Who owns these cars?

[umsneeze]

My Leaf is on the way, looks like early January. I'm a car guy and normally look for horsepower, handling and performance. But for a daily driver something economical is in order. Are there others here like me? Or are most motivated by reducing oil use or being environmentally friendly?

I've found that many of my friends and colleagues think the Leaf is crazy and I'm sure my Christmas gifts this year will be extension cords or Duracell packs. But my car guy friends (including an automotive journalist, an owner and mechanic for a high end car repair shop, and a new Ferrari owner) are all excited to see it.

I'm all for the environtal aspects, less petroleum use, but frankly I just think it is a cool technological marvel. Anyone else like me?

 

[NuclearLeaf]

I agree, the technology is what got me interested, but it is a real plus to get away from using so much oil. And I work in electric power generation, so that is a plus also.

 

[ttweed]

My Leaf is on the way, looks like early January. I'm a car guy and normally look for horsepower, handling and performance. But for a daily driver something economical is in order. Are there others here like me? Or are most motivated by reducing oil use or being environmentally friendly?

Congrats on your purchase! I think you will like the car, but for different reasons than your past vehicles. My impression is that the majority of Leaf owners fall in the " economical and environmentally friendly" camp, but there is certainly some overlap with your "horsepower, handling and performance" car-guy world. You might want to catch up on some of these threads for an indication of the latter:

Who came here from a performance car?
Leaf at Laguna Seca
Autocrossing a Leaf
Leaf at Pikes Peak
Possible Leaf suspension upgrades and
Nader's suspension upgrade thread

Good driving to ya,
TT

 

[adric22]

I fall into that camp. I'm a computer geek and I love high tech gadgets. The Leaf is basically my favorite high tech gadget. Gasoline cars seem so obsolete. I feel like I might as well be driving something around with a steam engine in it. In fact, the longer I drive a Leaf the more I feel that way about gasoline cars. They just seem so 20th century. But there are other great things too. I love the convenience of refueling my car at home and not having to go to a 3rd party facility once a week to refuel. Lack of oil changes is another great plus. The environmental benefits are also great, but certainly not my motivation for buying a Leaf.

 

[tps]

I've never had much interest in cars, way too much mechanical complexity for me. However I have always been interested in devices that are electrical or electronic. The LEAF is the first car interesting enough to me to buy new.

 

[Herm]

Once the Esflow is available then Nissan starts to cover MOST of the bases.

 

[lpickup]

I think you did a very good job of describing me. I love the look and feel of sports cars, and while the best "sports car" I've ever owned was a 1990 Nissan 240SX (which I really loved by the way), I've always WANTED something sportier, I just couldn't bring myself to justify the cost.

But I'm also very concerned about our dependence on oil and a fully electric EV makes a lot of sense to me. I suppose if I were independently wealthy I might consider getting a sports car for fun, but it would be awfully hard to justify the expense for a part time car!

After having test driven the LEAF, I was very impressed with all the gadgetry which does appeal to me as well.

While I'm sure I'll come out fine with the total cost of ownership of the LEAF, I also acknowledge that it is an expensive car (compared to what I normally buy) as well, so the break-even point may be a long way off. But that's okay because the economics of it is only part of the big picture for me. Primarily it is to do right by the environment, and also to help reduce our country's insane addiction to foreign oil. AND, to be as efficient as possible. Vehicle scale gasoline engines and all the gasoline infrastructure feeding those engines is not efficient!

 

[ghabel]

My Leaf is on the way, looks like early January. I'm a car guy and normally look for horsepower, handling and performance. But for a daily driver something economical is in order. Are there others here like me? Or are most motivated by reducing oil use or being environmentally friendly?

I've found that many of my friends and colleagues think the Leaf is crazy and I'm sure my Christmas gifts this year will be extension cords or Duracell packs. But my car guy friends (including an automotive journalist, an owner and mechanic for a high end car repair shop, and a new Ferrari owner) are all excited to see it.

I'm all for the environtal aspects, less petroleum use, but frankly I just think it is a cool technological marvel. Anyone else like me?

Same with my friends - think I am crazy but that is true for most early adopters. Right - car buffs seem interested to look it over. I too love kewl technology and evo friendly choices. At 46 yrs I am looking at more ways to save money which many times is contradictory to buying the latest gadgets which I used to do.

 

[azrael1234]

I was less the technology (although it's pretty impressive) and more the economics and practicality of it.

$10,000 in tax credits ($7500 feds, $2500 from state of CA)
$14,400 in saved fuel costs (was spending $250 a month on gas, and electric bill only went up $50, so net $200 savings)
3 years of carpool lane access (state of CA)

All for a car that cost me $38K (tax/licensing included)...so essentially I got a brand new car with a lot of extras (nav, bluetooth, leather (dealer thru it in)) for ~$15K...car would have been even cheaper without leather and the quick charger.

