Nissan Leaf puts the Guam in going global

It took a while, but chalk up another island conquest for the Nissan Leaf. The world's best-selling electric vehicle has made it to Guam, and the reaction there is apparently quite warm.

A Nissan dealer on Guam offered test drives in the car earlier this month, and people were eager to test it out in a place where gas is around $5 a gallon, according to the Pacific Daily News. Despite its lateness – in comparison to other markets – the Leaf is the first EV available on Guam, and potential drivers there were asking pretty much the same questions as new EV contenders everywhere. Is the extra up-front cost worth it? Does it perform like a "normal" car? And so on. The Pacific Daily News reviewer says the car is quiet and appealing, but is worried about, "how the car will hold up in the long-run, with Guam's notoriously huge potholes and uneven road surfaces." Still, writer Gaynor Dumat-ol Daleno says, "As a minivan driver who spends a chunk of money spent on gas, I am convinced I'll definitely get an electric car – someday."

One reason Guam, a US territory, was not included in the earlier nationwide roll-out was because the local public charging infrastructure is non-existent. Nissan Guam president and CEO, Van Shelly, told the PDN that the local tax incentives are not as "generous" as they are in some states. Still, since it costs about $7 to charge the EV on Guam, and PDN says that "will give you two or so days of driving."