Goodbye Nissan Leaf, hello Kia Soul EV

[mtndrew1]

Well I'm approaching 4,000 miles on the Soul and thought I'd cross-post this update I put on the Soul forums for those interested in the car. Still totally enamored with it. Here ya go:



My little issues are:

-Rattle in the A-pillar, partially solved by some strategic foam jamming.

-Very rarely the SOC bars flicker. I thought I had this pegged to departing with ~75% SOC but the phenomenon recently happened on a full charge and blew my theory out of the water. Always solved by rebooting the car.

-Infotainment oddities. Backup cam blinks out/stutters, radio switches sources on its own (recent problem, seems resolved), sometimes sluggish responses from inputs, and occasionally long system boot times. I'm hoping for a UVO firmware update at some point to improve these deficiencies.

Not defects, but could use improvement:

-EV info screens could be consolidated. It seems I really have to drill down into the menus sometimes to get the information I want. Furthermore, I would like more comprehensive options for information display in the little OLED screen in the instrument cluster. Mi/kWh and eco level are great but I would like options for %SOC remaining, battery temp, climate control kW draw, etc.. The radio screen should show song and artist information in addition to frequency. My Volt had a screen that would show miles traveled and kWh consumed since the previous full charge and I would like that same display on the Soul. As it's configured now I have to manually add up the history for a given day in one of the EV menus if I want to know how many miles I've driven since the last charge. First world problem, but still.

-Remote start from the app should be allowed whether or not the car is plugged in. The Volt even had a button on the key fob to kick on the climate control, which was handy when walking towards the car on a hot day and getting the A/C going before getting in. I miss that functionality. Very rarely do I want to precondition the car while it's in the garage, typically I want to do it when the car has been sitting outside in the sun in a parking lot at a shopping center or something and I want the car comfy by the time I get to it. My garage is, you know, shaded and it's generally a similar temperature to the house.

-A little more motor power would be nice.

-Creep functionality is a little lurchy sometimes. Mostly the car is very smooth at very low speeds but sometimes it gets flustered and I get a little stutter.

-Suspension tuning could use a little work. The Soul is very typical of Korean cars in that it's over sprung and under damped.

That's all I can think of. All in all I'm absolutely thrilled with the car.

I'm loving the heat pump; watching the range tank in my Volt from the resistance heater was always a major drag. The cooled seats are fantastic on moderately warm days. The heated wheel is a real treat when leaving work on a cold evening. The driver-only climate function is much easier than manually opening and closing the passenger vents in my Volt to conserve energy. Overall the entire climate package is excellent and doesn't reduce range much at all.

I'm so pleased that the driving range of the Soul is meeting or exceeding EPA estimates for me in all circumstances. I've even taken a few out of town trips in the Soul to Santa Barbara for wine tasting and to Palm Springs for a long holiday weekend. The quick chargers are wonderful and, combined with the long range of the Soul, make medium distance road trips totally uneventful. I have yet to have any nail-biting moments in regards to range.

The car is quiet, sufficiently powerful, easy to maneuver, and has great cargo capacity with the seats folded. It feels well-made.

I hope I'm not jinxing it, but it's been a long time since I've been this happy with a car purchase. And from a Kia of all makes! Incredible!

 

[electriccarfan]

Well I'm approaching 4,000 miles on the Soul and thought I'd cross-post this update I put on the Soul forums for those interested in the car. Still totally enamored with it. Here ya go:



My little issues are:

-Rattle in the A-pillar, partially solved by some strategic foam jamming.

-Very rarely the SOC bars flicker. I thought I had this pegged to departing with ~75% SOC but the phenomenon recently happened on a full charge and blew my theory out of the water. Always solved by rebooting the car.

-Infotainment oddities. Backup cam blinks out/stutters, radio switches sources on its own (recent problem, seems resolved), sometimes sluggish responses from inputs, and occasionally long system boot times. I'm hoping for a UVO firmware update at some point to improve these deficiencies.