I commute 50 miles a day round trip and always have 10-20 miles left in the "tank". I even just charge up with 120V when I get home and when I wake up, car's ready to go...With carpool lane I cut my commute by 45-60 minutes (already sleep deprived enough with a newborn)...

And to boot I'm helping the environment....Just made so much practical sense, especially if you're a two car family and can switch cars on the days you need more range.

 

[TEG]

I have bought many cars over the years.
The LEAF is the first front wheel drive car I ever used as my daily driver.
The benefits of an all electric drivetrain are good enough to make me "compromise" there.
Also, I never seriously considered buying a Nissan product before this.
If there had been an affordable option with more sporty performance, I would have gone for it, but the practicality and comfort of the car are much appreciated even if it isn't usually the thing I look for first.

 

[DaveL]

I think you did a very good job of describing me. I love the look and feel of sports cars, and while the best "sports car" I've ever owned was a 1990 Nissan 240SX (which I really loved by the way), I've always WANTED something sportier, I just couldn't bring myself to justify the cost.

+1
I too had a 1990 240SX and liked the car. But my all time favorite car was the '74 260Z 2+2 that I owned until our second child arrived in '80 and we just couldn't fit all the baby stuff into the "Z" so I had to trade it in on a VW van

The leaf gives me much the same level of driving satisfaction that the "Z" did, though it definately dosn't handle as well. Still, I LOVE to punch the accelerator when getting on the freeway, as it feels as good or better than the "Z" did!

 

[DaveinOlyWA]

i dont really care what your reason is for buying EV as long as you buy it.

there are many and i dont categorize one as being better than another.

just saw a PC post about Nov sales figures for the Prius. they are blowing thru the roof

Perspective on Prius sales for Nov....

15,208 Prii were sold in Nov. The Prius outsold...

The entire Buick lineup
The entire Cadillac lineup
Every model in GMC's lineup
Every model in Chevy's lineup - except the Silverado
The entire Lincoln lineup
Every model in Ford's lineup - except the F-series, Escape and Fusion
The Accord!!!!
Every model in the Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge lineup - except the Ram
The entire Infiniti lineup
Every model in the Nissan lineup - except the Altima

so ya, cheap transportation drives Prius sales and if that is your reason, great

or if its tech, ok. or clean environment, financial stability of the US, or climate control. or just local job creation. its all good

 

[FremontRider]

My Leaf is on the way, looks like early January. I'm a car guy and normally look for horsepower, handling and performance. But for a daily driver something economical is in order. Are there others here like me? Or are most motivated by reducing oil use or being environmentally friendly?

I bought the Leaf because it is a cool technology and help saves the environment. I am a car guy myself.
I have a weekend fun track sports car and a motorcycle cruiser. The Leaf actually turns out to be a fun car, too!

 

[garsh]

The technology was a big factor for me. I'm an electrical engineer. I used to work at GE Transportation Systems, helping to make diesel-electric locomotives. I love the benefits of an electric drivetrain - the simplicity & lack of maintenance. So I love the idea of finally being able to own an electric vehicle. No more oil changes! No more planning stops at gas stations!

My other motivation was economics. My current company will be installing L2 chargers and allowing people to charge for free. I currently spend about $3k/yr on gas. My plan is to charge almost exclusively at work. So after 3-4 years, the fuel cost savings will have covered the premium that I paid for this car compared to something like a Hyundai Elantra.

Environmental factors did not factor into my decision at all. New car emissions are actually pretty good - much better than in the past.

Oil dependence is not a concern to me either. The U.S. & Canada are sitting on the largest oil reserves in the world - it just costs more to obtain that shale oil, so might as well wait until the rest of the world runs out of cheap oil. But then gas prices will rise, making electric cars more practical.

 

[asinclair]

Maybe I am not the normal Leaf owner, but I have been restoring cars since I was 15 - mainly British cars, Triumph, Jag, MG. I currently am working on two 1959 Riley 1.5's and a 1964 Bristol 408 (which has a poly 313 CI Chrysler Canada V-8). I used to own big cars, but around 2008, I finally was fed up with the high cost of oil and decided to trade in my Mercedes S-class for a Ford Escape Hybrid. Since that point, I began to get very interested in fully electric cars.

At any rate - I love my old cars, but they only get driven 1500-2500 miles a year. So I don't feel too guilty about the emissions from them (I also keep them in tip-top tune, etc). But, my daily driver is the Leaf. Commuting 60 miles a day was costing me a fortune in gas, and I am totally a convert now. In fact, even my gearhead friends are now converts after being around my Leaf and driving it.

