Adam12 said:
I live in Northeast Ohio. I would be using the car to commute to work the trip is 39 miles round trip the speed limit on the commute would be mostly 60-65 mph. Outside from that I would use it occasionally on the weekend and not much more. I was under the impression that I could just charge it at home every other day to make the commute with 120 volt cord it comes with. Also when you bought your car what is your plan when the battery is no longer usable? Do you like the car that much that you would pay $6000 plus to get it replaced or do you anticipate that at the end of its life the battery will be more economical? As far as battery health I can't say how healty as I didn't even know about these until I read your post. thanks
Welcome! A 40 mi RT commute is perfect for the Leaf. However, the battery will degrade, even in your area (but not as much as AZ). If you plan on eventually having 1/2 the range, you won't be disappointed. If you plan on having 80 mi range until 2020, you will be disappointed.
Spend some time reading here before making your decision. As others said, winter is the most difficult time since you must spend battery energy to heat the cabin (unlike a gas car which wastes 80% of the energy as heat). You can actually get about 1/2 the range in winter if you aren't careful. You will absolutely need the SL or SV model for the more efficient heat pump (don't get the cheaper S which has an energy hog heater). Also, you will need to install a Level 2 (240 V, 40 amp) charging station at home to take advantage of the timed preheating. You will absolutely need to charge every night, probably 3-4 hr on L2. If you try to stick with the L1 (120V) you will need to charge at least 10 hr, and might not t make it back to full in the winter time. Plus L1 is nearly worthless for preheating below about 20 F. Also, if you don't have a garage, outside charging can be a bear in extreme weather (snow, ice) and the car will take more energy to pre-warm in the morning.
Finally, if you don't have another gas car for road trips, extremely cold weather, or other emergency situation, it will be difficult to go fully 100% battery electric. If you will only have one vehicle, I'd recommend a Volt right now, but others are also good possibilities. Finally, do you have workplace EV charging or are there stations along your commuting route? Check
http://www.plugshare.com. Hmmm, you said NE OH. Do you mean Akron-Cleveland? If so, it's covered with stations and should handle all of your driving needs. Good luck with your decision, and feel free to check back with additional questions or let us know what you decided.
EDIT: Look closely at 2011-2012 vs. 2013-2015 Leafs. There are significant differences between the batteries, models, cold weather packages, etc. Also, used Leafs may come from warmer areas (AZ, TX, FL, CA) and have significant hidden battery degradation (get LeafSpy to check). Also, look closely at prices. If you pay more than $10K, it's probably too much. You can lease a new 2015 Leaf pretty cheap, so used prices have to drop significantly to be a deal. Remember, used car dealers make a pretty good mark up. There are threads here that show recent auction amounts.