Not defects, but could use improvement:

-EV info screens could be consolidated. It seems I really have to drill down into the menus sometimes to get the information I want. Furthermore, I would like more comprehensive options for information display in the little OLED screen in the instrument cluster. Mi/kWh and eco level are great but I would like options for %SOC remaining, battery temp, climate control kW draw, etc.. The radio screen should show song and artist information in addition to frequency. My Volt had a screen that would show miles traveled and kWh consumed since the previous full charge and I would like that same display on the Soul. As it's configured now I have to manually add up the history for a given day in one of the EV menus if I want to know how many miles I've driven since the last charge. First world problem, but still.

-Remote start from the app should be allowed whether or not the car is plugged in. The Volt even had a button on the key fob to kick on the climate control, which was handy when walking towards the car on a hot day and getting the A/C going before getting in. I miss that functionality. Very rarely do I want to precondition the car while it's in the garage, typically I want to do it when the car has been sitting outside in the sun in a parking lot at a shopping center or something and I want the car comfy by the time I get to it. My garage is, you know, shaded and it's generally a similar temperature to the house.

-A little more motor power would be nice.

-Creep functionality is a little lurchy sometimes. Mostly the car is very smooth at very low speeds but sometimes it gets flustered and I get a little stutter.

-Suspension tuning could use a little work. The Soul is very typical of Korean cars in that it's over sprung and under damped.

That's all I can think of. All in all I'm absolutely thrilled with the car.

I'm loving the heat pump; watching the range tank in my Volt from the resistance heater was always a major drag. The cooled seats are fantastic on moderately warm days. The heated wheel is a real treat when leaving work on a cold evening. The driver-only climate function is much easier than manually opening and closing the passenger vents in my Volt to conserve energy. Overall the entire climate package is excellent and doesn't reduce range much at all.

I'm so pleased that the driving range of the Soul is meeting or exceeding EPA estimates for me in all circumstances. I've even taken a few out of town trips in the Soul to Santa Barbara for wine tasting and to Palm Springs for a long holiday weekend. The quick chargers are wonderful and, combined with the long range of the Soul, make medium distance road trips totally uneventful. I have yet to have any nail-biting moments in regards to range.

The car is quiet, sufficiently powerful, easy to maneuver, and has great cargo capacity with the seats folded. It feels well-made.

I hope I'm not jinxing it, but it's been a long time since I've been this happy with a car purchase. And from a Kia of all makes! Incredible!

I keep seeing a lot of complaints about the Leaf from people on this thread. I haven't had any real problems with my 14' Leaf. It's a reliable, smooth-riding, quite, and complete car. I see no big time issues other than a low 84 mile range, and lack of battery temperature control. I love my Leaf. I don't think I could just run on over to another brand just because they offer something that appears to be better (if I did I wouldn't talk down on the Leaf thereafter).

The Soul EV even has similar range to the Leaf. And, Nissan was the only major automaker willing to step up and mass produce a real next gen EV in 2010, no less. I didn't see Kia rushing to get their Soul EV out there in the front of the line way back in 2010. No they waited until the ground had been paved and then they tossed their EV out to market (a conversion of a ICE vehicle).

Nissan has my loyalty for now, I will wait to see many others before I personally jump the Nissan ship. I guess I still believe a little in Brand Loyalty to an extent.

 

[mikesus]

There are a few dealerships that will sell to an AZ resident. You will need to go pick it up...

 

[electriccarfan]

There are a few dealerships that will sell to an AZ resident. You will need to go pick it up...

Ignoring the warranty aspect, I think that they'd be able to buy from any California dealership. Why should the dealer be concerned if they live in California or not? If the dealership wants the sale, they'll swing it. I live in Ohio and I got my Leaf in Michigan (20 miles over the line).

If they drive it back over to Arizona, I would think there'd be no problem. But, of course there may be something I don't know here.

Isn't Arizona a Carb State? The EV1 was available in California & Southern Arizona way back when.

Or, is it Kia that saying its not to be sold outside of California?

 

[DaveinOlyWA]

Nope. Normal driving. Never got over 4.0. Now this was a 2011. You have a newer Leaf. It mostly hung around 3.8. I want no 5.0 merit badge. It's a car, not a toy.

You must be hypermiling. Can't do that in Ca. 62 mph minimum or you get run over.

