So, let’s say you are one of those people who lusts after a Tesla automobile. The “affordable” one, the Model 3.
You daydream about its lush electric power. All those 21st-century electronics. That awesome touch-screen the size of Kansas.
But, let’s say you also like the idea of spending your dollars close to home instead of shipping them off to Tesla workers in Fremont, California.
Well, just 115 miles up Interstate-24 in Smyrna, Tennessee, workers at Nissan are building the latest – and greatest – Nissan Leaf. It may not have the sex appeal of a Tesla, but it has most of the same practical advantages, and even some of the performance chops. In basic trim, it’s cheaper, too.
I spent a week driving the 2020 Nissan Leaf SL Plus earlier this spring and came away impressed with its power and evolutionary refinements (the Leaf has now been around for 10 years). And with a range of up to 215 miles on a full charge, it’s more than just a commuter car. Public fast-chargers are now available all around Chattanooga, so you are never far from a recharge station.