The EPA ratings for the highly-anticipated Nissan Leaf have been released, with the government rating the car at 99 miles per gallon overall and 73 miles per charge.

The high ratings in both city (106 mpg) and highway (92 mpg) are big wins for Nissan, who will obviously tout the car's fuel economy when marketing it. The EPA has actually come up with a formula to convert electricity to gas ratings in determining the Leaf's efficiency, as the purely-electric vehicle has no gas tank. What the rating essentially means is that the car uses fuel at the same rate that a gas-powered vehicle rated that highly would.

Yet it's not all celebration for Nissan, as the 73 miles per charge average may be a bit disappointing, considering Nissan originally claimed that the Leaf would be able to travel 100 miles on a charge.

Nissan's North American product planning director Mark Perry defended the claim in an interview with ABC News, saying that the company has been straightforward about the numerous variables that go into mileage.

"As we've said all along, your range varies on driving conditions, temperature, terrain and we've talked about, very openly, this idea of a range of ranges," he said.

Drivers interested in an electric vehicle may wish to wait until they begin to hit the used car market, where they might be found for a discount.