jlv said:
gmcjetpilot said:
Get 80 mi indicated on guess-O-meter at 100% charge, BUT I'd like your comments on my LeafSpy results.
The value on the GOM is worthless. Don't try to drive this car 80 miles -- you'll never make it. I suspect your real world, non-HVAC range is close to 50-55 miles, but only if you are driving sedately with an average efficiency of at least 4mi/kWh.
Since you have LeafSpyPro, you should be using it for your range estimate. On the summary page (where it shows Gids remaining) it will show the computed kWh remaining from that number of Gids. On the lower right (IIRC) it will allow you to input your current efficiency and thus show you a real estimate of your remaining range. Use that.
Thanks. I know most of this, but the Grids comment is appreciated.... I am pretty excellent at range and charging strategy which I have honed over the last 3 years. I'll add a few things....
I hoped to elevate this conversation beyond basics 101 stuff... SWe know how much I (and previous owner) lost in 6 years (22%). My crystal ball is broke.... I want a prediction of what the expected decay be linear or about 3.6%... or will rate of decay slow or accelerate loss of range? I realize there are many factors, environment (ambient temps), usage, charging habits and the generation of the pack itself..... There are many older LEAF's that show less decay over time... some way more. Yes I am aware of the early battery pack issues. I am not sure if my 24KW pack is a Lizard or not? Regardless ALL OF THEM LACK COOLING which is the Achilles heal of the design...
I am looking for insight (educated guessing) beyond the basics. If I keep going at 3.6% loss per year I can easily get another 6 years out it and then some for my current usage needs...
For me 50 mile range would (practical 32 miles) would pretty much be rock bottom utility. Of course I would start charging (by need) to 100% all the time vs 80%. This may hasten the decline in range?
The LEAF body, suspension, system, paint, interior all seem up to the task of holding up for another 10 years w/o looking like garbage or costing a lot of money. No surprise my brake pads are good but need new tires (as the snow this week proved). I do keep it garaged and take care of it... It feels solid.
DOES ANYONE KNOW OF SHOW STOPPING ISSUES WITH LEAFS, MOTOR, CHARGER, INVERTER....
I have over 3 years and 20,000 miles driving a LEAF. 80 mile range on guess-O-meter is based in the current Avg econ which mine is about 4.2 miles/KW at present (which is low due to some aggressive driving of late as I use it like a truck going to home depot on freeway at 70mph). When I first got it I tried to get as many trees as possible and could get 5/0 Mi/Kw or more average. However people drive like nuts around here, and driving then speed limited or any other hypermiling shenanigan's will get you run over. Also I ain't getting much younger, times a wasting...
Keep in mind when these early LEAF's were new they only had about 100 mile real driving range and now is 80 miles. It is not bad my friend. The World is not ending (yet).
My typical mission ranges from 10-24 miles round trip and work is about 32-34 miles RT.*** I still go days without charging sometimes (unless I am using it to commute to work, again 2nd car). If the gauge has 40 miles on it I am good to go for a typical short trip...
I have a LEVEL 2 (LCS-25 / 4.6 KW clipper creek) in my garage so it is no big deal to charge it quickly.. Typically I am 25-35% or higher when I start a charge, so it only takes about 1.5-2 hours to get me over 80%.... However I rarely go to 100%. I try to keep charge around 80% to 90%....
I use the LEAF for local grocery getting, home depot (yes you can get a lot of lumber (8'-12') or PVC pipe even (10'-20') length in/out the hatch. I also use it for commuting... which is my longest mission, about 32-34 miles round trip. In theory I could do two days RT commute without charge. I did that a few times. However I don't like to strain the battery... As I lost range that ability to do 68 miles ( x2 RT commutes) comfortably is almost gone... even if I wanted to. Again I can charge it easily and quickly at home. I use the cars time to make sure it does not over charge. My 2015 does NOT have the 80% limit but I am good at, guessing the time needed to get the charge around 80%....
I plan to NEVER go below 20% (or 20 mile range remaining). I rarely trigger flashing low range warning (that starts with about 17 miles left). I have on a few occasions over 3 years got to where the range blanks.... but that was within a few miles of my house and under unusual circumstances. Once went to work and started with less than a full charge. A friend was stranded and called me at work. I left work, had to go save him. That extra round trip to my day which started with less than 100% charge got me home with DASH MARKS.......
I never want to go under 20% and try and charge to about 80% max, so I get even less range... I do charge 100% on occasion to keep the battery capacity.... However when I charge to 100% I never let it set for a long time at 100%.... 80 mile range is PLENTY for me right now (or really 60 miles charging to 80% and never going under 20 mile range remaining).
The indicated range depends on how you drive and the current Avg Miles/KW.... ]If you "hyper mile", drive slower, accelerate slower, use regen brake or coast to stops, get lots of "trees" on a trip and your Avg miles/kw goes up. The Guess-O-meter will show longer range. I can get 80 miles out if it to "flashing dashes" if I wanted to. I have never seen nor do I want to see Turtle mode.... I have been driving aggressively lately and show 4.2 Miles/KW. I can easily get close to 5.0 Mile/Kw if I take it easy.....
