Some people will never get it...

[Stoaty]

I think there's something to be said for taking stated objections at face value rather than attempting to judge the underlying intent.

I know some very well-meaning people who like the idea of driving electric but honestly don't think they could handle the extra "hassle" and planning. Generally they have other challenges in life that they regard as higher priorities.

With a Tesla Model S (85 kwh version) there would actually be a lot less "hassle" than having an ICE vehicle. The problem is that the woman doesn't know it, and is afraid of change. That's why the adoption of BEV takes time.

 

[Kipp]

You know, regarding MB/Tesla lady, I think those reasons are just borne out ignorance, and I don't mean in a bad way; rather, that she probably just doesn't have a real situation to which to relate the advantages of EVs.

If you explain the advantages of EVs, and the LEAF in particular, it's probably difficult for people to "get it" unless they actually drive one for awhile. EVs really do grow on you in unexpected ways.

I got my LEAF at the end of July 2014. I took the car at face value: I just wanted something affordable to replace my aging Silverado (MY 1999, ~190,000 miles), which I wasn't really using for hauling things anyway. I found out I could lease the LEAF for almost the price of the gas savings alone. Environment and clean energy played absolutely no part in my decision to get the LEAF. I did have some concerns about recharging, but I was willing to take some of that into account to have something convenient for commuting in traffic.

However, over the last 6 weeks, my reasons for driving an EV have really shifted. I discovered that I really appreciate the quiet ride, the odor-free transportation, the ease of use and ease of maintenance, the absence of any further trips to the gas station (what a pain!). It feels liberating!

I remember the "dark days" pulling out my credit card at the pump, and wincing every single time. And I was going through that motion once a week.

With the LEAF, driving became fun again. I realize today that I couldn't drive another ICE vehicle again. I had always wanted a Mitsubishi EVO (I like performance), but I will gladly wait now for an AWD electric (or the Tesla Model 3). That would be cool.

My point is, though, that I don't think you "get it" until you drive an EV for awhile, and then you won't ever want to go back again.

 

[TimLee]

My point is, though, that I don't think you "get it" until you drive an EV for awhile, and then you won't ever want to go back again.

+10
Like Kipp I bought the LEAF 39 months ago based primarily on economics, although I did find the novelty early adopter aspect exciting and as an Engineer had always thought an electric drive train made more design sense.

But it is the ultra quiet driving and near instant torque take off that are addictive.

Got home this week with LEAF near empty and had to go back out because the takeout was wrong and had to drive the Altima. Arghh The only good thing about it is the Bose stereo.

 

[bbrowncods]

Got home this week with LEAF near empty and had to go back out because the takeout was wrong and had to drive the Altima. Arghh The only good thing about it is the Bose stereo.

I know how you feel. I had to drive the wifes Toyota Venza (nice car) to get the oil changed. For the first couple of times stepping on the accelerator I thought something was wrong for a second. Then paying for the oil change just felt wrong. She had also run the tank to almost empty so I had to get gas. First time in months i had been at the gas pump. It is amazing how you get used to a behavior pattern. Putting gas in a car felt like the first time I plugged in the Leaf.

 

[mkjayakumar]

My point is, though, that I don't think you "get it" until you drive an EV for awhile, and then you won't ever want to go back again.

+10000

I cannot count the number of times I had used the exact same phrase in my conversations with my friends.

 

[thankyouOB]

do these people LIKE to buy gas?
because, they dont have to anymore.

 

[bbrowncods]

do these people LIKE to buy gas?
because, they dont have to anymore.

They don't know any different. It is like trying to explain sex to a virgin.

 

[Woosie]

this is something I have sensed as well. Its hard for me to understand as EVing has transcended beyond a mode of transportation for me into a hobby. I hesitate to mention this anywhere but here but I always feel a small sense of giddiness growing as we near the end of every month because then I know I can plug my monthly driving stats into my spreadsheet and see how much I saved this month. it truly is not work!

Interesting comment. I stopped keeping stats once I established a steady $40/mo cost of electricity for the Leaf (recent rate changes at SCE have increased the monthly cost by $20 or so). Now, I simply see the car as an appliance, getting me from A to B. No issues, no muss, no fuss...simply awesome.

I'll be turning in the Leaf S for an SL sometime in January, for a final 3 year lease. In 2018, there should be a true 150-200 EV available, either from Tesla, Nissan, Chevy, etc. Then, it'll be time to purchase, finally.

 

[Woosie]

Oh, and plugging in couldn't be easier - plugged in 30 seconds tops. I unplug on my way to get dry food for the cats in the morning. Simple as pie!