Well, I used to Hypermile all the time when I drove my previous gasoline cars (out of necessity). But, ever since I got my Leaf I'll admit that I drive a slight bit quicker now. Despite that though, I always have people right up on my back bumper, and or speed around me. I was told once a while back that I do drive like an old lady. But, I do sporadically have a little fun with the Leaf. Mostly, because the Leaf just pulls off the line, and I run the heat a lot (in addition to the Heated Seats & Heated Steering-wheel), so that brings my average down. All in all, my average is usually around 4.7-4.8. However, I did just check it today, and my average dropped down to 4.6. I think this is due to being finally into winter time (we've had 3 weeks of temps below 35F day and night). All last week I don't think it got any higher than 15F daytime or nighttime. I will say though that I NEVER drive the expressway (I just go through town), so that keeps my average up somewhat.

I plan on moving to California (Hanford, CA) in April/May. Do they drive fast out there in California? I think that'll take a little getting used to for me. I always do the 60MPH speed limit or 5 above, and I just hold that speed (in normal D mode) all the way there (when I rarely used the expressway).

Its too bad that you've left the Nissan Leaf community. I hope the Soul EV is better for your needs. I personally plan on waiting until my lease is up in May 2017 and checking out the 2nd Gen Leaf (to re-lease).

unless you have reset your meter at the start of Winter, this is an average since you got the car. i recommend resetting it daily and track your progress

 

[electriccarfan]

Nope. Normal driving. Never got over 4.0. Now this was a 2011. You have a newer Leaf. It mostly hung around 3.8. I want no 5.0 merit badge. It's a car, not a toy.

You must be hypermiling. Can't do that in Ca. 62 mph minimum or you get run over.

Well, I used to Hypermile all the time when I drove my previous gasoline cars (out of necessity). But, ever since I got my Leaf I'll admit that I drive a slight bit quicker now. Despite that though, I always have people right up on my back bumper, and or speed around me. I was told once a while back that I do drive like an old lady. But, I do sporadically have a little fun with the Leaf. Mostly, because the Leaf just pulls off the line, and I run the heat a lot (in addition to the Heated Seats & Heated Steering-wheel), so that brings my average down. All in all, my average is usually around 4.7-4.8. However, I did just check it today, and my average dropped down to 4.6. I think this is due to being finally into winter time (we've had 3 weeks of temps below 35F day and night). All last week I don't think it got any higher than 15F daytime or nighttime. I will say though that I NEVER drive the expressway (I just go through town), so that keeps my average up somewhat.

I plan on moving to California (Hanford, CA) in April/May. Do they drive fast out there in California? I think that'll take a little getting used to for me. I always do the 60MPH speed limit or 5 above, and I just hold that speed (in normal D mode) all the way there (when I rarely used the expressway).

Its too bad that you've left the Nissan Leaf community. I hope the Soul EV is better for your needs. I personally plan on waiting until my lease is up in May 2017 and checking out the 2nd Gen Leaf (to re-lease).

unless you have reset your meter at the start of Winter, this is an average since you got the car. i recommend resetting it daily and track your progress

I guess I didn't know you can reset it. I usually always keep the information screen set on my battery SOC all the time. I normally don't flip it over to that screen too much. How do you reset the average mile/kW? Does it reset when automatically when you reset the Tripometer A or B?

 

[mtndrew1]

I keep seeing a lot of complaints about the Leaf from people on this thread. I haven't had any real problems with my 14' Leaf. It's a reliable, smooth-riding, quite, and complete car. I see no big time issues other than a low 84 mile range, and lack of battery temperature control. I love my Leaf. I don't think I could just run on over to another brand just because they offer something that appears to be better (if I did I wouldn't talk down on the Leaf thereafter).

The Soul EV even has similar range to the Leaf. And, Nissan was the only major automaker willing to step up and mass produce a real next gen EV in 2010, no less. I didn't see Kia rushing to get their Soul EV out there in the front of the line way back in 2010. No they waited until the ground had been paved and then they tossed their EV out to market (a conversion of a ICE vehicle).

Nissan has my loyalty for now, I will wait to see many others before I personally jump the Nissan ship. I guess I still believe a little in Brand Loyalty to an extent.

