Is the near zero A/C power consumption trick real?

[kovalb]

The reason is because the climate control operates in the same way an ICE's does to regulate temperature. After the air is cooled using the A/C it is re-heated to maintain the selected temperature. An ICE uses waste heat to accomplish this. The LEAF uses its PTC heater - which can consume up to 5kW.

Setting the temperature to 60 degrees basically tells the system not to use the PTC heater, thereby greatly reducing the power requirement...

kovalb, Phil still seems to contradict what you said.
From what he indicated, the PTC heater should never go on unless the temp setting in the car is higher than the actual interior temp. (And if the interior temp is lower than 60 you can't turn it off at all.)

Lets say the exterior and interior temps are currently 80 degrees.
If I turn on AC and set it for 70 degrees, will I get 100% cooling with no heating, or will this turn the heater on too? Phil seems to suggest not.

I tend to agree with both you and Phil. However you are running an automatic system. When requesting a set cabin temp, above what the potential of the system is at low compressor speed, the only way for the system to achieve that temp would be to reheat the air. This should be more of an issue for those in mild climates, such as California, than for those of us sweltering in Phoenix.