battery metering

[jdunmyer]

Got my new 2013 SV the day after Christmas and am loving it. Bought a Schneider EVSE unit from Home Depot and have it temporarily connected to my welder receptacle until my new garage is built and wired. That might take a few weeks, what with the winter weather here in Michigan.

Anyway, like all new EV owners, I suffer from range anxiety, plus I like gadgets. Been reading about a "Gid meter", also some sort of Bluetooth hookup, linked to an Android phone. Given the choice, which would you folks recommend? Having the %Charge readout on the dash, do I even need additional gadgetry?

The car is leased, so I don't want to modify it, but I understand that both of the above devices plug into the diagnostic port.

TIA: Jim

 

[dgpcolorado]

Got my new 2013 SV the day after Christmas and am loving it. Bought a Schneider EVSE unit from Home Depot and have it temporarily connected to my welder receptacle until my new garage is built and wired. That might take a few weeks, what with the winter weather here in Michigan.

Anyway, like all new EV owners, I suffer from range anxiety, plus I like gadgets. Been reading about a "Gid meter", also some sort of Bluetooth hookup, linked to an Android phone. Given the choice, which would you folks recommend? Having the %Charge readout on the dash, do I even need additional gadgetry?

The car is leased, so I don't want to modify it, but I understand that both of the above devices plug into the diagnostic port.

TIA: Jim

I'll take the last question first:

"Having the %Charge readout on the dash, do I even need additional gadgetry?"

If you push the range enough to suffer from "range anxiety" then yes, you would really appreciate knowing how much you have left in the "tank" as well as a way to measure in fixed energy units ("Gids") how much charge it takes to make a leg of your trip under varying weather conditions. However, if the range anxiety goes away and you get used to your % SOC meter on the dash you might be able to do without it. But with an aftermarket meter you can use more of the bottom of your battery pack without any anxiety whatsoever. For those of us pushing the range on a regular basis, this is a really big deal!

"Been reading about a "Gid meter", also some sort of Bluetooth hookup, linked to an Android phone. Given the choice, which would you folks recommend?"

At this point there are two common options: the "LEAF Spy" app for an Android phone and the "Leaf Dash Display" meter by GregH. The LEAF Spy device is more complicated to set up and use but will give more data to those who are interested and can even be used to estimate power usage over a particular trip route. It will even give such obscure data as individual tire pressure readings, for example. For a gadget guy, this might be the way to go.

The Leaf DD meter has the advantage of simplicity, small size, but also includes a powerful range of data, including Gids, real SOC %, battery temperature (down to freezing, at least), cell-pair voltages, battery capacity in Amp•hours (to check degradation) and 12 V battery voltage. That's plenty of info for most people. This meter is made as a hobby by GregH so the production run is limited and it may not be available in the future. I'm very happy with mine, it makes pushing the range as my battery degrades much easier.

 

[jdunmyer]

Thanks for the feedback!

At the moment, I have the dash display set to show % of charge, and I've been logging my trips:

Start % of Charge, Mileage to Empty (from the dash display) at the beginning, then:

Mileage of the trip, End % of charge, Mileage to Empty reading.

So far, all of our trips have been local, with the longest being 25 miles or so. Most of our trips actually are 10-12 miles, with the occasional 30-mile run. However, I want to try some longer runs and don't want to be sitting alongside the road. My friends (non-believers that they are!) will never let me live it down.

Thanks again, I'll mull it over, but will probably get the GidMeter.

 

[Boomer23]

I'll add a somewhat esoteric comment. The SOC % gauge on your 2013 LEAF dash tells you how full your "gas tank" is. When the car is new, the "gas tank" is the original size, about 21.5 useable kWh. So when the car is new, your SOC % gauge will be pretty useful in helping to predict range, down to the point when you've reached a charge level of about 6%, when the display goes essentially blank, reading ---- . Below that point, if you're pushing the range, you'll be clueless as to how much energy you have left. (The Distance To Empty ("GOM") display will long since also have turned to ---) . With a LeafSpy app, LeafDD, or original Gidmeter, you'll have live data on display all the way down to the bitter end of your charge, which we call Turtle.

Here's the esoteric part. Your "gas tank" shrinks over the life of your battery pack. So in perhaps a year, your battery might only be able to hold 90% of the energy that it could when new (YMMV, regional temperatures make a huge difference in battery life, etc). But with your "shrunken gas tank", your car's SOC% gauge will still read 100% when fully charged. So if you use only the car's own on board display, you'll get a misleading reading as the car ages. The Gid reading and other readings on these available auxiliary meters can give you more accurate information, especially when you are pushing the car's range.

