BenAzLeaf said:
I am primarily purchasing as a commuter during the months of August-May 20 miles each way mixed freeway and streets. About 6 miles on streets and 14 on the highway. I know the highway zaps range.
When I did my test drive a couple of weeks ago (2013 SV, SOH showing 86%, now showing 84%) I drove 23 miles, mostly on I-5 in Seattle, which is slightly hilly. (Hopefully the link below works and gives the elevation profile. Net elevation was -10 feet, with about 500 feet of up and down.) Traffic was just loose enough that one could have weaved through lanes to maintain over 70 mph (people in Seattle drive really slowly, and most were barely exceeding the 60 mph limit), so it didn't really affect how I drove.
http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=7089388
I set the cruise control at 54 mph on the freeway and put up with being a rolling chicane. LeafSpy claimed 5.4 mi/kWh over that route, which seems WAY too good. I would not bet on getting that during your commute!!! Range chart predicts more like 4.3 at 55 mph, but the last couple of miles at barely over 30 mph with no stops would have helped raise the average. Tires (original, close to needing replacement so nice and light and supple!) were only at 33 PSI cold. Starting battery was 71.9% SOC, 174 GIDs, 61.9% GIDs. Ending values were 51.4% SOC, delta SOC -20.5%, 115 GIDs, 40.9% GIDs.
The next day, I went back and drove a similar car (except with non-OEM tires, near-new Yoko Avid Ascend BluEarth, at 40 PSI) over that route but drove "normally:" about 65 mph (briefly up to seventyish), no cruise control, in B/non-ECO. That drive logged in LS as 3.9 mi/kWH and consumed 85 GIDs; delta SOC -28%.
Can't say how much of the difference is speed and how much was the tires, but clearly seemingly small changes add up to a pretty big difference. From other threads here, it seems the tires *may* be to blame for most of the difference, but that is pretty close to the mi/kWh shown in the range chart for that speed, unlike the first day on which I seem to have somehow over-performed by a lot. I hope my painfully noob experience is useful somehow.
Climate control was off for all of this, except that the fan was running on low. Outside temp was low 60s both days. You can multiply the hours of your commute by whatever the typical rate of AC power consumption is, adjusted for your tolerance for sweating, and figure out how badly that will cut into your range.
Call me crazy but I really dig the funky styling of the leaf, I especially love the rear end.
I like the looks of the rear OK, but visibility for backing up is pretty crappy. I'd like a bigger rear glass and smaller C pillars for that reason. Maybe they were trying to limit glass area back there to reduce insolation?