Why is it so hard to believe?

[Computerizer]

Yeah, I've tried infinite miles per gallon too, but I don't really like it, just sounds wrong.

Plus, I don't use ANY gallons.

That's why ZPG rings true to me, 'cause there is no G.

You could put a gallon milk jug full of gas in your trunk, and just keep it there while you drive and drive and drive. After you drive 100 miles, you'll have 100 mpg (you put a gallon of gas in your car, and you went 100 miles!).

Or you could put a half gallon milk jug full of gas in your trunk, and drive for 100 miles. Then you got 200 mpg.

Or you could put a quart of gas in a jar in your trunk, and drive for 100 miles. Then you got 400 mpg.

Or you could put a DROP of gas in a jar in your trunk, and drive for 100 miles. Then you got 9,084,000 mpg (assuming 90840 drops of gas per gallon, which is how many drops of water there are in a gallon of water).

Looks to me like limit as the amount of gas you put in your car goes to zero is infinite mpg.

 

[DNAinaGoodWay]

Ah! Very clever! But here, G doesn't approach zero. G IS zero. And you said yourself, you can't divide by zero.

Maybe, instead of referencing gas, I should go back further and reference horses. Since it's 107 HP, I could say that this time of year, I get at least half a mile per horse.

 

[DNAinaGoodWay]

If instead of my Leaf, I had a Volt, and managed to avoid using gas, then I could say I was getting infinite mpg.

 

[DNAinaGoodWay]

Why do people have such a hard time understanding what it means to have an electric car?

To return to your OP, I think it has to do with how our minds wire themselves, how those interconnections get programmed to fire, the kind of nature/nurture stuff that underlies our powerful ability to believe in general. Our paradigms are our perceptual filters, if something doesn't fit, it may not compute.

EVs are too new, except for us. For most, cars will equal ICE, and the shift will drag out unless some major mover occurs. Even then, remnants will remain. Like HP and MPG.

Other random remnants:

Dial the phone (not many still do, ever actually dial? you're old then)

Sunrise and sunset (not really, just looks that way)

The Northern Hemisphere is the "top" of the world.

The reality of fictional characters. (Gods, Godesses, Nature Spirits, Obie Wan, Santa.)

 

[planet4ever]

I love to tell the curious that it gets zero miles per gallon, that always gets them to shift neural gears.

Well, "zero miles per gallon" isn't nearly correct either. In fact that makes it sound horrible (lower mpg is worse, remember!). It's more like infinite miles per gallon. You can't divide by zero!

Actually, I kind of like the way DNA put it. My explanation would be that no matter how much gas you put in the car, it won't even make it budge.

Ray

 

[braineo]

Frankly, I'm embarrassed to open the hood on the LEAF. Why they felt compelled to put a VALVE COVER on top of the inverter is completely beyond me.

Wish the inverter looked like the flux capacitor with a juicer on top connected to the vent system. Then you cloud juice any aroma into the car and blow their brain gaskets!

 

[freddms]

You will love this one.

My son came home today and asked if I was sure the Leaf did not have an engine -- I explained as you would expect.

He told me his friends said that a car that runs without gas does not exist. He really caught a lot of crap the rest of the day because he was 'stupid' ----

He actually started questioning himself (he's 12). Of course we cleared things up tonight....

Mind you -- I'm in Iowa -- my Leaf was the first Leaf sold at the Nissan dealership in Dubuque in Jan 2013. So we are way back woods compared to most of you. I don't deal with this much ignorance most of the time. We have a Volt too. The most common thing I hear about the Volt is it would not work for them because they drive too many miles and don't want to be stranded. That's assuming they have heard of a Volt.

Gotta run and get a few things at the store -- in the magic Leaf with no gas engine!

 

[Becky50]

Please consider arranging with the teacher and then take the LEAF to school. Let the kids sit in it and see the EVSE and the missing gas tank opening. It would be a great way to begin educating many families. Just think of the dinner table conversations following your visit!

