2012 Nissan LEAF Range in Upstate South Carolina–March 2013

[iamwjh]

2012 Nissan LEAF SL Range Results in Upstate South Carolina – March 2013
If this is the wrong place to post, I hereby submit an advanced apology. perhaps someone may find this information useful…

Background Information:
• Weekly travel from Home to Work (M-F)
• Daily Distance: 27 miles, 54 miles round trip
• Roads: Side roads, rural, no traffic, minimal stops, posted limit of 45mph
• Weather: winter temps, no snow, dry, low is 39(mornings), high is 66(evenings)
• Charging: Level I, 99-100%
• Route: equivalent to highway I-85, exit 75 to exit 96

During the week, I charge on level I, usually to 99% or 100% depending on the time available to charge overnight. The LEAF is parked outside and I run the cord from inside the garage, under the garage door, to the car. When I leave in the morning, the GOM reads: 108 to 112 miles Range.

I drive the side roads to work; there are minimal stops and no traffic. Here in SC, we have ‘frontage roads’ that run nearly 100% parallel to the interstate. I have started driving on these, due to efficiencies. Interstate driving is about 3 miles shorter each way, but much less efficient. Highway, I only get 3.8 miles per KWh and driving the side roads, I get 4.5 miles per KWh. The overall drive time is about 15 minutes more on the side roads. Therefore, instead of 30 minutes on hwy, it takes 45 minutes on side roads.

The Highway is full of 18-wheelers, traffic, speeders, and all the debris kicked up by the passing vehicles that do not care for my conservative highway speed of 63 in a 65 zone. The advantage of side roads has offered me the ability to control my speeds without the worry of traffic or damage to my windshield or paint. This has lead to my increased efficiencies and happiness with the Range of my LEAF. In turn, I have completely voided all range anxiety, to the point where I am comfortable leaving my charger at home for my 50+ mile roundtrip commute.

Driving Style:
• ECO mode only
• To Work: no heat, no AC, seat heater on and steering wheel heater on
• To Home: AC on auto @ 69 degrees
• I have the display set to monitor m/kwh
• Never exceed more than one power dot above neutral, even up hill
• Downhill, I keep the dot at neutral, which means that I do exceed the posted speed limit, but it helps me get up the next hill.
• Average speed ends up at about 35mph overall.
• I use regen at all stop signs and lights when possible.

I leave the house with over 100 miles range on the GOM. (12 Bars)
After traveling to work for 27 miles, I have about 50 miles range on the GOM (8 Bars)
I drive from work to home on the same route and when I arrive at home, I have about 25 miles range on the GOM (4 Bars)

My Lessons Learned:
• Find the most efficient route. (not the shortest, not the fastest)
• Pay attention to the Bars, not the range # on the GOM.
• Monitor the m/kwh as I drive
• Monitor the power dots, set a goal and stick to it. Sometimes, the car behind me gets pissed off, that’s what the passing zone is for.

Following is a graphic from the CARWINGS website for my commute from Home to Work. I am 95% confident that this data is from my LEAF, as I doubt there are others making this same route.

 

[stou0220]

Good to hear from a fellow Leafer from the Upstate (I'm in Greenville). My commute isn't nearly as long as yours, therefore I don't take have to take extra conservative measures to ensure I make it home. If I did I would have bought a Volt, as for me my time and a positive driving experience isn't worth sacrificing. With that said I am unhappy with the range drop that comes with the heater on my 2012, but I knew that when I chose to buy a slightly used 2012 rather than a much more expensive 2013 model!

 

[TonyWilliams]

Congrats on your LEAF and thanks for your detailed report.

 

[DaveinOlyWA]

nice write up. so is work uphill or into a head wind. you lose a ton getting there but not much getting home. now, part of it is due to the warmer weather coming home but almost have to think that Climate control could potentially zero all the gains out.

i have a similar commute to the office and back which is about 56.8 miles RT. Now, i do the freeway because there is no frontage road. we normally have the frontage roads but most are too traffic heavy to be really efficient and take a MUCH longer time. there is also a bottleneck where the Nisqually Wildlife Refuge, Ft. Lewis Artillery Range and Nisqually Indian Reservation all run together. The Indian Reservation has a few roads that run into I-5 but that is about it.

but i drive whatever speed i need to go to get there. In Summer, I can do 60-62 (speed limit is 60) but in Winter, I have done as little as 50 mph depending on what else I have to do that day.

but you should have plenty of range even at freeway speeds. now, without a decent meter to monitor your SOC, the car makes it easy to be paranoid especially when the LBW starts up. but keep in mind, when it does, you have 1/6th of a "tank" left.