Nalley Nissan informed us early this week that they are one of the first dealerships in the country to install four charging stations in preparation of the Nissan’s electric car: the Leaf.

Two of the charging stations will be used for “operational support”, while the other two will be located in “customer-access areas”, which local Leaf drivers will be able to freely access.  According to their press release, the charging docks will fuel a leaf for six to eight hours of driving.

Nalley says that 100 Leafs (Leaves?) have been reserved locally.  And even though it seems like folks have been talking about this car for many months now, they actually won’t be rolling out until December.

If you think about it, though the sheer number of gas stations today make gasoline-powered cars the more convenient choice currently, it’s not hard to imagine electric charging stations becoming the more available and accessible option, since they require so much less surrounding infrastructure to install and operate (stations, underground tanks, gasoline trucks, etc…).

Generic Leaf-charging photo courtesy of Plugincenter.com

Hmm, this could certainly prove problematic for electric utilities and their consumers in the short-term…

Nationwide, utilities have enough power plants and equipment to power hundreds of thousands of electric cars. Problems could crop up long before that many are sold, though, because of a phenomenon carmakers and utilities call “clustering.”

Electric vehicle clusters are expected in neighborhoods where:

— Generous subsidies are offered by states and localities

— Weather is mild, because batteries tend to perform better in warmer climates

— High-income and environmentally conscious commuters live

…Adding an electric vehicle or two to a neighborhood can be like adding another house, and it can stress the equipment that services those houses. “We’re talking about doubling the load of a conventional home,” says Karl Rabago, who leads Austin Energy’s electric vehicle-readiness program. “It’s big.”

Sounds like Decatur’s most wealthy and eco-conscious neighborhoods need to host meetings, take a straw polls, and see how many people have a Nissan Leaf or Chevy Volt on order!

2010 looks to be the year of the electric car.  At least from a buzz perspective. The polar bear-friendly Nissan Leaf is scheduled to be the first mass-produced electric car available in the U.S, with a December 2010 launch-date.

So here’s the $32,000+ question:  Will you consider purchasing an electric car in the next couple years?

Some of you may just not be interested in blowing the aforementioned $32,000+ on a subcompact.  Others may be interested, but I’ve been wondering is it really so “green” that polar bears will approach you in your driveway and bestow you with namesake hugs?

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