At this point in the game, NO ONE should be getting caught off-guard by a statement such as "Yer' car ain't ze-ro emissions."

Reason number 1: The zero emission badge refers to the vehicle itself since it has no tailpipe. And yes, this is MUCH greener than petrol burning vehicles in that it places the emission portion at the power plant where it is scrubbed better than through an on board catalytic converter.

Reason number 2: The argument is most often disingenuous in that it is parroted from oil-funded propagandists and industry mouthpieces who have been quite effective at building narratives involving evil communists who are out to circumvent the (actually not) free market that keeps them on top while destroying the planet.

So, a $78K basic S (with tech package and supercharge option) will be bought back for at least $33.5K, with a cost of ownership of ~ $45k. And of course, this figure does not factor in additional external savings from fuel, car pool lanes, etc. that you will stand to gain. This is not a bad price IMO. Tesla has made no claims that the Model S is for "regular folks." This will likely happen at some point, but for now they are wise to stick with the wealthier subset.

Less consumption equals higher prices in many industries. This is not counter-intuitive when the nature of business is taken into account. The trick is being in an industry that can simply raise prices collectively without all of their customers leaving them. You can chase your tail in circles looking for a specific reason that diesel is 25% more costly than gasoline or why prices continue to rise, but you could just as easily save yourself the effort and simply acknowledge Wall Street. After all, who was it exactly that paid for these bills to be passed?

I live in a city that already has a decent L3 network and L2 chargers fill in the gaps. The problems I see at this point are the cost of L3 charging ($40/month) and the cost of the vehicles themselves. Like others have mentioned- it does at times get tiresome having to plan your trips in a decent-sized city based on where an L3 station is and whether or not you have to go out of your way to reach one, which I have found is a relatively common affair. I have considered going back to the Prius after the electrics unless range is doubled and price in par with a Prius. It really sucks too because I genuinely enjoy the Leafs, but it isn't like Nissan is offering any real rewards for their first adopters. Right? We've all been paying attention.

So, why is it that the owner him or herself is not privy to such information? I would like to know the performance dynamics of the battery array in something that I paid for. I would like for that option to be available.

Looks Chinese.

Yes- markets are manipulated. Yes- fuel prices are far more of a concern to people who cannot truly afford to go hybrid or electric. Yes- affordable solar/wind and EV solutions are answers to energy shackles, which many of us refer to when addressing cartels and monopolies of any flavor- foreign, foreign-domestic and domestic. The best way to fight this is to do the math and make a personal challenge of it. Bike if you can, avoid unnecessary trips, car pool when possible, shop locally, yadda, yadda..

So, if you live in hotter climates like Texas or Florida, instead of getting 50-60 miles on a charge, you may be getting closer to 70? That isn't too bad of an improvement if it turns out to be the case. They will finally be getting closer to what they originally advertised with the 2011 Leaf. Just another 20 or 30 miles to go.

There is a lot more to electric cars than simply being green. And by "green" I am referring to replacing petro with electrons. There is also the idea of being more self-sufficient. Energy is energy, whether it be "Big Oil" or "Big Electricity." Many of us want to be more free from "the man." Residential solar and wind at every opportunity is a "good" future. Trading out the old boss for a new boss is not and in fact seems a bit anachronistic considering what stage we are at in the currency meltdown. It is time to truly aspire for a "better place."

I agree with James. I would like to know EXACTLY how this actually improves anything. Maybe Nissan could elaborate? The bottom line remains the same- the Leaf is a $30K work car that cannot be good for much else without falling into the warranty caveat pit regarding percent-of-charge, quick charges, etc..