Chicagoland area
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Help Support My Nissan Leaf Forum:
redLEAF
Well-known member
YashuV said:
neither --- fed tax credit and IL EPA rebate goes to the first purchaser; it's a one-time thing -- only exception would (I believe) be a dealer demo that was never registered and can be still sold as a 'new' car -- otherwise both government agencies would be paying twice and they don't like that !!
Went to one site on the Solar Tour. A church on the outer limits of Elgin. They had almost no info on their solar power installation, we did however spend hours looking and talking about my Leaf (silver sl). A converted white Geo Metro was there. A Leaf is the lap of luxury by any comparison. We also got an invitation from Nissan to drive a Leaf at Morton Arboretum and get a $25 Visa value card and bring 3 family or friends. It was cancelled because of rain. The guy at the gate gave a free admission ticket to the Arboretum for my trouble. It was a lovely drive and we had range to spare. Plan to go again this weekend and try again. Maybe some other Leafers will be there. Though why Nissan wanted current owners to drive one evades me! Just passed 16k mi. My first full winter looms, can hardly wait :!:
redLEAF
Well-known member
tech01 said:
Good to know the first weekend was simply cancelled as it was kind of a dreary weekend ... have lots to do so may or may not attend this weekend, we'll see how the weather is (mentioned this event on the page before this) ... my guess is that we may be considered good will 'ambassadors' and if an event I attended in Elgin earlier this year (with a number of home built EV's), may actually know more than some of the Nissan sales people on many aspects of the car. We also can offer this to up to 5 people I think I recall so if friends or neighbors are interested perhaps get more to attend
Saw my first nissan leaf in the wild today. I actually saw two within a minute of each other. It must be a sign that the 2013 will be mine.. hehehe
First was a red one then maybe 20 cars later a black one. Traveling northbound on 1st ave (Rt 171) near Brookfield / Riverside area. at 1:13pm on 10/26/2012.
First was a red one then maybe 20 cars later a black one. Traveling northbound on 1st ave (Rt 171) near Brookfield / Riverside area. at 1:13pm on 10/26/2012.
We went to the Morton Arboretum Leaf event last week end. The weather was nice and there were thousands in attendance, but not at the Leaf event which was off by itself. Got the form for $25 value card filled out, Leaf owners only otherwise Nissan donated $25 for everyone that test drove a Leaf at the arboretum. Never did get my vehicle plugged in. Only one other Leaf owner as there. A white one. Took delivery in April and has over 30k miles on it already. He had regular plates on it. Nissan dealers must be totally oblivious to selling the financial incentives to owning a Leaf! The Nissan people that were manning the booth were concerned only with selling cars, not necessarily Leafs. They swear they know all about 2013 Leafs but were totally mum about them. The had unsold 12's and wouldn't say anything about 13's. So no more Nissan sponsored events for me. Free admission to the arboretum was great ($12/adult $9/children) it was a beautiful day and thousands of people were there enjoying it. For you Arboretorians it was great, every one else not so much.
redLEAF
Well-known member
Not to much action on this thread as of late, doubtful that its someone who is on the forum but just in case, also as this is the second sighting (forgot the vanity plates on it the first time) saw a white LEAF on Northwest Hwy in Palatine with the very distinct vanity plate "ZERO GAS".
Have seen many more Volts than LEAF's and one parked alongside me at the Menards over in Long Grove recently (he backed it in so assume he knew we both drove EV's).
I myself have been doing some other car shopping on two fronts, first one is my youngest son will turn the magic insurance age of 25 in a few months so he's looking to buy his own set of wheels (drives our smart for two coupe currently) and so far his short list is the Toyota / Subaru FRS / BRZ twins, Hyundai Veloster and Prius C but others with 'sticks' as long as long as they're fun to drive --- I've been teaching him the finer points of clutches, etc. on my old '99 Miata and so far so good ... but I'm glad he has a few months. I'd let him inherit the Miata but he needs this through our winters and w/o track control, etc. it's a handful to say the least for a new stick driver. These new manual cars have hill holder, etc. and are even easier to drive so should be fun.
The other car I'm shopping for is a replacement for our '09 VW Routan as I no longer really need the 3rd row seats but do still need full size seats for five adults and utility. I thought I was close on the Ford C-Max but that back seat is a bit tight and space is a bit limited, even worse for the Energi plug-in. I like higher riding cars for our long trips (our LEAF does fine as our daily commuter and weekend errands) as it really helps for traffic and avoiding back ups, etc. so crossovers, SUV's are on the list, just test drove a TDI (diesel) VW Touareg which does much better than the Routan on fuel, actually even a bit better than a gas hybrid they also offer so we'll see.
