evnow said:
But, if you take a look at information Nissan has given, this kind of driving seems to actually give 105 miles ragne in Leaf (see scenario 10).
I hadn't seen that chart. In the Roadster and RAV4-EV, the A/C gives about a 10% penalty on range, so I was interpolating Scenario 9 to a generous 80-mile range without A/C.
Is that chart on Nissan's site somewhere? I looked and didn't find it. Scenario 10 surprises me, but it's great news if it's reproducible. I'd love to have a link to that chart with its original source.
evnow said:
As to regen, I think there are valid reasons why people prefer one over the other. I suspect, people in geologies like ours with few flat roads and endless hills will prefer regen on accelerator pedal. It would be interesting to see how this works out in the years to come.
I think it's difficult to really grasp the benefits of significant regen on the accelerator pedal until you've driven with it for a few days. I realize not everyone will share my opinions about the driving experience, but I have a hard time being convinced by someone saying they prefer what they are used to without ever having tried the alternative. I hear nothing but praise from Tesla owners about how Tesla did it. I know a good number of Tesla owners who are not sports car fanatics but just interested in supporting the company that was pioneering production EVs, so I think it's a mistake to dismiss the opinion of Tesla owners as somehow being different from everyone else.
I just found out that regen is even stronger on the MINI E vehicles from the one-year test drive lease program, and those drivers seem to be at least as enthusiastic about how the MINI E drives as Tesla drivers are about the Roadster.
mwalsh said:
With respect, Tom, your points might be useful if Nissan was courting Roadster owners for the Leaf. Since we know that's not the target market, I think Nissan is absolutely on the right track. They need to court ICE drivers. It's not in their best interest to require transition training. There is already enough public perception that EVs aren't 'normal' - it's in Nissan's best interest to be very conservative with this vehicle or they might not get another chance.
Which of the following is going to sell more Leafs?
1. "The Leaf drives just like a gas car, except it has limited range. If you want to reduce your impact on the environment and reduce our dependence on foreign oil, and the range meets your driving needs, you should consider buying a Leaf."
2. "Driving a Leaf is a big improvement over driving gas. Now that I'm used to the electric experience, I greatly prefer it to driving gas burners, plus it's better for the environment and reduces our dependence on foreign oil. If the Leaf's range meets your driving needs, you should run out and buy one now."
I want the Leaf to be as awesome as it can be, for owners to be enthusiastic about how much better it is to drive electric, and for that enthusiasm to sell more Leafs and bring EV appreciation to mainstream buyers.