Is it time for me to buy?

[powersurge]

I think this is another case of a potential buyer trying to FORCE-FIT a new Leaf into their lifestyle. I think that the statements are clear. If you have to "manage" your driving to make the trip (at 45-50 mph on side roads) and want to drive 70-80 miles between charges (long term), then the Leaf is not for you. Although the car can make the trip under good conditions when new, as it begins to age, you will have problems.

I think that too many of us on this site are so pro-Leaf, that we may incorrectly recommend potential buyers to buy a Leaf even though many people are expecting too much of the little car. In this site, we should advocate increased EV use, but also have a responsibility to also steer away people from buying a Leaf if need be.

I do not recommend that the person buy a Leaf for a daily 80 mile trip between charges, especially when you add the other factors of speed (wanting to drive 65-75 mph), and air conditioning/ heating needs for year-round driving.

 

[twentysixteen]

Mine was new (no previous owners, qualifies for fed tax incentives). 44 miles on the Odo. I've put about another 700 on it so far.

 

[Muleears]

I think this is another case of a potential buyer trying to FORCE-FIT a new Leaf into their lifestyle. I think that the statements are clear. If you have to "manage" your driving to make the trip (at 45-50 mph on side roads) and want to drive 70-80 miles between charges (long term), then the Leaf is not for you. Although the car can make the trip under good conditions when new, as it begins to age, you will have problems.

I think that too many of us on this site are so pro-Leaf, that we may incorrectly recommend potential buyers to buy a Leaf even though many people are expecting too much of the little car. In this site, we should advocate increased EV use, but also have a responsibility to also steer away people from buying a Leaf if need be.

I do not recommend that the person buy a Leaf for a daily 80 mile trip between charges, especially when you add the other factors of speed (wanting to drive 65-75 mph), and air conditioning/ heating needs for year-round driving.

I appreciate the candor of your post. You may be absolutely correct. I have wanted a leaf for some time. I was hoping the new larger battery would satisfy my needs but you and others here cast doubt on that conclusion. Perhaps it is an '18 I need and I should wait another year or so. Since I can't move my place of work closer I must wait until I have a car with sufficient range. Or possibly look at another vehicle. Whatever my decision I will try to weigh everything presented and make the best decision for myself and my family. Thanks for the input.

 

[LeftieBiker]

GM is offering Volt leases for $229, IIRC. You might consider that as a bridge car. Or a Prius prime, which would probably be better for long drives.

 

[Muleears]

GM is offering Volt leases for $229, IIRC. You might consider that as a bridge car. Or a Prius prime, which would probably be better for long drives.

Thanks LeftieBiker, I had a 2012 Volt for about a year. It was considerably more expensive than $229/mo. that was one of the reasons I sold it. I would like to be able to go completely electric but perhaps a bridge car is a good choice. I will look into that.

 

[Reddy]

Since you still have some time to make the decision, just keep reading and following the various opinions. This Fall we should see the Leaf 2, Tesla 3, Widespread Bolt, maybe even a couple of others (VW, Hundai, BMW, etc) with longer ranges. If it were me, the 30 KWh Leaf would work just fine with the Nissan dealership and wife's car as backup for bad winter days. However, I am probably more committed to eliminating oil consumption than most of the general population. You will eventually see battery degradation, so the biggest problems will occur in the 3rd-4th winter. At that point, you'll need to make more significant time, speed or heat commitments, replace the battery , or trade up (with significant depreciation). We're just now seeing reports come in on degradation or bad cells on the 30 KWh battery, so it doesn't really look like muc better chemistry than the 24 KWh battery. Good luck with your decision.

 

[LeftieBiker]

The Hyundai Ioniq EV will be out within a few months. That should have a rock-solid hundred miles of range in all but the coldest weather. Most people seem to get the EPA-rated 124 miles.

 

[Muleears]

Since you still have some time to make the decision, just keep reading and following the various opinions. This Fall we should see the Leaf 2, Tesla 3, Widespread Bolt, maybe even a couple of others (VW, Hundai, BMW, etc) with longer ranges. If it were me, the 30 KWh Leaf would work just fine with the Nissan dealership and wife's car as backup for bad winter days. However, I am probably more committed to eliminating oil consumption than most of the general population. You will eventually see battery degradation, so the biggest problems will occur in the 3rd-4th winter. At that point, you'll need to make more significant time, speed or heat commitments, replace the battery , or trade up (with significant depreciation). We're just now seeing reports come in on degradation or bad cells on the 30 KWh battery, so it doesn't really look like muc better chemistry than the 24 KWh battery. Good luck with your decision.

Something I haven't seen much discussion on is aftermarket replacement batteries. I had a 2001 Prius that the battery started to die on at 130K, in 2010 there were aftermarket batteries available and much cheaper than the dealer. I could get a replacement (nimh) for it for $1600. I know that's not lipo technology but it was what came in the car, I can't help but think there is/will be a strong market for replacement batts. I would gladly spend $2500 for a replacement lipo batt. than swallow $6-7K in depreciation.

 

[Nagorak]

I tend to agree with others saying to wait. We're on the verge of your commute being easily doable in an EV. Maybe we're already there if you're willing to pay up for a Bolt. Even the Ioniq which is out next month and should be quite affordable, should have enough additional range to put your range concerns to bed. I think you'd be better off waiting for the Ioniq and if that doesn't meet your needs then hold off one more year for all the other options.