If you already have an Android device, the LeafSpy might be your most economical choice. If you don't, the LeafDD might be cheaper.

 

[biggsy]

I cannot speak for or against the Leaf DD but I can tell you as a gadget guy I really like the Leaf Spy Pro. It gives me just about all the information I could want and has a logging function which I can upload to my computer to review and analyze. I have only had my Leaf since 12/4 but with the Leaf Spy, I already feel comfortable feeling for the bottom end of the charge. I was able to drive 10 miles after VLBW (very low battery warning) and still showed 7 GID left and never hit turtle. The battery SOC on the dash had zeroed out but I forgot to notice how many miles I went after that.

The total cost for Leaf Spy for everything is around $35 assuming you already have a compatible smartphone. Nothing against the LeafDD but I am real happy with the Leaf Spy Pro. Reading all the info about what you need and how to set it up sounds a lot more complicated than it really is, again assuming you are a gadget guy.

Just my opinion, I am sure there are LeafDD users just as happy with it.

Hope you enjoy your new Leaf as much as I like mine.

 

[TickTock]

I put a list of all the available options and capabilities here:

http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=13324

You really can't go wrong with the Leaf Spy - a really great app for the money. There are a few other options, though, each having some unique features you may desire.

 

[CMYK4Life]

MICHIGAN LEAF'S REPRESENT!

Lansing Here, 2013 SV

I find I can go ~36miles in below freezing temps with the heat 'blasting'. I can go ~60miles in below freezing temps with conservative use of the heat. I can go 86miles in the summer (non-highway).

 

[jdunmyer]

CMYK,
Thanks for that information, it's very helpful at this point.

Question for you or anyone: If you have LBW or VLBW and shut the car off, can it be restarted, or are you done until you charge?

Thanks again!!

<<Jim>>

 

[stjohnh]

Car will restart unless you hit Turtle. If you hit turtle and shut off car it will not restart until SOC increases to about 20%

 

[stjohnh]

If you drive below VLBW with only the Leaf dash info available, I find the most helpful event is to notice when the last fuel bar disappears. If you have a 2013 Leaf, and you drive at 35mph, you will get 6-7 miles before hitting turtle.

We have 2 Leafs, and hit turtle 3 times in each (one unplanned), so I have a bit of experience at this.

 

[91040]

For the 2011, you can restart after the Turtle lights up. However, once the car shifts into neutral (deadTurtle™) it will not allow restart until you charge above VLBW, ~1.5kWh (8.4% of original capacity).

Car will restart unless you hit Turtle. If you hit turtle and shut off car it will not restart until SOC increases to about 20%

 

[stjohnh]

For the 2011, you can restart after the Turtle lights up. However, once the car shifts into neutral (deadTurtle™) it will not allow restart until you charge above VLBW, ~1.5kWh (8.4% of original capacity).

Car will restart unless you hit Turtle. If you hit turtle and shut off car it will not restart until SOC increases to about 20%

Interesting. My comment is about our 2013 Leafs. Didn't know earlier ones were different.

 

[planet4ever]

If you have LBW or VLBW and shut the car off, can it be restarted, or are you done until you charge.

Car will restart unless you hit Turtle. If you hit turtle and shut off car it will not restart until SOC increases to about 20%.

If you drive below VLBW with only the Leaf dash info available, I find the most helpful event is to notice when the last fuel bar disappears. If you have a 2013 Leaf, and you drive at 35mph, you will get 6-7 miles before hitting turtle.

But jdunmyer shows Delivery Date: 26 Dec 2013 so presumably has a 2012. For those, the last charge bar disappears before VLBW. Tony's rule for 2011/2012 was that the distance from VLBW to Turtle is about half the distance from LBW to VLBW. It really pays to reset your trip odometer. One other thing that some people have reported is the rightmost acceleration circles going from double to single as you get close to Turtle.

Ray

 

[jdunmyer]

Fellas,
Thanks for the tips! I've just now placed an order for the GidMeter, it appears like it'll give me all the info I need without being overly complicated. I happen to have an iPhone, and am still a long way from being proficient with it, let alone having to learn an Android phone and some complex software. Not that all the information it gives wouldn't be nice, but I'm not sure how useful it would be over the long haul FOR ME. We all have to decide, based on our personal needs.

Thanks again!!

<<Jim>>

BTW: Planet4Ever points out that my delivery date is Dec. 26, 2013, then comes to the conclusion that I have a 2012 M.Y. Leaf. Every indication is that it's a 2013: all the paperwork, and the charger is not in the luggage compartment.