Has the novelty worn off yet?

Here I thought I had a rare car, but yesterday I found out that there are 2 other Leaf owners in my neighborhood (Leafygreen lives about 4 blocks from me), and today I saw another Leaf at the Farmers Market, and another at Whole Foods. Are they really everywhere, or is it just a Silicon Valley thing? I even passed two Volts on Saturday.

Too bad public chargers are not as plentiful!

I thought I was being surrounded myself. The first day I drove it to work, last Monday, somebody's white LEAF was already parked in the main lot, stealing my thunder. Must have been a visitor, because I haven't seen it since. Two days later, I ended up parking next to a black one at my usual spot to stop for breakfast. They've gone back to being invisible ever since, though, so i just don't know.

there is probably 3+ in my area. i know the other 2 and have to assume that Charles received his in a group so there about a handful here, but have yet to see one on the road other than the various shows we have congregated

I'm visiting friends in Los Gatos, CA and I spotted a white LEAF on Friday, I think it was, near Los Gatos Blvd near Rt 17.

It was the only LEAF I've seen while traveling the central coast, Monterey, Pacific Grove, Los Gatos, Saratoga and up to SF this week. (In the Prius, of course, not the LEAF, regrettably).

I still really haven't seen a leaf in the wild except mine. I've seen a lot at the Seattle Leaf meetups, and I saw my co-worker's Leaf when she got hers long before I did, but I still haven't seen one truly out in the wild while driving around.

I did have someone pointing and waving and smiling at a stoplight yesterday. They were in a Honda Fit (I think) after just taking Exit 1 on Southbound I-405 in Tukwilla. Obviously they knew what a Leaf was, perhaps they're on this forum? That was my first time that I noticed someone recognizing the Leaf while I was driving it.

Oh, and to answer the OP, nope, hasn't worn off yet for me!

blorg said:

I still really haven't seen a leaf in the wild except mine.

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x2

There is no novelty. This is the new reality.

Love the car! I don't think it will wear off. So far, I have not seen another LEAF out and about (10 and 405 freeways, down to Manhattan Beach REI, downtown LA daily during the week). If you see me, wave!

On Saturday, when we passed a Volt, the 4 guys in the Volt freaked out, and were waving, and honking, and flashing their headlights, all with big smiles. It was a "passing a fellow Porsche" moment.

I have yet to see another Leaf in the wild, which surprises me a little really, since I commute on some of the busiest roads...

i have yet to see another leaf or its driver save at the dealership when i was there on day 2 of my pickup-the-leaf excusion.

out and about south bay LA, 405, 105.

OrientExpress said:

Here I thought I had a rare car, but yesterday I found out that there are 2 other Leaf owners in my neighborhood (Leafygreen lives about 4 blocks from me), and today I saw another Leaf at the Farmers Market, and another at Whole Foods. Are they really everywhere, or is it just a Silicon Valley thing? I even passed two Volts on Saturday.

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Out yesterday and saw LEEFEE (white) on the 805 south to 163 to Mission Valley and then saw my neighbor (a block away - black) in the Vons parking lot in Del Mar Heights... today I saw one (silver) in the Del Mar Heights Barns & Noble parking lot... Guess we are reaching a critical mass. Everywhere you turn... Just what I was hoping for the sake of Nissan and the industry... Finally, we are approaching ubiquitosness.

Malcolm

Just what I was hoping for the sake of Nissan and the industry... Finally, we are approaching ubiquitosness.

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Having a Leaf (or a Volt for that matter) on the road is a great way of getting people to think about Electric cars, especially if they see the car staying up in traffic. When I'm cruising at 60 ~ 65 on the freeway, and get some "flies" trailing me to check out the car, it is fun to move out of Eco, and floor it. Acceleration from 60 to 80 is pretty good, and gives me some space, but as soon as I coast (regen) back down to 60, the flies are back.

I can sometimes read the lips of the people in the cars behind me. Usually they point and say "Oh look there is one of those electric cars".

blorg said:

I still really haven't seen a leaf in the wild except mine. I've seen a lot at the Seattle Leaf meetups, and I saw my co-worker's Leaf when she got hers long before I did, but I still haven't seen one truly out in the wild while driving around.

