new potential owner

So I still can not decide... I'm not familiar with 3rd party charging, or different type of chargers such as CCS, J1772 etc... as I only used Tesla chargers in the past. I see new Leaf has both chademo as well as J1772, which maxes out at what, 7kwh? Is that real? I don't have home charging yet nor office (which is about 5 miles away) and have to rely on public chargers. We have 20 CR-V for longer trips, but still want to have something I can use in case of emergency. I'm also considering ID4 for that CCS 150kw charge rate. But prices on Leafs are great. So please, educate me, any input is appreciated. Car I'm looking at is 2021 Leaf S Plus

J1772 will max at 6.6 kW, CHAdeMO maxes at about 70 kW, depending the charger. Most chargers won't be able to provide 70 kW, only 50 kW. More info:

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://insideevs.com/news/495913/nissan-leaf-dc-fast-charging-curve/amp/&ved=2ahUKEwj1po7Z-qz0AhWrmmoFHV1OAgkQFnoECAQQBQ&usg=AOvVaw1y_tLcahMey7H0i6B41k1f&ampcf=1

Charging rate is measured in kW, not kWh. If you charge at 6.6 kW * 1 hour == 6.6 kWh came out of the wall. 6.6 kW * 2 hours --> 13.2 kWh came out of the wall.

Triggerhappy is spot on.

To add to the above, the J-1772 standard allows for different changing rates, with some of the commercial stations using 208 volts rather than 240, and when more than one EV is charging at a single station with multiple charging cables, the charging rate is often divided among them.

You haven't given us a location for yourself. I'm asking roughly where you live, because unless you don't need more than half of the rated range, the S & S+ Leafs lack the heat pump, resulting in high power consumption on even mild Winter days and nights. Also, IIRC, in 2021 (or possibly 2020) the heated seats and steering wheel were an option package for the S, S+, SV and SV+, not standard features as they were before 2018.

And, there was a major MSRP drop with model year '22 vs. 21. Don't know if you're buying a used '21 or a leftover new one. But, if you buy used, you can't claim any tax credit vs. up to $7500 for a new one.

See pricing tabs of these:
https://usa.nissannews.com/en-US/releases/2021-nissan-leaf-press-kit
https://usa.nissannews.com/en-US/releases/2022-nissan-leaf-press-kit

LeftieBiker said:

To add to the above, the J-1772 standard allows for different changing rates, with some of the commercial stations using 208 volts rather than 240, and when more than one EV is charging at a single station with multiple charging cables, the charging rate is often divided among them.

You haven't given us a location for yourself. I'm asking roughly where you live, because unless you don't need more than half of the rated range, the S & S+ Leafs lack the heat pump, resulting in high power consumption on even mild Winter days and nights. Also, IIRC, in 2021 (or possibly 2020) the heated seats and steering wheel were an option package for the S, S+, SV and SV+, not standard features as they were before 2018.

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I live in Bay Area, CA, so probably don't need heat pump

cwerdna said:

And, there was a major MSRP drop with model year '22 vs. 21. Don't know if you're buying a used '21 or a leftover new one. But, if you buy used, you can't claim any tax credit vs. up to $7500 for a new one.

See pricing tabs of these:
https://usa.nissannews.com/en-US/releases/2021-nissan-leaf-press-kit
https://usa.nissannews.com/en-US/releases/2022-nissan-leaf-press-kit

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The one I found is 2021, but I will try to find 2022 model if any left. Another reason I want EV is tax credit, so gotta find THE cheapest lol

I doubt that the '22 is still cheaper.

KYRGYZ said:

I live in Bay Area, CA, so probably don't need heat pump

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Bay area climate (rarely below freezing) is where a heat pump really shines.

Nubo said:

KYRGYZ said:

I live in Bay Area, CA, so probably don't need heat pump

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Bay area climate (rarely below freezing) is where a heat pump really shines.

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True, but with a 62 kWh pack the OP probably doesn't have to be overly concerned about maximizing range. A 2021 S Plus is less than $4k more than a 2021 SV (with hybrid heater), so I would make the same choice as the OP.

LeftieBiker said:

I doubt that the '22 is still cheaper.

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But it seems Nissan isn't giving any rebates on the 21s. The dealer will have to give a dealer discount greater than price change between the 22s and 21s.

They do tend to discount year old stock, but in the current market...who knows?

