How long can 2023 Leaf SV Plus idle with the AC on?

[AmyB]

Hi, everyone.

Finally went fully electric this Christmas with a 2023 Leaf SV Plus. I love it and I have been racking up the miles. : )

My 85lb dog, Bear, and I have been adventuring of late, camping at the beach and practicing with long range driving. I have left Bear in the car with the air on and a note taped to the door about the awesomeness of his human-mom "leaving the very quiet car running with the air on" when I have needed to run into a store or grab a quick shower while camping. Before something like a shower, I generally tire him out first, then buckle him in like we are leaving. He is buckled such that he can move about in the back seat freely but there is no way he can get over the divide to the front. His max time alone has been about 20 minutes, but really it is no issue for him. I have made the back seat some pretty sweet digs to which he loves retreating. Whenever I have returned to the car, it's beautiful inside and he is chilling. I get clean, he gets a rest.

The question is, how long can I reasonably do that? We are hitting the road in June, driving from NC to ID, and there are some areas where I am struggling to find a kennel so I can do some on my own adventuring like a 2-3 hr kayaking trip or some such thing.

Assuming the vehicle is fully charged, can it idle for 2-4 hours with the air on without draining? I am not worried about Bear doing anything silly in the car. My only worry is the car failing him.

Whatever I hear back, I will still try it in my driveway, but if there is an official answer, I'd like to know it.

Thanks!!

Amy : )


p.s. I am still plotting the route, but so far I can get all the way to Utah (near Arches NP) before I need to charge somewhere besides a Nissan dealership. Thanks to a free public charger in Price, UT, I will only need to pay to charge twice between NC and Central Idaho Dark Sky Reserve. I'm impressed, Nissan. : )

 

[LeftieBiker]

With the car in Eco mode (the climate control is limited in maximum output) and the blower on a lower speed, you can leave it that way for quite a few hours. People do it at the Drive-in movies.

 

[DougWantsALeaf]

I remember from a drive in movie last year I believe if you put the parking Break on you can leave the car on with running lights off without the autoshutoff kicking in. Please test first.

 

[knightmb]

The question is, how long can I reasonably do that? We are hitting the road in June, driving from NC to ID, and there are some areas where I am struggling to find a kennel so I can do some on my own adventuring like a 2-3 hr kayaking trip or some such thing.

Assuming the vehicle is fully charged, can it idle for 2-4 hours with the air on without draining? I am not worried about Bear doing anything silly in the car. My only worry is the car failing him.

Whatever I hear back, I will still try it in my driveway, but if there is an official answer, I'd like to know it.

Thanks!!

Amy : )

I've put that to the test in my 2013 and 2020 Leaf. Both using AC for many hours and also using the Leaf as a power source for days. There is no limit to how long (well, at least 2 days is my record) that the Leaf will remain on until the battery is completely depleted and it shuts down automatically.

Since you are driving a +Leaf; a fully charged vehicle could run for literal days on just AC only. But to give you a more realistic estimate, if the AC is consuming +1000 watts an hour (says it's a really hot day) plus the usual base load of just having the Leaf "on" (which is very small), you could probably get around (60,000 / 1200) = 50 hours of run time before you have to drag the Leaf to a charging station. If you park in the shade, it might last longer.

So having it run for 2 to 4 hours will knock about +8% off of your battery charge meter.

 

[knightmb]

With the car in Eco mode (the climate control is limited in maximum output) and the blower on a lower speed, you can leave it that way for quite a few hours. People do it at the Drive-in movies.

On top of that, there is a way to turn off the "daytime running lights" on the +2018 and newer models. You have to turn the Leaf off first, then turn off the lights completely (no auto setting), then turn the Leaf back on and all the external lights should stay off until you try to move through Drive or Reverse anyway. So that way, you can sit in place with the AC/Heat/Radio etc, the whole time.

 

[AmyB]

Oh, my gosh! Thank you, everyone!

Looks like I can stop shopping for dog sitters--period! The trip is meant to be truly with my dog, so I never intend to kennel him in the car for more than a few hours, just so I can do some non-pet related activities.

My ultimate goal is to see how little I can spend on this trip--take a trip that does not breach my usual monthly budget plus a very modest allowance for fun activities beyond hiking, tracking closely using a for-the-trip-only credit card. I have been bummed because the dog sitting costs more than the kayaking trips and have been thinking I would forgo them.

Just looked at my electricity bill for the month--it is DOWN over last year. Plus the no gas thing and the feel good vibes from being good to the Earth. Add to this saving on dog-sitting while cross-country road tripping? This Leaf is amazing!

Now if only the state of NC did not charge me over $700 to register my car!! I drove an electric-hybrid before, got to and from work and the grocery store on my e-miles. $700 is like a year's worth of gas, including trips to PA.

 

[Learjet]

I have a SL plus, the only way to have Daytime Running lights off is to, with the lights in off (not auto) put parking brake on (not break :mrgreen: )....then turn car on.

Also, I have observed about 1% per hour battery consumption sitting with AC on in the summer. Not precise, but pretty good rule of thumb.

 

[GerryAZ]

Don't worry about the daytime running lights--they will just show that the car is on and make passersby less worried about your dog inside. Make absolutely certain the car is in normal READY to drive mode. Otherwise, the A/C may turn off after a period of time. My recommendations:
1. Set desired interior temperature on HVAC control.
2. Place car in PARK.
3. Set parking brake.
4. Position food and water dishes and make your dog comfortable.
5. Crack front windows slightly for fresh air in case A/C somehow switches to recirculate mode.
6. Place note on dash, exit from car, and lock doors.

 

[collinlovas]

With the car still on, wouldn't someone be able to break in and drive away with your dogs?