Newbie here from Canada: looking at getting my first and only vehicle, will a used leaf work for me?

[RonDawg]

The volt wouldn't work with kids and cargo space!

The Ford C-Max Energi is more roomy than the Volt: 100 cubic feet of passenger space volume vs. 90 for the Volt (and 92 for the Leaf). Luggage space is 19 cubic feet for the Ford vs. 18 for the Volt and 24 for the Leaf. The taller roofline makes it a bit easier to get into than the Volt too. The downside is a shorter electric-only range (19 miles vs. 38 for the Volt per the US EPA).

 

[Anonymous]

I DO not like Fords except for the F-150 lol

There is one 2015 Nissan Leaf SV in Charlottetown PEI that is a Demo and it is now $31,273 with 18,793km on it. I'm going to wait and see if they mark it down more then see about negotiating a price. Canadian black book rates the sale value as $23,000 as average asking price for the car. So I'm think if I can get the car for $26,000 before taxes, etc it would be a deal! Same deal as what I would be looking at if getting the 2016 Prius. I just wish I could get a use 2013 Nissan Leaf instead of a new one to save more money.

What do y'all think about buying demo cars? Are they worth it?

I have 3 months to get a new car but can wait for 6 (just don't really feel like doing so lol)

 

[Reddy]

If I only drive 40km how long would it take me get to full capacity again?

The 6.6kw charger found in the '13+ SV and SL (and S with Charge Package) will add about 1% charge every two minutes with most commercial L-2 stations and with 30 amp home L-2 stations. Lower amperage home stations take longer. How much charge you use on a 40km trip will depend on a number of factors, so that's harder to answer.

In your situation I would get the 2013 SV or SL. Don't get the S because of the less efficient heater. I've tested a 2013 yesterday that had 95% battery at 31,000 mi. Last year I tested one at 98% battery and 20,000 mi. One possibility is to have a used car dealer buy one at auction specifically for you. There's a lot of risk in that because it might be a lease return from Arizona or Texas with lots of battery degradation. Check out the auction thread for negotiating power:
http://mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=19362&p=452164&hilit=auction#p452164
http://mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=8354&p=452162&hilit=auction+2012#p452162

 

[ElectricEddy]

I DO not like Fords except for the F-150 lol

There is one 2015 Nissan Leaf SV in Charlottetown PEI that is a Demo and it is now $31,273 with 18,793km on it. I'm going to wait and see if they mark it down more then see about negotiating a price. Canadian black book rates the sale value as $23,000 as average asking price for the car. So I'm think if I can get the car for $26,000 before taxes, etc it would be a deal! Same deal as what I would be looking at if getting the 2016 Prius. I just wish I could get a use 2013 Nissan Leaf instead of a new one to save more money.

What do y'all think about buying demo cars? Are they worth it?

I have 3 months to get a new car but can wait for 6 (just don't really feel like doing so lol)

Is this the one? http://www.centennialnissan.com/en/used/nissan/leaf/?price_max=&price_max=&year_max=&km_max=&transmission=&make=nissan&price_min=&price_min=&results_per_page=24&order_by=price-asc&model=leaf&year_min=

It may have been kept in the lot for some time under a high state of charge which will cause you to get less range than expected . This could be an issue in the winter. Even with warmer than usual winters in my location I find the range is approx. 1\2 compared to summer with my 13 SL and that is with a heat pump. ( I am a bit of an energy piggy though as I do like to keep warm and will sit in the car and eat lunch).
If h/pump, QC and bose is included and the pack is close to 100% than $26K seems fair as we Canadians don't always have the same selection or choice as those south of the border.
Are there no rebates in your area? What do you pay for electricity there (per kWh) ?

 

[Anonymous]

I'm definitely not will to take a risk like that!

With 3 months of thinking, saving and researching I should be able to find a Nissan Leaf or Prius for a good price. Just need to make sure I act on it quickly so that no one snatches the car from me.

 

[Anonymous]

It's been a long time since I've been on the site but I've been doing a ton of thinking.


I'm still in love with the thought of going all electric especially since it won't cost me much money in the long run of things. I'm hoping to keep the car till it breaks and if the battery goes within 5-10 years of ownership but the rest of the car is good I would look into (hoping that I'll be able to) putting an upgraded battery into the car.

My concern goes back to the year of the car. There are 2012 SV for 16,995 to 19,000 available with none to only one bar missing. There are also 2013s (few) that cost 20,000 and more. The 2015 demo that I mentioned in a later post is now down to $29,000...still way to expensive for me

I'm going to contact my local dealership again and see if they can find me a used leaf from the Ontario or quebece dealerships. I really do not want to give up this so called dream of mine.

