New and upcoming 2013 buyer question for Leaf

[FGARCIA25]

Hi everyone! I am ready to purchase the 2013 Leaf when it comes out, but I still have several questions about the car though.... Maybe someone can help me out?

1. On rainy days (or even stormy days with lightning, because I live in Florida,) is it safe to charge the LEAF in public while it's raining since most of the EV charging stations are outdoor? Is the water going to get into the charging port?

2. Can I have the car on while charging in public EV stations?

3. Any portable charger that I can buy in the event that my battery runs out completely?

4. Is there anything else that I need to worry about the car?

5. Forgot one more last question. In the state of Florida, I am still eligible for the 7,500 tax credit ??? I guess it will be for 2014 since I came in late.

That's all I have for now. Please advise.

Thank you very much!

Super excited future buyer =)

 

[Bicster]

Hi everyone! I am ready to purchase the 2013 Leaf when it comes out, but I still have several questions about the car though.... Maybe someone can help me out?

1. On rainy days (or even stormy days with lightning, because I live in Florida,) is it safe to charge the LEAF in public while it's raining since most of the EV charging stations are outdoor? Is the water going to get into the charging port?

You can charge it safely outdoors in the rain. It's designed for that. There's all kinds of safety built into the EVSE's and the car to prevent shorts and electrocution.

2. Can I have the car on while charging in public EV stations?

Just like at home, you can have it in accessory mode and/or use heating/cooling. You can't put it in "gear."

3. Any portable charger that I can buy in the event that my battery runs out completely?

It comes with a 120V EVSE that's in a bag in the hatch area. If you want, you can have a third party upgrade it for 240V and higher-amperage charging. In reality, if your battery runs flat, you'll just call Nissan roadside assistance and have them deliver the car to your garage or some other charge location.

I assume you don't intend to rely on public charging completely. Most drivers charge at home. If you can't do that, I would strongly urge you to consider a Volt or a different plug-in hybrid.

4. Is there anything else that I need to worry about the car?

The big one is a trend of premature capacity loss in hot climates. Strongly consider a lease.

5. Forgot one more last question. In the state of Florida, I am still eligible for the 7,500 tax credit ??? I guess it will be for 2014 since I came in late.

The tax credit is on your federal taxes, so it doesn't matter where you live, as long as you pay (not withhold) at least 7,500 in federal income tax. There's another incentive to lease -- the leasing company gets the tax credit and uses it to lower the price of the car up front.

That's all I have for now. Please advise.

Thank you very much!

Super excited future buyer =)

Good to have you on board! I don't have a Leaf (yet?) but I've been watching with keen interest for several years. I think I may pull the trigger in the next few months.

 

[MrIanB]

#2---no, car won't start while charging. I think you can still listen to radio and accessories while charging only.

Ian B

 

[Bicster]

#4 - I forgot to mention this in my first reply, but this is really important: Nissan's 100 mile range claim is bogus. The EPA rating of 73 miles is much closer. As the battery ages, the range will go down.

You can drive 100 miles in this car (or more), but most people will never be able to do it. Don't count on it. I'm reminded of an Isuzu advertisement in the 80's where the fine print regarding the car's top speed read "downhill in a hurricane"

 

[Spies]

You can drive 100 miles in this car (or more), but most people will never be able to do it. Don't count on it. I'm reminded of an Isuzu advertisement in the 80's where the fine print regarding the car's top speed read "downhill in a hurricane"

Must have been Joe Isuzu!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Isuzu" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

 

[Bicster]

I'm glad someone else remembers Joe Isuzu!

 

[FGARCIA25]

Thank you all for the prompt reply. I really can't wait for the 2013 model to be released around 2/14.

I guess with the accessory mode while charge is where I can listen to music and have maybe the A/C since FL does tend to get real bad in the summer time.

 

[cwerdna]

4. Is there anything else that I need to worry about the car?

On the subject of range, how many miles do you plan to drive a day? What % highway vs. city? If commuting to/from work, will you have charging at work?

 

[x10guy]

The first question really reminds me of the time when "self-serve" gas stations were first proposed. There was a quite a bit of public concern over the safety of regular people pumping their own gas. Many believed that it would lead to widespread fires and explosions.

That just shows us that EV education is no where near what it needs to be in order for it to really be accepted.

 

[kubel]

Accessory mode will only allow you to operate 12V features of the car (radio, touch screen). You'll need to hold the brake and push the power button to turn the car on so you can run the AC. Both modes can function while charging.

 

[FGARCIA25]

4. Is there anything else that I need to worry about the car?

On the subject of range, how many miles do you plan to drive a day? What % highway vs. city? If commuting to/from work, will you have charging at work?

Just my daily commute to work. Its about 50 miles round trip. Here in Orlando there is a bunch or charging stations in which I can use for free. There is one by my job so I was thinking to drive there during lunch and just sit there and just charge.

 

[cwerdna]

4. Is there anything else that I need to worry about the car?

On the subject of range, how many miles do you plan to drive a day? What % highway vs. city? If commuting to/from work, will you have charging at work?

Just my daily commute to work. Its about 50 miles round trip. Here in Orlando there is a bunch or charging stations in which I can use for free. There is one by my job so I was thinking to drive there during lunch and just sit there and just charge.

They may not remain free, operational or be reliable. Some charging networks have pretty unreliable stations (e.g. Blink).