I apologize, I didn't mean to express any "complaints" about the Leaf, I was merely sharing my Soul experiences in a Soul thread.

I'm quite a fan of the Leaf and it was my #1 choice for Volt replacement until the Soul came out. I'll certainly be test driving Leaf 2.0 when my Soul lease is up.

 

[electriccarfan]

I keep seeing a lot of complaints about the Leaf from people on this thread. I haven't had any real problems with my 14' Leaf. It's a reliable, smooth-riding, quite, and complete car. I see no big time issues other than a low 84 mile range, and lack of battery temperature control. I love my Leaf. I don't think I could just run on over to another brand just because they offer something that appears to be better (if I did I wouldn't talk down on the Leaf thereafter).

The Soul EV even has similar range to the Leaf. And, Nissan was the only major automaker willing to step up and mass produce a real next gen EV in 2010, no less. I didn't see Kia rushing to get their Soul EV out there in the front of the line way back in 2010. No they waited until the ground had been paved and then they tossed their EV out to market (a conversion of a ICE vehicle).

Nissan has my loyalty for now, I will wait to see many others before I personally jump the Nissan ship. I guess I still believe a little in Brand Loyalty to an extent.

I apologize, I didn't mean to express any "complaints" about the Leaf, I was merely sharing my Soul experiences in a Soul thread.

I'm quite a fan of the Leaf and it was my #1 choice for Volt replacement until the Soul came out. I'll certainly be test driving Leaf 2.0 when my Soul lease is up.

Its no problem. It wasn't only you. I just give the Leaf a lot of credit for being first to market and very complete. And, I had just been reading an article about the GM Bolt and people were making similar comments. I got a little carried away, sorry. I plan on checking out the Leaf 2nd gen as well. Since my lease is up in May of 2017 I hope I can transition seamlessly.

 

[RonDawg]

I keep seeing a lot of complaints about the Leaf from people on this thread. I haven't had any real problems with my 14' Leaf. It's a reliable, smooth-riding, quite, and complete car. I see no big time issues other than a low 84 mile range, and lack of battery temperature control. I love my Leaf. I don't think I could just run on over to another brand just because they offer something that appears to be better (if I did I wouldn't talk down on the Leaf thereafter).

The Soul EV even has similar range to the Leaf. And, Nissan was the only major automaker willing to step up and mass produce a real next gen EV in 2010, no less. I didn't see Kia rushing to get their Soul EV out there in the front of the line way back in 2010. No they waited until the ground had been paved and then they tossed their EV out to market (a conversion of a ICE vehicle).

Nissan has my loyalty for now, I will wait to see many others before I personally jump the Nissan ship. I guess I still believe a little in Brand Loyalty to an extent.

The biggest group of unhappy Leafers seems to be those who bought or leased one very early on, when Nissan was still actively making promises of 100 mile range and downplayed how bad the battery would degrade in hot environments.

Like you, I've been very happy with my Leaf (just brought it in for its 2 year checkup). The only problems I've had were two tire punctures, and a flashing TPMS light caused by interference that is believed to be caused by my dashcam setup (unplugging it so far has solved the issue).

I only have less than a year left on my lease so while the Soul EV and the newly-announced Volt have piqued my interest, I also have not ruled out extending my lease long enough for Leaf 2.0 to come out.

 

[electriccarfan]

I keep seeing a lot of complaints about the Leaf from people on this thread. I haven't had any real problems with my 14' Leaf. It's a reliable, smooth-riding, quite, and complete car. I see no big time issues other than a low 84 mile range, and lack of battery temperature control. I love my Leaf. I don't think I could just run on over to another brand just because they offer something that appears to be better (if I did I wouldn't talk down on the Leaf thereafter).

The Soul EV even has similar range to the Leaf. And, Nissan was the only major automaker willing to step up and mass produce a real next gen EV in 2010, no less. I didn't see Kia rushing to get their Soul EV out there in the front of the line way back in 2010. No they waited until the ground had been paved and then they tossed their EV out to market (a conversion of a ICE vehicle).

