Nissan LEAF Stretch Limo--Empowering

I just read that a limo-building company in Springfield, Missouri is giving the stretch treatment to a Nissan LEAF. Now how about that?

Imperial Coachbuilders has done this to other cars, but the LEAF presented some interesting issues. With that big, expensive battery pack underneath the car, they had to be very careful about how they cut the car apart to add the additional structural panel. They also needed to make sure that they didn't lose all the efficiency of the car by making it unable to handle the extra weight of additional body and four more passengers.

Well, they solved it. See this story in Automobile online for the details.

No word on any stretch Chevrolet Volts yet.

Electric Car Sightings Update

Well, electric cars are starting to make it onto the roads, but it's still a trickle. As I drive my two hours a day around the central San Francisco Bay Area I am seeing a Nissan LEAF at least a couple of times a week (see photo). I've seen one Chevrolet Volt in the last month.

Last week, I saw two of the $100K + Tesla Roadsters on the same day -- one in the morning and one in the evening -- both with custom plates. I wrote down the first one: NIL CO2. Cute, huh? I also saw a gas-powered car with a bumper sticker that said, "My next car won't have one of these"--and there was an arrow pointing down to its exhaust pipe. The sticker had a Tesla logo on it. That car may turn out to be a Tesla Model S--due next year.

The fact is, it is going to take a while before you see a lot of electric cars on the road. The batteries are still expensive and the quantities of cars that the manufacturers can turn out and deliver is very limited. And, folks want a car that does everything, and electric vehicles still have limitations--mainly range issues.

Meanwhile, Costco is in the news for saying they plan to shut down their electric charging stations. I've heard a lot about this from a surprising number of people. From what I can tell, the stations need to be upgraded and Costco is balking at the cost--because they, rightfully or not, don't believe that there is much call for electric car charging at their locations.

I say, without knowing all the facts, that it is probably a good short-term business decision to shut them down. But, it's a terrible public relations move, and puts the company at the back, rather than at the front, of the wave of the future. I think that public charging availability is part of what will extend the functionality and acceptability of electric cars.

Also newsworthy: The Nissan LEAF all-electric car will have greater availability with its 2012 models. About 4,000 LEAFs have been delivered so far in California, Arizona, Hawaii, Oregon, Texas, Washington (state) and Tennessee (Nissan is based there). Now, Nissan is expanding into Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia and Washington, D.C.

Also, the new 2012 LEAF will come with a quick charging port (480 volts) and a cold weather package, which includes a battery warmer, heated seats and a heated steering wheel.

Stay tuned!

My Life, Before 9 a.m.

Somehow, the music on my 43-year-old Sony clock radio did not come on today, so I was roused from peaceful slumber by a sudden and alarming buzz. After swearing and turning it off, my day began. Would it be good or bad with this kind of start?

Well, with me it's always interesting, and so far, besides the normal quinoa-two-minutes-in-the-microwave breakfast, showering, dressing, and so on, I have these items to report--before 9 o'clock:

I found a naturally formed exclamation point on the ground during my morning dog walk.

I heard MacArthur Park on Sirius XM in its entirety--by request from some fellow enthusiast on the other side of the country.

I saw a beautifully preserved or restored 1957 Thunderbird. Later, I saw a brand new all-electric Nissan Leaf--only the second I've seen on public roads.

I heard an NPR recording of an interview of a woman who lost her husband on 9/11 in the South Tower of the World Trade Center. She described her last half-hour conversation with him, as he called from the building as it was in flames and about to collapse. Tears were streaming down my cheeks as I handed the toll taker my $5.

Now, I can START my workday.

I Followed a Nissan Leaf Today

One of the most exciting automotive debuts in many years--for me at least--is the arrival of the all-electric Nissan Leaf. I have seen it at the car shows and one passed me in traffic a few weeks ago. But tonight, on my way home from work, I found myself behind one as I approached the freeway entrance.

It was black, with the Leaf's unique and characteristic high, slim taillamps comprising strips of small, red dots. I followed the car about 10 miles until it pulled off at an exit.

As I followed, I felt a sense of change. Before too long, we'll have lots of electric cars zooming down the highways. I thought of how I could buy one and charge it at work--and at home--and someday, even from my own solar panels. It felt like the future had arrived.

We have many reasons to cut our use of petroleum. The Leaf is a great way to do it.

The Leaf's one weakness is its range--which realistically is well under 100 miles. But that will change. If I knew I could charge it at work, would I order one now? Well, I just might.