Considering 2013 Leaf

[eezip]

Hi! First-time poster but recent lurker.

I am leaning heavily toward buying a used Leaf. I like the green aspect of it for the planet, I'm an electrical engineer so I like the technology for myself, and my vehicular needs are minimal as I work from home and a car is an appliance for me. Mostly just driving my young son to school, grocery, library, sports class, etc. My wife had a 2015 Fiat 500e lease and now has a 2014 Volt; as I'm the primary driver for family trips I'm familiar with driving an EV and doing it efficiently.

Perhaps importantly, I'm in CA just south of LA so the weather is relatively mild though it can get hot at times.

Before going any further, thanks to @leftiebiker for the great write-up on buying a used Leaf at https://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?t=26662!

Today I looked at a 2013 in excellent shape. Paint and body are terrific, interior is nice, doors and windows open and close smoothly, and it drives well on freeway and surface streets. I'm not sure of the trim level, but it's well-optioned with the bigger touchscreen display, navigation, quick charge, leather seats, 17" wheels/tires, and BOSE audio system. I bought a BAFX OBDII reader and Leaf Spy Pro to gather info I couldn't get from a look and a test drive.

Quick specs:
2013
85k miles
7 bars
37 AHr
57% SoH
34% Hx
18 QCs
4719 L1/L2
32mV cell imbalance
$3900 (perhaps negotiable)

Pictures/screenshots:
https://ibb.co/9bBnbH7
https://ibb.co/VT2tVnq
https://ibb.co/RCRXvJ8
https://ibb.co/WvPjQHr

It was built in 10/13 so it should have the 'wolf pack'. There are only 7 bars left, though, and the battery is my biggest concern as it is already at 57% SoH. When I saw it today, it showed 42% charge with 17 miles remaining with the AC turned on. (See picture.) Turning the AC off gave 4 more miles, which comes out to 50 miles of range with no heating or cooling.

Let's do some projections with all the caveats that comes with. My son's school is 2 miles away, so a round trip in the morning and afternoon 250 days/year is 2k miles. Driving 5k miles/year is generous for me, and that would equate to 135k miles on the car after 10 years. If the SoH and range drops roughly linearly, it's lost 33% in 85k miles over 10 years; losing another 33% in the next 10 years is 33 mile range. There are a lot of assumptions, most of them conservative, but that seems perfectly adequate for my needs. And I get a usable electric car for that span of time.

The seller, and individual, doesn't have a Carfax. If the above makes sense for my expected usage, as it is, then it's worth it to dig a bit deeper and buy that. I tried https://www.vehiclehistory.com/ and it was nice but I've seen more info from Carfax. Including the trim level of the car which I still don't know. Is there anything else I should look at outside of the battery and expectations for it in the future? Anything to do with charging, perhaps? Or recall B1018?

There is also another 2013 Leaf S I saw but maybe it has the same inadequate or risky battery considerations. I don't know as much about that but I can hopefully get Leaf Spy Pro info soon. It has just a few small dents/dings but still nice outside but seems to have no options. 77k miles, also 50 mile range when fully changed and about the same price. I don't know about the battery bars or manufacture date either. However, for my needs it's probably roughly equivalent with acceptable (though far less) features. I have a personal connection to the seller, though, which definitely counts for something. And the Carfax is good. It has recall/service PC421 and P9312 performed, with an open recall for R23A1 and nothing about B1018.

 

[eezip]

I saw another one yesterday. The one I mentioned below.

Quick specs:
2013
77k miles
7 bars
37 AHr
57% SoH
34% Hx
8 QCs
2807 L1/L2
10mV cell imbalance
$3800

Pictures/screenshots:
https://ibb.co/Tt5ykj9
https://ibb.co/VtXN2WH
https://ibb.co/n65hD8W

This one is bereft of nearly all options. Just a backup camera, it seems. Built in 06/13 so it also should have the 'wolf pack' battery.

However, the pictures show that the battery seems much better. While the numerical specs are very similar, the cells are much more consistent. Much smaller deviation. There are fewer quick charges on this car, but it's only 8 vs 18 on the other car so I would be more likely to suspect some natural battery-to-battery deviation. Is there another explanation? I'm not sure how much this means for the overall battery's life and behavior over time. Any ideas how these two batteries compare now and may compare the future?

Thank you!