With a 40 mile round trip commute in SoCal, I can skip charging overnight and use the QC at Nissan on the way home, like I did earlier this week. It takes a bit of time to STOP worrying about range and once you understand the car's range implicitly, range anxiety is eliminated. I just don't use the Leaf for long trips, without pre-planning.

One of my favorite things to do is drive first thing in the morning, windows down, no radio, and really enjoy the quietness of the car. As I near the freeway or it's cold/rainy outside, I roll the windows up and use climate control, of course.

 

[kikngas]

Why is it that people don't understand that having an EV in motion doesn't make energy appear out of nowhere that you can capture and charge from? All the sudden regenerative braking is selling yourself short. For some reason they feel that an EV, once ya get it up to speed, should deploy windmills or something to charge the battery. If it's such a great idea, why don't they picture it for a hybrid ICE? Just get it up to speed on gas and generate everything ya need from there!

I finally just pointed out that any means of charging a battery produces some heat that gets lost, and that you can't overcome that energy loss to perpetuate the cycle.

Speaking of which, does anyone know why they chose to use an AC motor? It seems odd to take DC solar (on my wish list), invert to AC to match the plugs, charge the car with AC through an inverter to a DC battery and then, I presume, the DC battery must be inverted again to drive an AC motor. Does an AC motor deliver more power in the footprint? or longer life? Why wouldn't you use a DC motor and skip the energy loss of another power conversion?

 

[TimLee]

... Why wouldn't you use a DC motor and skip the energy loss of another power conversion?

Cost.

 

[stjohnh]

Speaking of which, does anyone know why they chose to use an AC motor? It seems odd to take DC solar (on my wish list), invert to AC to match the plugs, charge the car with AC through an inverter to a DC battery and then, I presume, the DC battery must be inverted again to drive an AC motor. Does an AC motor deliver more power in the footprint? or longer life? Why wouldn't you use a DC motor and skip the energy loss of another power conversion?

Summary from the thread on AC vs DC motor:

"There is not a simple out of the box answer for this. Nissan had their reason we can only make guesses about the answer until Nissan or one of the design engineers to tells us what they were thinking. It could be as simple as the motor they picked overall cost $5 less in production or possibly their intellectual property ownership dictated which one it was. About the only thing we can safely say about the motor selection is they didn't want brushes. Overall a good question just not an easy answer without Nissan jumping in to answer it."

http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=2903" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Further discussion on AC vs DC motors should be taken to that thread.

 

[JohnBike]

Speaking of which, does anyone know why they chose to use an AC motor? It seems odd to take DC solar (on my wish list), invert to AC to match the plugs, charge the car with AC through an inverter to a DC battery and then, I presume, the DC battery must be inverted again to drive an AC motor. Does an AC motor deliver more power in the footprint? or longer life? Why wouldn't you use a DC motor and skip the energy loss of another power conversion?

...
http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=2903" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
....

See also http://www.teslamotors.com/blog/induction-versus-dc-brushless-motors I agree that this should be the last mention of AC/DC, since it doesn't really help respond the folks who still "just don't get it."

 

[johnrhansen]

The only motor those people want is one with pistons!

 

[TimLee]

The only motor those people want is one with pistons!

Why do they want pistons??? :? :? :?
When I got my LEAF in summer 2011 most in my engineering group were supportive of the concept.
But one guy that I like said it would never work for him.
A car had to be something with an engine that made lots of good noise :?
And many ICE manufacturers specifically set out to make noise, particularly a % of the motorcycle manufacturers and owners.
But most people's hesitancy was range.

But OP was talking to someone that vetoed getting a Tesla S, based on the inconvenience of plugging it in!!
Madness. Simply madness.

 

[johnrhansen]

I got a kick out of the Harley electric motorcycle that just came out. It makes a loud whirring noise. I know from my car that it does not need to be that way... they just made it so because people like noise.. Ever heard some of the music people play these days?

 

[TimLee]

... Ever heard some of the music people play these days?

Unfortunately

 

[smkettner]

What is to get? Some just want to continue same. Let them have it.

 

[dave7133]

A VOLT has NO range limit.

period.

 

[dave7133]

Resvd: 4/20/10 23:43 CDT
Ordered: 11/19/10
Ordered Date (Entry into Fab): 02/05/11
Man. Date: 03/10/11, VIN # 2026
Delivered 05-17-2011 (within 2 days of DB)
Blue Ocean, eTec

why do we care??