The reason I even mention it is that I just completed yet another survey on future alternative fuel vehicles and what I'd be willing to pay versus what kind of EV range, etc. --- on the VW Touareg Hybrid for instance, it goes for $62K and gets a bit better than the regular gas V6 which does 16/23 for 20/24 city/hwy; the diesel gets 20/29 but most owners get 30/32 on long trips as well as a tank gets close to 700 miles. PHEV's just haven't been introduced yet for a decent trip SUV that carries five with a load, perhaps not as much as a minivan but I'm sure (hopefully) it's not that far away.
Our LEAF will go in for its first year battery check at the end of next month, probably will have about 9K on it by then, it's been a great first year, no real surprises and very low costs to run (just a tire rotation at 7.5K a little while ago).
Hope everyone had a great holiday --
Have seen many more Volts than LEAF's and one parked alongside me at the Menards over in Long Grove recently (he backed it in so assume he knew we both drove EV's).
I myself have been doing some other car shopping on two fronts, first one is my youngest son will turn the magic insurance age of 25 in a few months so he's looking to buy his own set of wheels (drives our smart for two coupe currently) and so far his short list is the Toyota / Subaru FRS / BRZ twins, Hyundai Veloster and Prius C but others with 'sticks' as long as long as they're fun to drive --- I've been teaching him the finer points of clutches, etc. on my old '99 Miata and so far so good ... but I'm glad he has a few months. I'd let him inherit the Miata but he needs this through our winters and w/o track control, etc. it's a handful to say the least for a new stick driver. These new manual cars have hill holder, etc. and are even easier to drive so should be fun.
The other car I'm shopping for is a replacement for our '09 VW Routan as I no longer really need the 3rd row seats but do still need full size seats for five adults and utility. I thought I was close on the Ford C-Max but that back seat is a bit tight and space is a bit limited, even worse for the Energi plug-in. I like higher riding cars for our long trips (our LEAF does fine as our daily commuter and weekend errands) as it really helps for traffic and avoiding back ups, etc. so crossovers, SUV's are on the list, just test drove a TDI (diesel) VW Touareg which does much better than the Routan on fuel, actually even a bit better than a gas hybrid they also offer so we'll see.
The reason I even mention it is that I just completed yet another survey on future alternative fuel vehicles and what I'd be willing to pay versus what kind of EV range, etc. --- on the VW Touareg Hybrid for instance, it goes for $62K and gets a bit better than the regular gas V6 which does 16/23 for 20/24 city/hwy; the diesel gets 20/29 but most owners get 30/32 on long trips as well as a tank gets close to 700 miles. PHEV's just haven't been introduced yet for a decent trip SUV that carries five with a load, perhaps not as much as a minivan but I'm sure (hopefully) it's not that far away.
Our LEAF will go in for its first year battery check at the end of next month, probably will have about 9K on it by then, it's been a great first year, no real surprises and very low costs to run (just a tire rotation at 7.5K a little while ago).
Hope everyone had a great holiday --
sp4rk
Well-known member
I am in Palatine ... but my Leaf is RED! And my plates are almost identical (don't like to post actual plate) ...redLEAF said:
What I'd like to know is ... does anyone know ... around here ... there are 5 level 3 chargers ... Palatine (2), While Foods Schaumburg, East I-90 (2), four of which aren't yet working (I-90 is broken) ... 350green manages them and told me that they would not be fixing any or bringing any new ones online until they completed their sale to some other company sometime in the future. This is NOT good.
Anyone heard of any updates?
scottf200
Well-known member
Are you saying the sale of 350green or the sale of the "L3 chargers" (rights?)?sp4rk said:
This article talked about the cost and based on the situation it may not be a great deal. But there is the convenience factor of course.
http://www.torquenews.com/1075/concerns-over-high-fees-charge-electric-cars-fast-charge-stations-are-validated" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
350green has quite a few L2 chargers up I see by zoooming into the Chicagoland area: https://350green.com/locate/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
redLEAF
Well-known member
scottf200 said:
Besides these factors, I would also question if these 'charger' commercial operators will indeed invest in many new L3 (CHAdeMO) stations or the 'new' SAE standard (frankenplug) even though there are a fair number of current EV owners that can use them -- perhaps it will be a situation of offering both but I would doubt it. You're right about the L2 chargers (most current EV's at least have these with a few exceptions) I see more these all the time but as they take much longer to add much capacity, I wonder how much they'll get used. Chevy has already stated that their new Spark EV will have the new SAE plug so that would also effect the home use charger mfg. as well --- as far as I know, none have made one using these new spec's so would imagine that GM will partner with one (like Ford does) otherwise the new EV owner will be limited until commercial SAE stations become available. To be honest, we only charge on our Schneider L2 unit, have yet to pre-plan a trip where I would need an L3 boost as it would have to be a trip outside our current range -- here in the 'burbs, everything is a reasonable distance so we're fine with that --- even on the weekends when we at times push up against using a full 100% charge have yet to see a LBW (did it once on purpose just to see what happens). No question some heater use during the few most recent cold days effects range but the heated seats/wheel helps out a lot with that.