Nissan has my loyalty for now, I will wait to see many others before I personally jump the Nissan ship. I guess I still believe a little in Brand Loyalty to an extent.

The biggest group of unhappy Leafers seems to be those who bought or leased one very early on, when Nissan was still actively making promises of 100 mile range and downplayed how bad the battery would degrade in hot environments.

Like you, I've been very happy with my Leaf (just brought it in for its 2 year checkup). The only problems I've had were two tire punctures, and a flashing TPMS light caused by interference that is believed to be caused by my dashcam setup (unplugging it so far has solved the issue).

I only have less than a year left on my lease so while the Soul EV and the newly-announced Volt have piqued my interest, I also have not ruled out extending my lease long enough for Leaf 2.0 to come out.

I can understand that they might be upset since they payed a lot for the Leaf compared to the great deals that have been out. In May of 2014 I leased mine with the $7,800 Federal + $4,000 from Nissan at 0% APR. Those credits significantly lowered my lease payment every month along (with my down payment). I think when the Leaf first came out it was something like $38,000 (before Federal tax credits). So, I guess those early pioneers really did take a beating when they payed big for the Leaf and then had Heat related degradation. Its understandable I guess.

I'm glad my lease ends in May 2017, so I can possibly get Leaf 2.0. If I had got it sooner I would need an extension too. I was going to buy my Leaf at first but the sales guy convinced me to lease instead. I'm glad he did because I don't want to be stuck with a degraded battery, older EV tech, and a car payment.

 

[GRA]

<snip>
That fog looks scary! Geez, I'm surprised anybody can see to drive in that. Is that everyday in the winter?

Not every day, but when it does begin, as the Wiki says,

Tule fog is characteristically confined mainly to the Great Central Valley due to the mountain ranges surrounding it. Because of the density of the cold air in the winter, winds are not able to dislodge the fog and the high pressure of the warmer air above the mountaintops presses down on the cold air trapped in the valley, resulting in a dense, immobile fog that can last for days or at times for weeks undisturbed. Tule fog often contains light drizzle or freezing drizzle where temperatures are sufficiently cold.

IME a week or more is pretty common, and ISTR it going for three weeks without a break on a few occasions, but I don't live in the Central Valley (wouldn't want to deal with the climate on a regular basis summer OR winter, even if there were some other reason for me to live there instead of the Bay Area), so a local would have a better idea.

Personally, I'd find it very depressing to live under the fog in winter, because it's cold, dank and fairly dim. Oddly enough the fog is often quite thin vertically, so you can look straight up and see that it's lighter above, while horizontal visibility stays lousy. OTOH, once you're at its edges or above it, it can be quite beautiful. There's a spot in the Yosemite backcountry where I've often skied, where we go to watch the sunset over the Central Valley (typically we'll sit on or stand near the big double rock just below and left of center in this photo: http://cascadeclimbers.com/plab/data/513/medium/ostrander43.JPG" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; This is looking SE instead of W toward the Central Valley)

that overlooks 100 miles or more of the Central Valley, and as the sun sets it can turn the flattish top of the fog all golden, with the only things sticking up above it being a few peaks like Mt. Diablo and the Mt. Hamilton range. Although it's not a great shot and it's not taken from the same place in Yosemite, this photo will give you an idea of how solid the layer can be, seen from a higher elevation: https://fbcdn-sphotos-b-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xap1/v/t1.0-9/q87/p526x296/11412_750364561678495_2002971692271962829_n.jpg?oh=6f5131615778870b50f11eeec310b372&oe=54D666E2&__gda__=1424718298_8b6e14275697e75a3ac52f2a2fa6ad79" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

 

[electriccarfan]

<snip>
That fog looks scary! Geez, I'm surprised anybody can see to drive in that. Is that everyday in the winter?

Not every day, but when it does begin, as the Wiki says,

Tule fog is characteristically confined mainly to the Great Central Valley due to the mountain ranges surrounding it. Because of the density of the cold air in the winter, winds are not able to dislodge the fog and the high pressure of the warmer air above the mountaintops presses down on the cold air trapped in the valley, resulting in a dense, immobile fog that can last for days or at times for weeks undisturbed. Tule fog often contains light drizzle or freezing drizzle where temperatures are sufficiently cold.

