Nissan Leaf: very pretty but ...

I had a chance in December during that 11-degree week we had here in the foothills east of Seattle to visit the Nissan tent at Seattle Center to see the Leaf, their electric car to be introduced later this year.

Since they said they had only two available (one in the US and one in Japan), nobody even got to sit in it, much less test drive one. Supposedly they'll be back in the spring after more are available for a tour with test drives.

Still ... I live far enough in the boonies (7.5 miles S of the S edge of Issaquah WA) and work in the city (center of the Universe, Fremont area of Seattle) and mostly take the bus from Issaquah ... I still don't know if I want a car with only a 100-mile (claimed) range. I also live at 600 feet; is the range claimed only for level driving? I asked the representative at the show what about 15-degree weather's effect on the Leaf's batteries? She said that only a below-zero (F) temperature would cause a significant drop-off in range.

I'll try a test-drive when I can get one, but a plug-in hybrid (maybe even a Volt) seems a more reasonable choice for me.