Murfreesboro to Nashville and back - proceed with caution

I left my house in Murfreesboro, Tennessee with 100% charge in my LEAF. I think it said I had a 108 mile range. Drove speed-limit in ECO mode, with no climate control, straight to a building on Church Street in downtown Nashville (a 36 mile trip for me). Most of the driving was interstate (I-24 and I-840).

On my return, I left I-840 with a purported 4 miles of range. I needed to go 7.9 miles to get to my home charger. I started getting the "plug-in" warning about 5 miles from my house. The range stayed at 4 miles, and CarWings reported a 0% charge when I gratefully pulled into my garage. Interestingly, I never went into "turtle" mode.

I guess the moral is that it is *possible* to make a round-trip to downtown Nashville, you just have to make sure you leave with a full charge and don't make any excursions. Also, the "range anxiety" isn't any fun. I was sweating, and convinced Stones River Nissan was going to have to tow me home.

This is a very common commute for people in my community, and I was assured by my local sales rep that it wouldn't be a problem. I'm pretty disappointed, and won't attempt the drive again without a quick-charger available in Nashville.

-D

sorry to hear that

what are the posted speed limits on those highways?

Most interstates in Tennessee have a 70mph speed limit, but of course many people drive 80. I wouldn't feel safe driving under the speed limit. In Nashville, there are a few places that are 65 or 55mph on the interstate.

TennLeafer said:

Most interstates in Tennessee have a 70mph speed limit, but of course many people drive 80. I wouldn't feel safe driving under the speed limit. In Nashville, there are a few places that are 65 or 55mph on the interstate.

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Well, the differences between 60, 65, and 70 are significant, so you might want to reconsider. Anyway, the salesman who told you that should be shot.

TennLeafer said:

Most interstates in Tennessee have a 70mph speed limit, but of course many people drive 80. I wouldn't feel safe driving under the speed limit. In Nashville, there are a few places that are 65 or 55mph on the interstate.

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Sorry to hear that too.
Glad my interstate commute from home to Chattanooga is 40 miles round trip.
I recommend you take a look at Googler's posts about his commute in CA.
Similar difficulty that round trip seems OK, but its not OK at the typical speeds in the CA HOV lane.
Appears the real range is 70 to 80 miles, @ 55 to 60 mph, starting from 100% charge. Pretty risky going 70 miles at more typical interstate speeds of 65 to 75 mph.

Do you get the "very low charge" warning? I believe the "low charge" warning comes on when there is about 4 kWh usable charge left in the pack and the "very low charge" warning comes on with around 2 kWh usable charge left in the pack. "Turtle" I believe is about 0.5 kWh.

More discussion on how the latest software update has changed the gauges can be found here http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=3473

Spies said:

Do you get the "very low charge" warning? I believe the "low charge" warning comes on when there is about 4 kWh usable charge left in the pack and the "very low charge" warning comes on with around 2 kWh usable charge left in the pack. "Turtle" I believe is about 0.5 kWh.

More discussion on how the latest software update has changed the gauges can be found here http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=3473

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I can't remember the exact wording of the warning. I know that the little "plugin" icon lit up, and I get a text warning on the grey computer screen.

So I see Tennessee even allows truckers to go 70 on the freeway: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speed_limits_in_the_United_States
Where I am in California truckers as well as vehicles with trailers the speed limit is 55 even if the freeway is as high as 70. As a result I personally have no issue driving as slow as the lower limit in the right lane if I want to extend my range. However if truckers were routinely passing me, as I suspect they would be if I was in Tennessee and I was doing less than 70, I would certainly be uncomfortable.

TennLeafer said:

I can't remember the exact wording of the warning. I know that the little "plugin" icon lit up, and I get a text warning on the grey computer screen.

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"Very low charge" is when the remaining miles number is no longer shown and replaced by "---" It might do some other things but I don't recall right now.