 

[cwerdna]

'13 Leaf trim levels, options and packages can be seen at specs tab of https://usa.nissannews.com/en-US/releases/release-698a9e429ae04602b683514427ca41ba-us-2013-nissan-leaf-press-kit?selectedTabId=#release-164f5dfc10994c27bcc595b2dbd9c314. You can find more by Googling for nnnn leaf press kit, replacing nnnn with model year.

If it it had leather, it was an SL. That's the only trim on '13 to '17 that comes with black leather. You should also see a solar panel on the rear spoiler. CHAdeMO (for DC fast (quick) charging) inlet is standard on '13 SL. I think it was standard on '12 to '17 SL.

'13 to '17 S only have black cloth w/knobs for the HVAC and stereo + no nav.

'13 to '17 SV has nav and could come in black or light cloth interior. There are no knobs for HVAC or stereo.

On '13 SV, quick charge + LED headlight package added that... There was also a premium package that added Around View Monitor (360 degree cameras) and Bose stereo. Look under Options & Packages at the specs tab of the URL I posted.

My former leased '13 SV w/both packages had a light cloth interior. The used '13 SV w/premium only I owned for almost 6 years had a black cloth interior.

 

[Farah]

Hi! First-time poster but recent lurker.

I am leaning heavily toward buying a used Leaf. I like the green aspect of it for the planet, I'm an electrical engineer so I like the technology for myself, and my vehicular needs are minimal as I work from home and a car is an appliance for me. Mostly just driving my young son to school, grocery, library, sports class, etc. My wife had a 2015 Fiat 500e lease and now has a 2014 Volt; as I'm the primary driver for family trips I'm familiar with driving an EV and doing it efficiently.

Perhaps importantly, I'm in CA just south of LA so the weather is relatively mild though it can get hot at times.

Before going any further, thanks to @leftiebiker for the great write-up on buying a used Leaf at https://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?t=26662!

Today I looked at a 2013 in excellent shape. Paint and body are terrific, interior is nice, doors and windows open and close smoothly, and it drives well on freeway and surface streets. I'm not sure of the trim level, but it's well-optioned with the bigger touchscreen display, navigation, quick charge, leather seats, 17" wheels/tires, and BOSE audio system. I bought a BAFX OBDII reader and Leaf Spy Pro to gather info I couldn't get from a look and a test drive.

Quick specs:
2013
85k miles
7 bars
37 AHr
57% SoH
34% Hx
18 QCs
4719 L1/L2
32mV cell imbalance
$3900 (perhaps negotiable)

Pictures/screenshots:
https://ibb.co/9bBnbH7
https://ibb.co/VT2tVnq
https://ibb.co/RCRXvJ8
https://ibb.co/WvPjQHr

It was built in 10/13 so it should have the 'wolf pack'. There are only 7 bars left, though, and the battery is my biggest concern as it is already at 57% SoH. When I saw it today, it showed 42% charge with 17 miles remaining with the AC turned on. (See picture.) Turning the AC off gave 4 more miles, which comes out to 50 miles of range with no heating or cooling.

Let's do some projections with all the caveats that comes with. My son's school is 2 miles away, so a round trip in the morning and afternoon 250 days/year is 2k miles. Driving 5k miles/year is generous for me, and that would equate to 135k miles on the car after 10 years. If the SoH and range drops roughly linearly, it's lost 33% in 85k miles over 10 years; losing another 33% in the next 10 years is 33 mile range. There are a lot of assumptions, most of them conservative, but that seems perfectly adequate for my needs. And I get a usable electric car for that span of time.

The seller, and individual, doesn't have a Carfax. If the above makes sense for my expected usage, as it is, then it's worth it to dig a bit deeper and buy that. I tried https://www.vehiclehistory.com/ and it was nice but I've seen more info from Carfax. Including the trim level of the car which I still don't know. Is there anything else I should look at outside of the battery and expectations for it in the future? Anything to do with charging, perhaps? Or recall B1018?

There is also another 2013 Leaf S I saw but maybe it has the same inadequate or risky battery considerations. I don't know as much about that but I can hopefully get Leaf Spy Pro info soon. It has just a few small dents/dings but still nice outside but seems to have no options. 77k miles, also 50 mile range when fully changed and about the same price. I don't know about the battery bars or manufacture date either. However, for my needs it's probably roughly equivalent with acceptable (though far less) features. I have a personal connection to the seller, though, which definitely counts for something. And the Carfax is good. It has recall/service PC421 and P9312 performed, with an open recall for R23A1 and nothing about B1018.