Any more advice would be extremely helpful!

 

[abasile]

Ashley, I just saw this thread, and I hope you take the plunge and go all-electric. The debt free life is a good one and I totally understand your desire to pay cash for a used vehicle. Our family still uses our 2011 LEAF on long drives here and there (~240 km last Saturday, for instance), since we have access to plenty of charging infrastructure. We'd like a Tesla, but not until we're ready to buy used, for cash.

My only thought is that those Canadian prices seem pretty high, even accounting for the CAD/USD exchange rate. Would you be willing to import a used LEAF from the US? I don't know what this might cost, or whether it'd be worth the effort, but considering that 2013+ LEAFs are manufactured in Tennessee, my guess is that import duties wouldn't be a problem. Maybe you could find a good, cheap LEAF in Boston or elsewhere in New England. Getting it home could be a challenge, but that could be eased by trucking it at least to the border, or alternatively, perhaps ferrying it from New England to Nova Scotia.

Also, I'd recommend going with a 2013 or newer, with 6 kW charging (standard on the SV or SL) and ideally QC as well. You probably also want the "heat pump" heater. You might as well make those longer drives as easy as possible!

Personally, I'm working on a website (not yet released) to facilitate transactions in used EVs. Hopefully this will help people like you in the future.

 

[Anonymous]

I found a used 2013 Nissan leaf SL leather, navi, backup camera, heated seats and steering wheel. For all in price of $21,998. I'm in contact with the dealerships now to get the car here for me to test drive and hopefully buy. It's warranty on battery is until 2021 or 160,000km. It's the best price I've seen yet and I'm willing to pay for it! I think it's a very far price and with the warranty being very good I'm pleased. The car has almost 47,000km. I have pictures of the add for the vehicle. Going to post it if I can figure out how to do it.

 

[RonDawg]

Keep in mind that the battery warranty you speak of is for defects in manufacturing only. The capacity degradation warranty for US cars is 5 years/60k miles so I'm guessing Nissan Canada's warranty for the same issue is 5/100k km. With your location though, I don't expect that you will run into premature capacity degradation like owners/lessees in the warmer parts of the US have.

 

[Anonymous]

Couldn't find a way to post the pics so I'm just posting the link to the add instead. Hope this is okay.


http://www.autotrader.ca/a/Nissan/LEAF/St-Hyacinthe/Quebec/5_26955096_20110819084616970/?ursrc=hl&showcpo=ShowCPO&orup=17_15_28

 

[RonDawg]

Couldn't find a way to post the pics so I'm just posting the link to the add instead. Hope this is okay.


http://www.autotrader.ca/a/Nissan/LEAF/St-Hyacinthe/Quebec/5_26955096_20110819084616970/?ursrc=hl&showcpo=ShowCPO&orup=17_15_28

That's fine as long as the link remains active. You can always use it to practice your French :lol:

 

[Anonymous]

Yes I do understand that the warranty is for degrading or whatever it's called and that's what I am worried about the most. With all that I've heard from owners I believe this car could get me another 5 years minimum of hassle free driving. I'm hoping to get until 2026 (10yrs) with it before upgrading the battery. Hopefully by then the cost of a new battery will be $1-3,000.

 

[Reddy]

ouch $22,000 CA seems excessive. We're seeing reports of 2011 Leafs as low as $8000 US. 2013's can probably be had for $13,000 US.

 

[Anonymous]

It's a certified used vehicle.. In Canada I've found all vehicles run higher then the US by a couple of grand. Like I said I would love to get the vehicle for $20,500. If I can get it for cash for $19,500 that would be awesome bit that's pushing it most likely. I also don't get incentives where I am at so the price is obviously going to be $5-8,000 more.

Would you say the vehicle is still worth the cost?

 

[jjeff]

ouch $22,000 CA seems excessive. We're seeing reports of 2011 Leafs as low as $8000 US. 2013's can probably be had for $13,000 US.

Yes I purchased a nice condition '12(albiet missing 2 bars) for $7.5k USD. Of course I'm not in Canada and '13's were going for almost $4k more at the time(end of this winter). Note the listed car does have leather, if thats important to one and being a '13 it also has many other perks vs a '12(upgraded charger, SOC% display, ability to turn heat off, dark interior, much better regen, etc.). I guess whats more important is what they are selling for in Canada, which sounds like a fair amount more than the US but it is what it is, the Leaf is a very nice car IMO and the SL is the top of the line.

