Looky Loos questions

[GPowers]

I read in several post that Leaf owners get lots of question when driving their Leafs around town. That has not been my experience. So I'm wondering if it has to do with the color of the Leaf. Mine is silver, so it blends in with other cars. It does not stick out or is the the color of the highly visible Leaf in all the commercials and marketing stuff.

My guess it that Leaf owners, that get tons of looky Loo questions, own a Blue Ocean Leaf. Maybe even with the large Zero "emission graphic" on the side.

 

[jcesare]

I don't get many questions or looks either and I have a Blue Ocean with personalized plates and a frame that states 100% Electric. In 6 months, a few thumbs up and a couple of questions from Prius drivers is about it. As usual, most people don't have a clue.

 

[Devin]

I find it goes in waves. My Leaf is white and the only additional marking is the "ELECTRIC" badge on the back. I can go several days without a single comment and then have about 5 in a day. This morning a gentleman and his female passenger in a blacked out and lowered Camaro honked and waved to get my attention to ask me about the car while at a stop light. I had pulled up alongside them so they never even saw the back of the car and would have only been able to see the small Zero Emission badge on the side.

I've been really surprised since I've had the car at the type of people who ask me about it and are positive about it. I've had day labourers at U-Haul gathered around it asking questions about it and wanting to see the charge port and motor compartment, several Mercedes AMG and BMW M drivers have stopped me in parking lots or flagged me down at traffic lights, and (I suppose less surprisingly) several electricians have asked me about it. Not a single hybrid or diesel driver has asked me about the car or even really acknowledged it, though a Civic GX driver did once.

 

[thankyouOB]

my take after almost 6 months is that EVs are mostly below the radar. There are only 7k in all of the US, plus a few Volts.
a very few folks recognize the Leaf and/or ask questions. There are some folks who applaud or do thumbs up.

I dont think the car is out there in the public mind, yet. I began to see the first national ads on tv in October.
See if they take time on the World Series, it should grow, especially if it is that very fine diesel-fume everywhere thing.

 

[ebill3]

Other than neighbors, I've had but one discussion - mine is red.
Pulled into a parking slot.
Guy: What does that thing run on?
Me: Pure electric.
Guy: No gas engine?
Me: No fuel tank, no exhaust pipe.
Guy: Jokingly - How often do you change the oil?
Me: 100,000 miles.
Guy: Ah go on - waved and took off.

 

[waitingforaleaf]

I've had virtually the same experience as ebill3. Other than the neighbors who saw me pull in the garage with a new vehicle, no one else has approached me about the car at all. I have a white one w/o the large zero emission badge, and I'd guess that it just blends into the background as one of those "eco, Prius-type cars."

 

[TickTock]

So far only two interactions with drivers - both positive. One just a thumbs up as he passed me and the other (BIG guy in a tiny truck-ito) asked me to roll down the window while we were at a light and we had a good chat about the car and how it is charged from my PV at home. However, I've had lots of positive response from kids when I am picking up my kids from various event. They are not bashful walking around it hollering "Hey MOM! This is the Leaf I was telling you about! ..." and so on while their Mom looks on embarrassed. I think the next generation gets it if not this one.

Oh, and mine is pearl white.

 

[EricBayArea]

Day I pulled into the garage, 3 neighbors came over. Also, people at work have asked me questions about it.

Most common question is"how long does it take to charge." I really dislike that question and usually respond with "on a dead battery, it would take 6-7 hours to charge full. But the normal time for me is about 3 hours."

I did a casual carpool (Bay Area thing) with my wife and someone hopped in my car when I was second in line. I told him the person in front was still waiting for one more and he said, "yeah, but I'm a car guy and want to ride in the new Leaf." That day when I drove over the Bay Bridge I saw 2 other Leaf's, a Silver and a Black. Both gave me a thumbs up.

Other than that, no one else has said a word. However, I have seen a lot of looks and pointing from people in Prius'.

 

[planet4ever]

I can't claim five in a day, like Devin, but come to think of it I did get three questioners yesterday. Two were with the car at home in my driveway, from people who don't live in the area but were visiting neighbors. The third was at a bookstore parking lot. I came out of the store and saw a woman and a boy walking around the car and looking at it. It turned out that the boy, who was maybe 12 years old, is fascinated by electric vehicles, and asked some very perceptive questions. The woman was mostly impressed when I told her it could go more than 90 mph, and that I could probably beat her car at a stoplight. After they thanked me and walked away I saw them climb into a stock Toyota Tacoma pickup, so I know I could beat her "car".

