Normalcy/Lifestyle with LEAF and no ICE car

I didn't find another topic exactly like this in my search, so I hope this doesn't duplicate an existing thread.

It's been a month since I purchased gas (6/4/12, for the loaner ICE I returned) and I'm very comfortable having an EV and no ICE backup. Now that I've stepped outside my paradigm and gone electric, the LEAF fits nicely into my daily life and feels very normal, as I expected. I don't feel like it was a huge adjustment, just a shift in thinking about "filling it up" and planning my longer trips, since my commutes are short.

I'd like to hear OP's perspecitves who've gone completely ICE car-free. How's it working out for you and have you found it to be as normal (or better!) now that you're soley relying on an EV?

Kathy

I have been Leaf-only for almost a year and it works fine for me. I don't drive long distances so range is not an issue. (I like to travel, but I fly and then rent.) In the year there was only one trip that was not feasible, so my friend drove. Since I power my Leaf (and my home) with my photo voltaic system I derive immense satisfaction from using no fossil fuels at all.

DesertDenizen said:

I have been Leaf-only for almost a year and it works fine for me. I don't drive long distances so range is not an issue. (I like to travel, but I fly and then rent.) In the year there was only one trip that was not feasible, so my friend drove. Since I power my Leaf (and my home) with my photo voltaic system I derive immense satisfaction from using no fossil fuels at all.

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While I agree that PV and no use of fossil fuels for driving is a great thing, don't you see a bit of a contradiction in these two statements?:

"I like to travel, but I fly and then rent."

"I derive immense satisfaction from using no fossil fuels at all."

It sounds like you are using quite a bit of fossil fuel flying. Not criticizing, just pointing out that total fossil fuel use is what matters if you are ecologically minded.

For me it has been perfect. Before I bought the LEAF, I thought very carefully about how far I, normally, traveled in one day over the past five years. I realized it's extremely rare for me to travel more than 75 miles in a day. 99.9% of the time it's around 40 miles or less. I figured that one time in a thousand when I wished to go more than 75 miles in a day I could rent an ICE car. Being in a major metropolitan area, there are a lot of places that rent cars.

In spite of my concerns about the reports of the rapid degradation of the LEAF battery in warm climates, I would never buy an ICE car again (unless I absolutely had no choice). It's too bad the LEAF doesn't have a "warm weather package" with a TMS for the battery. It's, also, too bad there aren't more EV options for Florida residents (as far as I'm concerned, the Volt doesn't count). Sometime very late this year or early 2013, I'm going to see what I can do with my 2012 LEAF. I'm not comfortable staying as an owner waiting for the first battery capacity bar to fall, but as I said, I don't want to ever own an ICE car again.

http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=27&t=9258&start=20&hilit=Normalcy
maybe merge
If temp here will never exceed 75F I will be very comfortable but unfortunately 105F again and not much hope it will go to 75F in near future. Still looking for good way to cool leaf battery. After less than 2 mo and 2 Km my friend already lost 6 % of GIDs

Stoaty said:

DesertDenizen said:

I have been Leaf-only for almost a year and it works fine for me. I don't drive long distances so range is not an issue. (I like to travel, but I fly and then rent.) In the year there was only one trip that was not feasible, so my friend drove. Since I power my Leaf (and my home) with my photo voltaic system I derive immense satisfaction from using no fossil fuels at all.

Click to expand...

While I agree that PV and no use of fossil fuels for driving is a great thing, don't you see a bit of a contradiction in these two statements?:

"I like to travel, but I fly and then rent."

"I derive immense satisfaction from using no fossil fuels at all."

It sounds like you are using quite a bit of fossil fuel flying. Not criticizing, just pointing out that total fossil fuel use is what matters if you are ecologically minded.

Click to expand...

Let me add a parenthetical, "...no fossil fuels at all, except the on average one round trip flight a year". I would gladly compare my total fossil fuel use to anyone in USA. Even someone living in a cave will probably burn wood to cook.

@Stoaty re: desertdenizen's comment:

It sounds like you are using quite a bit of fossil fuel flying. Not criticizing, just pointing out that total fossil fuel use is what matters if you are ecologically minded.

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I think desertdenizen's intent with that response referred to daily life, with the very rare exception of traveling outside range on non-electric resources. I wouldn't disparage someone's ecological mindedness simply because the best route to extended travel is facilitated by non-electric resources. Wouldn't we all love to be able to fly on electric planes and rent EVs wherever we go and be able to plug in everywhere we wander? Such a nice fantasy!

I no longer find long car trips fun or adventurous, so I fly, too, once a year. When I come to CA for vacation in August, I'll be renting a car. I've wondered whether they rent EVs and would consider one, if there were no possibility of my get lost, running out of juice and stranding myself, not knowing where I'm going! Since I've only had my LEAF a month and my commutes are short, I'm not too savvy @ calculating range or planning trips on the navi...but I might just do it! Because I'm ecologically minded.

DesertDenizen said:

Let me add a parenthetical, "...no fossil fuels at all, except the on average one round trip flight a year". I would gladly compare my total fossil fuel use to anyone in USA. Even someone living in a cave will probably burn wood to cook.

