I am trying to figure out if a 2016 or 2017 LEAF would be a good car for my daughter in LA. She is a student and doesn't have lots of driving needs. I had a 2012 LEAF on a 42 mo. lease which I turned in DEC 2015, so I know the car.
A - as a student, would she be able to qualify as a CA resident if I titled it in her name with her LA address? If so, since she has no income would she meet the requirements for the state rebate? Does it require that you not be named as a dependent on someone else's taxes?
B - if I title it in her name, I'd lose the $7,500 tax credit, right? Probably moots Q #A above.
C - is the public charging infrastructure robust enough to support the car if she can't charge at her apartment?
D - I am entitled to a $10k incentive credit from Duke Energy. I have been in touch with Nissan who confirms it has been extended to 12.31.17 and is good on 2016 and 2017 cars. What is the best way to leverage that incentive? Should I just try to negotiate a price and then tell them I have the $10k incentive they can apply to reduce it from that lower #? Should I be upfront and tell them I don't care what incentives / discounts they apply that I am entitled to, but I need the price to be $X BEFORE any $7,500 tax credit since I am buying it outright?
E - Assuming all other options are relatively equal, what is the $ amount which would convince you to accept a new 2016 (24 kWh battery) instead of a 2017 (30 kWh battery)? Yes, there are still a few 2016 new LEAFs sitting on lots across the US. I was thinking $5k would be a discount which would at least make me think about taking a 2016.
F - I'm counting on doing the whole transaction remotely and having them ship the car to LA to take advantage of the whole country inventory since levels are pretty low. For some reason, there are a ton of LEAFs "marooned" in the Seattle area, so they should be willing to deal with the 2018s breathing down their necks. I've alloted $500 for the shipping but think I can get it done well under that.
G - Final Jeopardy: knowing what we know (inventory levels, $10k incentive available to me / dealer, 2018s on the way, etc.) , what is a good % off MSRP prior to the $7,500 tax rebate? Assume an S is $30k, is it fair to try to get it for $15k ($5k / 17% discount, $10k incentive) (net $7.5k after the tax rebate)?
Thanks in advance for any help you can provide.