Kelangst --
I think your feeling that people are piling on in this thread is valid. I have found similar reactions in other threads whenever I've expressed dissatisfaction with the range estimates. ANY complaint about a problem with the car is treated by a few people as a direct attack on the global alternative energy movement. Who cares about the Leaf naysayers -- those who drive this car know how great and revolutionary it is. And if Nissan has screwed up on a few things, then it's our job to point them out, not act as cheerleaders all the time.
I am not surprised that you had a rapid "miles-left burn" from 17 to zero in five miles -- it fits with similar burns that I've experienced, I just never did it at the end of the battery pack, thankfully. If I were putting money on it, I would say it's not a software glitch or battery capacity problem, just a fairly common Carwings estimate error.
I agree with all those that have said Nissan needs to act quickly to fix whatever it is that Carwings is getting so wrong. I think a more sophisticated SOC meter would be much better for driver's sanity than the Miles Left meter. The true equation for miles-left will ALWAYS depend on your route and future driving. Do we really want to punch in our destination every time we get in the car, and then expect Google maps to calculate every hill and dip in the road? I almost never use the Nav -- 99% of our trips are to places we already KNOW how to get to.
On the other issue of how we drive the Leaf to avoid full-drain: I have just under 1,000 miles on my Leaf at the moment, and I would like to suggest three tips to those getting the car or those who already have it to avoid a repeat of Kelangst's full-drain breakdown:
1. Keep a log of common trips' road mileage and compare it to what the Miles Left meter has subtracted for each trip. Over time, you will learn what the differential is. Your intuition is much better than the Carwings estimate.
2. Do not plan a trip where you will dip below 20 miles left. Besides being good for your stress level, this fits with the recommended Depth of Discharge of 20%. We really should not be driving these cars into the "dash"-mode or turtle mode on a regular basis.
3. Set a reasonable HIGHWAY maximum for all trips, and don't break the rule. My max is 50 miles on an 80% charge, 60 for 100%. Sure, some may call it conservative, I call it peace of mind.
Kelangst, I hope the negativity has not driven you away... I just take it with a grain of salt and have a laugh about some of the conspiracy theorists out there.
Best,
Josh
Kelangst said:
Well I have to say that I Am a little frustrated by the article. I was sent a PM asking to comment. My comment was:
I am going to post on this in a few, but the bottom line is I simply drove it out of power. They had engineers look at the car extensively and test everything, and the end result is that I drove too far for the charge I had. Simple answer.
Sent: Wed Mar 09, 2011 5:01 pm
I took ownership of my driving mistake, with a slight complaint that the remaining miles was a little deceptive and the behavior unexpected. I didn't intend for my post to be taken as a complaint about the car, and in fact I think I clearly said I felt it was my fault, that Nissan responded well, and that there is a fix in the works for the display.
This started as a self-deprecating statement that I thought would be worth conversation on the board. Forgot the simple rule that once it is on Internet, it is out of my control how it is used. Guess I might not be posting my experiences again. :-(