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As the first owners of Nissan's electric Leaf model take delivery of their new cars, it remains to be seen how they will cope with one of the main drawbacks critics have raised about the gasoline-free vehicles: how to get them charged up.

However, it shouldn't be an issue for Olivier Chalouhi, a Redwood City, California, renter who this weekend became the first to receive the Leaf, writes All Cars Electric.

Chalouhi, the electric car blog says, had a charging station installed in his home for $1,300, which should allow him to fully recharge the Leaf in about seven hours, instead of the roughly 14 it would take on a standard 110-volt home outlet. The first U.S. Leaf owner also saved $900 on the installation, All Cars Electric writes, by forgoing an offer from the manufacturer of the charging station – AreoVironment – to install the device, and opting instead for an independent electrician.

An entrepreneur, Chalouhi works 10 miles from his home, which he shares with his wife and two children. He participated in a public relations event at San Francisco's City Hall on Saturday, which was delayed 15 minutes due to traffic in the area, according to the electric car blog.

Though consumers are sure to save money with electric cars by not having to buy gas, it remains to be seen how their auto insurance rates will be affected. Many have expressed concerns about the almost-silent running of the vehicles, which can cause them to go unnoticed by unwary pedestrians and bicyclists. Drivers of both hybrids and all-electric cars should be particularly careful of others on the road, since they can't count on sound alone to provide a warning of their presence.