Once again I wish Nissan would just give the Leaf a gauge that displays a percentage of how much usable charge the vehicle thinks it has instead of these "guess-o-meters"

it seems like 65mph is the top reasonable higway speed for the Leaf (if you have a 20 plus mile commute each way)

anything above that and the range is eaten up quickly from what I read here

I have done some test runs on my commute, driving 62 to 65mph during the highway portion (posted speed is 70) so that I can simulate commute with a Leaf.

Mostly it works just fine hanging in the right lane(and it saves gas in my ICE)

I have about 21 miles of this high speed and then it tapers down to 65mph, then 60mph.

My trip home is back roads 32 miles at 40 to 55 mph .

can you alter your route and skip the highway on one part of your trip?

kmp647 said:

can you alter your route and skip the highway on one part of your trip?

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Sure, if I don't mind hitting 30 red-lights on the way!

Well if it doesnt work out I will send a flat bed to pick it up.

I really dont feel like waiting til april or may 2012 here in Va for a Leaf !

If you want to drive the Leaf "fast" on both legs of commute, anxiety is best eased with some trickle charging at or near work... Plus you could possibly change to 80% charging making it a win-win.

As others have stated elsewhere, the power required to go 70 vs 50 (due to drag) is about double (square of the speed) but the time saved is linear (~10 extra minutes in a 30 mile segment).

Good luck!

I'm not too familiar with how the HOV lanes work in California (or in other states) although I have read and heard that it's much more strict and regulated ie, the police actively give tickets/citations for being the HOV lane without the stickers. In Tennessee (especially the route you are taking), the HOV lane restrictions are rarely enforced, so drivers that don't belong in the HOV lane use it as a "fast lane" (properly known as a passing lane). Maybe that will give some insight to more of the readers here that may not be accustomed to how most drivers are in TN.

With that being said, "slower traffic keep right" is typically true here, especially in high density traffic. I, personally, would feel safe enough driving 60-65mph in the far right lane driving from Murfreesboro to Nashville. In fact, when driving "at pace" with traffic in the far left 2 lanes at 75 mph+, I would feel less safe, especially because it's almost impossible to keep enough distance between the car in front of you, because some other TN driver is quick to jump in front of you no matter how small of a gap there is.

Again, what I feel safe doing is going to differ from you, but the main points made by other posters here are valid. Either slow down (remember a posted speed of 70 MPH is a MAXIMUM speed; it does not mean you have to drive at that speed) to 60-65mph and stay in the far right lanes or plan an alternate route.

By buying a LEAF(or other EV), I think we all accepted that we must change/adjust our driving habits and mentalities, even if that means shaving a little weight off of our lead feet.

Edit -- To give a visual to others, here's a map from Murfreesboro to Nashville
A to B the posted maximum on I-24 is 70 MPH (25 miles)
B to C the posted maximum is 55 mph (9 miles)

I know you mentioned getting on 840 to get to Murfreesboro, but the range or more or less an accurate representation, correct?

At those speeds, I would probably be sweating with range anxiety too! I'm glad you made it though!

TNleaf said:

Again, what I feel safe doing is going to differ from you, but the main points made by other posters here are valid. Either slow down (remember a posted speed of 70 MPH is a MAXIMUM speed; it does not mean you have to drive at that speed) to 60-65mph and stay in the far right lanes or plan an alternate route.

By buying a LEAF(or other EV), I think we all accepted that we must change/adjust our driving habits and mentalities, even if that means shaving a little weight off of our lead feet.

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I knew that I was going to make sacrifices when purchasing a LEAF. But I also thought that it would have a 100 mile range as advertised. It appears that to even come close to 100 miles, you have to have some very rare and specific circumstances. I can't agree that it is appropriate or safe to drive 55mph on an interstate where others (rightly or wrongly) are going 80mph. And since when did driving the speed limit classify someone as having a "lead foot"?

I feel that the LEAF was advertised as a regular car for regular consumers that just happens to have an electric motor. When we start talking about having to take alternative routes, using "hypermiler" techniques, and driving significantly under the speed limit, it appears that we don't have a "regular" car at all.