 

[abasile]

Yes I do understand that the warranty is for degrading or whatever it's called and that's what I am worried about the most. With all that I've heard from owners I believe this car could get me another 5 years minimum of hassle free driving. I'm hoping to get until 2026 (10yrs) with it before upgrading the battery. Hopefully by then the cost of a new battery will be $1-3,000.

In your shoes, I wouldn't be particularly concerned about battery degradation, given your very cool climate. My 2011 LEAF's battery looks set to last at least another few years, though of course no one has owned a LEAF for longer than 5.5 years thus far. That said, Prof. Jeff Dahn of Dalhousie U., in your region, has been a pioneer in predicting battery longevity and there is good reason to believe that many Li-ion batteries will have long lifespans.

While LEAF batteries could be better and they have issues with heat tolerance, they seem to do okay if kept cool most of the time. There are steps you can take to maximize battery longevity and protect your investment. Even in a cool climate, during the warmer months, I do recommend parking in shaded locations whenever practical. At night, parking outdoors can help maximize battery cooling. Avoiding back-to-back use of DC fast chargers is usually a good idea. Lots of "hot rod" driving also adds to battery heat. And when the battery does get warm or hot, keeping the state of charge well below 100% has a protective effect.

 

[Anonymous]

Luckily for me/unluckily for me I only have one DC charger in the maritimes which is over highway 100km from my house. I'm hoping if they can get me this vehicle i will prove to my parents that going all electric was and is the perfect ulternative to a second vehicle and hopefully they will think about getting a bolt in a few years time when they are going for a good used price. (I'll be getting a Bolt as soon as I can afford a used one)

I don't have a garage to park mine in and I'll only be using the charger that comes with the car unless I can convince my parents to let me get an electrician in to wire my houses garage for a dryer plug (I've heard it's cheaper then the actual unit and works just as good!) for a really good price. In the winter I'll also only be able to park outside hoping this won't affect the car/battery in anyway. I'll preheat the car while it's still hooked up everyday.

How much did your electric bill go up? My power is .10cense a kWh 24/7 most (Max) I'll drive in a day is 60km probably least I'll drive is 10km (if it's summer depending on where I'll use my bike to travel places) is it okay for the car to sit for a day or two in the summer or the winter? Will that hurt the battery?

 

[LeftieBiker]

The car can sit for quite a while as long as nothing is plugged into the diagnostic port, and the charge cable (the actual charger is in the car) is not plugged in. Having it outside isn't a big deal, as long as you factor in the modest drain from the battery warmer in frigid weather. (It only runs in single digit Fahrenheit or colder weather.) As for the dryer circuit, that's a cheaper option only if you already have one, because you also have to pay to have your charge cable (EVSE) upgraded. A 20 amp Clipper Creek charging station plus wiring would run about the same cost.

 

[abasile]

How much did your electric bill go up? My power is .10cense a kWh 24/7 most (Max) I'll drive in a day is 60km probably least I'll drive is 10km (if it's summer depending on where I'll use my bike to travel places) is it okay for the car to sit for a day or two in the summer or the winter? Will that hurt the battery?

Wow, $0.10/kWh (CAD) is really cheap! We pay roughly $0.15-$0.20 per kWh (USD) for electricity and it still doesn't cost much, maybe an extra $30 USD per 1000km of driving.

Normally, 60km/day shouldn't be an issue, but in bitter cold weather (well below freezing) with some additional battery degradation and the heater running hard, it could be a challenge. Plugging in midday, if that's possible, would give you some margin. That said, if I personally had to drive 60km in bitter cold, I'd definitely still drive my 2011 LEAF (missing two capacity bars) but I'd be careful to conserve energy and would do just fine.

 

[Anonymous]

I usually only do 20 km or 13 miles a day which is a round trip for work however I can usually top off at 60km or 37miles a day.. If I'm going crazy with shopping and not giving a care about milage put on my car I can (most likely won't) do over 60 km.

Yes electricity is cheap which is great compared to gas .85 (lowest I've seen since I started driving 3 1/2 years ago) to over a dollar per litre of fuel. My moms car usually takes $39-48 dollars to fill every week and a half to two weeks depending on how much we drove and what the gas prices are. My parents also spend around $120 or more dollars a year to service the car- checks, oil change. (This isn't including tire rotation) with the Leaf (hoping the dealership can work out a way for me to get it) could cut the cost for my parents expense to owning their car by a lot exspecially if my parents realize that using the leaf as the priority car is the best option. If that were to happen a level 2 charger would be priority.