It's exciting to learn that you're thinking about purchasing an electric vehicle (EV) like the Nissan Leaf to address your unique requirements and worries about the environment. Here are some things to think about while comparing the two 2013 Nissan Leaf models that you are looking at:

2013 Nissan Leaf with 85,000 miles, seven bars, 37 hours of available power, and 57% state of charge:

The fact that there are only seven bars remaining on the battery's state of health (SoH) indicator shows that the battery has significantly decreased in capacity. A range of 50 miles and a state of health of 57% indicate that the battery may not have very much more life in it.
The asking price of the seller is $3,900, which is on the lower end for a Leaf but reflects the vehicle's limited battery capacity.
With 77,000 miles on the odometer, a 2013 Nissan Leaf S:

You noted that this Leaf may also have battery difficulties; nevertheless, you need to acquire additional information about its state of health in order to make an informed decision.
It may be to your advantage to have a personal relationship with the seller, and the fact that the vehicle in question has a clean Carfax record is an encouraging indicator.
Make sure that you collect data from the Leaf Spy Pro on this car so that you can determine the state of the battery.
In either scenario, the condition of the battery is the single most important thing to think about. It is anticipated that the battery will need to be changed in the not-too-distant future since the capacity of the Leaf's battery gradually decreases over time. The initial car has 7 bars of capacity and 57% state of health (SoH). Buying a new battery is an item that should be taken into consideration when making a budget, since it can be rather pricey.

 

[LeftieBiker]

I'd forget about getting another 10 years from a 7 bar Leaf. It might happen, but by no means count on it. My advice would be to see if you can afford to buy the SL now, drive it for maybe 2 years, and then have a used 40kwh battery installed. Total outlay: about $15k. You have the features you want,and in 2 years or so you'd have the range as well.

 

[harrins]

Hi! First-time poster but recent lurker.

I am leaning heavily toward buying a used Leaf. I like the green aspect of it for the planet, I'm an electrical engineer so I like the technology for myself, and my vehicular needs are minimal as I work from home and a car is an appliance for me. Mostly just driving my young son to school, grocery, library, sports class, etc. My wife had a 2015 Fiat 500e lease and now has a 2014 Volt; as I'm the primary driver for family trips I'm familiar with driving an EV and doing it efficiently.

Perhaps importantly, I'm in CA just south of LA so the weather is relatively mild though it can get hot at times.

Before going any further, thanks to @leftiebiker for the great write-up on buying a used Leaf at https://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?t=26662!

Today I looked at a 2013 in excellent shape. Paint and body are terrific, interior is nice, doors and windows open and close smoothly, and it drives well on freeway and surface streets. I'm not sure of the trim level, but it's well-optioned with the bigger touchscreen display, navigation, quick charge, leather seats, 17" wheels/tires, and BOSE audio system. I bought a BAFX OBDII reader and Leaf Spy Pro to gather info I couldn't get from a look and a test drive.

Quick specs:
2013
85k miles
7 bars
37 AHr
57% SoH
34% Hx
18 QCs
4719 L1/L2
32mV cell imbalance
$3900 (perhaps negotiable)

Pictures/screenshots:
https://ibb.co/9bBnbH7
https://ibb.co/VT2tVnq
https://ibb.co/RCRXvJ8
https://ibb.co/WvPjQHr

It was built in 10/13 so it should have the 'wolf pack'. There are only 7 bars left, though, and the battery is my biggest concern as it is already at 57% SoH. When I saw it today, it showed 42% charge with 17 miles remaining with the AC turned on. (See picture.) Turning the AC off gave 4 more miles, which comes out to 50 miles of range with no heating or cooling.

Let's do some projections with all the caveats that comes with. My son's school is 2 miles away, so a round trip in the morning and afternoon 250 days/year is 2k miles. Driving 5k miles/year is generous for me, and that would equate to 135k miles on the car after 10 years. If the SoH and range drops roughly linearly, it's lost 33% in 85k miles over 10 years; losing another 33% in the next 10 years is 33 mile range. There are a lot of assumptions, most of them conservative, but that seems perfectly adequate for my needs. And I get a usable electric car for that span of time.

