thankyouOB said:
Good start.
However, this flow chart appears to me to be flawed on a few levels; mostly it is just too conservative.
the cost (30k) appears high to me, though I admit I bought last year and our state has a rebate program. I paid a total of 20.5k, not including tax.
In addition, I am saving more than 2k a year in gas costs, so the afford concept is skewed without further inputs on savings.
I take it that you aren't aware how much the price of the LEAF increased for the 2012 model. Also, most states have sales tax and the vast majority of states don't have any incentives (I believe my state is currently the most generous with a ~$5000 refundable tax credit). Most people seem to buy the SL to get the QC port. That is $37,250 MSRP + $850 D&D less $7500 tax credit (if one qualifies) = $30,600 and that's
before any state sales tax. While discounts from MSRP are available in a few launch states, my impression from reading the orders thread is that most people are paying near MSRP at most dealers in most states. Hence my use of the ~$30K figure for the cost of the LEAF. The savings in gas depends on miles driven, gas prices, and electricity prices, which vary considerably from place to place.
In addition, the various go-ahead conditions include some that are errant, including asking whether someone drives generally under 65 on the freeway.
I would have answered NO for my ICE, but now I do so in the Leaf.
Maybe it should say, are you willing to drive <65 mph on the freeway?
I am trying to factor in the fact that the LEAF range is reduced considerably if one drives at 75 mph on the freeway, the speed limit in many (most?) states. At 65 mph or below one ought to be able to get fifty miles in cold winter places and 70 miles in warm weather areas.
Also, the mileage parameters dont fit my experience:
I charge to 80%, drive a roundtrip of 50-52 miles and get home with two bars and about 20-25 miles left.
Just my view.
My numbers were intended to be conservative to avoid range anxiety. As you likely know, there are people who have sold their LEAFs due to range anxiety and unrealistic expectations of the range.
I also have no patience whatsoever for the hypermilers who assume that everyone can
and should get the same extreme mileage they do. I also get better mileage than the limits I used in the flow chart due, in part, to living at high altitude, but that's hardly a factor that affects most people. Neither is hypermiling. Another factor to consider is what mileage will be like in a few years when batteries lose capacity. Hence my conservative numbers.
Yes there are plenty of people who could make a LEAF work for their lifestyle
if they tried hard enough, as I am doing. But I'm aiming at the people for whom a LEAF would be a "no-brainer". I figure that there must be millions of two+ car households who could use a LEAF as a primary car and a conventional ICE car as a secondary car, as is the case for so many of us here.
