.0371428 a mile, unBELEAFable!

Electra, my 2012 Nissan Leaf, and I have been together now for two months. We have rolled 1981 miles, and both of us are extremely happy. Electra has juiced up with 110 volts at home and free 240s at various public venues. Folks pepper me with questions every where we go, and I am happy to answer. But the one question I hadn't been able to answer, yet, was how much per mile Electra costs me.

I will dismiss the capital costs, as I would have those with an ICE (internal combustion engine) vehicle as well. Ditto for the insurance. So, I'll limit my calculations to the "fuel" part....and my math comes down to $.0371428 a mile. That's just under 4 cents a mile for those whom might be decimally challenged. Holy cow. If I would have driven the equivalent distance in my husband's Prius, it would have been $.078/mile at $3.5 gallon.

So I started to think about other things that cost 4 cents. Well, someone can give me their 2 cents of opinion, twice, and that would be worth 4 cents. Someone else could also pay me a penny for my thoughts, 4 times. But I can't think of anything that costs 4 cents. Amazingly,  when I googled "4 cents," I received several articles stating that gas had risen or fallen 4 cents. How ironic.

Moving past the 4 cents a mile thoughts, I wondered what I've gained and given up by cutting my fuel costs in half. What I've gained:
1. Money in my pocket
2. A feeling that I'm part of the solution, and not part of the problem any more
3. Quietness
4. An awareness about my driving and its impact
5. A beautiful car I adore

What I've given up:
1. The feeling of flexibility
2. Range

Many folks have commented about range anxiety. I must admit that I have to think much more about driving this car...I live 25 miles one way from most things I need, but I will be moving soon. I would not have purchased this car if I were to stay in my current home. Having to anticipate and manage every drive I make gets a bit exhausting. In the two months of owning the car, I have only not made one commitment due to too much range. And frankly, I could have figured how to make the event with a bit of creativity. But I *did* miss it, so I am counting it. When I move, though, I think I'll have much less range anxiety, and I won't feel that I've lost any flexibility. I'll let you know.

As for now, I feel quite wealthy. At 4 cents a mile, I think I'll take the extra change and splurge a bit at the mall. Maybe Electra needs some seat covers. :-)