The seller, and individual, doesn't have a Carfax. If the above makes sense for my expected usage, as it is, then it's worth it to dig a bit deeper and buy that Slope 3 features a variety of control options to suit your playstyle.. I tried https://www.vehiclehistory.com/ and it was nice but I've seen more info from Carfax. Including the trim level of the car which I still don't know. Is there anything else I should look at outside of the battery and expectations for it in the future? Anything to do with charging, perhaps? Or recall B1018?

There is also another 2013 Leaf S I saw but maybe it has the same inadequate or risky battery considerations. I don't know as much about that but I can hopefully get Leaf Spy Pro info soon. It has just a few small dents/dings but still nice outside but seems to have no options. 77k miles, also 50 mile range when fully changed and about the same price. I don't know about the battery bars or manufacture date either. However, for my needs it's probably roughly equivalent with acceptable (though far less) features. I have a personal connection to the seller, though, which definitely counts for something. And the Carfax is good. It has recall/service PC421 and P9312 performed, with an open recall for R23A1 and nothing about B1018.

The first Leaf has potential, but the low battery health makes it risky. Proceed with caution if you decide to pursue it.
The second Leaf is a less exciting option but could be viable if the battery health is good and the price is lower.
Consider waiting for a Leaf with more battery health if possible. Aim for at least 8-10 bars for longer peace of mind.

 

[knightmb]

I was not able to get any of the picture links to work, so I'll go by the information you've provided. I had good luck with my 2013 SV, it had every option except the leather seats and solar panel. My 2013 LeafSpy history about it is in my signature if you want the technical stuff for research.

That aside, going by this information, you are down to around 13 kWh of capacity. Minus 0.5 kWh for shutdown, you have a realistic capacity of about 12 kWh to work with. Under ideal conditions (flat driving), good weather (no climate control) and great EV tires, you should be about to get close to 60 miles of range (ideally). Granted, you'll probably want to use climate control and it might just have regular ICE vehicle tires on it, so a more realistic range will be less than 48 miles, but only if you drove it until the battery was completely depleted. It is more difficult to do this on the Gen 1 Leaf due to how the SOC gauge kind of blanks out after it gets below 6%, you would need LeafSpy to feather out the rest of the range with gentile driving. The conductance of the battery pack is also very low at 34%, so this can exaggerate issues in cold weather or when the battery pack is getting near the depletion zone, it could turtle mode unexpectedly.

I wouldn't try to predict the future battery degradation until you get a chance to take a lot of LeafSpy readings over time to get an idea of how balanced the cells are and at what rate the SOH continues to decline but this would probably only be possible after you purchase it. So yeah, it's a bit of a gamble.

Leather seats and such, this is probably the SL trim. That means it has the heat-pump, so that helps the range during the cold times. With everything else being equal in quality of mechanical condition, if the battery is in good condition (for the age and miles) and your use of it is short range driving, it could continue to be of great use for years to come. Just keep in mind that the range will continue to tick away as time marches forward. Certainly do your research to know what you are getting in to.

Hi! First-time poster but recent lurker.

I am leaning heavily toward buying a used Leaf. I like the green aspect of it for the planet, I'm an electrical engineer so I like the technology for myself, and my vehicular needs are minimal as I work from home and a car is an appliance for me. Mostly just driving my young son to school, grocery, library, sports class, etc. My wife had a 2015 Fiat 500e lease and now has a 2014 Volt; as I'm the primary driver for family trips I'm familiar with driving an EV and doing it efficiently.

Perhaps importantly, I'm in CA just south of LA so the weather is relatively mild though it can get hot at times.

Before going any further, thanks to @leftiebiker for the great write-up on buying a used Leaf at https://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?t=26662!

Today I looked at a 2013 in excellent shape. Paint and body are terrific, interior is nice, doors and windows open and close smoothly, and it drives well on freeway and surface streets. I'm not sure of the trim level, but it's well-optioned with the bigger touchscreen display, navigation, quick charge, leather seats, 17" wheels/tires, and BOSE audio system. I bought a BAFX OBDII reader and Leaf Spy Pro to gather info I couldn't get from a look and a test drive.

