2018 leaf analog speedometer . Whadayathink?

LeftieBiker said:

Where I drive regularly there are 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 55 and 65MPH speed limits. I do the 'memorize the position' thing with my Vectrix and it's tiresome. The numbers could have been both larger and thicker, as they have been on most Japanese speedos since 1980.

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Overall the car looks very good indeed & I agree about that analog speedometer, It's like something from an 80's budget vehicle. It looks like it's not very easy to read at all and you especially need a good readable speedometer here as all the old style speed cameras are being replaced with average speed cameras. I would have liked an easier digital read out display.

I just mis-posted a response to another thread here. So, uh, I'll just reiterate that reading small increments on a small-number gauge that's buried in a dash cluster does not promote safe or legal driving very well.

Why can't we delete posts?

I literally laughed when I saw the analog speedometer. After thinking about it for a while, I agree with Nubo's assessment. It is generally better / easier to use than having to interpret digits. I try to remain flexible, and I would easily get used to it. My wife drives a CMax Energi which has an analog speedometer, and I have no issue going back and forth.

I actually prefer the look of old-fashion analog gauges here and there. Just like I like having an instrument panel in front of me (rather than, say, a flat-panel monitor bolted onto the center of the car like an after thought as a certain Leaf competitor has).

The reality is I have a Corolla with an analog speedometer and going from LEAF to Corolla is realistically effortless... speed control wise, that is :?

I don't think any of us are in a position to judge good/ bad on this car, as none of us own one or has even sat in one. I think that like all tech, it will be a great step in the evolution of the electric car.

As I have experienced in the past (with the early days of computers) I almost wish that I had not been so tech savvy and not bought a Leaf several years ago... Then I would have an empty driveway ready for a new 2018 Leaf!! I comfort myself that I have had the use of my old Leaf all these years, and may get an EVEN BETTER Gen III Leaf (when my old Leaf is no longer worth keeping).

As for the analog speedometer, it will always bee the preferred display. Although people get used to reading any display, the digital speedo requires the person to mentally "process" the meaning of the numbers on the display, which also take a few tenths of a second to register. Reading the needle of an analog speedo is instantaneous.....

I have to admit, I'm not sure if I'm LMAO or happy that the biggest controversy for the new LEAF is its speedometer.

It is an electronic one, but it is represented with a traditional needle. There may be a secondary display option in the rest of the screen, and in the short time that I had with the car, I did scroll through all of the options but don't remember if there was a digital option available.

When I asked Nissan about this, their reply was that the UI testing showed that their testing showed that drivers preferred a sweep dial over a digital one because the movement of the needle allowed drivers to get a sense of acceleration without having to focus on the display, which between that and the torque of the car pressing you into the seat provided good feedback. This car is really quiet with no electrical whine at all, either on acceleration or deceleration.

Also as a side note, the seats both front and back are very comfortable and supportive, the Bolt could take a lesson from the LEAF seats. When I rode in the back, there was a 6'4" guy next to me, and he fits just fine.

OrientExpress said:

I have to admit, I'm not sure if I'm LMAO or happy that the biggest controversy for the new LEAF is its speedometer.

It is an electronic one, but it is represented with a traditional needle. There may be a secondary display option in the rest of the screen, but in the time that I had with the car, I did scroll through all of the options but don't remember if there was a digital option available.

When I asked Nissan about this, their reply was that the UI testing showed that their testing showed that drivers preferred a sweep dial over a digital one because the movement of the needle allowed drivers to get a sense of acceleration without having to focus on the display, which between that and the torque of the car pressing you into the seat provided good feedback. This car is really quiet with no electrical whine at all, either on acceleration or deceleration.

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LOL!

read thru Facebook, everyone is picking the car apart based on their own "somewhat" obscure need. Its like watching children. The LEAF is a great option for some, not so much for others but the marketability of the car is undeniable. Some here may find it hard to believe but it does fill the needs of a lot of people with minimal compromise.

A perfect analogy; I give my Son a handful of Jelly Beans, all different colors and the first thing out of his mouth is "I don't like Black Jelly Beans!"

Here we have two choices. "Neither do I and was hoping to get rid of them by passing them off to you!"

or I can simply say "That is fine, just eat the ones you like "


Finally we need to come to realization that the more money you want to spend, the more you should expect to receive.

Seriously? That's their reason? I can't remember ever gauging acceleration by watching a speedometer! And I'd be fearful of anyone who was rather than watching the road!

