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Electric cars for the masses

Electric cars are quickly climbing the popularity ladder. More and more people are starting to rely on the clean alternative for all their transportation needs. Car manufacturers are taking notice of this and offering up some solid options for those looking to “plug-in”. Elon Musk, cofounder of PayPal and Chairman of Tesla Motors, predicted that eventually all cars will be electric. He shared his opinion after the screening of the documentary “The Revenge of The Electric Car” at the Tribeca Film festival April 23. However, it is not all gravy for those who would like to leave gasoline behind. At the same Tribeca event, Carlos Ghosn who is Chairman and CEO of Renault and Nissan, stated that at this point “20,000 out of 73 million cars sold in 2010 ran on electric batteries”. This number is much lower than advocates would like to see, but the electric cars are selling as fast as they are put out.
Nissan is so confident in the future of this alternative; it has invested $5 billion to launch the electric powered Leaf car. At this point purchasing this innovative car will require being on a waiting list as Nissan is unable to keep up production with current orders. The Leaf goes for about $30,000 and is 100% electric, with zero emissions. In many cases you may qualify as well for a federal tax savings of up to $7,500. The Leaf, http://www.nissanusa.com, is a step towards a new beginning in the car game with approximately 250,000 waiting to get theirs already.
Along with 80% of the planet’s drivers most of the leaf owners will drive less than 50 miles a day. For those who would like a longer range, another option would be the Tesla Motor Model S, which is an all-electric sedan with a 300 mile-per-charge range and is set to hit the sales market in 2012. Taking just 45 minutes for a full charge, you could easily recharge while grabbing a bite to eat along the way. Or if you really wanted to travel the distance, you could swap out your batteries in less than 60 seconds.
Most drivers will find no need for such a long range as this, in fact most drivers can easily make due with less than 50 miles a day. No matter where you would like to drive, or what green you have in your wallet, electric cars are becoming more available to the masses. Electric vehicles have come a long way from where they were and they can only get better from here.Original photo courtesy of cjansuebsri.

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