Chicagoland area

[Bzzzzz]

Saw my first wild LEAF today charging at a Walgreens. Black SL with regular (non-EL) IL plates.

I have a black SL, but with EL plates. I saw a Leaf on the road in L.A. a couple of weeks ago, but have yet to see one here in Illinois.

A report came out from Nissan with color popularity and black was the least popular. I have to say I'm a little surprised.

 

[lukati]

Saw my first wild LEAF today charging at a Walgreens. Black SL with regular (non-EL) IL plates.

Still have yet to see another LEAF ... BTW I saw on another thread that 'EL' reported-on-the-forum plates are up to 313 (tech01's) so they are getting out there; unless it's a vanity and/or Environmental, etc. I wouldn't see why anyone wouldn't go with an 'EL' plate -- $198 versus $35 for every 2 years as well as a low number series (although rather plain) was enough of an incentive for me but perhaps the dealer's are not up to speed? Did you notice what Nissan dealer it was?

When I saw the LEAF charging at Walgreens, I immediately turned around and stopped as well. The owner was unaware of MNL. He told me his dealership, but I didn't recognized the name and I have since forgotten what it was.

 

[dutchinchicago]

I was thinking about getting the GreenCharge app as well. Can it incorporate the real time electricity costs from ComEd, or does it just use the standard average rate? The realtime metering from ComEd is great. Take a look at the prices for electricity between midnight and 6am today - the usual hours I charge my Leaf.

http://www.thewattspot.com

The app does not allow you to specify energy prices. It must use a national average. It also is getting my mileage wrong and yesterday it was not updating for most of the day.

I would not buy it until they fix some of the issues and add more functionality.

 

[Bzzzzz]

The app does not allow you to specify energy prices. It must use a national average. It also is getting my mileage wrong and yesterday it was not updating for most of the day.

I would not buy it until they fix some of the issues and add more functionality.

I think Carwings was down for most of the day yesterday, so that certainly would affect its functionality (if you had a Leaf). Checking the General Discussion thread, it looks like there were problems with both Carwings and GreenCharge. Related? Perhaps. If it could calculate my energy cost based on real time ComEd pricing when the car was charging, I would get it in a heartbeat, but that doesn't sound like it is the case.

 

[EdmondLeaf]

drive electric tour will be back in Chicago during Chicago Auto Show 2.10.2012 - 2.19.2012 https://www.drivenissanleaf.com/Event/EventDetails.aspx?eid=50

 

[redLEAF]

drive electric tour will be back in Chicago during Chicago Auto Show 2.10.2012 - 2.19.2012 https://www.drivenissanleaf.com/Event/EventDetails.aspx?eid=50

Perhaps Nissan will have an inside event like the Chevy Volt did at last year's show (although if it's indoors doubtful they would let you drive -- all the indoor stuff was drive alongs). As I usually do I'll probably attend the first Saturday so will check this out next week; looking forward to seeing the new C-Max as well as other PHEV's

 

[redLEAF]

Seems like a mistake. I got my title with my plates:

Year: 2012
Make: Nissan
Model: LEAF SV/SL
Body Style: 4D HTCHBK

Thanks. Should probably ask for a corrected title.

+1 got my title this past Friday, shows 4D HTCHBK as well, came much later than the plates & registration but everything was correct ... was finally able to get my car washed to get the salt off and can attest that those auto washes can't deal very well with that back hatch area, at least it was warm enough to finish off the job in my driveway without fear of freezing. Love that brilliant red in the sunshine! We drove a lot yesterday (have changed to charge 100% on the weekends) but still no other LEAF sightings but I did see my first BEV car ad in print --- of all things it's from a Mitsu dealer to preorder the 'i' -- still no Nissan dealer's (at least in the Trib' and Daily Herald) willing to feature a LEAF ; what's up with that? Perhaps after the Chicago Auto Show next week (or possibly a tie-in)? Car is still performing quite well and I like the fact that the material they used as a 'carpet' is holding up quite well -- I'm using some old weather tech mats that catch most of the grime (not a perfect fit) and the 'carpet' areas show no salt stains, etc. and brush out quick easily. Just passed the 1K mark and all is well ... looking forward next week to the show to check out the plug-in hybrids for a minivan replacement but our LEAF is getting more and more use every day. Last note, for those that use iPass, did you notice that when you go to add the LEAF that they have two identical selections to signify you have an Electric Vehicle plate? I doubt if it has any significance but I seem to remember that there were both a 'regular' EV plate and 'low speed' or NEV plate but the listing on the iPass doesn't differentiate. As of late, I'm actually getting more comments on the new 'EL' series plates than the car itself as of course it looks different and has a low number series -- perhaps that in itself will make people ask more about the car, we'll see --

 

[ibLEAF]

Got my Enviornmental Vanity plates the other day. Getting twice the stares as before. Yes they cost more. Well, Illinois should be getting me back $3,750, so why not? Besides, the point is, if I can make one more person aware of the car, and get anyone person, or persons, onboard the Leaf train, why not. That is the ultimate purpose. Kind of like the new attachment reading ELCTRC anyways........

