (240V charge).
"We're pleased the label clearly demonstrates the Nissan LEAF to be a best-in-class option, reflecting that it's a pure electric vehicle, uses no gas, has no tailpipe and has zero emissions," said Scott Becker of Nissan Americas. "The label provides consumers with a tool to compare alternative-fuel vehicles to those with a traditional internal combustion engine and allows them to make an informed purchase decision."
The LEAF is already hitting streets this December in California, Oregon, Arizona, Tennessee, and Washington. As 2011 unfolds, the LEAF is set to debut with a full head of steam inmore American markets, including Connecticut and the rest of the East Coast.
For this writer, the LEAF is a welcome change to the often disenfranchising automotive landscape. How long have we waited for the automotive industry to respond to our country's environmental needs? How long have we been shackled by exorbitant fuel costs? Finally, Nissan has responded with a vehicle that is friendlier to our environment and won't have us saying, "hey Jim, if you go to that gas station ten miles away, its 2 cents a gallon cheaper". With the 2011 Nissan LEAF, it's plug in, sleep tight, wake up, and get on with your life. Amen!
