Nissan LEAF

January was not a strong month for plug-in vehicle sales in the US. Nissan reported sales of the all-electric LEAF at 676 units in January 2012. That's below the 954 LEAFs sold in December 2011, but a bit up from the 672 LEAFs Nissan sold in November. Sales of the Chevy Volt dipped significantly with General Motors reporting that it sold only 603 units in January 2012.

One man’s story of using the all-electric Nissan LEAF for long-distance driving was recently posted at Torquenews.com. His tale defies the stereotypes of electric car range and charging. How did Brian Keez of Fontana, Calif. manage to put 2,000 miles a month on his 2011 Nissan LEAF?

Chuck and Angela Bateman of Mechanicsburg, Penn. earlier this month became the first owners of a Nissan LEAF in central Pennsylvania. The LEAF's availability is expanding and the electric hatchback is now hitting dealerships across the Midwest and Northeast. "Reducing our carbon footprint, that’s the big thing," said Angela Bateman. "The higher the gas price goes, that definitely made a big difference. We’re trading in a gas guzzling minivan." Chuck Batemen added, "And no dependence on oil of any kind, foreign or domestic."