Juneau is ideal for electric cars in so many ways…
Our short road system makes ‘range anxiety’ a non-issue. By charging at home at night, and knowing that there are chargers all over town, I never worry about running out of power. Our weather is mild so there’s no heat danger to the battery.
On ice and snow, I find my LEAF performs better than any two-wheel drive car I’ve ever had. The heavy weight and low center of gravity, along with studded winter tires, allow the car to perform terrifically on both snow and ice.
The heated steering wheel, mirrors, and seats are fantastic. Also, the heaters are electric and can therefore start defrosting the front window without having to wait for the engine to warm. I can even preset the defrost cycle to start in the morning at any time I choose.
Best of all, I haven’t bought gasoline in 2.5 years and my electric bill has only increased by about $25/month.
AR, Juneau, Leaf owner
With electric rates at $0.12/kwh, my Leaf costs about 3.4 cents per mile to drive. If you drive 1,000 miles per month, you can expect to spend about $34, saving $110/month on fuel when compared to a 25 mpg car. And much lower maintenance costs save money too.
SR, Juneau, Leaf owner
It’s no surprise that Juneau is an ideal city for electric car ownership. The number of electric cars driving on Juneau’s limited road system continues to increase weekly. Of cities in the United States, Juneau recently ‘earned bronze’, coming in third in the nation for EVs per capita. Current estimates put the number of EVs in Juneau at around 1200. With low electric rates and low prices on used and previously-leased models, it is common for an EV owner to actually save money on their purchase versus paying the price of pumping gas into their former vehicle.
I sold my Honda for $5000 and bought a previously-leased Leaf for $10,000 with a $0 down / 0% interest loan from the dealer. I paid my taxes with the freed up capital and with the incredible loan terms there is no pressure to pay it off. I now actually pay less per month to buy this “iPhone on wheels” than I did to just put gas in my former car. My EV is saving me money.
SC, Juneau, Leaf owner