Anyway, that's my story - you will love the Leaf. So will your friends once they hang around it a while.

Andrew

 

[N952JL]

Once the Esflow is available then Nissan starts to cover MOST of the bases.

That is if the Esflow has a 200 mile range like the Tesla Roaster.

 

[Caracalover]

I have bought a new Mustang, a used Supra, a few motorcycles and other used cars in my past. I still have a Cougar and a Silverado which see very little use now.

The Leaf is the best car I have ever owned, and the reason I bought it was I simply could not wait for any other all electric car.

Having driven an EV1 back when they were being "marketed", I fell in love with the quiet ride, the smooth acceleration and deceleration, and the simplicity inherint in the system.

I own Leaf #567, and with almost 10,00 miles on it, I will tell you what to look forward to.

Getting the most out of the regen. It is almost surreal to know that I can leave home and get to my local theater with more energy than when I left the house. The fun of planning the trip to utilize the charge available may sound like trouble to a non-driver, but for someone like me with a commercial license and a behind the wheel occupation, it is intriguing. Perhaps someday they will buy me an EV for work, it would be so much better than what I currently use, CNG.

The instant torque. If you want to see what could be done with an EV in this area, check out the Tango, 1000LB feet of torque at 0 RPMs. Crazy possibilities with this tech. The Leaf is just the start and it is respectable and unmatched in the ICE world. The Leaf may not spin the rubber off the tires, but it is fun all the same and unlike other cars we have owned.

The cost to operate - unreal.

The maintenance issues - unreal.

The convenience - I was without power for the last several days due to high winds. It never stopped me from taking the Leaf. I simply charged while at the dentist, shopping, and eating while I was out - Thanks Burbank DWP for opening up four free (Till July) charge points (On the day after the power went out) right where I was going anyway! It will be nice when more places are available, although I normally never need them.

Oh, and there is the green thing too, but for me it is the desire to have what I raced around the track as a child, pushing a button to send the race car around the track so fast it flew off the track. The Leaf is a lot easier to control than that was.

 

[aqn]

I'm a gear head through and through. I got the LEAF to be oil independent first, and for environmental reasons second.

Dependence on oil begets all kinds of evils: pollution from extraction, processing, and use; national security issues (41% of 2010 oil import comes from OPEC, including 17% from regimes that are either directly belligerent (Venezuela) or indirectly supporting enemies (Saudi Arabia)); economic problems (when price of oil goes up, price of everything else also goes up).

I don't drive that much, but it was still a concern, environmentally: an ICE is least efficient and least clean at start-up and at colder operating temperatures. A commute of four miles each way, even in a relatively modern 2006 car, probably puts out the emission equivalent of 70s-era gas guzzlers. Plus, it is definitely no good for the engine. (I would have gotten a bicycle, if it weren't for the length and grade of the hills in my commute, as well as the danger.)

I didn't buy the LEAF for economics: I paid cash, but even without loan interest, giving up a 2006 car and buying a 29+k car does not make economic sense given I only drive about 7500 miles a year. I do all work on cars I own, so the LEAF's low maintenance cost is not a factor.

I didn't buy the LEAF for the technology. I didn't think the LEAF has many technologies that is new and ground breaking. The only one I can think of is how the headlights mitigate wind noise around the side mirrors. I wouldn't consider the telemetry brag-worthy: it's new for a production car (I think), but it's not very well executed. Everything else has been around in other production cars: all-electric drivetrain, Li-Ion battery, regen braking, auto-dimming rear view mirror, proximity "ignition" key, Bluetooth, etc.

Lastly, re. the LEAF's handling, to paraphrase Austin's first LEAF owner, Lance Armstrong: "it's not about the car". Michael Schumacher can beat me up and down my favorite twisties even if he's driving a wheelbarrow. Fortunately, he doesn't live around here.

All that said, it is a bit of a marvel that for being the first-ever mass-market EV, the LEAF falls short in only a few areas.

 

[GeekEV]

I too bought for the technology of it. I didn't care much about the environmental aspect, although the car has opened my eyes a bit and I'm now getting ready to go solar.

 

[umsneeze]

Wow, lots of different reasons for owning these. I'll be parking my pickup for the daily drive, and using the Leaf for most of my day to day driving. The vast majority of my day to day driving is easily in range, but I have a few scenarios, perhaps once a month that will have the pickup on the road.

And being a car guy, I have other cars to play with. I'm not going entirely petroleum free, but feel that most of my petroleum use is the daily drive. From what I can estimate, I'll be driving 3000 petroleum miles, and 12000 electric.

I'm glad to hear that others are gear and technology heads...environmental/political benefits are just icing on the cake!