Written by R.E. Lord

Image Nissan has announced its projected pricing on the new, all-electric Nissan Leaf, and the pricing makes this car an affordable option.

Figures at this point put the Leaf at about $32,800, or around $25,000 after federal tax credits kick in. Add in some state incentives, like California's $5,000 rebate and you're looking at an electric car for about $20,000.

This figure puts the Leaf well under the only other all-electric car on the market, the Tesla Roadster at over $100,000 and even under the upcoming Chevy Volt which will be somewhere around the $40,000 before credits and rebates. Also, the pricing falls around the range of some popular hybrids like the Honda Civic and the Toyota Prius.

The Nissa Leaf is projected to go about 100 miles on a charge and has a top speed of around 90 mph. The car is powered by a 24-kwh laminated lithium ion battery back that can reach about 80% in under 30 minutes.

Of course, owning an electric car requires a method to charge said car and that will add additional initial costs. It's estimated to cost about $2,000 to install the required charging station, though some of that will also be eliminated with further tax credits.

The Nissan Leaf is expected to hit showrooms by December 2010.