Nissan Leaf Thoughts?

[oil_film_movies]

Originally Posted By: EdwardC
I'll definitely need to find things to maintain though, at least, I think it still uses brake fluid and coolant!

The Leaf has air cooled batteries. Unless the motor and electronics are water cooled (don't know), there is no coolant.
My Ford Focus Electric has water-cooled batteries and electronics, so I'm checking that level and looking for leaks.
Brake fluid, yes.
Tires and suspension, wipers, will have to be enough for you. Boring on maintenance. I just put in a cabin air filter on mine, and it was exciting....

 

[DerbyDave]

Originally Posted By: oil_film_movies
Originally Posted By: EdwardC
I'll definitely need to find things to maintain though, at least, I think it still uses brake fluid and coolant!

The Leaf has air cooled batteries. Unless the motor and electronics are water cooled (don't know), there is no coolant.
My Ford Focus Electric has water-cooled batteries and electronics, so I'm checking that level and looking for leaks.
Brake fluid, yes.
Tires and suspension, wipers, will have to be enough for you. Boring on maintenance. I just put in a cabin air filter on mine, and it was exciting....


The batteries are air cooled but the drive motor is water cooled. There are 3 fluids in a Nissan LEAF. Wiper Fluid, Brake Fluid and coolant for the Electric Motor.

 

[FutureDoc]

Originally Posted By: ARCOgraphite
The Japan made units early gen beta were nicer inside than the later - at least from photos.

For Winter operation can you get heat whilst charging so then car is toasty warm when you drive off?

What kind of oil does it use? You may have to bow out of the forum

OMG HAHAHA! Today, just and hour ago! Motor Oil in my LEAF!!!! IT HAPPENED TODAY!!!

(ring)
Me: Hello
Maint Guy: (worried voice) I don't know why but we are 12,000 overdue on the Nissan "277" (internal vehicle number)
Me: Overdue on what?
Maint: Oil changes, actually, I am trying to find any WO for that. It has never been done and it is at (about 20K)
Me: Ummm, that is the LEAF
Maint: (silent pause) Busts out laughing. Ok, well, I will top it off with blinker fluid too.
Me: Sounds good, just don't submit an invoice.
Maint: Sounds good.
(click)

The Maintenance Guy is a really good guy and was auditing our maintenance log for any missing items (now is the time to burn through our budget! woot). He just saw that "277" was pass its oil change PM in our system. Didn't even think it was the one LEAF.

I am still in tears about it.

 

[02SE]

I have a few neighbors with Nissan Leafs. Just last week one of those neighbors was walking by my house, so I said hello and said it was a nice day for a walk. She went into a rant about how her Leaf had quit AGAIN, leaving her to walk home. She said the Dealer wouldn't send a tow truck until the next morning. So I offered to pull her car up the hill to her house.

She seemed not too thrilled at the prospect of having a big Diesel dually pull her supposedly non-polluting little environmental statement home. But she also didn't want to leave it in a bad spot on the main road overnight.

In the end she thanked me, and maybe earned a little appreciation for fossil fuel burning vehicles.

 

[DerbyDave]

I know there are a lot of people who get Electric cars for the "Green" factor. I don't really care about any of that [censored]. We had ours because it was cheaper to operate and actually pretty fun to drive. I actually wanted an anti EPA sticker for the back window to make heads explode but I couldn't find one I liked

 

[AZjeff]

Positive reviews from actual owners on an ICE centric website.... fake news?

We could easily own one in our current situation.

There were reports on the news of owners in Phoenix not getting full range in the summer.... when you go out after work and it's been 120 ambient and you crank the AC, yeah.

 

[L_Sludger]

I love electric car technology and its concepts, but I still want to give them a couple generations to mature before I blow money on them again. The i3 REx I have is the worst car ever manufactured in this world's history.

 

[bioburner]

Originally Posted By: L_Sludger
I love electric car technology and its concepts, but I still want to give them a couple generations to mature before I blow money on them again. The i3 REx I have is the worst car ever manufactured in this world's history.

And how long has Toyota been making the Hybrids? I believe their on 3rd gen? Honda is past at least 2 generations. I think we are closer to fuel cell tech with hydrogen being a better option. Nissan had a truck with fuel cell And solar generator on show in 2005

 

[Alfred_B]

It sounds like for the OP, Leaf makes sense. It's all about the range and his situation is suited well for it.

I wish mine was like that, too.

 

[EdwardC]

Yeah, it does seem like a pretty ideal situation for me:

-Wife's commute is 5 miles total, she can preheat and precool the vehicle before leaving = happier wife
--Short commute hopefully mean long lived healthy battery
-Less fuel costs
-2nd car where 1st car is still gas for long trips
-Less wear and tear on the 1st car (my beloved Element)

One drawback is that as a pure electric car, it can't be the only car in our garage, unlike a hybrid. And, on top of that a plug-in hybrid would allow for all the benefits listed above, with the added bonus of being usable for long distances. The tipping point that would push us to go for the Leaf is the pricing incentives. We're going to try test drive one this weekend to see what we think.

Reading some Leaf forums from real-life owners living similar a climate, it seems that high heat and very low temps both significantly reduce range (due to heater/AC use in addition to battery health), and that they roughly suggest that 60 miles round trip is a reasonable max for year round driving.

