Am I a candidate for a Leaf?

[cgaydos]

Now my next question is would a 2012 suit my needs (and save me some $) or do I need the better heater of the 2013? I just contacted a Leaf dealer in my area to see when they expected to see the 2013s and was told June or July. They do have a 2012 in stock I can go and take a look at. If you were me would you wait?

How about the quick charge option - I can't see how I would ever be able to use it as there are no chargers in my area to use it. I don't imagine Nissan provides roadside assistance that can give you a L3 charge?

2012 now vs. 2013 later - that is an interesting trade-off, and a lot of it depends on the price discount you'd get for the 2012.

The 2013s have a lot of advantages over the 2012 - the big ones are: more range (the EPA numbers are misleading on this as they changed the rating system for 2013, but it's actually a sizable boost), a more efficient heat pump instead of a heating coil, and the 6.6 kW charger (optional) which cuts level 2 charging time in almost half if you have a 30 amp level 2 EVSE. As people have gained experience with the 2013s they'd found lots of other little things that have been done to improve the overall car and experience.

But the 2012 and 2011 are still LEAFs, they still do the job (the numbers I gave you were for my 2012), and for a significant enough discount the 2012 might be a better choice. It really depends on how much you value those new features.

The L3 QC port is a nice feature, as others have said, if you have an L3 station available. I have a QC in both our LEAFs but they've never been used because there is no L3 station in Colorado. If L3 stations do arrive that would greatly increase the usable round-trip range of our LEAFs. So the value of these ports depends entirely on the unknown of when future L3 stations are available. No, I known of no QC charge from road-side assistance.

 

[Deleted member 9106]

Sounds like I will invest in the L2 charging at home. Might not be as expensive as I thought we may be able to make use of the 240 V not being used on the other side of the garage wall in the kitchen.

Thanks for the info on the 2012 vs 2013. Dealer is saying there is a $18000 discount (Nissan and government) on the 2012s. I will give it some thought but I think I am going to hold out for the improvements on the 2013s.

 

[planet4ever]

The L3 QC port is a nice feature, as others have said, if you have an L3 station available.

Off topic, but the Quick Charge used by Nissan is not "L3", even though that term has been (mis)used frequently on this board. L3 is a term coined by the US based SAE standards organization, and applies to proposed higher power AC and DC charging interfaces. There are no L3 implementations at present. In fact no L3 standards have yet been adopted. The SAE did create the J1772 standard which is what we use for AC charging (L1 and L2), and they have extended that with what is often referred to dismissively here as the "Frankenplug" to higher power DC charging. But that is still L2 according to them.

Quick Charge is a Japanese standard adopted by the CHAdeMO Association, created by TEPCo, Nissan, Mitsubishi, Fuji, and Toyota. So it is in theory a competitor to the (currently vaporware) L3.

Ray

 

[bradbissell]

Do not get a 2012. The heat pump in the 2013 is a huge improvement for winter driving. It provides plenty of heat, even in Eco mode. It is a no brainier in cold climates.

 

[jswilson]

I'm in Ottawa, Canada and have a 2012 Leaf. My commute is 63 kms round trip. Last winter, end of January specifically, with -25 celsius, I had a few days when I had to turn off the heat in the car in order to make it home. It's amazing though - at -15 C I would get home with 4 bars left on the battery... It seems like the extreme cold really reduces range / really requires a lot of energy to heat the cabin. If you can trickle charge at work, this would resolve the issue... Also, the 2013 should be a bit better, but not so much at -25 C - the new heat pump doesn't make a difference at that temperature.

On the issue of installing an EVSE or not - go for it! It's definitely a must-have!

 

[hingisfan]

Ontario government pays for 50% of all EVSE costs (up to $1000), so it should be a no-brainer to install L2 at your home.

 

[Reddy]

Sounds like I will invest in the L2 charging at home. Might not be as expensive as I thought we may be able to make use of the 240 V not being used on the other side of the garage wall in the kitchen.

Yes, having the typical 30 amp dryer plug on the other side of the wall makes for an easy install. Turn off the circuit breaker, punch a hole in the garage behind the plug, convert it to L6-20 for the evseupgrade.com, and patch it back up. It's an easy DIY install for less than $30 in parts, plus the upgraded cord. If you want to keep using the dryer, then that's a bit more complex. Here are some threads that may be of use:

http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=26&t=7518&hilit=dryer&start=30#p165615
http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=26&t=7518&hilit=dryer
http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=27&t=10318&hilit=dryer&start=30#p237077
http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=26&t=5504#p127599

Thanks for the info on the 2012 vs 2013. Dealer is saying there is a $18000 discount (Nissan and government) on the 2012s. I will give it some thought but I think I am going to hold out for the improvements on the 2013s.

Sounds like a good plan.

 

[69800]

I am in North Idaho and will add one comment. My wife does a 45 mile RT. In the winter we always preheat in the morning while plugged in. This probably saves 5 to 7 miles of range. If it is below freezing we charge to 100%. What has caught her a couple of times is multiple stops on the way home where the heater cools down and has to reheat each time. On Mondays she goes bowling after work for 3 hours. With 100% charge this is OK. But if she adds one more stop for a total of two with full cool downs she may not make it home. Watch out for multiple stops. Each one consumes at least 5 to 7 miles due to reheating the heater core.