 

[redLEAF]

Got my Enviornmental Vanity plates the other day. Getting twice the stares as before. Yes they cost more. Well, Illinois should be getting me back $3,750, so why not? Besides, the point is, if I can make one more person aware of the car, and get anyone person, or persons, onboard the Leaf train, why not. That is the ultimate purpose. Kind of like the new attachment reading ELCTRC anyways........

I think this makes two on the forum with EN series plates (the other was 'Dino' with 'NO OPEC') ... you should post an image as well; I'm actually getting more comments about my rather plain (white with black letters) 'EL' series plate as it's a pretty low number than the car itself; although at dusk when those LED headlights shine they know it's something a bit different. I simply couldn't resist having something 'unique' (you can only put these on EV's) but yours is a great idea as well ... still looking forward to seeing my first fellow Chicagoland LEAF'r but will hopefully soon!

 

[dutchinchicago]

I was quoted in a Chicago tribune article today.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/class...z-0209-electric-cars-20120209,0,2810862.story

 

[redLEAF]

I was quoted in a Chicago tribune article today.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/class...z-0209-electric-cars-20120209,0,2810862.story

I also did a phone interview with the reporter but I guess it didn't make it ... I'm sure she liked the story line that one of us early adopters 'revolted' and went to an extended range electric instead of a pure BEV; mis-quote on what you got for your LEAF (thought you said $26K not $37K in the article) but in a funny way may show a higher resale for LEAF's then there actually is -- let's see if a correction gets posted. The LEAF will always be a tougher sell in colder climates but didn't really seem to be any 'bashing' --- she was also surprised about the 'EL' plates when we talked but featured a regular plated one in the photo. Also no mention at all of the incentives in place (both fed and state) which lowers the overall cost of these; let's see reader comments roll in.

EDIT: looked at the paper version at work, article is on the front page -- the only difference is that it includes a graphic not in the online article that depicts 'pay back' time frames; once again the LEAF is compared to the Versa and Volt is compared to the Cruze so payback is listed as 12 years !! Clearly, its doubtful most people who are buying these would cross-shop them to these cars and I can't believe it includes incentives being deducted but just did a quick look

 

[dutchinchicago]

The 37000 was 26000 trade-in plus 11000 in rebates but she choose to simplify this to 37000.

I only agree to be interviewed if she kept the tone of the article positive. I did not want to add to EV bashing. I think she largely kept her part of the bargain.

 

[Dino]

Nice plates Martin, are you in this forum?
We should plan a Chicagoland meet up, maybe in the spring when the leaves come out

 

[redLEAF]

I took a look back through (at least on the Chicagoland thread) and did not see any postings that would appear to be from this owner but perhaps he'll find his way here. On a similar topic mentioned, the Chicago Auto Show will actually have a number of 'driving' venues; the LEAF's is listed as being outside and they'll need to cope with some low temps -- if we have any future buyers this would be a great opportunity besides your local dealer to drive one! Alas, didn't see where the Ford C-Max will be there or the new Mazda CX-5 but they should have a number of concepts worth seeing in-person.

 

[Bzzzzz]

Maybe I'm just paranoid, but I seem to be getting more looks at the car in the last 24 hours since the article came out in the Tribune. Anyone else notice this?

 

[prolix74]

Maybe I'm just paranoid, but I seem to be getting more looks at the car in the last 24 hours since the article came out in the Tribune. Anyone else notice this?

I actually got a thumbs up from someone who saw me in my car at the train station this morning. I have been parking it there since I got it in December and no one had made any gesture, positive or negative, towards it till now.

