Curious why you bought your leaf?

[nerys]

I imagine basically 2 kinds of people who would want/need to buy a leaf.

save money and or to be environmental.

I get being environmental. a noble reason if nothing else.

Personally I bought one to save money (was spending about $8700 a year in gas)

I am curious because I see a lot of people driving less than 15,000 miles a year. ie you can't save money at that mileage in all but the most extreme cases.

so why did you buy a leaf? I am curious if you BOUGHT IT and expect to get a solid 10 years out of it. OK you are very likely to save a lot of money.

but leasing it means paying $300 a month (a lot more than gas) and having to give it back in 3 years.

is there a financial reason? waiting for better tech? I am curious why people make the decisions they make this being the first time I have ever spent this much money on a car. period. at $17k my leaf costs more than all my other cars current and past combined

figured we could have a fun discussion thread on all our reasons for buying a leaf. 6 months almost 14,000 miles later I have zero regrets. LOVING my leaf.

 

[desiv]

I can claim I'm noble and saving the environment...
(I do think EVs are better for the environment, especially locally)

Or I can claim I'm smart and doing it to save money...
(I am paying less for my current payment + elec (bought used) than I was for gas monthly + car payment, or close when it was $2/gal)

2 very good reasons to get an EV...

However I fall into that 3rd camp...

I always wanted to own an electric car just because..
Maybe it was the slot cars growing up.. Maybe it's just the nerd I am...
But I always wanted an EV..

Yes, I drive a LOT (close to 25k a year) so there should be significant cost savings (at the expense of time added to my trip for charging...).
I probably wouldn't have done this if someone had come out with some ICE that got such incredible mileage that I would save this much money, but had to fill the tank every day tho.
But an electric car? ;-)

So, I'm aware of the other reasons and I agree with them.

But I just always wanted an electric car.. I'm honest, that's why I did this. ;-)

desiv

 

[TomT]

Same here.

I always wanted to own an electric car just because..
Maybe it was the slot cars growing up.. Maybe it's just the nerd I am...
But I always wanted an EV..

 

[nerys]

no agree or disagree from me simply curious and just because the idea of an electric car is cool is damned good enough for me

 

[Nubo]

because I grew up in a town so polluted the river caught fire
because just as I was learning to drive, Opec flexed its muscle exposing how powerlessly addicted we were
because of the wars we have fought for oil
because electricity can be produced from just about anything; most importantly it can be made cleanly and sustainably
because of the crap I've have to breathe for 40+ years every time I ride my bicycle
because I'm tired of working on gasoline cars and being greasy, sooty or smelling like gasoline every time I do.
Because petroleum is a big pain in the ass.

 

[LeftieBiker]

but leasing it means paying $300 a month (a lot more than gas) and having to give it back in 3 years.

Wrong on both counts, or at least on the second, with the first varying widely. I am paying about $205 a month, including downpayment. There is always the option to buy at the end of the lease, often for the same total cost as buying the car new, but with much less risk.

I leased mine for three reasons: to be more Green personally, to help advance Green technology, and because I have become increasingly repelled by ICEs. I have a nice little Suzuki ICE bike that I find it hard to ride now, just because of the reek of the exhaust and the fuel used.

 

[epirali]

I imagine basically 2 kinds of people who would want/need to buy a leaf.

save money and or to be environmental.

I get being environmental. a noble reason if nothing else.

Personally I bought one to save money (was spending about $8700 a year in gas)

I am curious because I see a lot of people driving less than 15,000 miles a year. ie you can't save money at that mileage in all but the most extreme cases.

so why did you buy a leaf? I am curious if you BOUGHT IT and expect to get a solid 10 years out of it. OK you are very likely to save a lot of money.

but leasing it means paying $300 a month (a lot more than gas) and having to give it back in 3 years.

is there a financial reason? waiting for better tech? I am curious why people make the decisions they make this being the first time I have ever spent this much money on a car. period. at $17k my leaf costs more than all my other cars current and past combined

figured we could have a fun discussion thread on all our reasons for buying a leaf. 6 months almost 14,000 miles later I have zero regrets. LOVING my leaf.

I am the third kind. I got a tesla roadster, loved how electric cars drive (quiet, instant response, modern). Did not like the model S interior and shape, liked the Leaf. And only commute around 60 miles.