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There's a blue LEAF that's shown up a couple times near the Krispy Kreme on Aurora here in Seattle. (I live right by Licton Springs Park, so I pass by the KK whenever I go onto Aurora to head up to Costco.) And a friend spotted another LEAF down in downtown Olympia last week.

(I also saw a whole bunch of LEAFs at once on I-5 a couple weeks ago, but they were all on a truck being hauled up to Campbell-Nelson, so I'm not sure that counts!)

Boomer23 said:

I'm visiting friends in Los Gatos, CA and I spotted a white LEAF on Friday, I think it was, near Los Gatos Blvd near Rt 17.

It was the only LEAF I've seen while traveling the central coast, Monterey, Pacific Grove, Los Gatos, Saratoga and up to SF this week. (In the Prius, of course, not the LEAF, regrettably).

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I've seen that one! A couple of times on my commute to work, and then on Saturday he drove down Blossom Hill Road towards my subdivision. That was my 6th in the wild.

Actually, I'd be interested to learn more about owners up and down the coast--at our last LEAF enthusiast gathering, we discussed doing a SF-LA relay/rally and it would take quite a coordinated effort.

I see one or two per week.

I haven't seen another Leaf in the "wild" yet, but I had a few moments this weekend:

1) driving across the 105 on Saturday in the carpool lane (thanks DMV for the HOV stickers!), a white Prius pulled alongside in the fast lane and gave me a thumbs-up -- this is the first real acknowledgement I've received in nearly 8 weeks of ownership that I'm not driving a Versa.

2) we actually left the car with a valet today at an event near the 405/10. I turned off the radio and A/C just in case, but the valet brought it back intact with only minimal instructions (there are enough cars with proximity keys and push-button starters, and the gearshift has the pattern printed right there, so...) He turned the car off when he brought it back, which is equivalent to "Park" if you don't know where that is ;-)

There are several other Leaf deliveries at my workplace that I've heard of, but only seen one at the charging stations.

PS: There is a HUGE, office-building-sized "skin" billboard on the southbound 405 near LAX for the Leaf... it was a bit surreal driving my blue Leaf past a giant blue Leaf on Saturday - nearly surrounded by Priuses (I had no idea of the Prius density on the 405... really)

So.... it still feels pretty "novel" to me, even after 1,200 miles...

I'm just south of Mission Viejo in SoCal and I have yet to see anyone driving a volt or a leaf. I think I'm the only leafer around here so far.

I think the novelty is building, in the wider sense. I've had my car for three weeks, and the first two I only talked to friends, neighbors, and one stranger about it. But in the last week I've been stopped five times just as I was getting out of, or into, the car. The people stopping me were all total strangers, who knew something about the car and wanted to know a lot more. I think we are reaching the point where the general public is aware that the cars are real, and they are really getting curious. I'd be tempted to say that the price of gas is an important factor, except that the price is going down here right now, and the people don't ask about the cost of electricity. They do ask about how far I can go, and how fast, and how peppy the car is. They are wondering where I can plug in, and how hard it is to charge at home. They want to know how much the car costs and and how long it will last. These are the sorts of things I would expect from people starting to take the car seriously.

Ray

Novelty worn off? I don't think so, just back from joyriding around the neighborhood flying up Dravus St hill quicker and smoother than ever.

I have the option of working at home or working in the office 30 miles and bad traffic round trip away across 520. Sometimes more than an hour each way. As you would think, office appearance was very rare. I'm da boss, so the rest of the crew likes that I'm sure. Now that I'm driving the Leaf, I'm commuting everyday. Single pedal ECO mode driving, Water Colors on the XM, handles the dense traffic. When I need that torque to lane jump or merge it's there with D. Driving is fun again. Smooth torque is a drug!

It's only been a week but I would say that the more I drive the more I want to stay in the car. I'm a car fan and I love speed, but with the Leaf I'm happy driving in slow traffic and i'm less bothered by traffic knowing that I'm not wasting gas when the car is idle.

The first car I drove was a Civic hatchback that rattled like a school bus, and as the years go by newer and better cars had more quiet engine and smoother ride. With the silent Leaf I felt like I've reached some level of nirvana and I don't think this feeling will go away soon.