Need more advertising

[woodyas]

Now on 12 days with the Leaf...and still the same succinct feeling: Love this car!

But so wish there was more advertising/publicity on the Leaf. Just finished watching Revenge of the Electric Car...and loved seeing Carlos and the Leaf featured. And I so agree: they need to get the word out to the majority of the population.

If it's just electrical car fanatics...well, it won't make it. We need people to be persuaded this is the way to go.

And I consider myself in this equation. I had no interest in electric--and assumed would be too expensive and too fringe. Then I saw one, then I did some research, then I saw the great deals on the Leaf--and then I drove one.

And then it all clicked: I must have one.

All I can say is this: I really hope the Leaf can make it. It certainly deserves to.

 

[ksnogas2112]

Butts in seats will make it work. BTW, you'll enjoy the next 6 months as much as the first. I know I did.

 

[woodyas]

Tom,

How do you average 4.8? Is there some special way to achieve this. I am driving on streets, no more then 45(mostly 35-40)and no quick acceleration. And in Eco...and I still only see like 4.2.

Not sure what tricks are out there.

I am really into the whole thing.

Thanks.

 

[ksnogas2112]

You're the second to ask me that. I don't really know. I coast into lights more than braking so i don't get much regenerative but I do hit more than my fair share of green lights while maintaining speed by not jack rabbiting. I rarely use more than 3 bubbles on the acceleration. There are quite a few hills that I effectively coast down by keeping foot on throttle instead of regen. There is a 4 mile stretch at the bottom of a hill that I almost coast through because it's flat but with enough undulations to keep the bubble at 1 and the kWh use like 1-2 for those four miles. I avoid the interstates like the plague.

Or it might be my instrumentation is wack. I know that my efficiency this month is in the toilet because of using the heater. The same trip I was able to get 5.1 m/kWh in September (90-100*F) is getting 4.5 m/kWh in December (10-50*F). Except for charging yesterday evening and last night the battery temp bars have been at 4 since Monday at 0800. That's a change from 6/almost 7/7 temp bars during the summer.

I drive almost exclusively in Drive mode instead of eco because the car feels lively that way. I just drive like I have an egg under the accelerator. I also know the topography around here very very well and tend to take side roads that are flat instead of faster (35-45) 4 lane expressways that have more hills.

July - 4.7
Aug - 5.0
Sept - 4.9
Oct - 4.7
Nov - 4.7
Dec (so far) - 4.5

Makes average 4.75 right now. This is all CarWings data so it's a little suspect. I reset my m/kWh dash and CW on the first of every month.

 

[DesertDenizen]

Tom,

How do you average 4.8? Is there some special way to achieve this. I am driving on streets, no more then 45(mostly 35-40)and no quick acceleration. And in Eco...and I still only see like 4.2.

Not sure what tricks are out there.

I am really into the whole thing.

Thanks.

I have a long term average of 5.7. I won't rehash the points already made, just two quick notes. I never go on the highway, and I coast a lot in Eco. Long ago a poster on this forum said the way to maximize range is to never use your breaks. I thought this was a rhetorical statement, but with slowing effect one gets coasting in Eco you can actually get brake use diminishing towards zero. Be vigilant, look at the lights up ahead and you can often time it so you coast to them without using your brakes. I am lucky as well, the Tucson basin is flat and I never need to use my heater.