I've put 500 miles on my LEAF, and it has cost me less than $10.00 in TVA-supplied electricity. I'm certainly not dissatisfied with that. However, since it appears that I am stranded on a little suburban island, I kind of wish I had a much less expensive electric vehicle. For instance, why exactly do I need a navigation system in my hometown? Some communities in Florida allow street-legal EV's that are more akin to golf-carts. Put some good weatherproofing on one of those, and I have could have achieved my goal of reducing my energy costs and carbon footprint without spending $34,000.

TennLeafer said:

I left my house in Murfreesboro, Tennessee with 100% charge in my LEAF. I think it said I had a 108 mile range. Drove speed-limit in ECO mode, with no climate control, straight to a building on Church Street in downtown Nashville (a 36 mile trip for me). Most of the driving was interstate (I-24 and I-840).

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72 miles range @ 70mph is quite good. 70 mph will really eat up the range, but having driven in TN, I can understand why you don't want to drive slower.

I wasn't accusing you of having a lead foot, was teasing more than anything. I apologize if any offense was taken.

I agree that driving 55 in a posted 70mph when most traffic is going 80 can be unsafe. The saying "adjust to the speed of traffic" only hold its weight to a certain point. Perhaps the leg from Murfreesboro up to La Vergne (where I get on I24) is different, but I don't recall ever seeing the far right 2 lanes on I24 be at a pace greater than 70mph. I feel going 60-65 in the far right lane is as safe, if not safer, as going 70+ to adjust to the ~80mph traffic in the other lanes. Again, just my opinions and I completely understand your reasoning for not wanting to drive any slower, so I'm not trying to hijack the thread.

I'm glad you are not dissatisfied with your LEAF, and I'm a little jealous you get to drive around in one! =) You wouldn't happen to be the blue LEAF I saw near Vanderbilt Hospital in the early morning would you?

As another person questioned, would you be able to trickle charge while at work to add a few miles to your range? Or could it be worthwhile for you to stop by Downtown Nissan or Action Nissan on break for a bit of time on their L2 chargers? Also, NoGas Scooters (located at 2612 Winford Avenue) had an advertisement around Earth Day that they had just installed level 2 chargers open to the public. It may be worthwhile to call and find out if that is another option? Just trying to help brainstorm here!

TennLeafer said:

I knew that I was going to make sacrifices when purchasing a LEAF. But I also thought that it would have a 100 mile range as advertised. It appears that to even come close to 100 miles, you have to have some very rare and specific circumstances.

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The advertised "100 miles" applies to lower speed city and suburban driving patterns that are not at all uncommon. Even then, you'd want to have some margin of error, and not plan on driving the car until it's almost "empty". It appears that your round trip was 72 miles. That is very close to the EPA range rating of 73 miles for the LEAF, which seems more realistic for "typical" driving patterns.

In my case, I live on a mountain, above 6100 feet elevation. Driving the roughly 20 miles from the closest Nissan dealer to my home (via CA-330) seems to require something like 7 or 8 bars of charge (out of 12) if I am driving gently. So I really can't go very far from the base of the mountain (elev. 1200' - 1500') unless I'm able to stop somewhere and charge (which I have done at Nissan dealers). Do I find this disappointing? No. The range I have been seeing is consistent with research I did before the purchase.

While using the LEAF on longer drives can involve sacrifices, it is fun to drive and it is very gratifying to be less of a slave to OPEC, pollute less, etc.

As not every salesperson is knowledgeable and forthright, hopefully this forum (and others) will help to set appropriate expectations for future LEAF owners. Hopefully you will find the LEAF adequate for your needs. If not, at least it's worth good money right now!

I make 2 trips, at least, from South Nashville to Manchester, plug in at the Roberts Nissan Manchester and return after 4 hour time. Jim Tubbs Nashville

jimtubbs said:

I make 2 trips, at least, from South Nashville to Manchester, plug in at the Roberts Nissan Manchester and return after 4 hour time. Jim Tubbs Nashville

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Does Roberts Nissan graciously support your using their EVSE? You bought at Action Nissan.
If they do, they would be an interim means for me to drive Leaf from Chattanooga to Murfreesboro.
Do they have a comfortable place to wait while it is charging?