Okay, when the car salesman at our San Diego Nissan explained the price increase for the 2012 Nissan LEAF- in what I assumed was a shot at getting us to 'bite' at the cheaper orphan he had on the lot at the time vs. waiting for our 'order' to come in- I read up on what the now 'standard' heating package effectively does.
It can only be compared to the difference in efficiency of a house that uses central heated air vs a house with ambient heated floors. Instead of the solar panel & the battery of the LEAF having to force heated air through out the car's compartment to ensure your comfort (even on only slightly cool mornings/evenings): I know here it can be 45/50 F when I leave for work in the morning...
I would probably use up 5-10 mi of range trying to heat the vehicle with hot air that cools quickly. Now, imagine you are sitting on a warm seat (and your passengers too) and your steering wheel is nice and warm, (instead of almost too cold to touch, like my old car gets now). The car is using the battery/solar power MUCH more efficiently than forced air would EVER be- and you would have a better extended range. The seats and the wheel being heated means you may not even need the warm air on at all. This and the addition of the Quick Charge Port being standard- could have been enough to convince me to wait for the 2nd model of the LEAF. My husband of course had waited TOO long for his first all electric vehicle, knowing he wanted one even before he drove the EV1's way back when.... So, we opted for the orphan and are very happy with our choice- I'll let you know what my fingers think when it gets cold- or how much range I lose as I crank up the heater...