3 Car seats in the back of a LEAF is possible

[cdub]

I should point out one thing for people who are thinking about getting the Leaf to cut environmental impact. You should also carefully consider the impact of having more children. I know this is considered "not PC" - but this has the largest environmental impact of any other choices we may make ...

Ummm... I'm not sure how to respond to this. I'm going to pretend that you just didn't tell a parent of one (and one due in a week) that he shouldn't have any kids.

Really - are you trying to make people dislike environmentalists? Because between telling people they made a mistake to have kids and being ok with running over the blind...the people on this site are really doing their best.

 

[garygid]

Seriously:

1. Resources divided by population -> standard of living. You can do the math.

2. Lower population will help, probably more than any other "fix".

3. Darwin's selection still needs some mechanisms to function.

4. Modest Proposal: Third strike and you become part of the organ donor program instead of a lifetime ward of the state, with free medical, dental, library?

But wait, there's more!

 

[evnow]

Ummm... I'm not sure how to respond to this. I'm going to pretend that you just didn't tell a parent of one (and one due in a week) that he shouldn't have any kids.

I'm just saying, if you are thinking of having a third child in the future, this is one more thing to consider.

Really - are you trying to make people dislike environmentalists? Because between telling people they made a mistake to have kids and being ok with running over the blind...the people on this site are really doing their best.

It really doesn't matter what others think of "environmentalists". Ecology is not up for negotiation. If 350 ppm is what will move the planet over some tipping point - it is just going to do that. Irrespective of what people think about "environmentalists" or what compromise they hammer out in the senate to feel good about themselfs.

 

[Boomer23]

What brand carseat do you have that goes 3 across?

The rear-facing one that we place in the center using the LATCH points is a Graco. I don't know the brand of the older kids' seats that we face forward. I won't see the kids for a week, but I'll try to remember to get you the brand of their seats. They're about 5 years old, at least the kids are, and so are the seats.

One thing that makes it work well is facing one rearward in between two facing forward. They overlap somewhat, which helps. But their parents have transported them in their 2010 Prius, three across, all facing forward.

Best wishes on your baby.

 

[Jimmydreams]

I should point out one thing for people who are thinking about getting the Leaf to cut environmental impact. You should also carefully consider the impact of having more children. I know this is considered "not PC" - but this has the largest environmental impact of any other choices we may make ...

Ummm... I'm not sure how to respond to this. I'm going to pretend that you just didn't tell a parent of one (and one due in a week) that he shouldn't have any kids.

Really - are you trying to make people dislike environmentalists? Because between telling people they made a mistake to have kids and being ok with running over the blind...the people on this site are really doing their best.

evnow's point is valid. And he said no such thing. MORE children is not the same thing as ANY children.

 

[Gavin]

Every adult should consider many many, insanely many, details before having children.

It is a huge responsibility.

Nobody is saying don't have kids, just make sure you're ready and your family is ready...and then realize that no matter how ready you are, you aren't ready for everything

My two are grown now and I still worry too often about them...and they are near perfect kids...I mean adults...sigh...

Now let's get back to talking about running over blind people...which I'm pretty sure nobody here is advocating...

Luckily it is quite rare...blind people seem smarter, or at least more cautious ( which I consider smarter), than the doofuses darting through traffic on foot or skateboard or bike.

Far and away the most pedestrians getting killed are homeless, drunks and kids between middle school to college who don't care at all about traffic, crosswalks or actually just about anything it seems.

Old man rant over...

Gavin

 

[LEAFfan]

Having more than two is just ego and selfish. It makes no difference how much money one has or how good a parent you are, extra children use up our precious natural resources.
And again, please read the research/data about blind people getting run over by slow moving cars...none have been killed under 19 mph. Let's remove pollution, not add to it.

 

[garygid]

Does anybody know when and where the next So. CA blind convention will be held?

 

[AndyH]

Having more than two is just ego and selfish. It makes no difference how much money one has or how good a parent you are, extra children use up our precious natural resources.

In your humble opinion. Since my wife and I could only have one, there's an opening for one of you that believes in leaffan's vision of lack. :lol:

A farmer plants a single kernel of corn. Does the Earth give him one in return? No! She gives back HUNDREDS from that one. From Richard Bach - "Argue for your limitations and sure enough they're yours"... We live in an expanding universe, not a 70 year old size 4 shoe!

 

[Yodrak]

Agreed.

Seriously:
1. Resources divided by population -> standard of living. You can do the math.
2. Lower population will help, probably more than any other "fix".

The universe may be expanding, but our planet (like the shoe) is not, and the planet's resources are being consumed at an alarming rate. Modern technology has allowed the earth to accomodate more people than was thought possible 200 or so years ago, but we are beginning to recognize the negative aspects of our technologies that may - many people say will - have disasterous consequences in the future.

We live in an expanding universe, not a 70 year old size 4 shoe!

 

[AndyH]

The universe may be expanding, but our planet (like the shoe) is not, and the planet's resources are being consumed at an alarming rate. Modern technology has allowed the earth to accomodate more people than was thought possible 200 or so years ago, but we are beginning to recognize the negative aspects of our technologies that may - many people say will - have disasterous consequences in the future.

We live in an expanding universe, not a 70 year old size 4 shoe!

The planet is the same size but the way we operate changes our footprint and therefore our requirement. We can build a house that uses $10 a day to operate, a house that uses $5 a day, or a house that uses $1 a day. They all exist today.

Even Microsoft gives us three different ways to do everything with Windows.

 

[Darren]

I have been very interested in how the Nissan LEAF performs as a family car given that the "F" in LEAF actually stands for "Family Car". This thread sparked my curiosity of whether 3 car seats would in fact fit in the back so this past weekend I attended the San Diego Drive Electric tour with the objective to determine if it would work.

