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V8BoatBuilder

Member
Joined
Jul 1, 2018
Messages
14
Hi All:

I just purchased and drove home a 2018 SL with Tech Package, black-on-black. I beat the dealership up and got them to include free oil changes for life!! :lol: This car replaces a beloved VW TDI with a manual, I've gone from three pedals down to one!

Very impressed with the car, compared it against the Chevy Bolt and it was leaps and bounds above. I'll be using the car to commute ~40 miles each way daily in Central NJ. I'll be installing EVSE's outside at both my house and shop, even though it will most likely only be charged at work.

Question for all Leaf owners: What do you wish you knew about the Leaf and owning an electric vehicle when you first got started, that you've learned through ownership.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1ec1RxytzmIXkC0b9ghdER6u2N4iYYFAu
 
Most here like Clipper Creek EVSE's I use and build OpenEVSE units. I understand the Amazing EVSE on Amazon is made by Clipper Creek. It is only 16A cut it will do the job overnight. At less than $200 it is hard to turn down.

There is also the Chinese units. They lack GFCI protection but they are less than $200 on Amazon.
 
In just about seven years of LEAF ownership (not all the same physical car, tho), I haven't discovered anything that would have altered the purchase decisions. There *have* been a couple disappointments of the "I wish they'd..." kind. The most significant of these is the lack of any kind of cooling for the battery, A couple notches down, potato-size-wise, is Nissan's lackluster approach to the notion of firmware updating.
 
V8BoatBuilder said:
Hi All:

I just purchased and drove home a 2018 SL with Tech Package, black-on-black. I beat the dealership up and got them to include free oil changes for life!! :lol: This car replaces a beloved VW TDI with a manual, I've gone from three pedals down to one!

Very impressed with the car, compared it against the Chevy Bolt and it was leaps and bounds above. I'll be using the car to commute ~40 miles each way daily in Central NJ. I'll be installing EVSE's outside at both my house and shop, even though it will most likely only be charged at work.

Question for all Leaf owners: What do you wish you knew about the Leaf and owning an electric vehicle when you first got started, that you've learned through ownership.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1ec1RxytzmIXkC0b9ghdER6u2N4iYYFAu

I learned through experience that Nissan's tire pressure recommendations resulted in rapid tire shoulder wear, particularly with the Ecopia tires. The batteries make these fairly heavy cars for their size. Caught it early by feeling the tires for "feathering", and once I bumped the Ecopias up to 44psi tire wear and handling improved. Not sure if this applies to 2018.
 
When I bought my 2013 I wish I had known about the battery degrading under high Summer temps. I attribute half of the car's 5 year capacity loss to that first, HOT Summer.
 
You're already on top of mine. I was going to recommend getting a L2 station as soon as possible. Once we got one, our use of the EV vs ICE increased quite a bit as the turn-around time for charging was greatly reduced.

Congrats on replacing the TDI with a Leaf - probably qualifies for a 'most improved' medal.
 
V8BoatBuilder said:
Hi All:

I beat the dealership up and got them to include free oil changes for life!! :lol:

I wish I had though of that :D

In the winter mornings you can enjoy preheating the car while the Leaf is plugged in, and in the summer you can precool while plugged into the EVSE.

I think you will enjoy the propilot features and the intelligent cruise control during your commute. Note you can adjust the desired spacing btwn you and the car in front of you when using the cruise control.
 
Nubo said:
I learned through experience that Nissan's tire pressure recommendations resulted in rapid tire shoulder wear, particularly with the Ecopia tires. The batteries make these fairly heavy cars for their size. Caught it early by feeling the tires for "feathering", and once I bumped the Ecopias up to 44psi tire wear and handling improved. Not sure if this applies to 2018.

Great tip - thanks! I usually run my tires at a higher PSI anyway, will jump from 36 to 38 to start and see where we go!
 
DarthPuppy said:
Congrats on replacing the TDI with a Leaf - probably qualifies for a 'most improved' medal.

TDI w/manual was a great car, NOx emission scandal aside, I was getting an honest 45mpg on my commute. But I'll take the medal. :lol:
 
GlennD said:
Most here like Clipper Creek EVSE's I use and build OpenEVSE units. I understand the Amazing EVSE on Amazon is made by Clipper Creek. It is only 16A cut it will do the job overnight. At less than $200 it is hard to turn down.

