Be Careful When Switching from Leaf in Eco Mode to ICE Car

[Nubo]

Just drove an ICE vehicle today for the first time since getting the LEAF. I spend about 80% of the time in ECO mode. Definitely experienced the erratic lurching when moving the ICE and felt like I was a student driver again. Had to work really hard to recalibrate my foot!

 

[CMYK4Life]

This happened to me too - left for the airport this morning and drove our ICE car (not because the airport was far away but because I want my wife to drive the Leaf all week while I am gone!)

Backing out of the garage and driviing to the airport felt odd. The pedals velt really funky!

I am sure after driving a rental ICE all week the Leaf will fill odd to me! One of these days I hope my brain can dvelop two different profiles (EV and ICE).

 

[DaveinOlyWA]

Just drove an ICE vehicle today for the first time since getting the LEAF. I spend about 80% of the time in ECO mode. Definitely experienced the erratic lurching when moving the ICE and felt like I was a student driver again. Had to work really hard to recalibrate my foot!

:lol: too funny. drove gasser for work first time in 2 months. every take off from a stoplight was a challenge. i now realize that drinking coffee without a travel mug is impossible in the car.

In the LEAF, I drink it down to 2/3rds full and finish it in the car (its a 20 something oz German Beer Stein...).

 

[DesertDenizen]

I went about a year of driving my Leaf in Eco mode, and then decided to take the gf's car for an oil change, first ICE in a year. I was lurching all over the place, lucky I wasn't pulled over for impaired driving. Would that be a DULS offense? (Driving Under Leaf Sensitivities.)

 

[user 10599]

Since I drove a MB 240D for quite a number of years, I got used to quickly adjusting pedal habits when switching between cars. In the 240D, you practically had to stomp on the accelerator to avoid stalling it. (And yes, I fully appreciate the environmental shift I've made from the 240D to the Leaf.)

My biggest challenge has been adapting to the gear shift in my new Leaf. I find myself intuitively pushing the knob forward to go forward, after all, that is where first is found on most manual transmissions. This has resulted in a few sudden lurches backwards.

Once I'm up and running, I have no problem switching from D to B and back again as the traffic situation warrants. But when I first start from a stopped position after driving an ICE, I've had a number of surprises.

 

[johnrhansen]

My ice is a manual transmission. I know right away the difference. Something about constantly having to move your left foot makes it hard to forget. I really love the leaf. way easier to drive... whether it's in the "D" mode or the "eco" mode.

one more thing.. funny how they call gasoline cars ice... I think in the winter the oil burner drivers will be way warmer. The only ice around will be on the Leaf driver's fingers!

 

[IraqiInvaderGnr]

My ice is a manual transmission. I know right away the difference. Something about constantly having to move your left foot makes it hard to forget. I really love the leaf. way easier to drive... whether it's in the "D" mode or the "eco" mode.

one more thing.. funny how they call gasoline cars ice... I think in the winter the oil burner drivers will be way warmer. The only ice around will be on the Leaf driver's fingers!

It's all about how you prepare. The human body functions much better if it's in a constant climate that doesn't fluctuate. I drive to work in a preheated car but don't use the heat so by the time I get to work it's not a steep drop in temp. I wear warm clothes in winter and cool clothes in summer. Doesn't take a genius to figure that out. What if your car ICE or not breaks down? You should always be prepared.

I'm more than happy to drive a car that is cold as I drive truck all day with Window down all year. Believe me it's much easier than what people think.

Truck Driver can survive any weather.

 

[johnrhansen]

I've been driving around with the heat off, but when it dips into the 20's I just can't do it. The other day I had to because of range constraints, and even thought I had all kinds of clothes on, a hat and gloves, I still had the sniffles when I arrived home. I had to sleep more that night to avoid getting sick. Nope.. At my age comfort comes first!

That's whats nice about having a SO you can run the heat and blame it on her, but still be comfortable.

 

[Levenkay]

I remember my parents always seeing to it that there were a couple fairly tattered old war-surplus wool blankets in the family wagon. Harking back to those days when even gasoline cars had crummy heaters, I snapped up a little 3'x4' throw blanket at a department store. With that blanket draped over my lap and lower legs (and wearing a coat and wool toque), just the seat heater set on Low kept me marvelously warm during our recent week of 25deg.F highs. Here in the PNW, it doesn't usually get that cold without being dry also, so I didn't need to defrost either. Give a blanket a try!

 

[LeftieBiker]

There are also 12 volt electric lap blankets for cars.

 

[Woosie]

I have to wonder what kind of crappy ICE cars you folks are driving! :lol:

I'm almost done with an 18 day business trip to Seattle and am using a Kia Optima. it's a big time POS but gets OK gas mileage. I really miss the Leaf!!

 

[RonDawg]

When I go back and forth between an ICEV and my Leaf, my problem is not getting acclimated to the accelerator pedal, it's getting acclimated with the brakes.

Especially with my Audi, I find myself slamming on the brakes, because the brakes on that car are very good. I forget it doesn't have regen braking so I need to be more gentle on the brake pedal, and use engine braking rather than the brake pedal for gentle deceleration.

The common mistake I am making when I get into the ICE car is when I stop in the ICE I forget to put the vehicle in park since the LEAF does that automatically. Fortunately the ICE car gets upset when I open the door with the engine off and the shifter still in drive.

That happened to me on a road trip. I rented a Mazda CX-5 with pushbutton start. The first time I had to park the car, I couldn't figure out why the car wouldn't shut off completely (engine stops running, but ignition still on). Then I realized it's because the transmission was still in Drive. DUH! :lol:

 

[TomT]

Agreed, and adjusting to the fact that the car will not slow down as quickly when you take your foot off the brake.

When I go back and forth between an ICEV and my Leaf, my problem is not getting acclimated to the accelerator pedal, it's getting acclimated with the brakes.

 

[nerys]

My problem is the opposite. the leaf is by far the fasted going and fastest stopping car I own.

my normal cars are a 2000 grand voyager a geo metro and a geo tracker.

I keep the minivan at home the geo at job 1 and the travker at job 2 so I always have a gasser if I run out of juice especially since I am currently limited to L1 charging.

The leaf is scary fun. insane acceleration and the brakes are monsters. someone looked as if to pull out in front of me and I "jabbed" the brakes. I hit the seat belt so hard it hurt nice!

oddly the metro slows down just like the leaf. it has a form of "regen" called DFCO. when you let off the gas in gear it disengages the injectors. so your engine braking using zero fuel (DFCO Deceleration Fuel Cut Off)

at 1600rpm the injectors come back on so it does not stall.

none of them especially the geo's can "go" like the leaf can puts a smile on my face every time.

I squeeze 26-28mpg from my minivan 35mpg from my tracker and 62mpg from my metro.

The leaf is still cheaper even than the metro!! and way more comfy

 

[tuanies]

I don't really have this problem since I hop in and out of various press cars once a week. My own car is a 2014 Mazda 5 6MT so the regen braking is no different than me downshifting to engine brake. The only thing I have to get used to is the lack of engine noises in my wife's Leaf.