First time EV owner

[shubhangiwakodikar]

I feel elated to read the introductions here and to find Leaf owners that have a similar Leaf as me. Yesterday I bought a 2016 Nissan Leaf SV. Its fully loaded with heated seats, heated steering wheels. It shows 60-65 miles range at 80-85% charge. I learned how to set the charging timers from youtube to ensure a limited percentage of charging. I am learning not to charge beyond that unless I use it immediately. These tips are so helpful to read from all of you. Thank you. I am loving driving it. My main purpose of buying the Leaf was to not use fossil fuels anymore. I live in MN. So winters are 6-7 months and snowy. I am hoping my Leaf will get most of driving needs fine.
I am going to try and drive slow on highways maybe at 55-60mph to improve my range.
It is so helpful that the EV can be charged from a normal power outlet. This will enable me to charge at grocery stores, libraries, etc. if I can find an outdoor power outlet.

 

[Kenny]

Welcome aboard the Leaf bandwagon

 

[Steve52]

Welcome to owning a Leaf! You'll make slow progress with a 120 volt, 15 amp outlet sometimes available at various merchants, (better to check with the owner before using). To make meaningful charging progress, you'll need at least a Level 2 charger available at many locations that can be found on various apps depending on where you live. Do you have access to a Level 1 or Level 2 charger at home? Best of luck!

 

[Araknai]

I feel elated to read the introductions here and to find Leaf owners that have a similar Leaf as me. Yesterday I bought a 2016 Nissan Leaf SV. Its fully loaded with heated seats, heated steering wheels. It shows 60-65 miles range at 80-85% charge. I learned how to set the charging timers from youtube to ensure a limited percentage of charging. I am learning not to charge beyond that unless I use it immediately. These tips are so helpful to read from all of you. Thank you. I am loving driving it. My main purpose of buying the Leaf was to not use fossil fuels anymore. I live in MN. So winters are 6-7 months and snowy. I am hoping my Leaf will get most of driving needs fine.
I am going to try and drive slow on highways maybe at 55-60mph to improve my range.
It is so helpful that the EV can be charged from a normal power outlet. This will enable me to charge at grocery stores, libraries, etc. if I can find an outdoor power outlet.

Welcome^^

I'm located in Minneapolis and have a decent bit of experience with aftermarket improvements on the Leaf. (Battery swaps, battery health evals, battery pack heaters, aero mods, remote monitoring and control alternative to Nissan Connect) So feel free to contact me direct with any questions

 

[moapys]

Welcome to owning a Leaf! You'll make slow progress with a 120 volt, 15 amp outlet sometimes available at various merchants, (better to check with the owner before using). To make meaningful charging progress, you'll need at least a Level 2 charger available at many locations that can be found on various apps depending on where you live. Do you have access to a Level 1 or Level 2 charger at home? Best of luck!

Indeed; the "hot setup" for we elder-Leaf (me=2012) owners is 2xx-volt charger at home, and carry a 120-volt with you. Become *intimately* familiar with the various EV charging networks and applications: You might get in "range-jeopary" at some point, and better to have pre-mapped some pay chargers, lest you potentially become marooned too far from home.

If you do have a bit if free time (e.g. remote office / work-from-public-park, etc), you might make yourself a custom map where there are available 120v sockets. Per Steve, ask permission when you can; but figure out where those are, and have a long extension cord, lest your favorite restaurant/pub is accommodating, but their outlet is some distance from your parking space. Do some 'charging-math', too - e.g. at 120v, how many miles-per-charging-hour can you expect, so you can gauge where your sipping during lunch or dinner might replenish your ride. *ENJOY*!

 

[Dooglas]

If you do have a bit if free time (e.g. remote office / work-from-public-park, etc), you might make yourself a custom map where there are available 120v sockets. Per Steve, ask permission when you can; but figure out where those are, and have a long extension cord, lest your favorite restaurant/pub is accommodating, but their outlet is some distance from your parking space. Do some 'charging-math', too - e.g. at 120v, how many miles-per-charging-hour can you expect, so you can gauge where your sipping during lunch or dinner might replenish your ride.

As Steve52 commented above, L1 charging is extremely slow. So slow that it really is not practical for charging "on the go". As you say, "do the math". L1 charging is so slow (thats why it is called trickle charging) that hours are required for even a small addition to range. A lunch stop won't really do it.

 

[Joeaverage]

120V = only about 5 miles per hour
220V = about 25 miles per hour

 

[laele]

I go by % charge showing, rather than
by miles, since I live partway up a volcano, therefore "hills"; going uphill uses roughly 3x the energy expenditure (driving back home from town at sea level, or further up ) versus relatively level roads (driving circumferentially, with dips for gulches), and the recharge going downhill depends on speed and traffic, and whether I am using ECO or B or even N, also depending on the slope of the road, it''s more or less "gravity management" ...... from my experience flying sailplanes

both of our Leafs seem to charge at home on 120V, at 7% gain per hour (seems to me the charging is at 3.6 kWh limit) and while I haven't timed the L2 charging at HomeDepot, Lowe's, or MCC downtown, I think those are limited by the 2015 Leaf S to 6.6 kWh (roughly double what I get at home) to gain ~ 13% an hour

yes, both have the original Lizard battery .. and we are doing our best to treat them right

all I know is, I better have at least 55% before I start up the hill for home, to arrive with at least 25%, knowing that the car will tell me LOW BATTERY shortly after it hits 20%

 

[Steve52]

both of our Leafs seem to charge at home on 120V, at 7% gain per hour (seems to me the charging is at 3.6 kWh limit) and while I haven't timed the L2 charging at HomeDepot, Lowe's, or MCC downtown, I think those are limited by the 2015 Leaf S to 6.6 kWh (roughly double what I get at home) to gain ~ 13% an hour

Regarding a 120V plug, the Leaf limits the charge current to 12A, therefore a 120V circuit will only provide 1,440W of charging power to a Leaf. On the other hand, a 240V circuit will provide up to 6.6kWh of power to the Leaf or ~360% of the 120V circuit.

 

[laele]

Regarding a 120V plug, the Leaf limits the charge current to 12A, therefore a 120V circuit will only provide 1,440W of charging power to a Leaf. On the other hand, a 240V circuit will provide up to 6.6kWh of power to the Leaf or ~360% of the 120V circuit.

you may be right -- since our shopping at Home Depot rarely lasts more than an hour, and the charging station at Lowe's has been vandalized and not repaired for months now; MCC requires a ChargePoint card which has never arrived in the mail (2 ordered, zero received) -- I don't have good data to offer