There is also the Chinese units. They lack GFCI protection but they are less than $200 on Amazon.

Since I have 208v at my shop, I am thinking of getting a OpenEVSE kit and taking the Nissan's EVSE J1772 cord to round it out (Nissan EVSE won't work on 208). Thoughts?
 
V8BoatBuilder said:
GlennD said:
Most here like Clipper Creek EVSE's I use and build OpenEVSE units. I understand the Amazing EVSE on Amazon is made by Clipper Creek. It is only 16A cut it will do the job overnight. At less than $200 it is hard to turn down.

There is also the Chinese units. They lack GFCI protection but they are less than $200 on Amazon.

Since I have 208v at my shop, I am thinking of getting a OpenEVSE kit and taking the Nissan's EVSE J1772 cord to round it out (Nissan EVSE won't work on 208). Thoughts?

I would leave the Nissan unit intact and keep it in the car for emergencies since it will work fine on 120V or 240V and is covered by the 5-year EV system warranty (assuming warranty on 2018 is similar to 2011 and 2015). If you go the OpenEVSE route, get a high-quality connector and cable to match its maximum output. If you may be driving during the day and need to recharge quickly, get an EVSE that will supply 30 amperes or more (assuming you have adequate power panel capacity). If you have existing welding (NEMA 6-50), RV (NEMA 14-50), or air conditioner/power tool (NEMA 6-20 or 6-30) receptacles, you can get Clipper Creek units with appropriate plugs and current ratings to use those existing receptacles. Supply cords on the Clipper Creek units are only 12 inches long overall (to comply with electrical codes and standards) so it can be a challenge to mount the unit within reach of an existing receptacle.

I have a Clipper Creek HCS-50P at my workshop that works fine on 208V. I could not conveniently mount it within reach of the existing RV receptacle so I mounted it on a pedestal which is on casters so I can roll it out of the way when not in use. I bought a 15-foot RV extension cord to plug it in to the receptacle.
 
At the risk of sounding like a broken record, the Zencar 32A portable EVSE is hard to beat on value. It's not GFCI protected though.
 
alozzy said:
At the risk of sounding like a broken record, the Zencar 32A portable EVSE is hard to beat on value. It's not GFCI protected though.

THAT IS THE PROBLEM.with CHINESE EVSE'S. they usually work fine but they do not meet the J1772 SPEC SINCE IT REQUIRES GFCI, i RAN MY OpenEVSE IN THE EARLY DAYS WITHOUT GFCI NOW THE ENTIRE GFCI circuit is tested at power up. I think it is unique in that respect.
 
To each his/her own...

I was a little unlucky in that, a few months after purchasing an EVSE, my local government introduced a rebate program that covers the first $750 (has to be installed by a qualified electrician) towards an EVSE. I would likely have purchased a hard wired, wall mounted EVSE under that program...

Having said that, a portable EVSE, that supports a wide range of supply voltages and with multiple amperage set points, is super nice. My family does lots of camping in the summer, so having the flexibility to charge at 120V, 208V, and 240V, and at max (safe) amperage levels based on that supply, is a huge benefit at RV parks. Even at home, I was able to install a NEMA 14-30R and use the 24A set point on the Zencar - something that few EVSEs offer.
 
Don't forget to apply for State and Federal EV charger tax credits. In 2017, it was a 30% Federal credit (form 8911) and was 50% in my state of Oregon. I am very satisfied with my Siemens Level 2 charger at just $430. Several friends have the same unit, too, and all are very pleased with it.

https://www.amazon.com/Siemens-US2-VersiCharge-Installation-Compatibility/dp/B00MFVI92S/ref=pd_cp_60_1?pd_rd_w=4IA0K&pf_rd_p=ef4dc990-a9ca-4945-ae0b-f8d549198ed6&pf_rd_r=223XZ95ZP29K1ES83TJF&pd_rd_r=17e664d0-0ee7-11e9-a059-b1f801463c4e&pd_rd_wg=hqTjU&pd_rd_i=B00MFVI92S&psc=1&refRID=223XZ95ZP29K1ES83TJF
 
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