California Center for Sustainable Energy

A transportation revolution is quietly taking shape, and March 30, 2010, may one day be remembered as an historic date in that revolution.

The United States is addicted to oil, we all know that. But it’s worse than that. We spend $350 billion annually on foreign oil, a massive drain on our federal treasury and a huge weight on our dragging economy. Meanwhile, world oil prices continue to rise and continue to threaten the health of our economy and our national security. Not many Americans realize it, but every time the price of oil goes up $1 per barrel, the U.S. gross domestic product goes down $100 billion annually. Ten years ago oil was trading at $40/barrel (adjusted for inflation); today it’s around $80/barrel. Do the math, and think about the state of our economy.

In California, we pay the highest prices in the nation for gasoline and diesel and are forced to import from foreign sources almost half of the oil we consume. And there are other costs: the number one source of air pollution in the Golden State comes from burning gasoline and diesel in our cars and trucks — pollution that causes asthma, lung disease, respiratory problems and even premature death. On top of that, the oil we burn in our vehicles is responsible for 30% of the state’s greenhouse gas emissions.

So where’s the silver lining, and what does March 30, 2010, have to do with it?

The silver lining is electricity, and the quiet revolution is about slowly replacing our oil consuming cars and trucks with all-electric or partial-electric vehicles. Electric motors are three times more efficient than gasoline engines, and they produce zero, that’s ZERO, pollution. Keep in mind that almost every electron in California comes from domestic energy sources, and that 40% of the electricity we consume in California is produced from pollution-free sources, like solar, wind, geothermal, hydropower and nuclear power. Another 45% comes from very efficient, super-clean power plants burning domestically produced natural gas. And every year our electricity sources get cleaner, more efficient and more sustainable, which is the exact opposite of oil, which gets more expensive, riskier, dirtier and even more reliant on foreign sources year after year.

So what happened on March 30, 2010?  That’s the day the electric vehicle moved from the world of “some day” to “it’s here, now let’s move forward,” when Nissan announced that it will begin selling its 100% electric vehicle, the Nissan Leaf, starting in December at a price that puts it within reach of the average Californian – about $20,000 after rebates and federal tax credits.

The Leaf will not be a test car; it will not be slow, undersized or unable to meet the needs of its owners. It will be an affordable, all-electric, 100-mile range, fast, sporty, five-passenger car. In my opinion the Nissan Leaf is the future, and over the next few years it will be joined by more cars like it from Chevy, Toyota, Ford, Chrysler, Honda, Mitsubishi, Tesla and more.

Remember March 30, 2010. The revolution has begun.

Note:

• Nissan set the Leaf’s U.S. price at $32,780. In addition to a state rebate of $5,000 through the Clean Vehicle Rebate Project (www.cvrp.energycenter.org), Californians can also take advantage of a federal tax credit of $7,500 after purchasing the vehicle, which means a final cost of about $20,000.
• In San Diego, the first 1,000 people who buy the Leaf are also eligible to receive a free home charger, worth up to $2000.
• To get on the waiting list for the Nissan Leaf, visit Nissan’s website.