"Can you drive that electric car in the rain?" and other ???

[evenoelle]

Mine is more moronic than funny...

"Why don't you just buy a golf cart? The car is just a glorified golf cart, isn't it?"

<groan>

 

[amtoro]

Mine is more moronic than funny...

"Why don't you just buy a golf cart? The car is just a glorified golf cart, isn't it?"

<groan>

:lol: :lol: :lol: and a Lexus is a glorified lawnmower, right?

 

[davewill]

... I noticed it has warnings that you must not handle the charge plug when your hands are wet or when you are standing in water or snow (page CH-2). It says you also shouldn't charge the car when there is lightning nearby.... So I guess you can drive in the rain but not charge it.

Seems like common sense. I'd definitely dry my hands, and avoid standing in a puddle, although the J1772 should actually be safe enough in those situations. As far as lightning, I wouldn't want my expensive car plugged in during a lightning storm. For that matter, I wouldn't want to pump gas in a lightning storm, or drive around in any car, actually.

 

[TRONZ]

Mine is more moronic than funny...

"Why don't you just buy a golf cart? The car is just a glorified golf cart, isn't it?"

<groan>

:lol: :lol: :lol: and a Lexus is a glorified lawnmower, right?

So true! :lol:

 

[TonyWilliams]

Mine is more moronic than funny...

"Why don't you just buy a golf cart? The car is just a glorified golf cart, isn't it?"

<groan>

That woul make your ICE a glorified riding lawnmower.

By the way, my mother asked me why I would want a golf cart in the year that I waited to buy the car.

 

[smkettner]

Saving the cart rental fee is just another Leaf benefit
Just drive straight out to the first hole.

 

[evnow]

That woul make your ICE a glorified riding lawnmower.

I could use that - what stopped me from saying lawn mover till now is that I've never owned an ICE lawnmower :lol:

 

[GPowers]

Actually, I've been asked about that so often, and been in so many argument, I produced a video just to debunk this.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJKRpqnbdFg[/youtube]

Great video! I like the example of plunging a power strip into itself.

 

[hill]

Oh! I've got you all beat! I live in South Carolina, so I've only had the car a week and have heard a lifetime of ridiculous comments, but this takes the cake. I had a truck driver come into my office while my leaf was charging out front. He asked how far it went on a charge, how long it took to charge, how much it costs, the usual stuff. Then it gets good:

Truck driver: "so when it runs out of charge, you just put gas in it?"
Me: "no, no gas ever, couldn't even if I wanted to"
Truck Driver: "have you ever tried?"
Me: "what do you mean?"
Truck Driver: "have you ever tried to put gas in it?"

I was so stunned I could only come up with "no, I haven't tried"

I'd hate to imagine where he'd expect you to stick the gas nozzle.
:lol:

 

[evenoelle]

Saving the cart rental fee is just another Leaf benefit
Just drive straight out to the first hole.

Hope my avid golfer husband doesn't get that idea :lol:

 

[JeffN]

I noticed it has warnings that you must not handle the charge plug when your hands are wet or when you are standing in water or snow (page CH-2). It says you also shouldn't charge the car when there is lightning nearby.... So I guess you can drive in the rain but not charge it.

Update: I charged my rental LEAF in the rain this morning while getting breakfast and survived.

 

[BnBinSD]

My wife got this question last Sunday -

"So how often do you have to get the oil changed in an electric motor?"

Her response, "uh, never. The only service we do is to take it in to have the tires rotated and the battery checked, once a year. I think my husband said the only liquids are coolant and brake fluid."

She said the guy raised his eyebrows and said, "Oh, wow!"

 

[ebill3]

I noticed it has warnings that you must not handle the charge plug when your hands are wet or when you are standing in water or snow (page CH-2). It says you also shouldn't charge the car when there is lightning nearby.... So I guess you can drive in the rain but not charge it.

Update: I charged my rental LEAF in the rain this morning while getting breakfast and survived.

Take a peek at these short videos: http://www.nissan-zeroemission.com/EN/LEAF/quality.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

(Thanks, amtoro)

 

[GPowers]

Take a peek at these short videos: http://www.nissan-zeroemission.com/EN/LEAF/quality.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
(Thanks, amtoro)

The first three video knocked me off my feet. Poring water over the 440v charging port while charging, The second video charging in a lightning storm and the third video -- driving through over a foot of water.

They could all be a shocking experience.

 

[aqn]

Take a peek at these short videos: http://www.nissan-zeroemission.com/EN/LEAF/quality.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
(Thanks, amtoro)

The first three video knocked me off my feet. Poring water over the 440v charging port while charging, The second video charging in a lightning storm and the third video -- driving through over a foot of water.

They could all be a shocking experience.

About driving through standing water (12" worth of it): an ICE car, with its tail pipe well within 12" of the pavement, would not have made it through that "puddle": the engine would have died at about 5 feet into it. Why? I don't know, but that's what happened the one time I did that (torrential rain on the Harlem River Parkway); it's probably the same reason why the "banana in the tail pipe" trick works.

 

[Boomer23]

At the very first drive event a year ago in October at Alt Car Expo in Santa Monica, they had a short driving "track" set up on the parking lot and marked out in white chalk. The cars were picking up a lot of white chalk dust along the rear deck lid and lower rear fenders, and Nissan had detail guys out with California Dusters to clean the dust off. One couple walked by and said, with a straight face, that the cars were picking up the dust because they were electric cars and so they cause more static. :lol:

 

[Volusiano]

I think my husband said the only liquids are coolant and brake fluid.

What does the Leaf use for power steering, by the way? No power steering fluid is needed?

 

[Ingineer]

I think my husband said the only liquids are coolant and brake fluid.

What does the Leaf use for power steering, by the way? No power steering fluid is needed?

It's electrically boosted with a DC motor.

-Phil

 

[TomT]

No, that would have no affect on the car running. If that were true outboard motors would not work, among other things... Exhaust pressure can easily blow through many feet of water. More like, it simply splashed water on the electrical or ignition system...

About driving through standing water (12" worth of it): an ICE car, with its tail pipe well within 12" of the pavement, would not have made it through that "puddle": the engine would have died at about 5 feet into it. Why? I don't know, but that's what happened the one time I did that (torrential rain on the Harlem River Parkway); it's probably the same reason why the "banana in the tail pipe" trick works.

 

[smkettner]

I think my husband said the only liquids are coolant and brake fluid.

What does the Leaf use for power steering, by the way? No power steering fluid is needed?

The reduction gear box has some transmission fluid in it but I assume it is good for 150k+