 

[DerbyDave]

Originally Posted By: EdwardC
Yeah, it does seem like a pretty ideal situation for me:

-Wife's commute is 5 miles total, she can preheat and precool the vehicle before leaving = happier wife
--Short commute hopefully mean long lived healthy battery
-Less fuel costs
-2nd car where 1st car is still gas for long trips
-Less wear and tear on the 1st car (my beloved Element)

One drawback is that as a pure electric car, it can't be the only car in our garage, unlike a hybrid. And, on top of that a plug-in hybrid would allow for all the benefits listed above, with the added bonus of being usable for long distances. The tipping point that would push us to go for the Leaf is the pricing incentives. We're going to try test drive one this weekend to see what we think.

Reading some Leaf forums from real-life owners living similar a climate, it seems that high heat and very low temps both significantly reduce range (due to heater/AC use in addition to battery health), and that they roughly suggest that 60 miles round trip is a reasonable max for year round driving.


I can confirm that a 60 miles range is a good safe year round estimate. Batteries will degrade faster if they are charged more often. It is charging cycles that degrade a battery not trip length. If you can go two or three days between charging the battery it will last longer. Sometimes it is hard to resist the urge to "top off"

We did take our LEAF on one short cold winter road trip using Public Charging stations but it took much longer than it would have in a gas car because of the reduced range and need to plugin on the way.

 

[HondaRULZ]

Is all of this going to be worth it, in the end, no one knows. I do have Green Leaf Econ mode that I can use for break-in and such.

 

[Silverado12]

Originally Posted By: ARCOgraphite
I think Smart fortwo has a zippy all electric also. Should be low bucks. I would buy 20 of each for an investment and sell em off at a tidy profit when gas goes to 3.799/Gal next Summer

Shhh! Don't talk like that. I just got rid of my econobox LOL.

 

[Alfred_B]

I have been looking for an electric car myself and Volt would be the one I would choose. Looked at the latest model Premium style and the interior just looked very cheap. One would expect a little bit better design in a $42k car.

Nissan Leaf interior definitely looks quite different. I haven't sat in one so I don't know how it feels.

 

[oil_film_movies]

Originally Posted By: Alfred_B
I have been looking for an electric car myself and Volt would be the one I would choose. Looked at the latest model Premium style and the interior just looked very cheap. One would expect a little bit better design in a $42k car.

Are you talking about the Bolt? The Volt is a plug-in hybrid, not just an electric only.
As for prices, the cheapest base Bolt is $36k and same for Volt is $33k, not anywhere near $42k unless really optioned out (you know, paint 'glaze', undercoating....hee-hee). Still expensive I think. Of course the Feds kick in $7500 for the Bolt, and the Volt I think gets some, not sure.

Another great deal, but wait in line to get one, is the new Tesla Model 3: https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/topics/4452629/4

 

[oil_film_movies]

Originally Posted By: 02SE
I have a few neighbors with Nissan Leafs. Just last week one of those neighbors was walking by my house, so I said hello and said it was a nice day for a walk. She went into a rant about how her Leaf had quit AGAIN, leaving her to walk home. She said the Dealer wouldn't send a tow truck until the next morning. So I offered to pull her car up the hill to her house.

AAA has a special truck that recharges electric cars by the side of the road. She should get that. Might take only an hour or two to get to her. Check local availability.

 

[EdwardC]

I bought a little 2000W Honda Inverter generator last year... If I keep it in the trunk, does it make the Leaf a hybrid?

Thank you all for your comments!

 

[Alfred_B]

Originally Posted By: oil_film_movies
Originally Posted By: Alfred_B
I have been looking for an electric car myself and Volt would be the one I would choose. Looked at the latest model Premium style and the interior just looked very cheap. One would expect a little bit better design in a $42k car.

Are you talking about the Bolt? The Volt is a plug-in hybrid, not just an electric only.
As for prices, the cheapest base Bolt is $36k and same for Volt is $33k, not anywhere near $42k unless really optioned out (you know, paint 'glaze', undercoating....hee-hee). Still expensive I think. Of course the Feds kick in $7500 for the Bolt, and the Volt I think gets some, not sure.

Another great deal, but wait in line to get one, is the new Tesla Model 3: https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/topics/4452629/4


It was a Chevy Volt Premier with a few things added to make it close to as comfortable as my Audi that came to $42k.

 

[oil_film_movies]

Originally Posted By: Alfred_B
It was a Chevy Volt Premier with a few things added to make it close to as comfortable as my Audi that came to $42k.
I agree, the Volt is overpriced for a hybrid on a Chevy Cruze chassis. Too much. I even think the base model Volt at $33k is a tad to pricey for that.

If comparing to an Audi, you are definitely more interested in a Tesla Model 3 over a Bolt or Volt. The Bolt is really just a Chevy Trax (or Sonic or Encore) chassis with an electric system in lieu of the 'Gas Clown' engine, not an inspiring package, but competent at least.

 

[fdcg27]

For the uses you intend for this car, it would make a lot of sense.
If you can actually buy one for $17K net off list, then it also becomes a very inexpensive proposition.
I've looked seriously at the Leaf as a cheap to run commuter but both my wife and I have long enough commutes that the car would be marginal in the extreme heat and cold that we often see here through the year. I really can't see foregoing heat on a 0F morning or AC on a 100F heat index afternoon.
It's also nice to have a couple of cars that can be driven any distance rather than only one.