Hello! New potential leaf buyer

Hello all,

I am potential 2022 SV-SL+ Leaf buyer.

I live in northwest Ohio, so it gets to be about -10F before windchill sometimes. I commute 13mi each way and it’s 98% Highway.

Now here’s the sticky part: I live in a townhome with a EV charger about 0.3mi away. No charger at work but, I am less than a mile away from a Nissan dealership with several chargers as well.

So here’s my question.

Is it viable for the car to sit overnight, be driven to work, sit for 8 hours and then be driven home to charge?

So 13mi rest for 8Hrs in -15 degree whether drive another 8Hrs and then sit for another 8-6?

Welcome. If I understand you correctly, you want to drive the car about 30 miles a day before recharging it? That's no problem at all for a Leaf Plus - or for a 40kwh Leaf, for that matter. Figure half of the EPA rated range in the worst weather, which is about 107 miles for the Plus, 75 miles for the 40kwh. No issues, even in a few years as the battery degrades.

Now for the real issue: not having a way to charge at home. You'd have it much easier than most, because you can look for a charging opportunity for literally days without worries. Still, relying on away charging gets Old fast. Even having 120 volt Level 1 charging at home would make things much easier for you. I suggest that you look into that possibility, if only as a backup plan..

You have nothing to lose by asking your strata council for permission to install an EVSE receptacle in your garage. If your townhouse doesn't have a garage, then perhaps you could offer to split the cost on an EVSE install on common property.

I’m a cold weather northern Ohioan running a 40KWh Leaf roughly double that mileage on a daily basis. You will be perfectly fine, even preheating the car while unplugged. However, a garage to protect it from the cold & wind that is equipped with a dedicated EVSE is a huge plus with owning an EV in this climate.

One aspect I would add is my Leaf does much better in the cold if driven enough (daily) to keep the batteries warmer. If I let mine sit outside unused in the cold for a couple days or more the actual usable range suffers. To compensate, I sometimes use a DCFC session to rewarm the pack. It’s not that big of a concern, but Leaf does like to be driven daily.

This is all exactly what I wanted to hear.

I’ll be moving to a townhome with garage across the street whenever they open up.

On the days where it’s cold and snowing I’ll probably take the ICE out. But man I’m so excited just waiting for it to hit the lot now.

Once you try the heated seats and steering wheel, instant heat, and remote climate control access, I don't think you'll want to take the ICE on cold, snowy days. The Leaf is also excellent in the snow, if you give it decent snow tires.

We currently have 2 2019 Plus Leafs for context and a 2013 prior to that.

We lived for years on a 120 house plug and no problem for 30ish miles a day between commuting and errands.

Level 2 is nicer, but not required. If you have faster charging within a mile that is reliable...you'll be fine.

We still use L-1 after 8+ years and we have two Leafs - one an SV+.