 

[Dino]

I normally charge to 80%, after a couple of weeks, I charged to 100%. This TED graph shows the charger tapering off as it reaches 100%. Notice the erratic power swings as the charge tapers off. The next day I charged to 100% again Here is the TED graph. Notice that it’s smoother and takes longer to taper down. The graph on the third day is even longer and smoother. I believe this is because charging to 100% gives the battery management system a chance to equalize the cells at their peak voltage, so the subsequent charges to 100 are longer and smoother because cell are charging more evenly and the BMS doesn’t need to shut down the charger to protect some cells for overcharging while others are still low. This is all speculation on my part but I think it’s probably a good idea to charge to 100% once in a while to keep the cells equalized.

On another note CarWings once reported a range of 46 miles with a 100% charge while the GOM in the car showed the usual optimistic 100 miles. I rarely “touch ok to accept” when starting the car and I believe this 46 mile anomaly is due to intermittent acceptance causing CarWings to get inadequate data.

 

[bwallach]

Anyone know why I would stop getting email alerts when a new post is submitted? I seem to get some after posting myself, but then after a while, they stop coming in..?

 

[JeffN]

From an efficiency/lowest cost point of view, I think Chevy set the max. speed for EV mode a bit high at 70 mph.

Huh? I'm not sure what you mean. The Volt has no maximum EV mode speed other than around 100 MPH which is the overall maximum speed. As long as you have usable charge left in the battery the gas engine will stay off under all speeds. If you want to reserve or generate some battery charge for EV driving off the highway at your destination after a trip that is longer than the EV-only battery range then that is also easy.

I assume the planetary gear set could be modified to change the ratio slightly and optimize things for the ICE at a lower speed. Some people can certainly use it for their commutes, but my feeling is if you're cruising at 100 km/h (62mph) or faster, traffic is flowing freely and the gas engine is more efficient in that range. I think the Pip or maybe the Accord PHEV (which works more like the Volt than the PiP does) cut-off at 62 makes more sense.

That seems like an odd comment coming from an EV owner. What makes you think burning gasoline is more efficient or lower-cost at speeds over 62 mph versus an electric motor? Gas engines are only more efficient at modest highway speeds in the sense that they are much less efficient at lower speed start/stop city driving (Prius etc., excepted). A Volt (or LEAF) driving at 75 MPH on battery is almost certainly running at lower operating cost than any gasoline engine car at that speed. In fact, at higher highway speeds the Volt is slightly more efficient than the LEAF in part because it switches to using both of its electric motors together though the planetary gears so each can run closer to its ideal RPM efficiency. In contrast, the PiP (and apparently the Accord PHEV) force you to use gasoline at speeds above 62 mph even if your entire commute is entirely within your battery range as it is for many people. The PiP's use of gasoline at these speeds is due to power limitations due to its small battery pack and mechanical efficiency limitations due to its transmission design.

The PiP can be good for people with 10-12 mile total commutes or 20-24 if they can recharge at work. Otherwise, you are starting the gas engine even at speeds below 62 or with stronger acceleration. A Volt with a battery 3.5 times the size of the PiP battery (4.4 kWh vs 16 kWh) is only $2,500 more when comparing the base models for each car after the tax credit. That's about $215 per kWh of battery at the pack-level which is a good deal if you can put it to good use. PiP is also good if you drive a lot of very long trips where you can take advantage of the 48 mpg EPA highway estimate versus 40 mpg for the Volt.

 

[lukati]

I normally charge to 80%, after a couple of weeks, I charged to 100%. This TED graph shows the charger tapering off as it reaches 100%. Notice the erratic power swings as the charge tapers off. The next day I charged to 100% again Here is the TED graph. Notice that it’s smoother and takes longer to taper down. The graph on the third day is even longer and smoother. I believe this is because charging to 100% gives the battery management system a chance to equalize the cells at their peak voltage, so the subsequent charges to 100 are longer and smoother because cell are charging more evenly and the BMS doesn’t need to shut down the charger to protect some cells for overcharging while others are still low. This is all speculation on my part but I think it’s probably a good idea to charge to 100% once in a while to keep the cells equalized.

Very nice graphs! I have noticed very similar behavior when I charge to 100% (3 times so far, but never when I charge to 80%), but since my TED measures total household consumption, my traces are superimposed by furnace and fridge cycling during the night. Have you looked for other TED traces in other threads? Yours are the best looking I have seen and I would think that a lot of people would be interested to see them. You may want to post them in a more specialized thread or, if you can't find one, start a new thread.

It looks like there are at least two different mechanisms going on as the BMS is balancing the pack: high amplitude, low frequency oscillation and low amplitude, high frequency oscillation. If you send me the data I can run a Fourier analysis on them. I'd love to hear what BMS experts have to say about this.