 

[padamson1]

Friends of my (college age) kids routinely make fun of the LEAF. The other day I was walking out of the garage with a few of my son's friends and a girl points at the charger sticking out of the front: "OMG is that the power cord? So you drive a golf cart? Haha! How far do you drive before the extension cord isn't long enough? Haha! Are you really allowed to drive toys on the road? Haha." etc, etc.

My response is usually something along the lines of "When your dad stop's paying for you to drive that Yukon/Escalade/Mercedes/BMW around you'll change your tune (sweetie)". Then I tell them that I'm just happy with a car I (or my wife) use every day that doesn't pollute (solar, hydro, & wind powered only), drives like a sportscar (once you get rid of the stock tires), never visits a gas station, and costs me less than half what my Prius cost to drive (which BTW sonny, translates to about 20% of what that cool Subaru wagon costs to drive at $3.75/g). Complicated stuff like an electric engine is more efficient or doesn't require maintenance or I might have to sometimes think about how far I'm going to drive, is lost on people who had a lifetime of being spoiled by cheap, subsidized gas. Note the parallel: when gas prices go up, suddenly people start thinking about how much and how far they drive their car, which I do only when I need to drive more than 60miles in a day.

Just like every other time gas prices "rise unexpectedly", when the gas crash comes and our economy is flat on its ass, it will be us BEV owners who don't change their driving lifestyles.

 

[philipscoggins]

I had 2 people approach me on Friday to ask me how I liked my LEAF. That was a first!

One worked for Nissan and said I was the first LEAF driver outside of Nashville he'd seen & an older lady at Cracker Barrel came up to me as I was plugging in at the quick charger and said that her son worked for Nissan & she asked if that was a LEAF, because he has really talked them up to her, but she had never seen one.

I told them both it was the best car I've ever owned & that I absolutely loved it.

On the day before that, we shot an interview with the local school superintendent, who's got a Volvo with about 250k miles on it. I asked him is he'd seen my new LEAF & he had me take him outside to check it out. Ended up riding around the block, he was very intrigued & since his son is taking away his Volvo, is looking to get a new car. He's also at least 6'3 & was very impressed by the headroom.

I'm working on everyone who will listen & can't wait for the day that I can't remember how many people I've encouraged to ditch the pump.

Philip

 

[JeremyW]

My response is usually something along the lines of "When your dad stop's paying for you to drive that Yukon/Escalade/Mercedes/BMW around you'll change your tune (sweetie)".

For these kind of folks, I prefer the approach of, "it's like driving a V6 with gas at twenty cents per gallon" followed by "oh and Teslas are like a V12". Point is, younger generations will most likely be more receptive to the performance side of the EV world, than the big picture of oil and who's paying for it. They'll just use Dad's money for the lease.

 

[rico567]

The world's been basically driving ICE vehicles for a century (I do!) with all that entails. So, he's learning. So, his university education didn't make him Michael Faraday. Lighten up........besides, I have a funny feeling that early adopters secretly enjoy answering all those questions. Being out in the Minnesota winter dead in the water after their Tesla 'S' has used too much juice for the heater......not so much.

 

[ERG4ALL]

When you eventually run into the skeptic that wants to denigrate the LEAF by citing range restrictions, try this. I say, "Is the Chevy Corvette a lousy vehicle?" Of course the answer is no. So then I say, "If you want to carry a 4'x8' sheet of plywood, then it's a lousy vehicle." I follow that by asking if a Ford F150 is a lousy vehicle with the follow up that it's lousy because it can't go from zero to 60 in under 6 seconds. The point I'm trying to drive home is that the LEAF needs to be judged for the market niche that it was created for. It is a wonderful vehicle for urban environments for running errands and commuting without pollution. People need to stop comparing it to a $15,000 econobox to go from sea to shining sea.

 

[jkirkebo]

Frankly, I'm embarrassed to open the hood on the LEAF. Why they felt compelled to put a VALVE COVER on top of the inverter is completely beyond me. At least the 2013s and beyond shouldn't look like an engine!