IME a week or more is pretty common, and ISTR it going for three weeks without a break on a few occasions, but I don't live in the Central Valley (wouldn't want to deal with the climate on a regular basis summer OR winter, even if there were some other reason for me to live there instead of the Bay Area), so a local would have a better idea.

Personally, I'd find it very depressing to live under the fog in winter, because it's cold, dank and fairly dim. Oddly enough the fog is often quite thin vertically, so you can look straight up and see that it's lighter above, while horizontal visibility stays lousy. OTOH, once you're at its edges or above it, it can be quite beautiful. There's a spot in the Yosemite backcountry where I've often skied, where we go to watch the sunset over the Central Valley (typically we'll sit on or stand near the big double rock just below and left of center in this photo: http://cascadeclimbers.com/plab/data/513/medium/ostrander43.JPG" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; This is looking SE instead of W toward the Central Valley)

that overlooks 100 miles or more of the Central Valley, and as the sun sets it can turn the flattish top of the fog all golden, with the only things sticking up above it being a few peaks like Mt. Diablo and the Mt. Hamilton range. Although it's not a great shot and it's not taken from the same place in Yosemite, this photo will give you an idea of how solid the layer can be, seen from a higher elevation: https://fbcdn-sphotos-b-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xap1/v/t1.0-9/q87/p526x296/11412_750364561678495_2002971692271962829_n.jpg?oh=6f5131615778870b50f11eeec310b372&oe=54D666E2&__gda__=1424718298_8b6e14275697e75a3ac52f2a2fa6ad79" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

My dad lives in (Hanford), and he's told me that the fog lifts around midday. I talk to him a lot and every time I talk to him I ask about the weather. He pretty much always says it in the 70's and sunny. I figure it can't be any more depressing than living here in Toledo, Ohio.

We get over 200 cloudy days a year and its cold wintertime from October-March. I'll take some fog instead of this kind of weather any day.

Worst case, I can always take a day trip to SF or LA. That is of course if more CHAdeMO stations come about.

And eventually the Bullet train is supposed to be built. With it you can go from SF-LA in 30 minutes.

 

[dgpcolorado]

I guess I didn't know you can reset it. I usually always keep the information screen set on my battery SOC all the time. I normally don't flip it over to that screen too much. How do you reset the average mile/kW? Does it reset when automatically when you reset the Tripometer A or B?

I have two mileage efficiency meters, one on the dash and one on the console (part of the energy screen). I reset the console one daily and the dash one monthly. They don't necessarily agree, on my car the dash one tends to be 0.1 mile/kWh lower than the console one. But the readings are so coarse that the small discrepancy really doesn't make much difference when tracking my driving efficiency.

I believe that you have the S model, so you don't have the console meter, just the dash one. [It would be helpful if you would put your LEAF year and model in your forum signature because answering questions accurately depends a LOT on which model you have.]

The dash meter is reset by using the four buttons to the left of the steering wheel. My recollection is that you press the upper left button repeatedly until the dash scrolls to the miles/kWh display. Then if you hold the upper right(?) button for a few seconds it will reset to "---". I'm reluctant to go out and test it because I don't really want to reset mine in the middle of the month!

Resetting the meter periodically will give you an idea of how your driving efficiency changes with the seasons or with your driving experience. For example, here is a plot of my dash mileage efficiency and wall mileage efficiency:
http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=18831&p=405624#p405624" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

 

[electriccarfan]

I guess I didn't know you can reset it. I usually always keep the information screen set on my battery SOC all the time. I normally don't flip it over to that screen too much. How do you reset the average mile/kW? Does it reset when automatically when you reset the Tripometer A or B?

I have two mileage efficiency meters, one on the dash and one on the console (part of the energy screen). I reset the console one daily and the dash one monthly. They don't necessarily agree, on my car the dash one tends to be 0.1 mile/kWh lower than the console one. But the readings are so coarse that the small discrepancy really doesn't make much difference when tracking my driving efficiency.