Quick specs:
2013
85k miles
7 bars
37 AHr
57% SoH
34% Hx
18 QCs
4719 L1/L2
32mV cell imbalance
$3900 (perhaps negotiable)

Pictures/screenshots:
https://ibb.co/9bBnbH7
https://ibb.co/VT2tVnq
https://ibb.co/RCRXvJ8
https://ibb.co/WvPjQHr

It was built in 10/13 so it should have the 'wolf pack'. There are only 7 bars left, though, and the battery is my biggest concern as it is already at 57% SoH. When I saw it today, it showed 42% charge with 17 miles remaining with the AC turned on. (See picture.) Turning the AC off gave 4 more miles, which comes out to 50 miles of range with no heating or cooling.

Let's do some projections with all the caveats that comes with. My son's school is 2 miles away, so a round trip in the morning and afternoon 250 days/year is 2k miles. Driving 5k miles/year is generous for me, and that would equate to 135k miles on the car after 10 years. If the SoH and range drops roughly linearly, it's lost 33% in 85k miles over 10 years; losing another 33% in the next 10 years is 33 mile range. There are a lot of assumptions, most of them conservative, but that seems perfectly adequate for my needs. And I get a usable electric car for that span of time.

The seller, and individual, doesn't have a Carfax. If the above makes sense for my expected usage, as it is, then it's worth it to dig a bit deeper and buy that. I tried https://www.vehiclehistory.com/ and it was nice but I've seen more info from Carfax. Including the trim level of the car which I still don't know. Is there anything else I should look at outside of the battery and expectations for it in the future? Anything to do with charging, perhaps? Or recall B1018?

There is also another 2013 Leaf S I saw but maybe it has the same inadequate or risky battery considerations. I don't know as much about that but I can hopefully get Leaf Spy Pro info soon. It has just a few small dents/dings but still nice outside but seems to have no options. 77k miles, also 50 mile range when fully changed and about the same price. I don't know about the battery bars or manufacture date either. However, for my needs it's probably roughly equivalent with acceptable (though far less) features. I have a personal connection to the seller, though, which definitely counts for something. And the Carfax is good. It has recall/service PC421 and P9312 performed, with an open recall for R23A1 and nothing about B1018.

 

[knightmb]

The battery stats make it about equal with the first one you mentioned, other than having less physical miles. The cell balance is better, but without context about SOC you got the reading, it's hard to say if this is better than the first or if this one is just fresh after a full charge where cell balancing is done near the end. No options and only a backup camera, this might be an S trim model. They actually get better range due to less weight (no heat-pump, less accessory weight, etc.) but then you will be driving the very base-line model. No cruise control, no custom touch-screen interface, less frills, etc. And that range bonus will be eaten by cold weather if you have to use the PTC heating element all the time instead.

The amount of QCs when dealing with such low numbers is not much of a concern. If the Leaf had +1000 QC, then I would worry a little since it was probably being used as a taxi its whole life, lol. 😄

I think for value, the first one at $3900 would offer more value than the bare-bones $3800 Leaf, all things being equal for battery health anyway.

I saw another one yesterday. The one I mentioned below.

Quick specs:
2013
77k miles
7 bars
37 AHr
57% SoH
34% Hx
8 QCs
2807 L1/L2
10mV cell imbalance
$3800

Pictures/screenshots:
https://ibb.co/Tt5ykj9
https://ibb.co/VtXN2WH
https://ibb.co/n65hD8W

This one is bereft of nearly all options. Just a backup camera, it seems. Built in 06/13 so it also should have the 'wolf pack' battery.

However, the pictures show that the battery seems much better. While the numerical specs are very similar, the cells are much more consistent. Much smaller deviation. There are fewer quick charges on this car, but it's only 8 vs 18 on the other car so I would be more likely to suspect some natural battery-to-battery deviation. Is there another explanation? I'm not sure how much this means for the overall battery's life and behavior over time. Any ideas how these two batteries compare now and may compare the future?

Thank you!

 

[bogisich32]

Hi! First-time poster but recent lurker.

I am leaning heavily toward buying a used Leaf. I like the green aspect of it for the planet, I'm an electrical engineer so I like the technology for myself, and my vehicular needs are minimal as I work from home and a car is an appliance for me. Mostly just driving my young son to school, grocery, library, sports class, etc. My wife had a 2015 Fiat 500e lease and now has a 2014 Volt; as I'm the primary driver for family trips I'm familiar with driving an EV and doing it efficiently.

