Oil's electric shock

More EVs will push their way onto the road as new affordable models are rolled out

In 2018, Nissan will finally release an update to its popular electric vehicle (EV), the Leaf. It will get 150 miles a charge, in the mid-range of EVs on the market. The breakthrough is in the price: $30,000. In California, generous state- and federal-tax credits will bring that cost down as much as $10,000. Even a middle-income buyer in Texas, which doesn't offer a tax credit, whose tax liability only allows them to use half the federal credit, could buy the Leaf for $26,250. For a car that will save at least $4,000 in fuel costs over the first decade of its life, that's a great price. It's also a dangerous price for both the auto industry and especially the oil industry. The EV-affordabili