Post your Leaf encounter with people about car itself

[ZweigJacob]

... And they are always surprised that there is no gas backup. ...

Yeah I notice that too. I think the Volt concept has gotten enough traction that people have become comfortable with the serial hybrid approach. Sort of like graduating from a tricycle to a 2-wheeler -- the training wheels make it ok, but it takes another leap of faith before you go full-on 2-wheeling. But when you see the other kids doing it, you eventually go for it. :mrgreen:

You are correct.When people feel something hard but when they see the other people doing the same thing with ease they also get the courage to do the same thing.

 

[bobsfreeleaf]

I have seemed to get more genuine interest from younger people, at the Taco Bell drive through and such. They seem to like the idea of the car. When I am talking to my older friends who give me that "are you nuts" look, I first tell them how much I like the car, and secondly emphasize that it IS TOTALLY FREE TO OWN :mrgreen: . They immediately get this look like OMG how did I not hear about this. Then they're hooked. :lol: "uh, maybe I should buy one" uh, would it be good for the kids to go to college", etc. It's fun, really.

I believe two things after many years in business: 1. Environmentalism is a good thing; 2. To get mainstream people to exercise rule number 1., you have to set up an economic situation that "allows" them to do it without serious financial penalty to themselves or their families. If someone is able to give an E.V. a try, at no cost (even as a second car) why not? Do they really think it's going to explode or something?

The other thing I like to say, since I am a recovering Republican , is that our taxes helped pay for this technology so why not take advantage of the benefits of our contribution. The oil company's get subsidies to foul our seas and air. Are we not at least as deserving as them! I think it is largely the conservative media that has turned people off to this technology, creating the environment where no serious numbers of people are trying it, thus reducing the prices of the vehicles to riduculously low levels. By taking advantage of that financial opportunity, and telling people about it, we totally expose how nuts the "stick a needle in my eye before I'll drive an E.V." conservative media really is......... That's my 2 cents.

 

[cgaydos]

Here in El Paso county, Colorado (main city: Colorado Springs) we've had exactly zero questions from strangers about the Leaf. We don't have any special markings or a vanity plate and I guess no one recognizes it. Friends have asked about the new car then we do get into the electric discussion. And recently an installer for DirecTV saw it in the garage, recognized it, and that sparked a big discussion (he was very interested). But Otherwise even doing the VIN check at the local police station and registering at the DMV they didn't realize that it is electric.

What this says to me is that despite a few interesting design differences people see it as an econobox like the Versa. Which we don't mind but some people might. The "zero emission" emblem is interesting but honestly with all the various PZEV emblems you see these days ...some even on pure ICEs ... the zero emission emblem doesn't stand out.

Given that so many people in these parts believe all the anti-hybrid, anti-EV propaganda (e.g. "Hummer more enviornmental than Prius", "Earth is actually cooling", etc.) I focus on cost savings when friends ask about it.

 

[Phatcat73]

My coworkers ask me about the range. I say about a 100 miles, then explain that it works well in certain applications and the importance of ICE availability for those "random" extended trips.

I stump most people by simply telling them that there's no air filter, nor power steering fluid. It's amusing to see them pause while their brains lock-up as they're conditioned to an ICE.

 

[mkjayakumar]

You are correct.When people feel something hard but when they see the other people doing the same thing with ease they also get the courage to do the same thing.

100% true. I have had two of my friends watch me, first with ridicule and then after a few months with amazement and then after a year with envy that I have driven over 13K miles with very little fuel expense. They see me in my Leaf everywhere to groceries, every day commute, transporting the kids around and for airport pickups/drop offs while they drive their 15 mpg SUVs for exactly the same purpose.

Once I told them how cheap it is to lease, they jumped in the fray and they both now own (lease) a 2013.

 

[ERG4ALL]

I too have had the experience of the younger generation noticing the LEAF. Most adults don't recognize it as a pure EV. However, last year I happened to be in a high school parking lot that was also being used for another function that my wife was interested. I heard one teen-ager comment to the others in his group that my car was a Nissan LEAF and they all turned around to look.
As I've posted before, I just wish the media would stop making the comparison of LEAF against an Econobox ICE that will transport you from coast to coast. I've owned a Corvette before and I didn't think it was a lousy car because I couldn't carry a 4'x8' sheet of plywood in it.

