The Nissan Leaf promises nearly 100 mpg according to a recent rating by the EPA
Nissan’s latest entry into the all-electric car category, the Leaf, has just officially been granted a best in class rating of 99 mpg. The Environment Protection Agency awarded the rating to the Nissan Leaf after putting it through the same five cycle course used for regular gas powered cars.
What is a tad bit confusing about the rating is the apples to oranges comparison with vehicles that don’t use fuel to those that do. The EPA’s rating system is clearly designed for the latter. This is a problem the agency is working on correcting in it’s new rating system that will separate the two out.
For now, the EPA maintains that a single gallon of gasoline is equal to 33.7 kWh of battery power. For the testing of the Leaf, the EPA found that the car could go for about 3.4 miles per kWh. This results in fuel economy numbers of 106 mpg in the city and 92 mpg on the highway.
Range on a single charge is about 73 miles according to the EPA. Recharging the battery takes roughly 6 hours via a 220 volt outlet.
The Nissan Leaf will hit dealerships in December with a base sticker price of $32,780 in standard trim. This does not include any tax savings.