 

[LightningLeaf]

Beside being environmental and saving money, I have philosophical reasons also.

EV represents our future in energy consumption.

I am sick and tired of being nickel and dimed at the gas stations and by utility bills.

Ever since I watched "Who Killed Electric Car?" I have decided to becoming more energy independent.

In terms of money, it is about cash flow. Right now I am moving the money that I would've spent at gas stations to utility company. Once I got solar panels, then I will be moving money from utility company to paying myself.

I finally leased leaf one week ago. My ICE finally needs to be replaced after driving it for 12 years.

 

[knightmb]

I leased mine for three reasons: to be more Green personally, to help advance Green technology, and because I have become increasingly repelled by ICEs. I have a nice little Suzuki ICE bike that I find it hard to ride now, just because of the reek of the exhaust and the fuel used.

It's funny you mention that, I never was bothered by the smell of gas until I was no longer around it anymore. It's like if you never smoked cigarettes in your life and the smell of them really turns your stomach. It's the same way with gasoline. I use an electric lawn mower, electric bicycle, electric chainsaw, electric everything now it seems. I used to work on a lot of gas engines and don't miss the smell or mess one bit. I don't miss oil changes or gas filter changes either. I hate the smell that gas leaves on my clothes and skin, sticks around for a day or so.

 

[nerys]

but leasing it means paying $300 a month (a lot more than gas) and having to give it back in 3 years.

Wrong on both counts, or at least on the second, with the first varying widely. I am paying about $205 a month, including downpayment. There is always the option to buy at the end of the lease, often for the same total cost as buying the car new, but with much less risk.

That was meant for those driving 15k or less a year where you will only spend around $600 a year in gas (25mpg)

what does your monthly come out to including the down payment (IE total divided by number of payments) I am curious.

if the buy out comes to same as just buying then heck yeah that makes sense. I am curious. if you exceed the mileage of a lease but plan to buy it out do you pay a penalty still ? it is what kept me from leasing entirely. I will put 26k+ on the car a year maybe over 30k.

if there is no penalty if you buy it out then it might be an option for me when the new longer range leaf's come out and allow me to get the $7500 rebate (if they still have that in 2 years) since I don't earn enough to quality for it otherwise.

 

[eloder]

Green for the wallet, greener for the environment.

And EVs are just fun.

No Leaf but I'm a fan of EVs in general.

 

[knightmb]

I imagine basically 2 kinds of people who would want/need to buy a leaf.

save money and or to be environmental.

It can be both. :mrgreen:

I get being environmental. a noble reason if nothing else.

Personally I bought one to save money (was spending about $8700 a year in gas)

I am curious because I see a lot of people driving less than 15,000 miles a year. ie you can't save money at that mileage in all but the most extreme cases.

Well, you mean those in a lease that aren't allowed to drive over a certain amount of mileage a year. If the lease had no mileage limit, I am sure the dealerships would see returned Leafs with a lot more miles driven.

so why did you buy a leaf? I am curious if you BOUGHT IT and expect to get a solid 10 years out of it. OK you are very likely to save a lot of money.

but leasing it means paying $300 a month (a lot more than gas) and having to give it back in 3 years.

is there a financial reason? waiting for better tech? I am curious why people make the decisions they make this being the first time I have ever spent this much money on a car. period. at $17k my leaf costs more than all my other cars current and past combined

figured we could have a fun discussion thread on all our reasons for buying a leaf. 6 months almost 14,000 miles later I have zero regrets. LOVING my leaf.

I wanted an electric car and doing a conversion on one of my gas guzzlers would cost about the same as getting a good condition used Leaf that was designed to be an electric car and not just an electric slap in. The Leaf has the tech to be an electric car with heat pumps to save power for heating, along with a lot of other tech designed for a purely electric car that would not translate well to me converting a Buick or a Toyota vehicle that was designed around a gas engine.