Also our headlights freeze over in certain heavy snow conditions. We have been putting glycerine on the headlight covers those days and it works pretty well for a while.

 

[Deleted member 9106]

I am in North Idaho and will add one comment. My wife does a 45 mile RT. In the winter we always preheat in the morning while plugged in. This probably saves 5 to 7 miles of range. If it is below freezing we charge to 100%. What has caught her a couple of times is multiple stops on the way home where the heater cools down and has to reheat each time. On Mondays she goes bowling after work for 3 hours. With 100% charge this is OK. But if she adds one more stop for a total of two with full cool downs she may not make it home. Watch out for multiple stops. Each one consumes at least 5 to 7 miles due to reheating the heater core.

Also our headlights freeze over in certain heavy snow conditions. We have been putting glycerine on the headlight covers those days and it works pretty well for a while.

Wow. I never thought of the headlight issue with our snowy type weather.

 

[Thorgal]

Hi!
Sorry for my English. I live in Shetland (UK), where is no Nissan service station. I know there is not much service needed, but eventually I'll have to replace some pieces of the battery. I don't like any another EV; Leaf is big and the battery is placed very low, so should be easy to drive. Should I buy Leaf anyway? I will visit the mainland only by another, bigger car.

 

[Reddy]

Hi!
Sorry for my English. I live in Shetland (UK), where is no Nissan service station. I know there is not much service needed, but eventually I'll have to replace some pieces of the battery. I don't like any another EV; Leaf is big and the battery is placed very low, so should be easy to drive. Should I buy Leaf anyway? I will visit the mainland only by another, bigger car.

Given your cooler climate, you should not need to replace the batteries for many, many years (decades?). Unfortunately, the colder weather will reduce the distance you can easily drive on each charge (less than 100 km). Also, if you ever need service, it's a long way (by ferry I'm assuming) to the nearest Nissan service. I have not needed any service for my Leaf (except a nail in tire). In general, it is a good vehicle that will need minimal maintenance.

 

[RonDawg]

A quick Google search shows a few dealerships in the Shetland Islands, surprising given its population and remoteness, but as mentioned none of them are Nissan.

As long as Thorgal isn't concerned about possibly having to send the car back to Aberdeen (probably the closest Nissan dealer in a place with ferry service to the islands) for warranty repairs and possible servicing of the EV-specific components, and the car's range will work for her, I don't see why not.

Non-EV-specific components like suspension, tyres, etc. as well as MoT inspections can be handled locally. Note that in the US, Nissan requires a yearly battery check at a Leaf-certified Nissan dealer in order to keep the battery warranties in effect; I do not know if Nissan UK imposes the same requirement.

I know Thorgal has already said she only wants a Leaf, but if lived in the Shetland Islands I'd go for a Mitsubishi iMiEV or a Vauxhall Ampera, due to the local presence of dealerships.

 

[Thorgal]

Thorgal is he, not she, I'm just a bad driver, but I have to drive a long, difficult way. Winter in Shetland is very moderate, just sometimes a lot of snow, some people use 4x4.

I asked one of the dealers, their answer is:
"Service intervals on the Leaf are 18,000 miles or 12 months, but the main service items are related to standard car maintenance such as brakes, brake fluid, cabin filters etc. As far as the battery is concerned, yes it is tested every year for usage and to find out what service life remains in the battery, but no actual maintenance takes place, As far as sending the car to us that could be difficult as there is no direct ferry to Inverness- Aberdeen being the nearest which could prove to be beyond the car’s range."

 

[RonDawg]

Thorgal is he, not she, I'm just a bad driver, but I have to drive a long, difficult way. Winter in Shetland is very moderate, just sometimes a lot of snow, some people use 4x4.

Sorry, I focused on the "gal" part of your name.

I asked one of the dealers, their answer is:
"Service intervals on the Leaf are 18,000 miles or 12 months, but the main service items are related to standard car maintenance such as brakes, brake fluid, cabin filters etc. As far as the battery is concerned, yes it is tested every year for usage and to find out what service life remains in the battery, but no actual maintenance takes place, As far as sending the car to us that could be difficult as there is no direct ferry to Inverness- Aberdeen being the nearest which could prove to be beyond the car’s range."

There's no Nissan dealer in Aberdeen? EDIT: yes there is http://www.john-clark.co.uk/nissan" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Also, how long is your "long, difficult" drive? In winter, the battery capacity is reduced due to the cold temperatures. As already mentioned, I would not expect any more than 100 km of range per charge in such conditions, and even less if you have to drive through snow or standing water, and especially if you expect to use the heater.

 

[Thorgal]

30-60 miles. I could drive 30 (one way and then charge in the town) in winter and 60 miles in the summer. I'll contact with John Clark soon. Mitsubishi range maybe to small for me, cars different then Leaf are too expensive.

Maybe I should wait for a new Volkswagen e-Golf.