 

[eclecticflower]

A couple of weeks ago, before the 2 big snowstorms here, I parked @ a CVS Pharmacy near their door for about 5 minutes. On my way out, I noticed a couple (probably 40s) had been lingering, but the wife took the lead into the store, then came the husband, passing me as I exited. As I placed a couple items on the driver's side back seat, the curious husband came back out the door, asking if that was an electric car. I said yes it is! He wanted to know if I liked it. Of course, I said I loved it and hadn't bought gas since last June! He was very excited and thought it was neat!

The giant Zero Emission emblem emblazoned on the sides does garner some attention and it encourages people to engage me in conversation.

When people ask me how far I can go, I ask them how far they drive in a day; to think about charging daily, like they charge their cell phones; it's different than filling up weekly/bi-weekly, with gas; they just have to adjust their paradigm.

 

[mhigley]

I never get asked about my car but last November I drove fron Leavenworth Kansas to Topeka Kansas. I stopped to charge at a Hy-Vee in Lawrence Kansas (turned out I didn't need to). An older gentleman saw me plug in and asked about the car. We talked for a bit about the car and then we talked fishing. I went inside the Hy-Vee for some coffee and the gebtleman came back with a mess of frozen crappie and offered to take me fishing this spring. I have his number on my fridge. I'm going to call him as soon as we warm up a little more.

 

[TomT]

After two years, people here rarely respond to the Leaf, either because they have seen it before, or they think it is just another economy car like the Versa...

I never say 100 miles when I talk to people since that sets many up for failure. I tell them around 75 miles, maybe more depending on how you drive and the environment...

My coworkers ask me about the range. I say about a 100 miles.

 

[bobsfreeleaf]

I went to a conference this week at the San Diego Convention Center, where they have free level two. I plugged in for a full charge while I attended. When people asked me how I liked the conference I said the conference sucked, but I am totally excited about getting a free charge!

This was the first time I left the house with less than a full charge, "hoping" to be able to fill up at my destination. While it created a little bit of anxiety, I was happy when it worked out. Good thing I left early because later a new plug in Prius was plugged in there. Now that would have been annoying to need a charge to get home and have a Prius in the way. He could have charge that THING from his Iphone. :lol:

 

[eclecticflower]

I mentioned this on our local KC thread (sorry, forgot this thread ). I was driving my mom recently when a convertible VW New Beetle drove up on my passenger side. The Beetle's passenger smiled, popped her arm up into the air & gave us a big thumbs up! We got quite a giggle out of it! It's great when people share their EV love.

 

[Benjenn]

We've had our Leaf almost a year now and I'm still amazed that it doesn't get a LOT more attention than it does. I've had a couple of comments from other drivers at stoplights but, more often than not, I get questions when charging at our local Whole Foods. When I come out of the store, there's almost always someone waiting to talk to me about the car. I love telling them it's the best car I've ever driven - so much fun, so efficient, handles great, etc. We even had a reporter do a story on our local news recently about the Leaf and that was WAY cool. http://kfor.com/2013/03/19/great-state-one-of-oks-first-leafs/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; - I'm a happy we get to be EVangelists!

 

[adric22]

I just had a older lady stop me in the Albertson's parking lot yesterday. She said, "Wow. That is the cutest car I've ever seen. I don't much like small cars, but I like yours. What kind is it?" I replied, "This is a Nissan Leaf."

As always... I totally anticipated the next question. This is invariably the question that always follows. "What kind of gas mileage does it get?"

Now.. I'm used to this question, and have dealt with it often. But the conversation that followed was more difficult. I explained, "Its an all electric car, so it doesn't actually use any gas. You just plug in it and charge it up every night." So she replied, "Where do you put the gas?" I replied, "Nowhere, it doesn't even have a gas tank." then she seemed so confused and said, "Then how can you know what miles-per-gallon the car is getting?"

I have to admit.. she had me stumped on that question. Telling her that the question was irrelevant obviously wasn't going to make any sense. Its sort of like asking what kind of gas mileage a rock gets. There's no real good logical answer to that.

 

[eclecticflower]

then she seemed so confused and said, "Then how can you know what miles-per-gallon the car is getting?"

