2011, 2012 Nissan Leaf Leasing Information

[DaveinOlyWA]

thanks for details of your trip Ocean. You wanted the LEAF to work and you found a way! not really that tough but at the same time, many would think it inconvenient to stop even once for such a short trip. They have options as well; just not nearly as much fun, cheap, cool or what have you.

I agree. That is why I am thinking different way next time - I will drive to SF without stop and find a garage with L2 charge which I found quite a bit from plugshare.com

that's the way! my SO and I are polar opposites. she is uncomfortable with strangers and crowds and hates new things. When we first got together, I literally had to drag her to different restaurants because I like to try everything once and she rather find 1-2 places she likes and never go elsewhere.

I have now turned her on to a dozen new favorite places and each was a battle. Now, I am using the "gotta charge" excuse to try out new places and its still a battle but we rarely go somewhere that did not turn out well. With NAV on car and phone, its like getting lost and when we get tired of it, we NAV home

 

[ocean]

that's the way! my SO and I are polar opposites. she is uncomfortable with strangers and crowds and hates new things. When we first got together, I literally had to drag her to different restaurants because I like to try everything once and she rather find 1-2 places she likes and never go elsewhere.

I have now turned her on to a dozen new favorite places and each was a battle. Now, I am using the "gotta charge" excuse to try out new places and its still a battle but we rarely go somewhere that did not turn out well. With NAV on car and phone, its like getting lost and when we get tired of it, we NAV home

It is! Leaf now is our primary car! If anyone already have 2 ICE cars, replacing one of them with Leaf is no brainier given the lease deal now.

Since I love Leaf so much, my random thinking is to get another Leaf. I found it is not practical because the electric bill will go to another tier that make switching pointless. PG&E should not be the obstacle for electric car, sigh....

 

[surfingslovak]

Since I love Leaf so much, my random thinking is to get another Leaf. I found it is not practical because the electric bill will go to another tier that make switching pointless. PG&E should not be the obstacle for electric car, sigh....

Have you considered solar? Perhaps it's all a bit too much right now, but many new EV owners end up pulling the trigger within the first year. SolarCity has pretty good deals right now, and there are many other installers. It's getting quite competitive.

 

[ocean]

Since I love Leaf so much, my random thinking is to get another Leaf. I found it is not practical because the electric bill will go to another tier that make switching pointless. PG&E should not be the obstacle for electric car, sigh....

Have you considered solar? Perhaps it's all a bit too much right now, but many new EV owners end up pulling the trigger within the first year. SolarCity has pretty good deals right now, and there are many other installers. It's getting quite competitive.

Yes, I did. However, the Solarcity told me my house is too shady to install solar panel. There is a really big tall tree around my house. It is good during summer, though.

 

[TonyWilliams]

I'm not quite sure how many miles your trip was but my last trip to SF was 54 miles from my home one-way - in my Prius of course. I don't think I will ever be attempting it with the Leaf.

I'm starting to think that we may keep both Priuses anyway even with this Leaf.

Well... it's sad that you think you need 3 cars to get the job done! I don't recommend a newbie try anything but out and back trips (typically under 35 miles each way) until they get a handle on how to figure out range.

Here's a trip I did Saturday after putting new tires on my LEAF. Sorry, it's written in gibberish that only we hardcore LEAFers can fully follow. This is presented as a primer on what CAN be done with very basic infrastructure, good planning, and solid understanding of what affects range. Further note that I arrived at my primary destination in Diamond Bar, and returned to my home at near EMPTY on the battery. That's where planning, experience and understanding can maximize your LEAF experience:

http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?p=237841#p237841" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Saturday, Oct 20, 2012 and very early Sunday morning, Oct 21, 2012:

231.8 miles driven / 52.7 kWh = 4.4 miles per kWh

I drove the new tires the following distances without climate control, starting with full charge with 10% degradation (18.9 kWh usable)... NOTE to madbrain; your car will have about 21 kWh usable.


42.7 miles @ 4.8 miles/kWh - House in San Diego @ 45mph to Temecula, garage temp 73F, ambient 60F-63F, elevation 580 feet to 1100 feet, light rain, freeway, lots of hills between 450 - 1350 feet, 7am-8am. 8.9 kWh burned so far.


59.2 miles @ 5.4 miles/kWh - Temecula @ 50mph max (varies) to Diamond Bar, ambient 61F-63F, elevation 1100 feet to 740 feet, light rain, freeway, lots of hills between 550 feet - 1400 feet, 8:50am-10:30am. LBW @ 45.2 miles, VLB @ 53.4, arrive 5.8 miles past VLB; 101.9 miles so far at 5.2 miles/kWh weighted average = 19.596 kWh burned so far.