scottf200
Well-known member
Don't forget that BMW has these on their test cars for a while too.redLEAF said:
From TomMoloughney Posted: Wed Jun 13, 2012 11:33 am
http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?p=205597#p205597" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
redLEAF
Well-known member
Saw this over on the Spark EV thread ... but I wonder if as mentioned on the BMW if an existing J1772 nozzle would indeed also fit/secure on to that 'section' for 240V charging or an entirely new one would be required -- compatibility with the chargers would be something potential owners of these would be something to check out although below it appears that installing a 'dedicated 240V outlet', similar to what's used for a dryer may be the approach they are taking, as the thread states more info on Friday, 11/30.
http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=6198&start=230
"Spark EV is the first all-electric vehicle in North America to offer optional SAE Combo DC Fast Charge capability, which can charge the battery to 80 percent of capacity in about 20 minutes. A common on-board charging receptacle accommodates all three charging platforms – DC Fast Charge, AC 240V and AC 120V.
Using a dedicated 240V outlet, Spark EV recharges in less than seven hours. Owners can coordinate charging according to departure time or during off-peak electricity rates. They also can manage and monitor the vehicle remotely via computer at OnStar.com, or with a special Chevrolet Mobile App powered by OnStar Remote Link. The Spark EV comes with three years of standard OnStar service."
http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=6198&start=230
"Spark EV is the first all-electric vehicle in North America to offer optional SAE Combo DC Fast Charge capability, which can charge the battery to 80 percent of capacity in about 20 minutes. A common on-board charging receptacle accommodates all three charging platforms – DC Fast Charge, AC 240V and AC 120V.
Using a dedicated 240V outlet, Spark EV recharges in less than seven hours. Owners can coordinate charging according to departure time or during off-peak electricity rates. They also can manage and monitor the vehicle remotely via computer at OnStar.com, or with a special Chevrolet Mobile App powered by OnStar Remote Link. The Spark EV comes with three years of standard OnStar service."
scottf200
Well-known member
Maybe I'm misunderstanding your comment. L2 works as well. That was part of the design.redLEAF said:
From the official SAE site: http://ev.sae.org/article/11005" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
redLEAF
Well-known member
I had always thought that these combo plugs would be longer on the horizontal than vertical (like a gas filler opening -- MBZ for instance uses this as a filler for diesel and adblue urea additive together where the 'normal' gas filler opening goes)
because this large vertical one you're showing may be harder to integrate into the side (less vertical straight surfaces on most vehicles other than slab-sided vans) or possibly the front (which is again horizontal) like the LEAF:
the only issue I see is whether all existing J1772 nozzle's will work/latch correctly as that notch at the bottom seems smaller on the SAE versus what's already on our cars but I'm sure they've checked it; on my Schneider unit it's a bit like a guide pin and fits fairly tightly
On the confusion aspect -- I had thought that only a single combo plug was being used that inserted into both ports simultaneously to connect to any charging as I haven't seen the 'nozzle' using only the DC side -- it's good that they will accommodate the older (but more established) J1772's for L2 charging but of of course it will make the CHAdeMO QC's obsolete (eventually).
because this large vertical one you're showing may be harder to integrate into the side (less vertical straight surfaces on most vehicles other than slab-sided vans) or possibly the front (which is again horizontal) like the LEAF:
the only issue I see is whether all existing J1772 nozzle's will work/latch correctly as that notch at the bottom seems smaller on the SAE versus what's already on our cars but I'm sure they've checked it; on my Schneider unit it's a bit like a guide pin and fits fairly tightly
On the confusion aspect -- I had thought that only a single combo plug was being used that inserted into both ports simultaneously to connect to any charging as I haven't seen the 'nozzle' using only the DC side -- it's good that they will accommodate the older (but more established) J1772's for L2 charging but of of course it will make the CHAdeMO QC's obsolete (eventually).
redLEAF
Well-known member
lukati said:
+1 -- my delivery date was 12/23 last year so will be making a battery check appt. between Christmas and New Years to get this done --- these should be free as well. at 'tech01' bought his LEAF from the same dealer that I used but took delivery sooner so perhaps he's gone in already as well as there were a few others that should be having this done soon. I expect no surprises as I still see all bars at 100% charge and I'm only at about 8,700 miles.
ForestWattaker
Member
We've only had our leaf for 7 months, but since ours was a 2011 demo vehicle, we had the dealer do the 1 year battery check when we took it in a couple weeks ago. The service writer tried to tell us that there would be a charge for the battery test, but we showed him the 12 month maintenance schedule in the service manual where it says "Both the 12 month and 24 month inspections will be performed by your Nissan LEAF certified dealer at no cost to the vehicle owner" and we were charged only for the tire rotation, as we had already changed the air filter ourselves. We had a coupon for 15% off any service too, so it was less than $30 (but we are in Champaign). Based on the inspection, our battery is in excellent condition. We have just over 8500 miles.
