Advice - 120 Mile Each Way Trip - NH to MA

[Bob]

I need to take a trip from Manchester NH to Springfield MA Sunday morning, then back Sunday night. It's 120 miles each way.

My Leaf has Level 2 but not quick charge, so it seems like there's no way for me to make the trip without 3+ hour stops mid way and at the end for recharging. I guess it's possible, but boy, that sounds like a pain, wasting 3 hours at a dealer or other charge spot along the way coming and going, plus at the final destination.

Plan B is to drive to a car rental place Sunday morning, park the Leaf there, rent an ICE, and return it when I get home Sunday night. Most car rental places are closed Sunday, but there are a few that are open.

Do you have any other ideas?

What would you do?

Bob

 

[garsh]

I wouldn't try that in a Leaf, unless you were specifically doing it for the adventure.

If you don't have another car, then get a rental for the trip.

 

[redLEAF]

Without QC you really don't have any options unless you could make it there on a single charge (not with the current LEAF) have it charge overnight and then return. That route has a number of higher speed roads as well which drops efficiency. I lived in Manchester years ago and still fly in occasionally (have family in Nashua) and I would think you could arrange a rental on Sunday's at the Airport which is probably your best bet. There is a EV which will do it (Tesla S or X) but not a LEAF w/o a QC port as well as checking that stations are available along the way. We have an ICE for our trips like these but most would simply rent if they don't travel beyond the EV's range much ...

 

[dhanson865]

I need to take a trip from Manchester NH to Springfield MA Sunday morning, then back Sunday night. It's 120 miles each way.

My Leaf has Level 2 but not quick charge, so it seems like there's no way for me to make the trip without 3+ hour stops mid way and at the end for recharging. I guess it's possible, but boy, that sounds like a pain, wasting 3 hours at a dealer or other charge spot along the way coming and going, plus at the final destination.

Plan B is to drive to a car rental place Sunday morning, park the Leaf there, rent an ICE, and return it when I get home Sunday night. Most car rental places are closed Sunday, but there are a few that are open.

Do you have any other ideas?

What would you do?

Bob

with Chademo I'd take the leaf, without it I'd call for the car rental a couple of days in advance.

The car rental agent can arrange to leave the car keys somewhere you can pick them up (I've seen companies leave a car key inside the unlocked car in various locations with the rental paperwork locked in the glove box). Depending on your part of the world the might not do that or might charge extra for after hours pickup of some kind or they may say, no problem, the key will be in X location. They might have a night guard they can leave the key with, they might have a business next door that they'll leave it with, if you tell them a time they might meet you at their favorite coffee shop.

It might be a pain or it might be simple but better to call ahead to all the rental places you'd consider and figure out before you have to drive a Leaf and sit for 3+ hours a charge.

 

[Bob]

Thanks for the advice.

I found a rental company in downtown Nashua, which is close enough, pretty-much on the way and has free parking.

Airports also have rental companies, but I didn't want to pay for airport parking. And the main airport around here (Manchester) is in the opposite direction.

Bob

 

[sub3marathonman]

It''s somewhat unfortunate that more restaurants haven't put the L2 chargers in, as Cracker Barrel has done at some of their locations. Then at least you could have a meal for an hour or so and be charging up. I've wished that they'd be installed at some public libraries too, as then you could read a good book while waiting. I was able to do that one time when it was within walking distance of the L2.

The other problem with relying on the L2 chargers is that unless one is right on the way, every mile out of the way adds almost 10 minutes to the charging time just to overcome the distance penalty if it is a 2011 LEAF, half that if it is MY 2012 or newer.

A few years ago I did a 120 mile trip, but it was 60 miles each way, with L2, having to drive 3 miles out of the way to a L2 charger, and yes, it did get to be a long trip waiting there at the charger both going and coming homw. But I picked up four tickets to the zoo that my wife had won from a radio station, so it was worth it. Now, with more Nissan dealers having the QC, it is fine to take a half-hour break every so often.

 

[Wennfred]

Rent a car.

 

[RonDawg]

Airports also have rental companies, but I didn't want to pay for airport parking.

Another big issue with renting at the airport is that at especially the larger airports, car rentals tend to be more expensive than at a local office due to government mandated add-ons such as airport concession fees. When friends fly in to visit me, I always offer to pick them up and take them to a local rental office instead. They do the same for me when I go to visit them.