Perhaps importantly, I'm in CA just south of LA so the weather is relatively mild though it can get hot at times.

Before going any further, thanks to @leftiebiker for the great write-up on buying a used Leaf at https://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?t=26662!

Today I looked at a 2013 in excellent shape. Paint and body are terrific, interior is nice, doors and windows open and close smoothly, and it drives well on freeway and surface streets. I'm not sure of the trim level, but it's well-optioned with the bigger touchscreen display, navigation, quick charge, leather seats, 17" wheels/tires, and BOSE audio system. I bought a BAFX OBDII reader and Leaf Spy Pro to gather info I couldn't get from a look and a test drive.

Quick specs:
2013
85k miles
7 bars
37 AHr
57% SoH
34% Hx
18 QCs
4719 L1/L2
32mV cell imbalance
$3900 (perhaps negotiable)

Pictures/screenshots:
https://ibb.co/9bBnbH7
https://ibb.co/VT2tVnq
https://ibb.co/RCRXvJ8
https://ibb.co/WvPjQHr

It was built in 10/13 so it should have the 'wolf pack'. There are only 7 bars left, though, and the battery is my biggest concern as it is already at 57% SoH. When I saw it today, it showed 42% charge with 17 miles remaining with the AC turned on. (See picture.) Turning the AC off gave 4 more miles, which comes out to 50 miles of range with no heating or cooling.

Let's do some projections with all the caveats that comes with. My son's school is 2 miles away, so a round trip in the morning and afternoon 250 days/year is 2k miles. Driving 5k miles/year is generous for me, and that would equate to 135k miles on the car after 10 years. If the SoH and range drops roughly linearly, it's lost 33% in 85k miles over 10 years; losing another 33% in the next 10 years is 33 mile range. There are a lot of assumptions, most of them conservative, but that seems perfectly adequate for my needs. And I get a usable electric car for that span of time.

The seller, and individual, doesn't have a Carfax. If the above makes sense for my expected usage, as it is, then it's worth it to dig a bit deeper and buy that. I tried https://www.vehiclehistory.com/ and it was nice but I've seen more info from Carfax. Including the trim level of the car which I still don't know. Is there anything else I should look at outside of the battery and expectations for it in the future? Anything to do with charging, perhaps? Or recall B1018?

There is also another 2013 Leaf S I saw but maybe it has the same inadequate or risky battery considerations. I don't know as much about that but I can hopefully get Leaf Spy Pro info soon. It has just a few small dents/dings but still nice outside but seems to have no options. 77k miles, also 50 mile range when fully changed and about the same price. I don't know about the battery bars or manufacture date either. However, for my needs it's probably roughly equivalent with acceptable (though far less) features. I have a personal connection to the seller, though, which definitely counts for something. And the Carfax is good. It has recall/service PC421 and P9312 performed, with an open recall for R23A1 and nothing about B1018.

It sounds like you've done a great job researching a used Nissan Leaf!
Prioritize the 2013 Leaf with Leaf Spy Pro data: This will give a clearer picture of the battery health and potential remaining range.
Consider getting a Carfax report for both vehicles if possible.
Negotiate the price based on the battery health and missing Carfax (for the first Leaf).
Factor in the personal connection: If you trust the seller of the second Leaf, that can be a major advantage despite fewer features.
Ultimately, the decision depends on your risk tolerance and budget. The first Leaf offers more features but has a riskier battery. The second Leaf is a safer bet with a Carfax but might not be as comfortable or convenient.

 

[Jamesjeff]

As I have said to previous potential leaf owners. Check out how much it will cost to insure. My experience in the UK is that it is very expensive. Not just hundreds but thousands of pounds

 

[Jamesjeff]

As I have said to previous potential leaf owners. Check out how much it will cost to insure. My experience in the UK is that it is very expensive. Not just hundreds but thousands of pounds

 

[Dooglas]

As I have said to previous potential leaf owners. Check out how much it will cost to insure. My experience in the UK is that it is very expensive. Not just hundreds but thousands of pounds

It is good advice to potential buyers that they check out insurance costs in assessing the possible ownership of an EV. Insurance on EVs in the US is definitely higher than comparable ICE vehicles. Having said that, it is not thousands of dollars or the equivalent to thousands of pounds for those in modest risk categories. That should be especially true for a '13 LEAF where liability only might be a reasonable alternative to liability/collision/comprehensive.