55 mile commute each way... Is Leaf even an option?

[Woosie]

I drive from Torrance to Long Beach or Seal Beach daily, for a 40-55 round trip commute. I leave at 100% and get home at 50-60% per the battery gauge (not the GOM). During summer with the AC running all the way home I arrive with 42-50% remaining. I've only charged at home using the 110vac outlet and the is nearly or at 100% in the morning. I average 4.6 miles per kW, which is higher than some/many, mainly because I drive 60-65 on the freeway.

You would drain the battery more given you live in Temecula and see higher temps than I do overall, regardless of whether you commute to LA or San Diego.

Personally, I think the 55 mile commute is easy and a no-brainier...go for it! The Leaf is truly a terrific machine, though I'm waiting to purchase until Nissan offers a 150 mile version. I don't want to charge daily

 

[DaveEV]

Drove my '11 w/almost 30k miles 63 miles tonight. Mostly freeway at 65 mph and a few miles at 70 mph on the way out, about 5 miles of 25 mph surface streets and 60 mph on the way back.

LBW at ~55 miles, in the garage at 63 miles @ 4.4 mi/kWh, 18% SOC, 34 GID, 4 mi on the GOM. I estimated about 7-8 miles left before turtle.

Yeah, with a new LEAF 55 miles might be easy, but after 2-3 years it's not as you will have to be careful. And if you're driving 110 miles/day in an area warmer than where I am, you're going to be pushing the battery a lot harder.

Will it work for 2 years? Quite possibly, but definitely after a year you'll be pushing the range quite a bit, especially in the winter if you run the heat. If you're going to do it, definitely wait for the 2015s so you know you get the "lizard" battery.

 

[cwerdna]

Its confirmed for sure 2015 leaf wont have extended batttery range option?

Ummm, 2015 Leafs have already hit US dealers.

Pic of a sticker at https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10152986750764966&set=gm.709119049145759&type=1&theater" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;, which may not be visible to folks not in that FB group. I can see that it still has the 84 mile EPA range listed.

 

[Gmoney0205]

Few reminders.... its 55 miles each way, 110 miles round trip.

I am considering getting a second car to not extend the car too much OR lease the car for 2 years. Only issue with lease is the miles, so not sure if Nissan will waive those miles if I get a new Nissan after the two years or not...I have been with Nissan now for 12 years.

 

[fooljoe]

Few reminders.... its 55 miles each way, 110 miles round trip.

I am considering getting a second car to not extend the car too much OR lease the car for 2 years. Only issue with lease is the miles, so not sure if Nissan will waive those miles if I get a new Nissan after the two years or not...I have been with Nissan now for 12 years.

You could get two Leafs, and always have one fully charged up at work and one fully charged up at home. Perhaps it's not as crazy as it sounds, but I'd still go with a Rav instead.

 

[Gmoney0205]

I was actually going to suggest that, but thought id be called crazy haha. Maybe lease one and purchase the other. Our other car is a sienna so my wife could use the other leaf for daily use with picking up and dropping off the kids which would save us gas and only really end up costing us an extra 100-150 per month.

 

[JPWhite]

Hey everyone,

So my new commute will be about 55 miles each way, 110 roundtrip.

My work has charging stations and there is a Nissan dealership nearby so it wont be an issue charging at work.

With workplace charging its doable.

I have a 20% degraded battery and it shows 55 miles to LBW on LEAF Spy Pro. I drive at the speed limit or traffic limit on the interstate. My trip to work is about 36 miles one way.

Depending how much you lose in the winter due to cold, (not sure about temps in your neck of the woods), things could get sticky once the car is a few years old.

If you lease for 2 years or buy with the intention of trading at 2 years you should have no issues.

 

[marccbr]

I drive 53 miles round trip on a 3 year old LEAF with no charging at work and I sometimes take it to lunch at lunch time so it adds up to about 58+ miles. I charge to 80% over night then when I wake up to go to work I start charging so by the time I leave I'm at about 90%. Most of my travel is on the freeway about 60 to 65 mph in San Diego. I do all this and battery has degraded to 80% so a brand new LEAF should absolutely have no issues driving 53 miles. If you charge at work you could probably go for a decade without any problems with range. I don't understand why people don't think the LEAF is a good choice for his situation where he can charge at work.

