kennethbokor
Well-known member
Hi all, I know this thread has been all about concerns for the new Leaf and its battery pack and throttle charging. Many including myself have provided opinions good and bad about this subject and I still believe that the new Leaf is a very valid option.
This new article from InsideEVs is a great use-case for the new Leaf and sheds more light on what I believe (and I think Nissan believes) will be the vast majority of owners needs.
https://insideevs.com/road-tripping-in-a-2018-nissan-leaf/
A couple of highlights from this article that resonate and I quote:
"The rumors about the new Leaf not being able to endure multiple DCQC without excessive charge time slowdowns proved to be unfounded. During the trip, charging behaviors were no different from previous 2011 and 2014 Leafs. The most significant challenge is that a larger battery can mean longer charge times regardless of the charge rate. All BEVs throttle their charge rates as the battery fills up, but the 2018 Leaf’s charge profile does not seem any different from earlier generations. The challenge for all BEVs is that the larger the battery, the longer time it will take. As infrastructure and BEV charge rates increase, charging times will improve, but the laws of physics apply and the bigger the battery, the longer it will always take."
Also quoting:
"Would Clean Fleet Report recommend driving a LEAF cross-country?
No, we would not, but then again, we would not recommend driving any BEV cross country unless the driver has the patience and courage to do so. Even with the Tesla SuperCharger network currently being the most extensive, the national BEV charging infrastructure is still not there. Even vehicles with more than 250 miles of range suffer from other shortcomings that make long-distance travel impractical and unpleasant at this point, except for those with masochistic tendencies."
I think this info hits the nail on the head for why the new Leaf is a very valid choice for a value-packed BEV. Without Active Thermal Management, it will still fit a very large need for many looking to either upgrade an older EV, add another EV or get into the EV market for the first time (like me!).
You all can argue the merits of ATM or no-ATM and other features till your blue in the face, however I believe that Nissan purposefully released this new Leaf in the format it is in to capitalize on furthering growth in the mass-market sector. Tesla can't still really do this with the Model 3 even though they claim it to be a mass-market BEV. They are close, but trying to sell a 3-series BMW to the Honda Civic/Toyota Corolla crowd is tough to do just because its a premium brand.
The new Leaf may not have the best battery pack architecture, however Nissan's record of leading BEV sales worldwide (soon to be passed by Tesla) since 2010, still hold merit as serious battery issues are few considering the number of Leaf's out there. We primarily only hear bad stuff in forums where most of the good news is not communicated. That's just typical human nature.
I would encourage all to read this article and keep the faith for the new Leaf. Yes it could have been better and Nissan should be selling the Leaf with all the facts so that prospective buyers understand the charging dynamics so they can make an informed decision. However, as you can see in this article that portrays a good road-trip user example, the new Leaf is quite a capable BEV.
This new article from InsideEVs is a great use-case for the new Leaf and sheds more light on what I believe (and I think Nissan believes) will be the vast majority of owners needs.
https://insideevs.com/road-tripping-in-a-2018-nissan-leaf/
A couple of highlights from this article that resonate and I quote:
"The rumors about the new Leaf not being able to endure multiple DCQC without excessive charge time slowdowns proved to be unfounded. During the trip, charging behaviors were no different from previous 2011 and 2014 Leafs. The most significant challenge is that a larger battery can mean longer charge times regardless of the charge rate. All BEVs throttle their charge rates as the battery fills up, but the 2018 Leaf’s charge profile does not seem any different from earlier generations. The challenge for all BEVs is that the larger the battery, the longer time it will take. As infrastructure and BEV charge rates increase, charging times will improve, but the laws of physics apply and the bigger the battery, the longer it will always take."
Also quoting:
"Would Clean Fleet Report recommend driving a LEAF cross-country?
No, we would not, but then again, we would not recommend driving any BEV cross country unless the driver has the patience and courage to do so. Even with the Tesla SuperCharger network currently being the most extensive, the national BEV charging infrastructure is still not there. Even vehicles with more than 250 miles of range suffer from other shortcomings that make long-distance travel impractical and unpleasant at this point, except for those with masochistic tendencies."
I think this info hits the nail on the head for why the new Leaf is a very valid choice for a value-packed BEV. Without Active Thermal Management, it will still fit a very large need for many looking to either upgrade an older EV, add another EV or get into the EV market for the first time (like me!).
You all can argue the merits of ATM or no-ATM and other features till your blue in the face, however I believe that Nissan purposefully released this new Leaf in the format it is in to capitalize on furthering growth in the mass-market sector. Tesla can't still really do this with the Model 3 even though they claim it to be a mass-market BEV. They are close, but trying to sell a 3-series BMW to the Honda Civic/Toyota Corolla crowd is tough to do just because its a premium brand.
The new Leaf may not have the best battery pack architecture, however Nissan's record of leading BEV sales worldwide (soon to be passed by Tesla) since 2010, still hold merit as serious battery issues are few considering the number of Leaf's out there. We primarily only hear bad stuff in forums where most of the good news is not communicated. That's just typical human nature.
I would encourage all to read this article and keep the faith for the new Leaf. Yes it could have been better and Nissan should be selling the Leaf with all the facts so that prospective buyers understand the charging dynamics so they can make an informed decision. However, as you can see in this article that portrays a good road-trip user example, the new Leaf is quite a capable BEV.