Yeah. Tesla did however really nail the "under the hood" experience with the Model S

 

[RegGuheert]

It is a wonderful vehicle for urban environments for running errands and commuting without pollution.

No need for the words "for urban environments" in that statement, IMO. This is a point that I worked hard to drive home to Nissan during our trip to Japan. By focusing on urban centers Nissan is greatly limiting the market for their electric vehicles.

I will restate it from my viewpoint:

The Nissan LEAF is a wonderful vehicle for running errands and commuting without pollution.

 

[ERG4ALL]

RegGuheert you are so correct. That was my poor choice of one descriptor because for half of the year our LEAF is at our summer home up in the mountains out in the country 15 miles from town. Interestingly enough because the town is small I have less range issues than I do in urban Phoenix. From East to West (Buckeye to Apache Junction) Phoenix and it suburbs are about 100 miles and from North to South (Cave Creek to Firebird Raceway) I'd guess it would be at least 50 miles.

Although to my original point, the Nissan dealer at my summer home refuses to carry the LEAF because he doesn't believe that at the current state of the battery technology he would sell any because of the distances involved for many people that live in the country. We've tried to change that by exhibiting the LEAF at three events in the town but as of yet we still take the LEAF to Phoenix for any upgrades, etc. The dealer has made provision for a charging station circuit (but no charger) at his new building but won't go to the expense to install one until the next generation comes out. Of course, if a new generation does come out with significantly longer range then it is a whole new ball game for everyone and every use.

 

[greengate]

RegGuheert you are so correct. That was my poor choice of one descriptor because for half of the year our LEAF is at our summer home up in the mountains out in the country 15 miles from town. Interestingly enough because the town is small I have less range issues than I do in urban Phoenix. From East to West (Buckeye to Apache Junction) Phoenix and it suburbs are about 100 miles and from North to South (Cave Creek to Firebird Raceway) I'd guess it would be at least 50 miles.

Although to my original point, the Nissan dealer at my summer home refuses to carry the LEAF because he doesn't believe that at the current state of the battery technology he would sell any because of the distances involved for many people that live in the country. We've tried to change that by exhibiting the LEAF at three events in the town but as of yet we still take the LEAF to Phoenix for any upgrades, etc. The dealer has made provision for a charging station circuit (but no charger) at his new building but won't go to the expense to install one until the next generation comes out. Of course, if a new generation does come out with significantly longer range then it is a whole new ball game for everyone and every use.

It may also be that it's a two way street..Nissan won't place the cars where the market is limited, as are the cars...hopefully soon to change now that they are produced here.

I can only hope so, not just for the sake of the environment, but for the sake of humanity...after all, everyone needs to have more fun in their life and driving a Leaf is just the VEHICLE for that!!

 

[LTLFTcomposite]

I can't tell you how many people have told me "too bad they don't make it so it recharges while you're driving".

 

[greengate]

I would well imagine that they have had that in their action plans, but everything has it's price and consequence.

If that comment is put to me some day, I hope I have the presence of mind to say, " Buy one and encourage your friends to do so too. In that way more of the costs will come down and this will then give them the opportunity to incorporate more of these elements from their 'action plan/want list' into the car, like charges while you are driving!"

 

[ksnogas2112]

When you eventually run into the skeptic that wants to denigrate the LEAF by citing range restrictions, try this. I say, "Is the Chevy Corvette a lousy vehicle?" Of course the answer is no. So then I say, "If you want to carry a 4'x8' sheet of plywood, then it's a lousy vehicle." I follow that by asking if a Ford F150 is a lousy vehicle with the follow up that it's lousy because it can't go from zero to 60 in under 6 seconds. The point I'm trying to drive home is that the LEAF needs to be judged for the market niche that it was created for. It is a wonderful vehicle for urban environments for running errands and commuting without pollution. People need to stop comparing it to a $15,000 econobox to go from sea to shining sea.

+1