 

[Nubo]

More to the point, yesterday I just completed a round-trip from the SF Bay Area, to the Fullerton, CA area, in my nearly 3-year-old LEAF.

Getting OT, but tell us more about your ~800 mi trip down and up the state!

http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=51&t=17251" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

 

[DaveEV]

I drive 53 miles round trip on a 3 year old LEAF with no charging at work and I sometimes take it to lunch at lunch time so it adds up to about 58+ miles. I charge to 80% over night then when I wake up to go to work I start charging so by the time I leave I'm at about 90%. Most of my travel is on the freeway about 60 to 65 mph in San Diego. I do all this and battery has degraded to 80% so a brand new LEAF should absolutely have no issues driving 53 miles. If you charge at work you could probably go for a decade without any problems with range. I don't understand why people don't think the LEAF is a good choice for his situation where he can charge at work.

That's pretty good - better than my very similar LEAF ~225 GIDs on a 100% charge, so about 80% capacity loss, still have 11 bars), though it sounds like yours probably has quite a few more miles. How much charge do you have left when you get home, because 55 miles of driving on the freeway at 65 mph gets me to LBW after 3 years on a 100% charge. The first year I could do 65-70 miles driving similarly. In the winter if I had to run the heat, that would knock off about 5 miles of range (driving in ECO).

 

[JPWhite]

I don't understand why people don't think the LEAF is a good choice for his situation where he can charge at work.

I'm guessing you don't see 8F very often in San Diego. This last winter when it was frigid and my battery was below 32F I was using 9 bars of charge to go just over 30 miles. Now my commute is about 37 each way, this winter will be a test for sure.

 

[Gmoney0205]

Winters are vrry mild.. At worst you are looking at upper 30s for lows, 50-60 for high... So winter is not an issue, not compared to others

Summers are hot but cools off at night to 50-60 deg...

 

[marccbr]

I have about 38000 miles on it. I have lost one bar. If I dont use it to go eat I have abou 20% when I get home. If I do I will get the LBW there are alot of hills where I work. I use LEAF spy to get the GUID but Im not at the house right now I'll post it when I get home.

 

[JPWhite]

Winters are vrry mild.. At worst you are looking at upper 30s for lows, 50-60 for high... So winter is not an issue, not compared to others

Summers are hot but cools off at night to 50-60 deg...

You should be in good shape then

 

[Valdemar]

If you can reliably charge to full at either end you should have no problems making the commute at least first 3 years. I'd probably wait for the 2015 MY which should have the long awaited more heat tolerant battery, how much it is better compared to the original battery is yet to be seen. I'm down 23% in range/capacity after almost 3 years and 56000 miles, but making 55 miles is still no sweat on a full charge.

 

[marccbr]

My bad. I miss read the original post, I thought he was saying 55 mile round trip. I don't know about 55 miles one way. You should be able to do it for like the first 5 years but you'll have to charge to 100% after about the 3rd year just to be sure. For the first 3 years you should be good with just an 80% charge at home and work. You should have pretty much the same weather that I have seen living in San Diego.

 

[TimLee]

I was actually going to suggest that, but thought id be called crazy haha. Maybe lease one and purchase the other. Our other car is a sienna so my wife could use the other leaf for daily use with picking up and dropping off the kids which would save us gas and only really end up costing us an extra 100-150 per month.

Two LEAFs one purchased other on two or three year lease @ 15,000 miles per year is pretty good idea.
Haven't read of too many doing that but I think someone suggested that in a thread 12 to 18 months back.

 

[Gmoney0205]

I have addrd the volt fit ev and fiat 500e to my options

The Fit EV lease is amazing but huge waitlist so not sure its even an option.

 

[marccbr]

I test drove the Fiat it's a little too plain and much smaller than the LEAF. But it will get you from point A to point B it has about the same range as a LEAF.

 

[JPWhite]

I have addrd the volt fit ev and fiat 500e to my options

The Fit EV lease is amazing but huge waitlist so not sure its even an option.

The only problem with the compliance cars is they will not be well supported long term by the OEM's. AN example is the Rav4 EV has once again been cancelled. Great car, but who knows how Toyota will support this and for how long.