Finally the lack of basic driver aids on the Bolt is quite frankly making it easy to rationalize away the benefits of the extra range that would only be used part time.
I'd call
AEB and lane departure warning "basic driver aids" at the very least.
It looks like I could
probably lease a 2018 Leaf without the tax credit, by both dropping the Tech option on the SV and paying an extra several thousand out of pocket down. I don't think I'm going to do that. If the credit is axed I'm leasing a Bolt - probably an LT. GM is offering "employee pricing" on the 2017 Bolts now, which means $4k off a Premiere (and maybe an LT as well). That, plus the NY rebate and the $2k existing markdown, means the Premiere is about $28k and the LT about $26k, after the Federal credit. It would cost me less than the Leaf SV without Tech package, and I'd get more features and a lot more range and power. The prospect of quite possibly losing a lot of range on the Leaf (and of only having barely enough to start with on the Soul EV) just doesn't appeal to me. If I can lease a Bolt LT for $250 a month that's only $50 a month out of pocket for me because of our cooperative household finances. A Leaf would probably cost me three times that much. Let's hope the credit stays.