I was, at first, strongly in the analog speedometer camp, but after years of driving cars with digital speedometers, I have reversed my opinion and now prefer digital. I have found it is actually faster and easier to interpret than an analog display.

OrientExpress said:

When I asked Nissan about this, their reply was that the UI testing showed that their testing showed that drivers preferred a sweep dial over a digital one because the movement of the needle allowed drivers to get a sense of acceleration without having to focus on the display, which between that and the torque of the car pressing you into the seat provided good feedback.

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TomT said:

Seriously? That's their reason? I can't remember ever gauging acceleration by watching a speedometer! And I'd be fearful of anyone who was rather than watching the road!

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I'm being repetitive, but you really don't have to watch an analog speedo to get the information. And the gauging of acceleration is done intuitively and almost without thought. It's not just for fun or burnouts, it's a way the brain uses to manipulate acceleration to smoothly hit a target speed. It's like catching a fly ball.

Nubo said:

I'm being repetitive, but you really don't have to watch an analog speedo to get the information. And the gauging of acceleration is done intuitively and almost without thought. It's not just for fun or burnouts, it's a way the brain uses to manipulate acceleration to smoothly hit a target speed. It's like catching a fly ball.

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Exactly, you don't watch it directly, but you see the motion of the needle.

Never the less, adding a digital option in the multi-function display will be in my recommendations to Nissan.

Analog speedo? Meh. Analog power/charge gauge? YEAH! I miss that from my i-MiEV! (Along with rear-wheel drive.)

So much for expecting accurate answers from Orient Express...

It is an electronic one, but it is represented with a traditional needle. There may be a secondary display option in the rest of the screen, and in the short time that I had with the car, I did scroll through all of the options but don't remember if there was a digital option available.

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Hopefully he was wrong about the lack of a charge limit option as well.

Let me repeat, no charge limit control. Period. That decision was made by Nissan in 2013 because they found it serves no useful purpose on the newer batteries and complicates the EPA certification process.

And my statement about the speedometer stands, it is a digital speedometer with an analog look to it. It is not a mechanical speedometer. It is no different from all of the other digital speedometers that Nissan and every other automaker use that has a stepper motor to move a pointer and is controlled by a CAN-BUS controller.

Personally, I the ability think to have a 1980's style numeric speedometer would be a nice addition to the dial speedometer. The desire for a driver configurable numeric speedometer option in the multi-function display has been noted and will be passed on to Nissan.

Nissan could have followed GM's lead and offered a "Hilltop Mode" that would have limited charge to 85% or so. That wouldn't have 'affected EPA certification' any more than it did for GM, and would have helped extend the life of a pack with a very uncertain future, given how poorly the 30kwh version is doing. Now Nissan will see Leaf drivers going to the Bolt because Nissan couldn't be bothered to add a hilltop mode or to retain the top display screen. At the very least this means I'll be riding out my $159 lease until I either see a lease offer from Nissan that reflects the diminished value of the car to me, or I'll lease a Bolt and fix the driver's seat myself.

Here is another shot (frame grab) from a video I shot of the display with the Eco-Meter on the left-hand side. I could see a numeric speed readout in the center between the two dials.



And what the "Bars" for battery capacity looks like now.



And SOC and time to recharge

Thanks for posting more photos. The small digital MPH readout won't be of any use in that location. The speedo won't be as hard to read at night, but everything I wrote will still apply to daytime driving.

What do you think of this LEAF instrument display? This is a 2016 autonomous LEAF prototype I drove (rode in) last year.

I don't like that one either. They could have kept Gen 1 /Prius drivers happy one of two ways: retain the upper digital MPH/Temp display, or add a HUD. They could have paid for either by making the electronic parking brake and power seat part of a third "Luxury package" for a bit more money, instead of including them in the "Tech Package." They could have charged an even $2k (or $1999) for the Tech, and $500 for the Luxury.

Here's a question for you: will Pro Park be added as a software upgrade next year, or will 2018 Leaf drivers be 'orphans' who will never get it?

LeftieBiker said:

Here's a question for you: will Pro Park be added as a software upgrade next year, or will 2018 Leaf drivers be 'orphans' who will never get it?

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I don't know yet, but the pro parking will probably need some additional hardware.

OrientExpress said:

I have to admit, I'm not sure if I'm LMAO or happy that the biggest controversy for the new LEAF is its speedometer.

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Forget about the speedometer controversy - we need to know something really important here...

Do we still have an Eco Tree display?!