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Well in that case, you are probably doing much better than I am. I usually take two flights a year, one from West Coast to somewhere on the East Coast, the other shorter one to the Southwest. I haven't flown outside the country, but have to admit that is as much due to a strong dislike for any flight over 5 hours as it is to a commitment to lower my carbon footprint. Fortunately, there are a bunch of amazing natural wonders to see in the U.S. Still have to burn some gas for a few trips a year to the High Sierra, but 3-4 people in the car and once there travel on foot.

The last time I needed to buy gas was the day I had to drive to Ohio to pick up my LEAF.

I will eventually need a gas car for distant vacations or long trips or heavy towing (none of which I've done since I got my LEAF). It's looking more and more like renting or borrowing is a better long term solution compared to maintaining and insuring a gas car. If I needed to regularly take long trips, the Volt would be a good choice, but I don't presently, so the LEAF works well.

There was no major lifestyle change required for me to go electric. One day I was driving a Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor that got 17MPG, and the next day I'm in a LEAF. I didn't have to change to drive the LEAF.

I'm keeping the Crown Vic for now, but it's mostly for sentimental reasons. :lol:

Since I sold my 20-yr old Lexus in January, I have been 100% electric with my LEAF. I drive almost 1K miles per month, but I really yearn for more range and faster charging. I would like to be able to drive 120 miles, charge 1.5 hrs during a long lunch, drive another 100 miles, and charge overnight at a motel. The Tesla-S with the 60 kWh battery and 10 kW charger comes closest to meeting these specs, but it is too large for me. Hopefully the Tesla model after the X will be more my size.

Saturday I used my 100% charge down to 1 fuel bar above the 2 red bars running up and down the highway and getting a family member to an event, etc., and getting back home. Although I was experiencing some anxiety at the end of the day, I still felt there was enough room to get home before LBW or the 1st red fuel bar. This was also the first time the temp rose a bar, to 7 bars. It has been 6 bars throughout my 1 month of ownership. I'm thinking this is pretty normal and was attributed to the hottest day of the year here (106). I'm sure I can do most of my commutes and running (weekends) without having to sweat much about route planning as long as I charge up to 100% for those occasions (probably once a week). Happy to report LEAF is meeting my needs thus far, with no backup ICE car.

Flower, there are no red bars, if you look closely the two red tick marks on the extreme right are the long term capacity ticks of the battery.. once you get to those, in a few years, you will be due for a new battery. The last two bars of the fuel gauge are just that.. even when they are gone you still have quite a bit of battery capacity in reserve.

OK Herm, I'm a newbie! Yes, to restate it correctly, I was referring to the red tick marks to the right of the last 2 blue/white fuel bars. So, I need to ensure I completely understand the fuel bars. If I use up all the blue/white fuel bars with white tick marks to the right, that leaves the 2 blue/white fuel bars with red tick marks to the right. I believed I would be getting low on batt when down to those last 2 bars, but I might have some discretionary range of about ~20 miles based on the approximation displayed on the GOM (which I know is iffy). At what level of fuel bar depletion will I see the LBW, VLBW warning & the turtle? Does that occur during use of those last 2 fuel bars with the red tick marks to the right? Thanks for the expert help!

Kathy

Once your 12 capacity bars are gone (blue/white ones) you still have anywhere from 24 to 8 miles of range left, depending on how you drive (24 miles at 35mph etc), your best resource is to print out Tony Williams range chart. He also has a chart for an 11 ticks degraded battery. Once your 12 capacity bars are gone you have up to 24 miles left and the low battery warning light will light up, 16 miles later very low battery will light off and 8 miles later you get turtle.. the GOM will disappear at one of these warnings.

http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=4295" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Thanks so much, Herm! I had much more juice than I thought. So it's actually OK to use up those last 2 fuel bars, but common sense dictates you should probably complete you commuting with a bar of fuel left, if you don't have meters or charts. That chart will come in handy - thanks for the help!

Curious, though...do most LEAF drivers deplete all their fuel bars and then head home, assuming it's a short distance? Is that the norm or is that just those risk takers :?:

eclecticflower said:

Thanks so much, Herm! I had much more juice than I thought. So it's actually OK to use up those last 2 fuel bars, but common sense dictates you should probably complete you commuting with a bar of fuel left, if you don't have meters or charts. That chart will come in handy - thanks for the help!

Curious, though...do most LEAF drivers deplete all their fuel bars and then head home, assuming it's a short distance? Is that the norm or is that just those risk takers :?:

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Using up the last two bars is something to avoid in the same way that charging to 100% is something to avoid. In other words, if you need to, use them and try not to leave the car at that low charge state too long. I usually consider LBW to be the lowest I want to be when arriving home, but as you can see from the chart, you still have quite a bit of reserve in case your planning has come up short...and always remember that slowing down will make a huge difference if you realize that you're short on battery.

Thanks, Davewill! That's kind of what I thought. I do drive a lot slower and I stay in the poke-along lane on the highway most of the time, too (I have no big deadlines). The chart will be very helpful to me, as well. I appreciate all the expert advice.