My friend obviously AC and heat (steering wheel heat, seat heat, cabin heat even with the fancy heat recovery of my SV) will lower range.... That is a no brainer. My SV does have LED headlights, waste heat/electric hybrid cabin heater, fast DC charge, high capacity level 2 charge, NAV, rear view camera... Nice car.... However your point is a good one.... I am well aware any use of energy will cause loss of range. The diagnostic display shows you loss of mileage for ancillary systems (heat, AC...).
Guess-O-Meter and analytic stuff is an estimate. I can beat it if I drive like a Grandpa... Freeway constant 55 mph is OK but it is often better to take surface streets if you time lights, especially if it shaves miles off trip vs freeway. I don't do that much anymore. I drive it like I stole it now at +70 mph on freeway.... I have in past been able to AVG 5.0 M/Kw consistently, get a bunch of trees in one drive... Now I don't get one tree with a lead foot. AVG Mi/Kw is independent of battery state, but RANGE meter looks at it. If you take the original 24 Kw x 5.0 mi/kw that is 120 mile range in theory. Subtract the 20 mile reserve the car was only 100 mile car when New....
BTW it has been below freezing, in teens (Fahrenheit) for a week {unusual for this area and ahs made national news with 70% of country under snow). I lost (temporarily) based on cold battery capacity and using heat) about 20%. However 60 mile range (40 mile range with reserves) is still acceptable for my use per day which is never more than 34 miles in a single day***. I am able to plan my trips accordingly.
I have had this car for over 3 years (bought used from auction as car came off 3 yr lease). It now has over 30K miles in it.
Considering I have lost only 22% in 6 years or about 3.6% / year I am doing OK, not great but not bad... I think with careful charging, charging late at night when cool, avoid driving it in peak summer months (this is a 2nd car).... I can milk this battery pack for another 6 yrs to the 6 years already logged. If I still have 60 mile range (40 mile range with 20 mile reserve) in 6 years (12 yrs total) I will be OK with that. I will then decide if I can get a new (or used pack). However in 6 yrs any used pack will likely be old as well unless I can get a rebuilt or later model pack that can be retrofitted. A used Kona or Bolt or now Mustang EV by then may be a better value and have more range. Even with a new / used LEAF pack it will still be a 100 mile car (mins my 20 mile reserve). The other EV's all advertise 200+ miles... They may lie by they have active cooling of packs.
*** I do occasionally go on 50 mile one way trip (100 mile round trip) with the leaf, out and back in just a few hour period, very successfully. On one 100 mile RT to the South there is a Nissan dealer with Fast DC charging along the route. My SV has fast DC charging and +6Kw level 2 capacity. I can drive to destination and start back home and make the dealer to charge, right off freeway. There are so few EV's in this part of the country, the chargers are always open and working unless an ICE hole blocks it.... Fast DC charging is truly fast. I don't have to charge to 100%, which only takes about 40 minutes... To make it home easily I only need 60-70%... The total time to drive to divert to dealer, charge and get back on the freeway is no more than 30 min total... plus I get a buck or two of free electricity.
The other 40 mile trip (80 mile round trip) is to the East, there is another Nissan dealer, this one also with Level 2 & Fast DC charging 20 miles from my house. So I have to start at 100%, drive conservatively and get to destination, turn around and get to the dealer. I arrive at dealer with low range warning just popping up. I stop for a little 10 min fast charge to make it home which is not too far away... All this is an adventure, not practical. I take the highway route, average speed 45-55 mph vs freeway that is 65-70 mph. The highway route also shaves many miles from trip vs Freeway. By doing this I get my average M/Kw up and essentially adds range.... This just requires slow acceleration, coasting to stops and doing speed limit..... I do enjoy getting free charges. The alternative is get in my 700 mile range VW diesel TDI which takes 3 min to "charge" (fill up).
The point being if you have a Nissan dealer on your route, with fast charge and your LEAF has that capacity, it makes longer trips possible. If you commute and can charge at work then I could do 60 mile one way summer and 48 miles winter.... even with an old LEAF. Compare to my VW Diesel that has 700 mile range (14.5 gal tank). When I do a road trip the VW is the machine. I have friends that live 260 miles away. The Nissan dealers are too few and far between/ I am NOT going to pay some dumb amount per KW charge or use LEVEL 1 charger... I get in my VW and I am at their house in 3 to 4 hours non stop, Then after the weekend I turn around and go home over 500 miles and still have 200 miles range left on one tank. .. An electric car (even a newer long range one) would require at least two or three charges, one intermediate charge stop each way... plus charge at destination. The LEAF? Ha ha. I have an electric generator. I guess I could pull over and connect it to the charger?
PS I also have free charging at a public park near my house. They have 10 level 2 chargers under a shelter. 2 or 3 of them are always in use by park charging their small EV carts....
The sad part is my state charges me $100 fine/penalty for driving an EV (levied every year with registration tab) due to loss in their state fuel taxes. That reduces the economy of driving a EV a bit.... however the good news electricity is only about 0.11 cents a KW. I also enjoy the non-hassle of charging at home and not going to gas stations.... If I could only have one car it would not be an EV.... If the Libs get their way we will all be in the dark and or paying 10 times current prices for electricity.