The deals, incentives, and rebates currently available on the 2017 Nissan Leaf are generous and well documented.

A handful of utility companies across the United States have offered generous discounts, likely backed by Nissan itself, to move the current-generation Leaf from dealerships to driveways.

All of this has occurred as the 2018 Nissan Leaf prepares to launch early next year in North America.

DON'T MISS: Nine things you should know about the 2018 Nissan Leaf electric car

One YouTuber recently documented his electric-car purchasing journey and explained why he bought a 2017 Nissan Leaf.

At the end of the day, it all came down to the price.

YouTuber BMHsonic has had a lifelong interest in electric cars, and even helped build an electric vehicle in high school.

2017 Nissan Leaf

2017 Nissan Leaf

Fast-forward to the present day, and the Tesla Model 3 made him interested once again in owning an electric car.

This first led him to look at a 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV, the longest-range electric car at a mass-market price that you can walk into a dealership today and drive away.

He quite liked the Bolt EV and appreciated its driving characteristics and EPA-estimated 238-mile range figure.

READ THIS: Lessons learned from early electric car: 2011 Nissan Leaf at 90,000 miles

However, he found most Chevrolet dealerships wouldn't budge on the price, which made the Bolt EV a near $40,000 car when all was said and done.

Even the alternative, leasing options, priced him out of Chevrolet's electric car too.

Frugal and sensible, BMHsonic moved on to the 2017 Nissan Leaf and was shocked to find out how many incentives were currently offered on the car.

2017 Nissan Leaf

2017 Nissan Leaf

Not only did he qualify for the full $7,500 federal tax credit, but Nissan also applied another $5,000 in incentives to the purchase price.

In his case, a 2017 Leaf at roughly $30,000 quickly became an $18,000 car, despite not living in a state that adds an incentive on top of the federal credit.

Although its range falls short of other modern electric cars, BMHsonic felt it was adequate for his needs—and even he noted that he's exceeding its 107-mile EPA-estimated range rating because he mostly drives the car in the city.

CHECK OUT: San Diego utility offers $10,000 off Nissan Leaf, BMW i3 electric cars

In total, he received $12,500 in incentives, and with a small amount of equity in his previous car, he was able to walk away with a brand new electric car with a monthly payment that is $50 less expensive per month.

The moral of his story? Go to a dealership, bargain hard, and be aggressive about asking for incentives.

If the range suits a buyer's needs, he suggests, the 2017 Nissan Leaf may be the best electric-car bargain on the market—until they're gone.

[hat tip: John Briggs]

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