I wrote up my thoughts for this publication http://busymommymedia.com/2010/10/is-the-nissan-leaf-family-friendly/.

Basically, it boils down to this. The car has 2 latch points for the outboard positions and 3 tether points. The back seat is simply not wide enough for 3 wide car seats such as the Britax Advocate that we test fit. I believe that the only way only way that you are going to get 3 across is with a narrower manufacturer such as the Sunshine Kids Radian XTSL (I believe this is the narrower model that people were trying to remember earlier in the thread). Sunshine Kids is stating that as long as we have 49" across the bottom of the back seat that it should work. I can't find those specs anywhere so if someone attends the tour and wants to take a tape measure, I'd appreciate it.

I am currently working with Nissan and Sunshine Kids to do a follow-up article in the near future to confirm that this will work. I'll keep you posted.

 

[garygid]

Good work, but it's ...
LEAF for family, not LEAC for "clan".

 

[cdub]

I have been very interested in how the Nissan LEAF performs as a family car given that the "F" in LEAF actually stands for "Family Car". This thread sparked my curiosity of whether 3 car seats would in fact fit in the back so this past weekend I attended the San Diego Drive Electric tour with the objective to determine if it would work.

I wrote up my thoughts for this publication http://busymommymedia.com/2010/10/is-the-nissan-leaf-family-friendly/.

Basically, it boils down to this. The car has 2 latch points for the outboard positions and 3 tether points. The back seat is simply not wide enough for 3 wide car seats such as the Britax Advocate that we test fit. I believe that the only way only way that you are going to get 3 across is with a narrower manufacturer such as the Sunshine Kids Radian XTSL (I believe this is the narrower model that people were trying to remember earlier in the thread). Sunshine Kids is stating that as long as we have 49" across the bottom of the back seat that it should work. I can't find those specs anywhere so if someone attends the tour and wants to take a tape measure, I'd appreciate it.

I am currently working with Nissan and Sunshine Kids to do a follow-up article in the near future to confirm that this will work. I'll keep you posted.

Great article. I'm bringing some baby gear to Westfield in Century City this Sunday for some tests of my own. I'll bring a tape measurer too.

 

[Jay]

I have been very interested in how the Nissan LEAF performs as a family car given that the "F" in LEAF actually stands for "Family Car". This thread sparked my curiosity of whether 3 car seats would in fact fit in the back so this past weekend I attended the San Diego Drive Electric tour with the objective to determine if it would work.

I wrote up my thoughts for this publication http://busymommymedia.com/2010/10/is-the-nissan-leaf-family-friendly/.

Basically, it boils down to this. The car has 2 latch points for the outboard positions and 3 tether points. The back seat is simply not wide enough for 3 wide car seats such as the Britax Advocate that we test fit. I believe that the only way only way that you are going to get 3 across is with a narrower manufacturer such as the Sunshine Kids Radian XTSL (I believe this is the narrower model that people were trying to remember earlier in the thread). Sunshine Kids is stating that as long as we have 49" across the bottom of the back seat that it should work. I can't find those specs anywhere so if someone attends the tour and wants to take a tape measure, I'd appreciate it.

I am currently working with Nissan and Sunshine Kids to do a follow-up article in the near future to confirm that this will work. I'll keep you posted.

Good stuff/article. I actually had been waiting to see a write-up of this after I heard you were at the test drive trying to shoe-horn 3 seats back there. I believe there was even a update or two from someone who said you did it.

Looking forward to the follow up piece to see if you can, (=

 

[JPVLeaf]

The car has 2 latch points for the outboard positions and 3 tether points. The back seat is simply not wide enough for 3 wide car seats such as the Britax Advocate that we test fit. I believe that the only way only way that you are going to get 3 across is with a narrower manufacturer such as the Sunshine Kids Radian XTSL.

Thanks for the info. We did not bring our car seats during the Anaheim test drive. So, we are going to the Culver City test drives this weekend in large part to test the fit of our Sunshine Kids Monterey booster car seats http://amzn.to/aFHNm8 for our two 5 yr olds. I am also curious how much space will remain between the two seats.

 

[cdub]

Hmm... it appears the Sunshine requires 49 inches across to fit 3 in a car.

According to the specs my Honda Civic Hybrid is 51 inches in the back hiproom.

 

[Darren]

I am glad that I am getting so many positive responses and that the information is useful.

I believe that 3 booster seats such as the Sunshine Kids Monterey would likely fit but you would have a very difficult time trying to buckle them in. The placement of the seat belt buckles would likely be under the middle seat.

What I am trying to do is place three of the Sunshine Kids Radian XTSL car seats like this http://www.amazon.com/Sunshine-Kids-Radian-Convertible-Nitro/dp/B002OC57Q4. These have 5 point harnesses and will hold a child from 5-80lbs thus eliminating the difficulty with using the cars seat belts. I believe this set-up could be installed using the outboard latch points for two of the seats and a seat belt for the center position.

 

[Darren]

Good stuff/article. I actually had been waiting to see a write-up of this after I heard you were at the test drive trying to shoe-horn 3 seats back there. I believe there was even a update or two from someone who said you did it.

Looking forward to the follow up piece to see if you can, (=

It is encouraging to hear that word spread even before I posted anything.

There will definitely be an update. I have been working with both Nissan and Sunshine Kids as it looks like I am not alone in wanting to know how well this works.

I also have lots of connections within the stroller industry. I have not addressed that extensively as there are so many models but if there is interest, I could likely find the best options for that as well.

 

[evnow]

I believe that 3 booster seats such as the Sunshine Kids Monterey would likely fit but you would have a very difficult time trying to buckle them in. The placement of the seat belt buckles would likely be under the middle seat.

How do other similar compact/mid-size cars like Prius fare ?