40.2 miles @ ??.? miles/kWh - Diamond Bar to Newport Beach @ 60mph max (varies), ambient 61F-63F, elevation 1100 feet to 40 feet, light rain, freeway, 1:30pm-7pm.


67.6 miles @ ??.? miles/kWh - Newport Beach to Vista @ 45-50mph max, ambient 67F, elevation 40 feet to 440 feet, light rain, freeway, 12:10am-1:42am.


22.1 miles @ ??.? miles/kWh - Vista @ 45mph max (varies) to home, ambient 66F, elevation 440 feet to 580 feet, light rain, freeway, lots of hills between 400 feet - 740 feet, 3:09am-3:42am


Refueling:

1.75 kWh @ Temecula Old Town, 8:08am-8:44am, Clipper Creek 208v*16amp (0.6 hour * (3.3kW *(208/240))), 1.75 kWh pumped in so far.

18.20 kWh @ Diamond Bar Blink DC charger, 10:30am - 1:30am (estimate from near turtle start of charge with 10% degradation of 18.9 kWh usable minus 0.7 kWh remaining at start of charge), 19.95 kWh pumped in so far.

12.0 kWh @ Fashion Island (Tesla Store), Newport Beach Chargepoint L2, 7:54pm to 12:06am (14.125 kWh at the "pump" / 4.2 hours = 3.363 kW... is this 208v at 16amp from the wall?), 5.12 * 0.84 = 12.0; 30.2 kWh pumped in so far

4.30 kWh @ Vista Walgreen, SemaConnect L2, 1:42am to 3:07am (5.12kWh * .84 = 4.3 kWh)... I don't know if this is 240v 16amp, or 208v at above 16amp), 34.5 kWh pumped in so far.

18.20 kWh @ my house, 3:45am - 10am: (estimate from near turtle start of charge with 10% degradation of 18.9 kWh usable minus 0.7 kWh remaining at start of charge), 52.7 kWh pumped in so far.

 

[QueenBee]

Yes, I did. However, the Solarcity told me my house is too shady to install solar panel. There is a really big tall tree around my house. It is good during summer, though.

Did they do a real solar analysis? With how cheap PV is these days and how expensive your power is down there I'd expect it would have to be really shaded.

 

[surfingslovak]

Yes, I did. However, the Solarcity told me my house is too shady to install solar panel. There is a really big tall tree around my house. It is good during summer, though.

Did they do a real solar analysis? With how cheap PV is these days and how expensive your power is down there I'd expect it would have to be really shaded.

Right, that's a good point. I know for a fact that SolarCity uses string inverters exclusively, which could be driving the decision not to install at ocean's property. I would try at least one additional installer. You might want to give Aditya from Heliofarm a call. He is local, and can work on difficult custom installs.

Sorry, it's written in gibberish that only we hardcore LEAFers can fully follow.

Love it. Looks like another great trip.

 

[ocean]

Did they do a real solar analysis? With how cheap PV is these days and how expensive your power is down there I'd expect it would have to be really shaded.

Nope. They just use google map and the image of google map happen to have tree's shadow cover my whole roof.

Right, that's a good point. I know for a fact that SolarCity uses string inverters exclusively, which could be driving the decision not to install at ocean's property. I would try at least one additional installer. You might want to give Aditya from Heliofarm a call. He is local, and can work on difficult custom installs.

Will give it a try, many thanks!

 

[madbrain]

SL's QC port comes handy. There are 4 QC stations in peninsula and 3 of them are free as of now! Not sure how long will Blink free offer last, though.

Where are the 4 ?

When I arrived home, I still got 7 bars left. That means I only spend about $1 on electric gas for whole SF trip! Isn't it great?

Electric gas ? That is a new one !
But IMO, not that great, I would much rather charge for "free" with my PV and have a big enough battery not to worry about range.

 

[madbrain]

Tony,

Well... it's sad that you think you need 3 cars to get the job done! I don't recommend a newbie try anything but out and back trips (typically under 35 miles each way) until they get a handle on how to figure out range.

I don't know if I need 3 cars long-term, hopefully not. But short-term, yes.

I really need to learn more about the actual range limitations of the car. That may take a while, and the stupid crazy GOM does not help at all. There are obviously some adjustments needed to my driving habits.
And then, my partner would need to get used to it to, and I think his driving habits in terms of speed are no better than mine.
He runs a lot of errands, between our home and his family which is in San Jose also, but which is still about 15 miles one way. I just found out there won't be any charging capability over there - they converted the garage into an insulated bedroom. There is no longer a garage door that opens. I don't know if they have an outdoor 120V outlet near the driveway where he could charge even at L1. Hopefully so.