Yes, mine is Ocean Blue, and that probably does help in recognition. I don't have the big "Zero Emission" graphic, but I do (finally) have white carpool lane stickers.

Ray

 

[Boomer23]

We get questions about twice a week in parking lots, and a few thumbs up on the highway. Ours is Blue Ocean with an ELECTRIC badge on the rear deck lid, white HOV lane stickers that are pretty noticeable, and the license plate shown in my avatar to the left there <<<======.

We get the usual questions about range and charging time. I have a stack of business cards in the glove box with my email address, the URLs of this forum and my blog. People have been generally very nice, appreciative of the information and pleasant.

 

[Bassman]

I've got a Ocean Blue SL - almost six months and I've had three people comment on it - all positive. Most people just think it's a ICE hatchback. Even with the Big Zero Emission Decals on the sides.

 

[TickTock]

Most common question is"how long does it take to charge."

I think the right answer to that one is "~5 seconds when I get home and another 5 seconds in the morning"

 

[Packet]

Right now I don't get a lot of notice while out on the road (except for the nod/wave from other LEAF drivers), or in the average parking lot. If I go to the grocery store and plug into the blink there, however, I invariably come out of the store to find people clustered around and looking at the car, ready and eager to ask questions.

Most say they wouldn't have noticed it was electric if it weren't plugged into a charger; I think I need to put an 'ELECTRIC' badge on the back of mine, honestly, because a black LEAF just sort of blends into the general landscape for anyone who doesn't know what they are.

 

[UhClem]

Same here, I've only got comments when I've been plugged in at public charging stations. Once, I plugged in at at a grocery store where the local Corvette club was starting a group drive. After a few minutes, I had 25 Corvette owners checking out my Leaf

 

[GPowers]

Same here, I've only got comments when I've been plugged in at public charging stations. Once, I plugged in at at a grocery store where the local Corvette club was starting a group drive. After a few minutes, I had 25 Corvette owners checking out my Leaf

Very cool to have a bunch of Corvette owners checking you out.

 

[TonyWilliams]

Same here, I've only got comments when I've been plugged in at public charging stations. Once, I plugged in at at a grocery store where the local Corvette club was starting a group drive. After a few minutes, I had 25 Corvette owners checking out my Leaf

We have a local hot rod gathering every Wed night, and I took the LEAF over once. Lots of questions.

 

[Mx5racer]

Mine is silver also and in 6 months I can count on 1 hand the interactions, I thought the same thing that blue would be more noticed. Nice to hear that is not the case and I can feel better about my color choice.

 

[Ingineer]

I hate to say this, but I've definitely had more questions than most of you about my Plug-In Prius. The only obvious exterior indication is the "Plug-In Hybrid" badging, and most all of my questions come from Prius owners.

Maybe instead of "Zero-Emission", (or at least in addition to) the LEAF needs to say "Zero Gasoline" to get everyone's attention. Most people know that a Prius is somehow "Electric", but Toyota has done a good job of clarifying that they still do indeed use gas. Now they are working to change the perception back. Funny.

-Phil

 

[surfingslovak]

Maybe instead of "Zero-Emission", (or at least in addition to) the LEAF needs to say "Zero Gasoline" to get everyone's attention.

This should be one of the top priorities for Nissan. I imagine that it would be fairly easy to offer "ELECTRIC" or "100% ELECTRIC" as a factory or dealer-installed option. For what it's worth, the MINI-E pioneers complained about a similar perception problem as well. BMW used a stylized yellow plug symbol on the car to indicate that it was an EV, which just like "zero emissions" was not clear enough. Many MINI-E drivers ended up adding the familiar "ELECTRIC" badge, which reportedly resonated much better with the general public.

1. The emblems make a BIG difference

2. What BMW should have done

3. ELECTRIC chrome emblem gallery

 

[smkettner]

I agree Nissan should back away from too much grean earth eco stuff and promote NO gasoline.
I hope when Tennessee plant opens Nissan promotes made with US jobs and uses US fuel.