Thanks everyone for your input, I did more research and seems like Leaf is a good overall commuter

So far I'm looking into ID4 lease, but seems a bit high even with $7500 VW's rebate for AWD Pro version, why AWD, more powaaaah and too many electrical/software issues

Also looking into Honda Clarity PHEV, 50 miles as EV is more than enough for me, but again, price wise seem a bit high for my needs, even considering Clairty eligible for full $7500 tax credit and it is built to order type of a deal since Clarity is discontinued

Teslas are way too much for my budget

So, only option left is SV Plus, don't want S since we had Rogue Sport S, too simple for 21st century lol, with my down payment + taxes, fees it comes to about $130 monthly lease, which is perfect

But still need last word from you guys, I'm not going to take it to cross country trips or even local trips, we have CR-V for that, this is going to be mainly our city/commuter/grocery getter and my toy, charging is across the street from my work, so 30 minutes in the morning and 30 morning after work charge should be OK I think, no big deal.

So, should I get one?

I think that having ChaDeMo is the worst part of buying a new Leaf- long trips will be more difficult as time goes on and it will never charge as fast as some of the newer EVs. Other than that it is a good solid little car and we have put about 40K miles on ours. If you plan to use it mostly where it can be charged at Level 2 for city/ day trips (which is how ours is used), and take occasional longer trips and are prepared to stop to recharge every 150 or 200 miles, it functions perfectly. Good luck!

charging is across the street from my work, so 30 minutes in the morning and 30 morning after work charge should be OK I think, no big deal.

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That kind of charging plan gets tiresome fast. I suggest that you either ask for a charging station or dedicated outlet at work (L-1 120 volt charging is fine if you can park there to charge for the day), or a charging station at home. The car will likely come with a dual voltage charging cable, so all you really need at home is either a 120 volt outlet on an otherwise unused circuit, or a new 240 volt, 40 amp circuit. (A 30 amp dryer circuit will NOT do.)

If you only need 50 miles of range why charge twice a day? I've been charging at work (for free) for 4 years. It's about a 5 minute walk from my desk but that's not an issue. It's a Chargepoint system so I can monitor the charging through my computer at work or through my phone. I plug it in, walk to my desk, then walk back when it's reached my desired level. The only time this has been a problem is when all the charging slots were full or I got stuck in a meeting and the car charged beyond the 80% level that I like to limit it to. But that's a nit. Walking across the street to start or end the charge doesn't seem like a big deal and with a SV+ I don't see any reason to charge more than every other day at most.

KYRGYZ said:

But still need last word from you guys, I'm not going to take it to cross country trips or even local trips, we have CR-V for that, this is going to be mainly our city/commuter/grocery getter and my toy, charging is across the street from my work, so 30 minutes in the morning and 30 morning after work charge should be OK I think, no big deal.

So, should I get one?

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Need more info. How many miles between your home and office? Are the chargers Level 2 or CHAdeMO?

Btw, how much down are you paying? For leases, don't put anything down, have them roll it into the monthly payment. If your car gets totaled, you don't get that down payment back.

For leases, don't put anything down, have them roll it into the monthly payment. If your car gets totaled, you don't get that down payment back.

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True, but I tell people to "put no more down than you are willing to lose if the car is totaled." Dealers will often give a better deal with some $$$ down.

LeftieBiker said:

... A 30 amp dryer circuit will NOT do ...

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Agreed, a 30A dryer circuit will not do for the stock EVSE. But, using an adjustable L2 EVSE from another vendor and setting the amperage draw to 24A, it most certainly will work perfectly.

To my mind, if the installation cost delta between wiring a 30A circuit vs a 50A circuit is >$500 then an adjustable L2 EVSE, with a 30A circuit, is a no brainer.

goldbrick said:

If you only need 50 miles of range why charge twice a day? I've been charging at work (for free) for 4 years. It's about a 5 minute walk from my desk but that's not an issue. It's a Chargepoint system so I can monitor the charging through my computer at work or through my phone. I plug it in, walk to my desk, then walk back when it's reached my desired level. The only time this has been a problem is when all the charging slots were full or I got stuck in a meeting and the car charged beyond the 80% level that I like to limit it to. But that's a nit. Walking across the street to start or end the charge doesn't seem like a big deal and with a SV+ I don't see any reason to charge more than every other day at most.

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makes sense, but I just didn't know if there are any phantom drains with Leafs, how many % it loses overnight?