That said, you shouldn't have any trouble w/that trip w/only charging at home unless you're a total speed demon. As the battery degrades, it might get a bit dicier if you're driving fast.

If you're going to depend on public infrastructure, I'd recommend getting the 6.6 kW (on-board) charger (http://nissannews.com/en-US/nissan/usa/channels/us-united-states-nissan-models-leaf/presskits/us-2013-nissan-leaf-press-kit" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false, optional on the S, but standard on SV and SL trims.

 

[planet4ever]

Accessory mode will only allow you to operate 12V features of the car (radio, touch screen). You'll need to hold the brake and push the power button to turn the car on so you can run the AC. Both modes can function while charging.

More precisely, you cannot start charging when the car is on, but you can turn it on as described after you start charging. You can start charging in ACC mode (press power once without brake) and then go from there to ON mode (press power once more, with or without the brake) while charging.

I'm not sure whether the OP was thinking of normal L2 charging or DC Quick Charge. Normal L2 charging during lunch would only add about 10 miles (plus or minus). DC Quick Charge stations are pretty few and far between at present. PlugShare only shows one in the entire state of Florida.

Ray

 

[cwerdna]

I'm not sure whether the OP was thinking of normal L2 charging or DC Quick Charge. Normal L2 charging during lunch would only add about 10 miles (plus or minus). DC Quick Charge stations are pretty few and far between at present. PlugShare only shows one in the entire state of Florida.

That's why I suggested he get the 6.6 kW charger, so that at least more miles can be added in an hour, assuming the EVSE/charging station has higher output as well.

 

[planet4ever]

That's why I suggested he get the 6.6 kW charger

Good point. Virtually all public charging stations would support the maximum rate of the new faster charger in the car, doubling the miles picked up during lunch.

In the state of Florida, I am still eligible for the 7,500 tax credit ??? I guess it will be for 2014 since I came in late.

The tax credit is on your federal taxes, so it doesn't matter where you live, as long as you pay (not withhold) at least 7,500 in federal income tax. There's another incentive to lease -- the leasing company gets the tax credit and uses it to lower the price of the car up front.

Your statement sounds ambiguous, Bicster. I would have worded it "pay (including withholding) at least $7,500". Your point about leasing is quite pertinent, and I, too, would strongly recommend leasing to people in Florida. The fact that you get the credit immediately rather than a year later is an incidental benefit; the real reason is that battery longevity is Nissan's problem rather than yours.

If you were asking how long the credit will last, it is until Nissan has sold or leased 200,000 vehicles in the US with traction batteries of 4kWh or more. So far, in two years, they are about 10% of the way to the limit. Of course if they were able to come out with a competitor to the Plug-in Prius that went farther on electricity and cost less, it might not be all that long.

Ray

 

[RonDawg]

The first question really reminds me of the time when "self-serve" gas stations were first proposed. There was a quite a bit of public concern over the safety of regular people pumping their own gas. Many believed that it would lead to widespread fires and explosions.

That's still the belief in Oregon and New Jersey (no self-serve gas).

 

[Publius]

The first question really reminds me of the time when "self-serve" gas stations were first proposed. There was a quite a bit of public concern over the safety of regular people pumping their own gas. Many believed that it would lead to widespread fires and explosions.

That just shows us that EV education is no where near what it needs to be in order for it to really be accepted.

You're right that EV education is not where it needs to be. I have to admit, I had similar concerns and asked a similar question before I got my Leaf (more about charging outside in the snow, though), and I initially thought that I might not be able to get one until I move to a house with a garage. Part of that, though, was due to Nissan's TV advertisements that keep referencing your garage, the reviews I read and watched on YouTube that only mentioned charging in a garage, and it didn't help that I had to dig a little on the Nissan website to find that the charge stations can be installed outside. Of course I could have done a quick Google search or gone to a dealer and seen their charge stations outside, but a person looking for a car who might otherwise consider an EV might quickly look elsewhere if they have preconceived notions about EVs.

 

[Stanton]

While your daily commute (<50 miles) should be fine for the Leaf, I would not buy ANY EV if you didn't (couldn't) make your home (you didn't say if you lived in a apartment or home) your primary (overnight) charging location. I get the distinct impression you're going for "free" charging, which--unless you were going to DCQC--would never be enough over lunch. In addition, you'll also find that charging (outside) in the heat is not the best thing for the battery pack in the long run; I never "opportunity charge" here in TX during extreme temp days.

 

[FGARCIA25]

While your daily commute (<50 miles) should be fine for the Leaf, I would not buy ANY EV if you didn't (couldn't) make your home (you didn't say if you lived in a apartment or home) your primary (overnight) charging location. I get the distinct impression you're going for "free" charging, which--unless you were going to DCQC--would never be enough over lunch. In addition, you'll also find that charging (outside) in the heat is not the best thing for the battery pack in the long run; I never "opportunity charge" here in TX during extreme temp days.

Sorry about that. Yes, I love in a house with a 3 car garage. I do intend to buy the home charging station. I will buy between the SV vs SL model which both include the fast charge.

Question is can I plug my car from home on the fast charge side. This might be a stupid question, but its hard to get any answer on the net.

Do they even have charge stations for a home that do fast charge ?

Thanks all for being patient and answering my questions.

 

[TonyWilliams]

The DC CHAdeMO "quick charger" is not something that is currently available for home use. In the near future, I expect Nissan to offer a 6kW DC CHAdeMO home charger that also powers your house, called Vehicle to Home, or Vehicle to Grid.