Meet Vera, of Elverson, PA. Originally from Switzerland, Vera and her family have lived and driven their electric 2011 Nissan Leaf in four different U.S. states. After thirteen years and 92k+ miles, she still loves driving it – and so do her kids.

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In 2011, my husband and I were living in the Bay Area of California, where HOV lane incentives and half-price bridge tolls were available to electric vehicle (EV) drivers. We decided to put our names on the waiting list for a Nissan Leaf. A year later, we got our Nissan Leaf. Thirteen years and over 92,000 miles later, we are still happily driving our Leaf! 

When we first purchased the car, we were renting and were not permitted to put in a Level-2 charger. So we just charged it on a 110V outlet from the wall overnight. There’s always a wall socket somewhere — everywhere you go there is electricity. Since then we have installed a Level-2 charger in all our homes when we moved to FL, PA, TX, and then back in PA. We mostly charge there, but my husband does have access to charging at work. Finding charging is not very difficult, our community offers several public charging areas, Nissan dealers offer charging, and I also learned that some AAA offices have chargers available. There are good Plug-share apps available and GPS maps to show you options, too.

Those considering switching to an EV shouldn’t let range anxiety deter them.

Those considering switching to an EV shouldn’t let range anxiety deter them. Evaluate your daily driving needs and determine if an EV will work for you — most EVs today offer a range of more than two hundred miles. Initial cost also shouldn’t be a deterrent because there are many rebates and tax incentives available, on top of the continued savings you’ll enjoy from minimal maintenance costs. 

We now have many friends who have switched to EVs and are happy with their choices. Our neighbor just bought an EV — they asked us lots of questions throughout the process and we helped them install an EV charger! 

We have two children, so driving a vehicle that doesn’t pollute was an important lifestyle decision for us. After all of these years, I still feel good about that decision.

Buying our Nissan Leaf and going electric was a fantastic decision. My husband and I are environmentally aware, and we recognize that there is so much potential in the US to make changes to reduce our carbon emissions. We have two children, so driving a vehicle that doesn’t pollute was an important lifestyle decision for us. After all of these years, I still feel good about that decision. Plus, it’s quiet, fun to drive, spacious, and it does everything we need it to do!