Going Electric with Nissan EVs
The benefits, the basics, and what changes when you make the switch.
Nissan LEAF owners have driven more than 8 billion electric miles worldwide, and that experience shows in how the LEAF actually drives. As your local Nissan EV Certified Dealer at 5240 Golf Road in Skokie, IL, Old Orchard Nissan is here for the whole journey — not just the sale, but charging, ownership, and everything in between. Here’s what going electric actually means, in plain terms.
Why Go Electric?
Compared to a gas-powered Nissan, an EV changes a few things about ownership — most of them in your favor:
- Lower cost of ownership — less routine maintenance than a gas engine needs, plus lower fuel costs from charging instead of filling up.
- Zero tailpipe emissions — no combustion means no exhaust and no fumes.
- Battery coverage you can count on — Nissan’s EV battery limited warranty covers 8 years or 100,000 miles, whichever comes first, and it covers capacity loss, not just failure: if the battery drops below nine of the twelve segments on the capacity gauge within that window, it’s covered.
- Manufacturer incentives — many EV purchases and leases qualify for rebates or credits that lower your real cost.
- A genuinely quiet ride — no engine noise, no exhaust note.
- EV Carefree+ — Nissan’s program for staying on top of charging, battery health, scheduled maintenance, and roadside assistance in one place.
Want the deeper technical picture, or a sense of what day-to-day ownership actually looks like? See our EV Technology and EV Ownership Experience guides.
Charging Is Easier Than You Think
Most EV charging happens at home, overnight, like plugging in your phone. For everywhere else, the NISSAN ENERGY Charge Network puts more than 100,000 public chargers within reach through the MyNISSAN app. On the redesigned LEAF that includes Tesla Superchargers, because the car has a native NACS fast-charge port built in — no adapter needed for DC fast charging. For a full breakdown of charging times, home setup, and real-world range, see our Charging and Range page — we won’t repeat all of it here.
The LEAF — and the ARIYA, If You Can Find One
The Nissan LEAF set the standard for practical, accessible electric driving when it launched in 2010, and the current one is a different car entirely — redesigned from the ground up as a crossover, rated up to 303 miles on a charge, with a native NACS fast-charge port. It is the Nissan EV you can buy new today.
The ARIYA — Nissan’s larger, more design-led electric crossover — ended US production after the 2025 model year, so the only way into one now is pre-owned. That’s not a consolation prize: an ARIYA that comes through Nissan’s EV Certified program has passed a 139-point inspection and carries a factory-backed limited warranty, and we’re an EV Certified dealer, so we can tell you exactly what a specific one is covered for. Ask us what’s on the lot, or see our certified inventory.
For trims, pricing and range, see our full Nissan Electrified guide — this page is about whether going electric makes sense for you at all; that one is about which specific vehicle and trim to buy.
Your Nissan EV Certified Dealer
Not every dealership is equipped to sell and support EVs the way Nissan requires. As a Nissan EV Certified Dealer, Old Orchard Nissan carries Nissan’s EV Certified designation, which means:
- EV-informed staff who work on these cars specifically, including the complimentary battery health inspections Nissan asks EV owners to keep up with.
- On-site chargers and a shopping process built around EV questions specifically, not adapted from gas-vehicle sales.
- Ongoing support after the sale — charging questions, app setup, and service, not just a one-time transaction.
Ready to Go Electric?
See current EV incentives and offers, get pre-qualified online in about a minute, or find out what your current vehicle is worth toward your next EV. Have financing questions specific to an EV purchase or lease? Our finance team can walk you through it. Or schedule a consultation and we’ll help you figure out, honestly, whether an EV fits how you actually drive. You can also head back to our homepage to explore everything else Old Orchard Nissan has to offer.