Recent content by electrifeyed

Check to see if your "doubter" friends own a lot of stock in oil wells & energy production. As far as the energy to build a car, that depends on the vehicle's content. Having worked in a car assembly plant for 15 years, I can tell you that there a some things you can do that increase the build...

I'm going to be very interested in your experience here, especially regarding charging. Consider the following: Let's assume you can go 80 miles on a charge (you need also to allow some extra so that you don't go dead before the next charging stop); you're planning to go 270 miles, and assume...

Your image got lost; try re-posting it as an attachment. Also, here is a thought: the solar cycle (where we are approaching the maximum "solar max") generally refers to the sunspot cycle, from my experience. Higher sunspot activity means more charged particles (good news for people who like a...

Yes, the science is settled. If you look into people who "don't believe it," you will generally find that they have some type of vested interest in the fossil fuel industry.

Here's a question: could you replace the original 12-v battery in Leaf with a larger deep-cycle one (assuming you could make it fit in the space)? (Or would this do more harm than good, since car recharges this from the traction battery?

I've had my new Leaf for a month, and also I've had nobody comment on it (unless I started the conversation myself, about EVs). A friend thought at first it might be a new model of Murano; it does look a bit like that from the back. I have started a paper log in which I daily record amount of...

The first "dip" steps in paint shop are for electroplating, which serves several purposes, including making the car less subject to corrosion. The last commenter mentioned "battery cooling system" - is there really provision for cooling the Leaf battery? I know that newer versions can heat the...

This is a good question. There is a time-lapse of the Leaf being assembled ( http://green.autoblog.com/2013/04/29/nissan-leaf-time-lapse-shows-the-ev-being-built/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; ), and it looked to me like the battery pack was sheathed completely in plastic (see...

Here's something that can cause this kind of a noise: a bad CV joint. Such a noise will be much more noticeable in the Leaf because it is otherwise so quiet. It will be louder when the joint is under load (accelerating/decelerating). If it is indeed the CV joint, it's just a bad part that came...

This is one of the downsides to the heavy use of electronics in all vehicles today. I used to work for Packard Electric (now Delphi Packard), supplier of wiring for all GM vehicles. (I notice the 110v EVSE supplied with Leaf uses Delphi wiring). Our experience at the time was that electrical...

I tend to agree with those that recommend to go with the heaviest circuit you can; it is a hassle to buy and install it, but then it is there for future vehicles that can use more amps. The cost of cable isn't going to go down over time.

Specifications for the Volt are that it provides 273 ft-lb torque, and weighs around 3800 lb.; the Leaf has 210 ft-lb. torque and weighs about 3300 lb. So the Volt is 15% heavier but has 30% more torque. So I would expect the results you report, that the Volt can come out slightly ahead in a...

I hooked up my Clipper LCS25 using a plug repurposed from being used for an electric range, and bought matching male connector (to go on Clipper pigtail) from Lowes. It will handle up to 40 A. Actual current to be drawn by LCS 25 is about 21 amps assuming 240 v supply and the higher-power...

This is useful information, to know that VLB to turtle is around 10 miles. However, doesn't it put a lot of wear & team on the battery to run it so far down? I would think you would want to avoid it...

Please advise if you're a Leaf owner in Alabama, and mention your location. I am in the Tuscaloosa/Northport area, and I have the impression that there are few if any others Leafs in the area.