Considering the possibilty of having to sell my Leaf

[ElectricVehicle]

Thanks for all the input:

1. I live in a Dallas TX suburb....public transportation is not an option

2. I do have the upgraded L1/L2 charger from Ingineer. The only option
of charging at work is L1.

3. The real issue is the range. My experience over this summer closely matches
the range chart. Given all hwy miles, say at 60mph at least so someone doesnt shoot
me (this is texas after all) and A/C running, temp averaging 100F for 70 days a year
my realistic range so far has been 60 miles...so making it one way even is
uncomfortably close.

4. The Fed tax rebate does not have a minimum ownership period....I checked.

5. The warranty is completely transferable.

Hope that clarifies the picture.

Hmmm... That does clarify things a bit - running the AC in CA with it at 90 or 100 outside only costs me 2 or 5 miles since I don't use it continuously and it's not that hot. In Dallas with 100 to 105 temperatures it will be running harder and longer. And you know your realistic range so if you can't increase the range due to traffic conditions etc. and have only 110 at work, that's not really going to work. The alternate route idea is a good one if your up for it - a service road or expressway that flows at a lower speed without too many stops.

You could also considering car pooling with someone from your new job. That has it's own tradeoffs, but you've got $12 to $25+/day motivation in saved gasoline costs as motivation, not counting vehicle maintenance.

This could be a good time to go get (or swap) for a used Prius. That would still keep your gas costs lower than other gas cars and it would save some cash for a future EV or Plug In Hybrid purchase in the next 3 or 4 years. You could also do the Chevy VOLT Plug In Hybrid and that would give you roughly half the commute from electricity, though the VOLT costs a good bit more than the LEAF.

I think for your situation, if you're committed to Plug In vehicles that a used Prius followed by a Plug In vehicle purchase in another 3 years would work out well. A bunch of new EVs and the Plug In Prius are being introduced next year but will have limited avalailabillity. In 3 or 4 years, there will be even more vehicles available, and intial vehicles will be in their second or third generation with faster charging, likely increased ranges and all kinds of things that would be good for your commute. There will also be more charing infrastructure in the coming years, possibly 240V charging at your work or a location near by. The current LEAF works great for me, but I don't have your 120 mile daily, round trip commute, in the Texas heat. I'm was born and raised in Texas (Dallas, Fort Worth and Arlington). I went riding my bicycle one day it was 114 degrees, I took a mild ride. A few people died that day whose bodies couldn't handle the heat, and didn't have air conditioning available to them. It's good to keep cool in Texas!

Best of luck, whatever you decide.

 

[smkettner]

With the talk on how much air conditioning in 105+ cuts the range I am not sure the back roads are the answer.
Besides I am not sure extending an hour commute is really an improvement.

 

[GaslessInSeattle]

Looks like you are set to sell. You should put up an add here on MNL once you have made a final decision.
Assuming you are eligible for the entire tax credit, I'd deduct the $7,500 from what you paid and any other incentives/exemptions in your state and have a starting price for whatever the difference is. In the past, I've seen used Prius's go for more than MSRP. You never know until you try. Of course if you are willing to sell it nationally with the buyer paying the trucking fees, it will go faster, IMHO. I think you will be surprised by how much you will get for it if you try and aim high!

Thanks for all the input:

1. I live in a Dallas TX suburb....public transportation is not an option

2. I do have the upgraded L1/L2 charger from Ingineer. The only option
of charging at work is L1.

3. The real issue is the range. My experience over this summer closely matches
the range chart. Given all hwy miles, say at 60mph at least so someone doesnt shoot
me (this is texas after all) and A/C running, temp averaging 100F for 70 days a year
my realistic range so far has been 60 miles...so making it one way even is
uncomfortably close.

4. The Fed tax rebate does not have a minimum ownership period....I checked.

5. The warranty is completely transferable.

Hope that clarifies the picture.

 

[JimSouCal]

If you did somehow make it work by L2 at work you would save a fortune on gas. Best of luck in any case!

 

[TonyWilliams]

If you did somehow make it work by L2 at work you would save a fortune on gas. Best of luck in any case!

Just to reiterate what has been said; you said that 120 volts is available. I'd first check to see if you can find two 120 outlets that will run a Quick 220.

It makes me wonder if there would be a market for an extra battery that would be charged separate from the traction battery, and run only the A/C.

 

[abasile]

It makes me wonder if there would be a market for an extra battery that would be charged separate from the traction battery, and run only the A/C.

That's not a bad idea. This should be easier and less risky than integrating an additional battery pack with the drivetrain. For that matter, I could imagine using an aftermarket, easily removable, trunk-located, auxiliary battery pack to run the heat as well. This could significantly improve range in some scenarios. You'd want to be able to switch between the auxiliary pack and the factory pack for climate control. One downside, however, is that you'd likely need a separate cord to charge the auxiliary pack. Tony, do you have the time to explore something like this?

 

[TonyWilliams]

Tony, do you have the time to explore something like this?

Certainly, a bunch of busy work just to see if it's plausible. But, a much cheaper range extender, I think , than some of the alternatives.

This battery pack should have the solar recharge option!

 

[smkettner]

While it is still hot this weekend I would try a sample commute. Map a route of 60 miles of freeway, cruise set to 60, and see how the range actually pans out. Go in the early morning with the destination back to your house. Plug in all day to 120v and then run the route again as your commute home and see how you do. Leave the car in the sun and use the climate control timer to precool the vehicle 15/30 minutes before the evening commute to replicate work conditions.

