Well, I couldn't take it any more :evil:. After having my 2018 Leaf SL with ProPilot for a little over a year, I traded it in on a 2019 Niro EV EX Premium with the Launch Edition package . My trip in the Leaf last December from Texas to Colorado back is what really drove me over the edge .
I had always planned to drive the Leaf on trips between Texas and Colorado but the trip last December showed that the 2018 Leaf just wasn't up to the task. I drove in December to mitigate issues with the battery overheating but the cold temperatures just killed the range of the Leaf requiring me to hypermill between many DCFC charging stops. I had to face the fact that I either had to quit using the Leaf for making the trips I bought it for or I had to get something else.
I drove my new Niro EV to Colorado and back a few weeks ago at the end of July. The Niro EV doesn't have a battery temperature gauge but it does have a chiller that uses the refrigeration system to cool the battery. Most of the time I was able to charge the Niro EV at 70+ kW and there was never any indication that the battery is getting hot.
The Niro EV has a system very similar to ProPilot, one of the features I liked best about the Leaf. The range of the Niro EV is incredible, much better than what is indicated by the EPA numbers. Because of the much greater range, I see many more trips as practical than I saw with the Leaf.
I can't say I really miss the Leaf. Everything about the 2019 Niro EV EX Premium seems better than the 2018 Leaf SL. I did get a really good deal on the Leaf and I wasn't happy about having to pay so much to get out of it.
I'm glad I had the Leaf if only for a year. If I had not ever had a Leaf I always would have wondered what they are like an now I at least feel a kinship with Leaf owners. For those that still have their Leafs and plan on holding on to them, I hope your Leafs meets your needs and give you many years of faithful service.
But don't expect to hear much from me from now on unless you visit the Niro EV forums. I have only had the Niro EV for a few months but so far I have been very happy with it. The Niro EV is the first EV I have had that really compares with a gas car on long trips and I expect to hang on to it for many years, just like I did with my best gas cars.
I had always planned to drive the Leaf on trips between Texas and Colorado but the trip last December showed that the 2018 Leaf just wasn't up to the task. I drove in December to mitigate issues with the battery overheating but the cold temperatures just killed the range of the Leaf requiring me to hypermill between many DCFC charging stops. I had to face the fact that I either had to quit using the Leaf for making the trips I bought it for or I had to get something else.
I drove my new Niro EV to Colorado and back a few weeks ago at the end of July. The Niro EV doesn't have a battery temperature gauge but it does have a chiller that uses the refrigeration system to cool the battery. Most of the time I was able to charge the Niro EV at 70+ kW and there was never any indication that the battery is getting hot.
The Niro EV has a system very similar to ProPilot, one of the features I liked best about the Leaf. The range of the Niro EV is incredible, much better than what is indicated by the EPA numbers. Because of the much greater range, I see many more trips as practical than I saw with the Leaf.
I can't say I really miss the Leaf. Everything about the 2019 Niro EV EX Premium seems better than the 2018 Leaf SL. I did get a really good deal on the Leaf and I wasn't happy about having to pay so much to get out of it.
I'm glad I had the Leaf if only for a year. If I had not ever had a Leaf I always would have wondered what they are like an now I at least feel a kinship with Leaf owners. For those that still have their Leafs and plan on holding on to them, I hope your Leafs meets your needs and give you many years of faithful service.
But don't expect to hear much from me from now on unless you visit the Niro EV forums. I have only had the Niro EV for a few months but so far I have been very happy with it. The Niro EV is the first EV I have had that really compares with a gas car on long trips and I expect to hang on to it for many years, just like I did with my best gas cars.