CARLSBORG — Bob and Ann Sextro figure they have a free ride thanks to sun power and the new all-electric Nissan Leaf car they recently purchased through Nissan’s Web site and Wilder Auto Center.
Even better, the Carlsborg couple gets money back.
“Not only do we not pay for the power to charge the car, but we figured the rough math is that when we charge the car fully to drive 100 miles, we actually get paid $8 to drive that 100 miles for the fuel cost — so roughly 8 cents a mile,” Bob said.
“So not only is it environmentally-friendly and cost-effective, but it is sort of unique in that we get paid when we charge to drive the car.”
Because they already have solar arrays up on their house and garage, they can generate more than enough power on a relatively sunny day to fully charge the car, which is about 25 kilowatt hours to charge the batteries, he said.
“And because we already have the solar, the Clallam [Public Utility District], and the state and Bonneville Power [Administration] has an incentive program that pays us,” Bob said.
“Since we’re net-metered on the grid, it pays us to generate the solar power.”
The Sextros have two Port Townsend-based Powertrip Energy Corp. solar arrays.
“We just love watching the power meter go backwards,” Ann said with a laugh.
Power Trip Energy, which has a new offices and a shop location at 83 Denny Ave. in the Glen Cove Industrial Park just south of Port Townsend, will feature the Sextros’ solar-fed Leaf during the company’s annual Jefferson Solar Tour on Saturday.
The vehicle will be on display at Power Trip Energy’s shop from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. where Jeff Randall, Powertrip solar agent, said the company is now installing its own solar array and an electric car power station for the event.
“The sun gives them fuel every day,” Randall said of the Sextros, who bought their solar arrays in 2009 and 2010.
Bob said it made sense to buy an electric car since he and Ann already had plenty of solar energy at home.
“We were sort of waiting for the [Toyota] Prius plug-in hybrid to emerge,” Bob said.
“We like the concept of high mileage, but they still use gas.”
Jason Herbert, general sales manager for Honda, Nissan, Jeep and Volkswagen at Wilder Auto Center near Port Angeles, said two other Nissan Leafs have been sold through Wilder — one in Port Townsend and one in Port Angeles.
The cars have become the most ordered of Nissan’s fleet throughout the Western Washington district that includes Wilder.
With a limited number of 20,000 Leafs initially manufactured and placed on the market since 2009, all orders begin online at www.nissanusa.com, where buyers are allowed to build their own car through their order.
It’s a new Nissan approach, Herbert said, to attract technology-savvy customers.
“Really, it’s reinventing the wheel,” he said. “What’s exciting to us being in the business is, it’s a real turning point in the auto industry.”
Herbert said he expects that as more electric cars are produced, they will come down in price, so future sales look promising.
Other North Olympic Peninsula dealerships expect to offer electric cars in the future.
The Ford Focus Electric is expected to be released late this year.
Mark Ostroot, general sales manager for Price Ford Lincoln in Port Angeles said an all-electric Focus will be placed on display for motorists to see, feel and test drive.
Ostroot said Ford will be producing more hybrid gas-electric models in the coming years “to give customers options.”
Ford’s future strategy, he said, is expand to a larger number of electric cars, a variety of hybrids, and affordable fuel-saving technology.
Chevrolet and General Motors produce vehicles that still partially run as hybrids on gas, although they have electric plug-in capability.
Tim Young, finance manager at Koenig Chevrolet-Subaru in Port Angeles said the dealership will display a Chevy Volt electric-gas hybrid in August.
“What Chevrolet is doing is is putting one Volt on the lot,” Young said. “Customers can order it if they want to proceed from there.”
Howie Ruddell, owner of Ruddell Auto Mall and Ruddell Hyundai in Port Angeles, said the Hyundai has a gas-electric hybrid Sonata that is not all electric.
The Sextros’ fully-loaded Leaf was originally priced at $36,000, but a Washington state green incentive saved them $3,200 and a federal tax credit knocks off another $7,500.
So net out-of-pocket cost of the car was $27,500.
Batteries placed under the car for optimum balance and efficiency can be fully charged through a traditional 120-volt outlet overnight, but the Sextros purchased the 240-volt power station, which can regenerate the batteries in as few as four to six hours.
Herbert said Wilder received its first demonstration Leaf on June 30.
Prospective buyers can test drive it at the dealership at U.S. Highway 101 and Deer Park Road over the next six months.
The Sextros push no brake when it comes to praising their new electric car, which accelerates energetically to 70 mph.
“When you push on the accelerator it just zooms. It’s very sporty to drive,” Bob said while cruising at 45 mph north on Kitchen-Dick Road and handling the tight right turn at Lotzgesell Road like a racer.
“What surprised us most was you don’t get a concept of speed because it’s so quiet,” Ann said. “You really have to watch that.”
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Sequim-Dungeness Valley Editor Jeff Chew can be reached at 360-681-2391 or at jeff.chew@peninsuladailynews.com.
