Steve Marsh of Kent, Washington, is the owner of a Nissan Leaf that recently clocked 100,000 miles (160,934 km) since he bought it new in early 2011. If you’re wondering why he drove it so much, it’s because the man has a 130-mile (209-km) roundtrip daily commute – remember that next time you think your ride to work is too long…
“With a daily commute of about 130 miles, I’ve saved more than $9,000 compared to my old gas-powered car since I bought my Leaf. With plenty of public charging options, as well as a charger installed at my office, my Leaf is a perfect car for my commute,” said Marsh.
Since the Nissan Leaf has a driving range of 75 miles (121 km), Marsh has to charge the batteries twice a day: in the morning, after he arrives at work and in the evening, when he returns home. In order to be able to do that, he had to convince his employer, Taylor Shellfish, to install a charging unit at its office in Shelton. Luckily for him, the company agreed.
Marsh says he bought the car first and foremost for its low cost of ownership, since electric vehicles have fewer routine maintenance costs, in addition to the lower operating costs of driving on electricity compared to gasoline.
He believes that he couldn’t have done it without Washington’s strong charging infrastructure, with state governor Jay Inslee thanking Marsh personally for his commitment to electric driving.
By Dan Mihalascu
PHOTO GALLERY