If we go down to 2 cars, on the days we switch cars, it would be best to have the L2 charger at our home. I don't think realistically that I will sell one of the 2 Prius until I get L2 at home at least, and apparently Blink will take at least 6 weeks for that. The registration for my 2007 Prius is paid through august of next year so there is no big hurry to sell it right away. Insurance charges continue to accrue daily, though.

On most days I do not drive too many miles. The Leaf will definitely work for me for my commute which is 26 miles round trip 4 days a week, even with a degraded battery and even with only L1 charging at home.

Beyond that, for trips to SF, Santa Cruz, etc. I did not anticipate driving the Leaf before purchasing it, and my first few days with it only confirm that. We need at least one ICE in the household, of that there is no question.

Even 30 minute of "QC" would be a major inconvenience in the middle of the trip. The QC would have to be in a convenient place where I'm already parking. Parking is already difficult enough in SF as it is. A 30 minute stop is not so quick when I'm used to doing the 54 mile drive from SF back home in under an hour. I never had the expectation the Leaf could work for that situation with the 24 kWh battery size and the EPA range before leasing it.

If I try and run it down to turtle one day, though, how soon can I expect Nissan to come to tow me, and how far will they tow me without extra charge ? And by charge I mean $

 

[ocean]

Where are the 4 ?

You can find them from plugshare.com. Looks like you need to do some homework.

 

[ALLWATZ]

Tony, you are a paragon and an inspiration to us all but I have a couple of questions....

42.7 miles @ 4.8 miles/kWh - House in San Diego @ 45mph to Temecula, garage temp 73F, ambient 60F-63F, elevation 580 feet to 1100 feet, light rain, freeway, lots of hills between 450 - 1350 feet, 7am-8am. 8.9 kWh burned so far.

Are you insane? The people who drive the 15 frwy are ususally blowing the doors off of slow drivers! You weren't ahead of one of those trucks that say "wide load" were you?

59.2 miles @ 5.4 miles/kWh - Temecula @ 50mph max (varies) to Diamond Bar, ambient 61F-63F, elevation 1100 feet to 740 feet, light rain, freeway, lots of hills between 550 feet - 1400 feet, 8:50am-10:30am. LBW @ 45.2 miles, VLB @ 53.4, arrive 5.8 miles past VLB; 101.9 miles so far at 5.2 miles/kWh weighted average = 19.596 kWh burned so far.

Doable as the 60 wouldn't be a problem but, how did you get over for the 15 frwy where it seperates from the 215 at 50mph. You've got guts man!

40.2 miles @ ??.? miles/kWh - Diamond Bar to Newport Beach @ 60mph max (varies), ambient 61F-63F, elevation 1100 feet to 40 feet, light rain, freeway, 1:30pm-7pm.

O.K. this must have been the easiest part. I do see you went up to 60mph, must have been after you exited the safety of the 57 frwy and got into the 5 frwy kill zone (if you went that way).

67.6 miles @ ??.? miles/kWh - Newport Beach to Vista @ 45-50mph max, ambient 67F, elevation 40 feet to 440 feet, light rain, freeway, 12:10am-1:42am.

This one I don't believe even during this time frame. 40-50 mph on this section of the 5? Normaly the road is full of gonzos trying to make it to Tiajuana. Tell the truth, you have a giant sign on the back of you Leaf saying "I'm changing my tire while driving, that's why I'm driving so slow". I'm just shocked we're not picking your bones out of the weeds somewhere around San Onofre.

22.1 miles @ ??.? miles/kWh - Vista @ 45mph max (varies) to home, ambient 66F, elevation 440 feet to 580 feet, light rain, freeway, lots of hills between 400 feet - 740 feet, 3:09am-3:42am.

This one I believe. Hats off to a brave soul!

