All that remains to be seen is if American will get charged up and buy Nissan’s all-new, all-electric vehicle – the 2011 LEAF  - that runs $25, 280 after the $7,500 federal tax credit and before you add another $2,000 or so for the at-home charging station you’ll need to enjoy your 100-mile eco-friendly daily driving range.

Nissan begins taking reservations for the car — which includes three years of roadside assistance — on April 20.

Other states offering tax incentives include a $5,000 statewide tax rebate in California; a $5,000 tax credit in Georgia; a $1,500 tax credit in Oregon; and carpool-lane access in some states, including California.

“Imagine the possibility of never needing to go to a gas station again. Or of paying less than $3 for 100 miles behind the wheel. Or of creating zero emissions while driving,” said Brian Carolin, senior vice president, Sales and Marketing, NNA. “Nissan leads the industry by offering the first affordable, zero-emission vehicle for the mass market. Nissan LEAF truly is in a class by itself.”

What does LEAF stand for?

According to Nissan, the car’s name has two meanings. LEAF stands for “Leading, Environmentally Friendly, Affordable, Family Car.” The name also highlights the LEAF’s environmentally-friendly engineering. Nissan says, “Just as leaves purify the air in nature, so Nissan LEAF purifies mobility by taking emissions out of the driving experience.”

The vehicle at the standard SV trim level is well-equipped with a variety of standard features, including an advanced navigation system and Internet/smart phone connectivity to the vehicle, including pre-heat/pre-cool and charging control. Nissan LEAF is equipped with energy-efficient LED headlights and makes extensive use of recycled and recyclable materials, such as seat fabric, instrument panel materials, and front- and rear-bumper fascias. Other standard amenities include Bluetooth connectivity; Intelligent-key with push button start; Sirius/XM satellite radio capabilities and roadside assistance. Safety features include vehicle dynamic control (stability control), traction control and six airbags. The SL trim level, available for an additional $940 (MSRP), adds  rearview monitor, solar panel spoiler, fog lights, and automatic headlights.

Reservations and Purchase

In order to ensure a one-stop-shop customer experience, Nissan is carefully managing the purchase process from the first step, when consumers sign up on NissanUSA.com, until the customer takes the Nissan LEAF home and plugs it into a personal charging dock.

• Nissan begins accepting reservations on April 20 first from people who have signed up on NissanUSA.com, and, after a brief introductory period, to all interested consumers.
• Consumers will be required to pay a $99 reservation fee, which is fully refundable.
• Reserving a Nissan LEAF ensures consumers a place in line when Nissan begins taking firm orders in August, as well as access to special, upcoming Nissan LEAF events.
• Rollout to select markets begins in December, with nationwide availability in 2011.

Charging Equipment

In tandem with the purchase process, Nissan will offer personal charging docks, which operate on a 220-volt supply, as well as their installation. Nissan is providing these home-charging stations, which will be built and installed by AeroVironment, as part of a one-stop-shop process that includes a home assessment.

• The average cost for the charging dock plus installation will be $2,200.
• Charging dock and installation are eligible for a 50 percent federal tax credit up to $2,000.
• Using current national electricity averages, Nissan LEAF will cost less than $3 to “fill up.”
• Nissan LEAF also will be the sole vehicle available as part of The EV Project, which is led by EV infrastructure provider eTec, a division of ECOtality, and will provide free home-charging stations and installation for up to 4,700 Nissan LEAF owners in those markets.

We all know that Kermit the Frog was ahead of his time when he sang “it ain’t easy bein’ green.”

This however is the new mantra in the automotive world and Bentley is crowing about its latest iteration from Crewes to be the first of the Continental lineup to meet the standards with the Continental Supersports.

Key reductions come at the scales where the car shed some 220 pounds (110 kg),  and with either regular gas or flexfuel has reduced CO2 emissions by up to a reported 70 percent.

The company release follows:

The new Continental Supersports, the first Bentley to use FlexFuel technology which enables it to run on E85 biofuel, gasoline or any combination of these two fuels, has further underlined its green credentials by meeting the 85% recyclability standard (95% for recoverability) demanded of all the Bentley Continental range.

In May 2009 Bentley received the official recycling pre-certification (in accordance with the EU Directive 2005/64/EG) from the German Motor Transport Authority (KBA) – thereby becoming one of the first luxury car manufacturers to attain this standard.

Type approval then followed from TÜV, the independent testing and certification service supplier, and now, with the addition of the Continental Supersports to this certification, the entire Bentley Continental range meets this exacting standard. The certificate, which is only awarded after detailed independent scrutiny of the car, assures the fact that virtually all the Continental’s materials can be reused or reprocessed by other industries.

The Crewe-built Supercar, which is now arriving in Bentley showrooms, is the most extreme production car in the company’s 90-year history. Capable of reaching 204 mph (329km/h), it is also the lightest road-going Bentley having shed some 110kg through a broad programme of weight reduction involving the innovative use of new materials such as carbon ceramics and carbon fibre.

The achievement of this certification is testament to the endeavours of the Bentley engineering team as Dr. Arno Homburg, Head of Whole vehicle Development at Bentley Motors said:

“Producing the fastest Bentley was a challenge in itself. However, we were equally determined not to sacrifice any environmental aspect in pursuit of this goal. The result is the paradox that the most extreme Bentley ever, is also the greenest”.

The Supersports is the first iteration of the environmental strategy Bentley launched at the Geneva Motor Show in 2008. Powered by gasoline, E85 biofuel or any combination of these two fuels, the Supersports can reduce CO₂ emissions by up to 70% on a well-to-wheel basis.

It is one element of a broader Bentley strategy which will see by 2012 the company’s average fleet CO₂ emissions reduced by 15% and the introduction of a new powertrain that will by itself deliver a 40% reduction in fuel consumption. This programme is also supported at the Bentley factory where the use of gas, electricity and water have all been reduced significantly despite Bentley achieving record levels of production in recent years.

A genuine two-seater, the Supersports takes Bentley into new market sectors. It has received an overwhelmingly positive media reaction and is now attracting keen customer interest. Its Flexfuel capability ensures that is fuelled for the future and, with this latest recyclability certification, customers can be assured that every effort has been taken to consider the environmental impact of all components over the entire life of the car. As Dr Homburg adds:

“It is part of our responsibility as a car maker to contribute to environmental improvements and with Supersports you can see an evolution of this thinking. Even though Bentleys last a very long time – nearly 70% of all cars ever made are still on the road or in collections – we have still sought to ensure any environmental impact is minimised. The wide use of natural materials such as wood and leather and the craftsmanship inherent in their use naturally favours us here.”