????Meantime, U.S. Leaf sales nearly quadrupled in March to 2,236 from 579 a year earlier after Carlos Ghosn, Nissan chairman, announced in January a $6,000 discount of its least expensive version. The new net price in some states, depending on federal and state subsidies, could be as little as $20,000.

????With a range of 84 miles the Leaf promises to be ideal way to save money on gasoline -- although many still regard frequent recharging as a drawback, especially if an owner has access to only one car. Nissan recently upgraded, retroactively, its warranty on the Leaf's battery for five years or 60,000 miles to cover loss of more than 70% of its power. Some owners, especially in hotter climates, had complained that the Leaf's batteries degraded more quickly than Nissan said they would.

????It's still early days for the new generation of electric cars like the Leaf, which depend heavily on government subsidies and a driving public that has grown quite comfortable with the internal combustion engine over the past century. The battery factory is operating at less than one-third capacity -- but Nissan most assuredly will introduce more electric models: Ghosn sees the trend as part of his legacy.