I believe that you have the S model, so you don't have the console meter, just the dash one. [It would be helpful if you would put your LEAF year and model in your forum signature because answering questions accurately depends a LOT on which model you have.]

The dash meter is reset by using the four buttons to the left of the steering wheel. My recollection is that you press the upper left button repeatedly until the dash scrolls to the miles/kWh display. Then if you hold the upper right(?) button for a few seconds it will reset to "---". I'm reluctant to go out and test it because I don't really want to reset mine in the middle of the month!

Resetting the meter periodically will give you an idea of how your driving efficiency changes with the seasons or with your driving experience. For example, here is a plot of my dash mileage efficiency and wall mileage efficiency:
http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=18831&p=405624#p405624" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Sorry about the signature, I must have never set it. I will fiddle with my mileage efficiency meter and attempt to reset it tomorrow. Now I'm curious as to how efficient my driving is, especially now that its Winter.

 

[TonyWilliams]

The Soul EV even has similar range to the Leaf. And, Nissan was the only major automaker willing to step up and mass produce a real next gen EV in 2010, no less. I didn't see Kia rushing to get their Soul EV out there in the front of the line way back in 2010. No they waited until the ground had been paved and then they tossed their EV out to market (a conversion of a ICE vehicle).

Well, we have found that "similar range" at freeway speed is the LEAF at 80-ish miles, and the Soul EV over 100 miles. That may seem similar to you, but it is about 20% better freeway range.

The LEAF is based on the Nissan Versa, an ICE vehicle.

 

[TonyWilliams]

Isn't Arizona a Carb State? The EV1 was available in California & Southern Arizona way back when.

Or, is it Kia that saying its not to be sold outside of California?

Arizona is a CARB state, as is Washington. But, they are not CARB- "Zero Emission Vehicle" states.

CARB-ZEV - California’s ZEV program has now been adopted by the states of Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island and Vermont. These states, known as the “Section 177 states,” have chosen to adopt California's air quality standards in lieu of federal requirements as authorized under Section 177 of the federal Clean Air Act. Additionally, California’s GHG standards are now federal law. Maine, New Jersey and Washington DC are participating with ZEV initiatives, but are not signatory CARB-ZEV states.

 

[aarond12]

The LEAF is based on the Nissan Versa, an ICE vehicle.

If I recall correctly, the LEAF platform and the Versa/Note platform are different. They have different wheelbases and tracks.

Versa: Wheelbase - 102.4, Front Track - 58.3, Rear Track - 58.5
LEAF: Wheelbase - 106.3, Front Track - 60.6, Rear Track - 60.4
(all dimensions listed in inches)

The LEAF is not a conversion vehicle. It is a purpose-built chassis not shared with any other Nissan vehicle.

 

[TonyWilliams]

The LEAF is based on the Nissan Versa, an ICE vehicle.

If I recall correctly, the LEAF platform and the Versa/Note platform are different. They have different wheelbases and tracks.

Versa: Wheelbase - 102.4, Front Track - 58.3, Rear Track - 58.5
LEAF: Wheelbase - 106.3, Front Track - 60.6, Rear Track - 60.4
(all dimensions listed in inches)

The LEAF is not a conversion vehicle. It is a purpose-built chassis not shared with any other Nissan vehicle.

I didn't say it was a "conversion". I said it was based on the Versa platform (and it is). Plus, this has been hashed over on this forum ad nauseum.

 

[TimLee]

The LEAF is based on the Nissan Versa, an ICE vehicle.

That is what you said.
And although technically correct, it is such an incomplete statement of the whole story, that it restarts the discussion all over again :?

 

[Deleted member 9549]

The LEAF is based on the Nissan Versa, an ICE vehicle.

If I recall correctly, the LEAF platform and the Versa/Note platform are different. They have different wheelbases and tracks.

Versa: Wheelbase - 102.4, Front Track - 58.3, Rear Track - 58.5
LEAF: Wheelbase - 106.3, Front Track - 60.6, Rear Track - 60.4
(all dimensions listed in inches)

The LEAF is not a conversion vehicle. It is a purpose-built chassis not shared with any other Nissan vehicle.

The LEAF is closer in size to the Sentra than the Versa. Where has this been discussed here before?