I use mine for work. I do a lot of city driving and the gas bill every month was from $300 to $400 a month, not including oil changes and everything else that goes with the upkeep of the gas beast. The Leaf is costing me $39 / Mo in electricity for 1,600 miles of driving or 2 cents a mile. The gas vehicle(s) were averaging around 17 cents a mile, at gas costing $2.50 / gallon. As gas prices go up, so would my expense if I was still driving them. The most I've spent in a month on gas now that the Leaf does all the heavy lifting is around $10 a month (sometimes you just need the room that a truck has), but even that now has been remedied. My Leaf has a 2 inch hitch receiver installed. I am using a hitch haul + trailer to take over what the truck did before. Anything under 2000 lbs and I am solid. If I need to tow more than this (which almost never happens), then I would have to fire up the truck again. All of our gas vehicles sit in storage under a tarp now (even the truck). I still drive them on occasion to keep the fluids good.

 

[nerys]

ohhh where did you get a 2" receiver for the leaf? I got the 1.5 receiver but would like a 2" if for no other reason than all my accessories would fit especially my aluminum cargo rack!! even the damned atv racks are 2"

once the warm weather and the warm range comes back I will be doing some towing with my leaf even considering a little boat towing with it. (small boat)

 

[Mottyski82]

First reason for me is that I have always known I wanted the silent instant torque experience of an electric car. When I saw the GM EV1 commercials when I was literally a kid, I said to myself; (I want to EMBRACE something that is "different")!
Second reason is that I truly do care that my decision to drive has major impacts... One of which being environmental, another being related to the wars which are related to oil.
Boy do I wish I had done my homework about qualifying for the full EV tax credit though, because I didn't know that it would have been smarter to take the dealership up on leasing the car, letting them claim the tax credit, and having them pass on nearly the full amount towards my lease... With the ability to purchase the car when the lease expired. Chalk that up to being a first time New Car buyer. Oh well...
Another comment I can make is that I will never go back to Internal Combustion. I don't care if it is not in my best interest economically. I have driven <14,000 miles in Two years, so it will take a lot of time to recoup the high cost of the initial purchase. I will certainly be trying to get as much time out of the original battery pack as possible. I think people need to think long and hard about the importance of getting away from the "throw away" lifestyle/attitude which is Capitalist Consumerism... A Second film which left an impression on me before my decision to buy the LEAF was the film 'Ethos'... Has anyone watched this film?
Call me an idealist, I believe in the greater good.
Well those are my two cents.

 

[nerys]

I don't normally go for that kind of movie (usually agenda bias based) but coming from another EV owner I think I will give it a watch and see how it goes!

 

[RonDawg]

My biggest reason is geopolitical. I am tired of our foreign policy decisions revolving around the need for oil. Many of the world's oil producing nations are NOT our friends, but we have to be nice to them if we want to buy oil from them. The Saudis in particular have no qualms about using one hand to shake ours while simultaneously stabbing us in the back with the other. We already have seen them both cut off our supply when they are mad at us (1973 oil embargo) and they recently flooded the world's oil supply to drive down the price to make it cost-prohibitive for other nations to produce oil (Russia is especially hard hit by this). With other players out of the running, they can play their games again.

BTW I am anything BUT a left-wing type.

 

[mbender]

because I grew up in a town so polluted the river caught fire
because just as I was learning to drive, Opec flexed its muscle exposing how powerlessly addicted we were
because of the wars we have fought for oil
because electricity can be produced from just about anything; most importantly it can be made cleanly and sustainably
because of the crap I've have to breathe for 40+ years every time I ride my bicycle
because I'm tired of working on gasoline cars and being greasy, sooty or smelling like gasoline every time I do.
Because petroleum is a big pain in the ass.

^^^ Most of this, although my midwestern city's river never caught on fire ;-)

Borrowing from a certain non-profit of years ago, three words sum up my original motivation: cheaper, cleaner, domestic. I also had a hunch that it would be just a "better" ride, but until I got the first one, I wasn't aware of just how much better (mostly meaning quicker and smoother) it would be. So now, between those FOUR VERY GOOD REASONS, I fall into the group that most early adopters are in: there's no way that I'd ever voluntarily go back to infernal (sic, lol) combustion.

 

[LeftieBiker]

what does your monthly come out to including the down payment (IE total divided by number of payments) I am curious.

I gave that figure: $205. It will average lower the longer I extend my lease. My lease payment was $149 a month. Now it is $159 with the extension, because of NY's damned sales tax on leases. My tax was only 'prepaid' for 2 years.