 

[DaveinOlyWA]

the comments on speed are ridiculous. I have yet to be on a freeway (including Southern CA) where someone was going slower than the general flow of traffic. this thing about accidents being more frequent because of a higher delta from the fastest to the slowest is only due to the impatience of the faster drivers.

although i rarely get that low, i would not hesitate to drive 50 mph if that is what i needed to do to get where i needed to be. a few weeks after I got my LEAF and had pretty much only the GOM to rely on, i did a trip on the 70 mph portion of I-5 south of Olympia at 50 mph and ya, people were zooming by me but i was never hit, no close calls, etc. I never felt threatened but then again, i tend to not be overly concerned with the time management skills of the other drivers on the road with me

 

[GRA]

the comments on speed are ridiculous. I have yet to be on a freeway (including Southern CA) where someone was going slower than the general flow of traffic. this thing about accidents being more frequent because of a higher delta from the fastest to the slowest is only due to the impatience of the faster drivers.

although i rarely get that low, i would not hesitate to drive 50 mph if that is what i needed to do to get where i needed to be. a few weeks after I got my LEAF and had pretty much only the GOM to rely on, i did a trip on the 70 mph portion of I-5 south of Olympia at 50 mph and ya, people were zooming by me but i was never hit, no close calls, etc. I never felt threatened but then again, i tend to not be overly concerned with the time management skills of the other drivers on the road with me

Personally I'm uncomfortable with a delta-v of more than 10 mph between me and the traffic flow (not the serious speeders), and there's no way in hell I'd accept a 20 mph DsubV, especially at night. Distance and closure are harder to judge then, and people are tired so reactions are likely slower. All that is aside from the fact that I don't want BEVs to be perceived as slugs. If I've got to drive 50 I'm off the freeway, if there's any other route. We've all got our own comfort level.

 

[derkraut]

the comments on speed are ridiculous. I have yet to be on a freeway (including Southern CA) where someone was going slower than the general flow of traffic. this thing about accidents being more frequent because of a higher delta from the fastest to the slowest is only due to the impatience of the faster drivers.

although i rarely get that low, i would not hesitate to drive 50 mph if that is what i needed to do to get where i needed to be. a few weeks after I got my LEAF and had pretty much only the GOM to rely on, i did a trip on the 70 mph portion of I-5 south of Olympia at 50 mph and ya, people were zooming by me but i was never hit, no close calls, etc. I never felt threatened but then again, i tend to not be overly concerned with the time management skills of the other drivers on the road with me

+1....well stated Dave. I drive I-15 north and southbound in San Diego North County area all the time; and I usually drive 55-60 in the right two lanes with no problems whatsoever. I don't impede the normal flow of traffic, because the speed limit for trucks is 55mph. I'd rather drive with professional OTR truckers than mix it up with a bunch of crazy a$$es doing 80 in their Hummers and Ram Hemis, weaving in and out of lanes. Every time I see one of these jerks pulled over for speeding, I get a warm, fuzzy feeling all over. :lol: :mrgreen:

 

[DaveinOlyWA]

ya, I dont think i have ever known of or heard of a rear end accident that happened at any real speed. its usually in stop and go under 20 mph type traffic it happens.

so not saying that there has never been someone rear end someone "only" doing 50 mph, but betting its pretty rare.

Now, I travel the I-5 a lot. granted, not normally the driver (work stuff ya know) but the closer to Seattle one gets, the more lanes we have. now for those going down the hill just before the I-405 interchange where left hand traffic tends to be doing 75 mph (on flats they are closer to 70) for some reason them driving 15-20 mph faster than me 3 lanes over is not a bother at all.

another thing; i have a 9 AM appointment in downtown Seattle Thurs. i will leave my house around 7, allow 15 minutes for looking for parking and one hour and 45 minutes to drive the 59.6 miles. I am betting i will not get there more than 10 minutes early...

so ya, sometimes i hope and pray that i can drive AT least 50 mph :?

 

[GRA]

For me, if there are more than two lanes in my direction on an urban freeway I'm not in the right one (unless traffic is sparse); that's for merging and exiting, and you're constantly having to slow down/speed up as people cut across you/enter/exit. It's not worth the extra interactions, so I'm one or more lanes over moving with the flow. Now, on two-lane rural interstate it's a different story, and I'm never in the left lane except when passing.

 

[marksleaf]

We just leased, here in VA, a 2012 Nissan Leaf SL.
$2,000 down, tax, title, tags, processing fees included, $209 per month, 24 month lease, 15k miles per year.

The dealer said they had huge incentives from Nissan to move them.

 

[OnEmpty]

We just leased, here in VA, a 2012 Nissan Leaf SL.
$2,000 down, tax, title, tags, processing fees included, $209 per month, 24 month lease, 15k miles per year.

The dealer said they had huge incentives from Nissan to move them.

@Marksleaf - Mind telling me what dealer that is? That's a bit better than we've been able to do (basically the same price but you get more miles). Thanks!

Here's what we're looking at:
24 months / 12k
$1,000 down / $255 month (out the door price: includes all fees and taxes)

Feedback appreciated.

 

[MrIanB]

With those offers and incentives, I am expecting a big increase in sales for October vs September numbers. I am going to guess about 1,200 Leaf sales.

Ian B