Nissan's All-Electric Leaf
This was the year that just about every major automaker got real about electric cars. Even hidebound General Motors has its hybrid-electric Volt coming out next year. But Nissan's all-electric Leaf might be the most promising of the pack. The sedan has a range of 100 miles on a single charge, which is far more than most Americans drive in a given day, and should be available as early as 2010. The price may be steep, but not totally out of reach — perhaps $30,000 — and the fact that the Leaf is all electric means that it could offer drivers the chance to truly shrink their carbon footprint. "It's the first step in what is sure to be an exciting journey," said Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn when the Leaf was previewed this August. It's long since time we got started.