Daily Blog//April 19, 2010//

The leaves in Portland’s abundant spring foliage aren’t the only ones that will be getting attention this year.
Nissan dealers can start taking orders today for Nissan’s new all-electric LEAF vehicles, which will be rolled out in the Rose City in December, according to . Future electric car owners can begin placing reservations on May 15 to buy or lease one. Over 115,000 people so far have expressed interest in testing out the new vehicle, according corporate communications for Nissan Americas.
Owning an electric car has been a dream of mine ever since my dad bought me a red, remote control Ferrari for my seventh birthday. But it’s a dream that will have to wait. At a suggested retail price of $32,780, I think I’d have to sell my current car, all of my worldly possessions and my first born to cash in on the all-electric dream.
Still, for those of you with more pocket change than myself, there are some incentives out there that could bring the cost of a LEAF down, including a $7,500 federal tax credit and a 1,500 Oregon state tax credit. And leasing a LEAF will run you $349 per month.
On Tuesday, April 27, Nissan’s senior vice president of North America Brian Carolin will be speaking at the Portland Business Alliance’s annual meeting on the significance of Portland being a test market for the company’s new electric car. That presentation will be from 7:30 to 9 a.m. at the Oregon Convention Center, Oregon Ballroom.