I have to admit.. she had me stumped on that question. Telling her that the question was irrelevant obviously wasn't going to make any sense. Its sort of like asking what kind of gas mileage a rock gets. There's no real good logical answer to that.

You could've said "it's miles per charge" or "MPGe." That's calculatable!

 

[randerson44]

The president of my company upon hearing of my purchase told me "You are very brave". I took it as a compliment

I find that people are most interested when I start discussing how much $$$ I'm saving by replacing my ICE. It doesn't hurt that I live in GA and the State and Federal Tax incentives total $12,500. Two of my co-workers showed up in their own Leafs last week.

 

[Nubo]

then she seemed so confused and said, "Then how can you know what miles-per-gallon the car is getting?"

I have to admit.. she had me stumped on that question. Telling her that the question was irrelevant obviously wasn't going to make any sense. Its sort of like asking what kind of gas mileage a rock gets. There's no real good logical answer to that.

You could've said "it's miles per charge" or "MPGe." That's calculatable!

Yeah, they'll resonate with one of three representations (usually the last one):

M/kWH
MPGe
Miles per "Gallon-Cost". I.e., if gasoline is $4, how far will $4 worth of electricity take you in LEAF.

 

[ptititoi]

Thumb up, that's what I do every day when I pass Leaf on the Carpool lane riding my motorcycle, not many Leaf yet, like 3 or 4 everyday on a 83 miles commute

I mentioned this on our local KC thread (sorry, forgot this thread ). I was driving my mom recently when a convertible VW New Beetle drove up on my passenger side. The Beetle's passenger smiled, popped her arm up into the air & gave us a big thumbs up! We got quite a giggle out of it! It's great when people share their EV love.

 

[bobsfreeleaf]

I just had a older lady stop me in the Albertson's parking lot yesterday. She said, "Wow. That is the cutest car I've ever seen. I don't much like small cars, but I like yours. What kind is it?" I replied, "This is a Nissan Leaf."

As always... I totally anticipated the next question. This is invariably the question that always follows. "What kind of gas mileage does it get?"

Now.. I'm used to this question, and have dealt with it often. But the conversation that followed was more difficult. I explained, "Its an all electric car, so it doesn't actually use any gas. You just plug in it and charge it up every night." So she replied, "Where do you put the gas?" I replied, "Nowhere, it doesn't even have a gas tank." then she seemed so confused and said, "Then how can you know what miles-per-gallon the car is getting?"

I have to admit.. she had me stumped on that question. Telling her that the question was irrelevant obviously wasn't going to make any sense. Its sort of like asking what kind of gas mileage a rock gets. There's no real good logical answer to that.

I think the whole "mpge" thing is a term designed by marketing people trying to fit into the narrow box the oil and car companies have put is in. Heck, the whole traditional miles per gallon metric is totally stupid considering a gallon of gas COST about $2 a few short years ago, and now is $4; like that doesn't matter? When it is $8 a gallon, are people gonna say "oh look Sally, that car gets 32 miles per gallon!" The only important issue is COST per mile. My Honda COSTS about 16 cents a mile to drive (at, or around, todays CA gas price). My Leaf costs 3.5 cents (at, or around, todays CA electric rates). When people ask me, I say I used to spend $1,920 a year on gas; now I spend $420. I find the moment I say my mpge is...... I lose them. Not that the mpge thing isn't clever. I mean, in my example of $8 gas, the mpge would double to 200 or so. Still if you said to someone I get 200 mpge, I tihnk you would still get that blank stare. Maybe we should just say, I take the difference between what I used to spend, and what I spend now, and fund my child's college education.

 

[mhigley]

I have only been asked about my LEAF once in the six months I have owned it I was plugging it in at a grocery store. I don't think anyone knows it's electric. I have a hard time convincing my friends it's electric when they ride in it. They ask me two or three times "All electric? No gas at all right?"

 

[cgaydos]

As always... I totally anticipated the next question. This is invariably the question that always follows. "What kind of gas mileage does it get?"

I just answer - for every dollar we used to pay for gas we now spend about 20-25 cents for electric. I give a range to account for the fact that gas prices vary.

For some reason that answer really seems to strike a chord.