 

[mbender]

That was meant for those driving 15k or less a year where you will only spend around $600 a year in gas (25mpg)

By the way, whaaat ?? " C'mon, man...", more like 600 gallons 'a' year. This means closer to $2,000 per year not spent on petroleum, or saving roughly $140/month (using a generous 1:6 ratio of combined fuel+maintenance costs).

$1,500-$2,000 per year can add up pretty quickly, and may not even matter that much if any of the other benefits take precedence.

 

[nerys]

yep I am dumb. $1800 was the number (assumed $3) 600 was the gallons

even at $1800 though payments are $3600 twice the cost of fuel.

at 30,000 miles the fuel costs really start to ramp up especially at higher gas prices and higher maintenance costs.

for me it was all about the benjamins. I LOVE everything else but the primary motivation was $'s it is just so much cheaper.

assuming it holds up over time. I don't really doubt the longevity of the battery my concern is the rest of the car. in theory it should be better. no grease oil and hydrocarbons tearing everything up a real key difference. no vibrating rattling ENGINE shaking everything apart. which should extend the lifespan of EVERYTHING in the car.

my only real concern is "something expensive" breaking. There are plenty of parts in this car that would cost more to replace just in parts costs than purchasing SEVERAL entire regular cars

IE I have never owned "expensive" cars. one of the decisions in my buying a car in the past has been can I fix it myself and how much are the parts to fix it. this is why I have geo metro's geo trackers. voyager minivans and jeeps.

cheap parts easy to DIY repair.

While I can probably DIY repair most of the parts in my leaf diagnosing "what" needs to be replaced could prove to be a problem and the "cost" to have a dealer tell me would be prohibitive I would guess especially if they know they are not doing the work. less incentive to "dig" more incentive just to say the first answer in the solution tree. IE could get parts expensive. For the first 2 years not a big deal. under warranty. after that. I shiver to think if something were to fail on me. what does the CPO 7/70,000 cover?

some of the things I SO love about my leaf. the lack of vibrations. the utter lack of noise. the quiet is so absolutely pleasurable. even the simple pleasure of listening to my music and audiobooks is absolutely astonishing in its pleasure increase from the lack of noise and interruption.

Knowing that besides basic consumable maintenance I need to do NOTHING to this car. change/rotate tires. wash it down now and then. air up tires. fill washer bottle. maybe a bulb now and then. maybe a ball joint or tie rod every few years. otherwise. pretty much nothing. ever. what a feeling.

The real magic I hope will come in the second 100,000 miles.

pretty much any new car should be relatively maintenance (major) free for the first 100,000 miles. but the second 100,000 miles things start to get pricey as components rot etc..

with an EV those "that tend to rot components" simply do not exist. so once you replace the battery you are pretty much good to go. theoretically if designed well the expensive bits like the charger or the controller or the dc/dc even the motor itself should be essentially everlasting for all intents and purposes if they never encounter physical damage.

after 200,000 miles things get iffy. ie it depends on how well the car is built ie if not built well this is when the "little things" starts to fail (windows doors seats body panels etc..) and also where you life. sadly I live in SE pa the salt belt of the USA I am particularly happy about the aluminum body and life time rust warranty

again though this is where an EV can shine. I would not be surprised if we discover that the "vibrations" over time from the ICE itself adds a lot to the wear and tear in a car even down to electrical connections be vibrated loose and causing corrosion and grounding problems over time.

dramatically reduced in an EV.

they really are the future. in 50 years we will wonder why in the world we ever drove IC for our daily drivers.

I love the roar of a powerful engine as much as the next guy. as a hobby. for fun. for my daily grind however I want cheap clean and quiet and cheap and cheap. Did I mention cheap?

if the car really lasts a solid 10 years with almost nothing even a 15,000 mile a year driver can "break even" with an EV. figure you will save $15k in gasoline plus another $3k in gas only maintenance.

$25k EV versus cheap $15k ICE. you only need to save $10k to break even. Makes perfect sense if you keep it. Just have to be able to afford that payment and the insurance premium. but if your comparing to another "new" car they will both have an insurance premium.

I did make sure I had GAP insurance on the loan. probably the best $300 I could spend on my leaf