New Leaf owner here.

[Botany500]

I have lurked here awhile and been gathering information, and I finally pulled the trigger and got a Leaf this week. I bought used; there are just a handful of used '11s and '12s in my area (Chicagoland). '13s and newer all are out of my budget, and I was leery of going with an '11 just because it was the first model year. I test drove several, and they all seemed to have issues (8 capacity bars, no SD card, cracked solar panel, etc). I also test drove a Mitsubishi i-Miev; it was surprisingly comfortable, but looks like a golf cart. I had almost given up when an old friend from the area contacted me; his neighbor's wife had traded in her 2012 Leaf SL due to 'range anxiety'. The car had no mechanical issues, I guess she had a new job with an 80-mile commute and didn't want to chance it. Always garaged, never quick-charged, with 20k miles. I found the dealer that was selling it, and once I test drove it, and saw 12 capacity bars, I snapped it up. It's just like a brand new car. I couldn't be happier.

My Leaf also came with the 240v Nissan wall-mounted EVSE that the previous owner uninstalled and included with the car. Until I get that installed I am getting by with the 120v trickle EVSE and the several local free Chargepoint stations. I have not yet fully-charged her (battery was set to take a 100% charge) so I am not sure her 'true range' yet, but as I said, all capacity bars are there. I have been averaging 4.5 mi/kWh; I drive in eco and use the climate control sparingly.

I guess I don't have a specific question, more like a request for any information you think a newbie should know. I do plan to quick-charge a few times a week (it's a necessity for work). I will also be garaging her in the winter months. Any tips/tricks/opinions are appreciated!

 

[dgpcolorado]

Sounds as if you did well to get that 2012. Most 2011 LEAFs don't have the cold weather package that will greatly improve your winter experience.

I'd be cautious about relying on Quick Charging. You run the risk of the QC station you want to use being broken or in use, so be sure to have a backup plan.

Be aware that your range will drop dramatically in winter for a variety of reasons: heater use, cold battery has reduced capacity, cold temperatures increase drag and rolling resistance, weather (wind, snow). You can reduce heater use by preheating while plugged-in and using the seat and steering wheel heaters when practical (they use only a trivial amount of energy). But there isn't much you can do about the other factors that reduce range in winter except to charge more often. If range is limiting, slowing down will help stretch what charge you have.

If you do stretch the range on a regular basis a meter, such as "Leaf Spy", will help to know precisely how much charge you have left and will greatly increase your ability to drive below Low Battery Warning (LBW) and Very Low Battery Warning (VLBW). There is still a lot of charge left when you get to LBW. (The "Guess-o-meter" that estimates the distance you can go is unreliable and should be ignored.)

 

[GRA]

Be sure to print out a copy of Tony Williams' Range chart: http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?t=4295

Considering that it's a 2012 with 12 bars, I'd go with the 93% chart.