[ksylvest]

Shouldn't one also factor in the cost of purchasing comparably classed vehicles? For example - the base Nissan Leaf costs 29k versus a comparable Nissan Versa costing 14k. 15k difference in vehicle is equivalent to just over 6000 gallons of gas (or around 186 thousand miles).

[runjake]

> Shouldn't one also factor in the cost of purchasing comparably classed vehicles?

Certainly, but in the US, the gov't is offering a $7,500 tax rebate. Additionally, many states are offering rebates, as well.

Here is one such illustration of cost breakdowns in the state of Colorado:

http://www.mrmoneymustache.com/2016/10/04/so-i-bought-an-ele...

[buerkle]

Depending on your income, at least in the US, it's closer to 21.5k with the federal 7500 tax rebate. In addition, a few states offer rebates on top of that.

[gajjanag]

This is a great point, and indeed the article is overly simplistic.

I think though that what really matters beyond the base cost in this point is the depreciation cost over time. This is of course much harder to estimate.

[maxsilver]

Can we factor in used vehicle sales as well?

A certified used 2012 or 2013 Nissan Leaf can be had for about $9K - $14k. A used 2012 or 2013 Nissan Versa seem to sell for about $8K to $13K. (Both numbers pulled from current autotrader.com listings in the Midwest US).

If your willing to buy a certified used vehicle, the price difference drops down to only about $1k-$2k.