I live in Phoenix AZ 115+ hot summers - should I get a leaf?

[GerryAZ]

I certainly wasn't saying there might be cooling tubes in the battery, I was just saying that they may have removed an inch of fiberglass between the cabin and the battery.

I don't believe that there ever was any fiberglass between the cabin and the battery. It's all steel, and always was. If I recall the 2011 shop manual, there is a gap between the pack and the bottom of the cabin, and there was some speculation about airflow around the pack, which removes any excess heat from the battery container through convection.

There is a gap of an inch or two between the bottom of the cabin and top of battery support or case. Coolant pipes and wiring are routed through this opening to the onboard charger on my 2011. It is open to the front of the car and open to the rear so I suspect there is significant air flow through it when the car is moving. My car has no insulation in that area, but later cars with the cold weather package (battery heater, seat heaters, and steering wheel heater) may have insulation for the battery (don't know).

Gerry

 

[surfingslovak]

There is a gap of an inch or two between the bottom of the cabin and top of battery support or case. Coolant pipes and wiring are routed through this opening to the onboard charger on my 2011. It is open to the front of the car and open to the rear so I suspect there is significant air flow through it when the car is moving. My car has no insulation in that area, but later cars with the cold weather package (battery heater, seat heaters, and steering wheel heater) may have insulation for the battery (don't know).

Thank you Gerry! This is very helpful to know. I believe that Tony looked into the 2012 LEAF, since he owned one, and aside from six warming pads inside the battery case (per the shop manual again), there was no other physical difference and no additional insulation.

 

[LEAFfan]

Of course as a general rule, a heat pump does not lose any efficiency over a comparable a/c unit. Sure they could have changed for cost reasons to a less efficient system. Mine seems very efficient but maybe I just don't know what I am missing.

FWIW, the GOM tends to take off 2 or 3 miles from a 100 range based on a/c being on.

I wouldn't at all consider a shifting of insulation around the battery to equate to "battery cooling", it just might be a small change that they did to cool the battery a tiny bit while driving. I certainly wasn't saying there might be cooling tubes in the battery, I was just saying that they may have removed an inch of fiberglass between the cabin and the battery. Thus the ambient temp battery with a lot of thermal mass may make the a/c run at higher "stage" for a longer period of time.

Since you're in NC, your temps aren't nearly as high as here which may make it work more efficiently.
With the older one, even with lower settings, the GOM would only lose 0-2 miles. Now it says 7-10.

 

[mark1313]

As long as Nissan has the new battery warranty in place .. I would have no problem in buying a new Leaf in 2015..I actually like the idea of having a new battery pack put in every 2 years ..
I believe in another year when there are plenty of batteries packs to go around, that the battery replacement could come down to a one day repair ...

 

[Desertstraw]

I have been thinking about this question and am answering the question with trepidation. Unless you are certain that you will be satisfied with a 60 mile car, the answer is no. I have had my Leaf for two years with no regrets but it is a car for early adopters who want to be part of a great new technology but not practical for most people. I was impressed with the shortcomings of the Leaf in a recent trip with my old Prius. I did not find a motel in a town where I expected to stay and had to drive 40 extra miles to another town. For an ICE it is an annoying extra but with a Leaf even if you had an L2 charger available, it would be a near disaster.

Nissan deserves a lot of credit for pioneering electric cars and I hope that their experience will be rewarded when better batteries are available. I fully believe that better batteries will soon be available and electric cars will replace ICEs sooner rather than later. There are several promising ones that have been reported on and undoubtedly others being developed silently. There is also Elon Musk working on a lower cost Tesla.

I still wonder what will happen next year when the NiMH battery comes out of patent. Despite all the not quite impartial disparagers, the EV1 and Toyota RAV4 Electric were true 100 mile cars in 2000. My lease is up next year and I would opt for a copy of the EV1 before going with a Leaf without greatly improved range.

And when you hear of people with Leaf ranges over 70 miles, think of it as a stunt. Remember this "The Sunrise is known for having achieved 375 miles (604 km) on a single charge, during the 1996 American Tour de Sol". The Solectria had NiMH batteries.

 

[ksnogas2112]

And when you hear of people with Leaf ranges over 70 miles, think of it as a stunt.

Desert...I would disagree on this part of your comment. I am able to get over 70 miles on a single charge routinely and it's not a stunt. However, it is not highway driving either. Speed and elevation changes are everything when it comes to range capabilities.

 

[Desertstraw]

And when you hear of people with Leaf ranges over 70 miles, think of it as a stunt.

Desert...I would disagree on this part of your comment. I am able to get over 70 miles on a single charge routinely and it's not a stunt. However, it is not highway driving either. Speed and elevation changes are everything when it comes to range capabilities.

I guess it is a matter of terminology. Whenever I have gotten over 70 it has been to the accompaniment of low battery warnings. I suppose that you can get used to them and not have them cause concern, I have not reached that stage. After two years I still have 12 bars but become very uncomfortable after 60 miles. Many who have posted here have lost bars in that time.