 

[abasile]

This battery pack should have the solar recharge option!

I was thinking the same thing! The idea would be to cover the roof and trunk with thin-film solar just like some folks have done with their Prii. It would be expensive relative to the amount of range gained, but would help in marginal cases and would certainly look cool.

 

[ravi100]

Thanks again for all the responses....mitch672 actually I'd jump at the opportunity to trade for a Prius V if
not for the fact that I'd be looking for something with fewer miles on it

As far as getting 2 110V lines to make a 220V L2 outlet, all that is moot if I cant even get there one way on a
single charge!!

 

[LEAFfan]

If you could go 60-65 on the freeway using CC, ECO, and A/C there is no reason you can't go a measly 60 miles. It's hotter here (115-118) than TX in the summer and I've done 65 in the HOV using all the above, and easily was in the 4'sm/kW h which would have given me at least 80 miles on a 100% charge. I really don't understand unless your commute has a LOT of steep hills. If you look at Tony's chart, I always get more m/kW h than his chart because I know how to drive 'economically' and I use ECO all the time. Remember, by using ECO mode, the A/C uses less power and there's more regen among other power-saving use items.

 

[wsbca]

1. I live in a Dallas TX suburb....public transportation is not an option

You've probably already thought of this and dismissed it, but unless the new job is also in a suburb, is there any way to set up a hybrid commute, eg. drive somewhere within single charge round-trip range and then use DART for the second leg..? There's a lot of 'park & ride' activity like that around here (Southern CA). If you're trying to find a way to keep your Leaf, maybe something like that would work.

 

[GaslessInSeattle]

So, have you tried the new commute? It's hard for me to believe you can not get 60 miles out of the Leaf on a 100% charge. If you haven't, why not give it a super conservative try, go 50-55 mph, use the AC set to something like 80, wear shorts and see how much wiggle room you have? Once you have proven to yourself that it's doable, you can tweak your habits and see if there is a comfortable compromise that would make the Leaf worth keeping. Romex is pretty cheap, allows for wiring without cutting up dry wall, it can be mounted on concrete, even outside and having a 40A circuit added at work on your own dime would be far less than all the money you are going to be shelling out for gas. Even if the breaker box is tight tight, peanut breakers can be added to make ample room for the 40A. You could use the car's meter to estimate the electricity and throw in a little extra and your boss should be happy. I am literally paying about 1/10th per mile to drive the leaf as our previous car.

anyway, do what you need to do, but know it can certainly be done, assuming you love the car and want to keep it.

 

[wwhitney]

Romex is pretty cheap, allows for wiring without cutting up dry wall, it can be mounted on concrete, even outside

Romex (NM cable) is not approved for use in wet locations, such as outside (even inside conduit). UF cable would work though.

Cheers, Wayne

 

[JimSouCal]

...It's hard for me to believe you can not get 60 miles out of the Leaf on a 100% charge....

Yes, that seems to be something doable, even with battery degradation over time. Have you looked at a range bar chart?
http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=4295" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

On the other hand, I would keep a sleeping bag in the car just in cast the power goes out at work. Then again, I also travel with food and water, and a change of clothes in the trunk.

As suggested by Tony, the idea to quick220 L2 at work is a good one, me thinks... That is what I would pursue.

 

[GaslessInSeattle]

sorry for the misinformation, thanks for the correction!

g

Romex is pretty cheap, allows for wiring without cutting up dry wall, it can be mounted on concrete, even outside

Romex (NM cable) is not approved for use in wet locations, such as outside (even inside conduit). UF cable would work though.

Cheers, Wayne

 

[ravi100]

I have in fact tried the commute. I've been driving hybrids for the last 10 years
and definitely know how to squeeze the most range out of the car. Going at 60,
with the AC set to 70, I had 6 miles left ....wayyyy too close for comfort.

 

[TonyWilliams]

Going at 60,
with the AC set to 70, I had 6 miles left ....wayyyy too close for comfort.

I presume you mean you had 6 miles showing on the dash "Guess-O-Meter" ?

If that's the case, you actually had significantly more the 6 miles available. If you had not reached the "Low Battery" warning, you probably had in excess of 12 miles remaining.

Although, I don't know what the temperature was, and how big a hit AC had on range. But, my point was that you may have had a significantly comfortable margin of range.

 

[SierraQ]

Are there going to be any EVGO L3 stations built along your commute? That would allow you to make it. Problem is using them every day will likely degrade the battery quickly. I think if I were in your shoes I'd take others advice here and either find a DART station to supplement it with, trade it for a hybrid, or find a home closer to work. I have a 35 mile commute in DFW and that is almost more than I can stand. But I suppose it is time that is the factor and if you truly travel at constant 60+ speeds then you probably spend about an hour like I do.

Most of our freeways are flowing at 65, 70, 75, and even 80 mph. It is actually quite difficult to drive 60 mph even in the right-hand lane without causing a backup and a lot of irritated drivers. It isn't so much of a problem during off-peak driving hours because people can easily go around you.

Interesting comment, and one that I would have agreed with until I actually clocked it with a GPS with speed data and found the average speed especially during peak times--and I mean when traffic is heavy but still moving--is actually quite a bit lower than I would have thought (around 50-55) and I have no trouble driving 70 miles in this. Of course every commute is different.

 

[LakeLeaf]

If you do decide to sell - and I hope to decide you don't have to - but if you do, would you mind posting your mileage when you sell and the price you got for the car? It would be interesting to see how much value the car is holding in your area. Thx.