Full 2013 Nissan LEAF Specs out

[mwalsh]

I am looking for a means of limiting how much is drawn, just like the Volt's L1 EVSE has a button to switch to toggle between 8 and 12 amps.

In the dash it now shows you what the estimated charge times are on 120v, on 3.3kW, and on 6.6kW. I can't imagine them bothering if there wasn't a way to select between L2 charging rates.

UNLESS they wanted to give you a realistic idea of how long it would take should you happen upon L2 charging that was only rated at 16A? :?:

 

[RegGuheert]

If there is a potential higher top speed, would that also mean that cruising at say 70mph would be more efficient with 17" wheels vs 16" wheels? If so for someone who does a lot of interstate driving this might be a benefit.

Doubtful, since the the efficiency curves for the LEAF drivetrain are extremely broad, so a 2.5 percent reduction in RPMs and a 2.5% increase in torque likely would not affect the efficiency much. On the other hand, I think there might be a noticeable reduction in efficiency at 70 MPH due to the extra 10 mm of tire width on each side of the car.

 

[RegGuheert]

In the dash it now shows you what the estimated charge times are on 120v, on 3.3kW, and on 6.6kW. I can't imagine them bothering if there wasn't a way to select between L2 charging rates.

That could simply be because the 3.3kW charger is available on some trim levels and they don't want to have multiple versions of the software.

 

[mwalsh]

In the dash it now shows you what the estimated charge times are on 120v, on 3.3kW, and on 6.6kW. I can't imagine them bothering if there wasn't a way to select between L2 charging rates.

That could simply be because the 3.3kW charger is available on some trim levels and they don't want to have multiple versions of the software.

Ah, yes. I suppose that could be the case. Good thinking.

 

[DesertDenizen]

Really? Darn, I am trading in my 2011 to lease a 2012 (or perhaps 2013) and I really like the torque in my car. Phooey.

The motors in the 2011 and 2012 are identical. There will be a change in the upcoming 2013 with reduced torque to improve efficiency and range (slightly).

I don't doubt LEAFguy, but I must say after two days driving my new 2012 it does seem slower off the mark than my old 2011.

 

[TomT]

1) You can buy a tire tread depth gauge at any auto parts stores for a few bucks and it works like a depth micrometer, displaying in 32nds of an inch.
2) In most states, the legal minimum is 3/32.
3) Yes, you can measure in different places across the tread. In my case the difference was less than 1 mm, much less than what I had with the Ecopias.

Well, as a reference, I now have 18,000 miles on the Michelin XVM4 tires on my Leaf and they have worn only 2mm so far...

Thanks! Three questions:

1) How do you measure tire wear? Micrometer with a depth gauge?
2) How much tire can be worn away before the tires are worn out?
3) Can you test how even the wear is with your gauge? If so, how even is it?

TIA!

 

[TomT]

And I am of the opposite mentality. When I am driving, sitting in traffic, or commuting, I enjoy all the amenities, even if it is for only 30 miles one way. That is why I have always bought the top model, or appropriate options, of whatever I have owned. In the long run, it is worth it to me. And cruise control, and secondarily the heat pump, are a must for me.

I think the stripped S is perfect.. after all this is an 80 mile car, do you really need all the luxuries?

Agreed. Depending on price differential, I might seriously consider the stripper model if I were in the market for a Leaf.

 

[TickTock]

I started to pitch all the great new features of the 2013 to my wife hoping to warm her up to letting me upgrade in the Spring. In spite of the battery fiasco, she surprised me by saying "How about you buy a 2013 and let me have your 2011." Love that woman.

 

[TomT]

Nope. It might make a VERY small difference with an ICE but on the Leaf, none at all. In fact, in both cases, I think the extra aerodynamic drag of the 10mm wider tires will much more than wipe out any theoretical gain at highway speeds.

those equipped with P215/50R17 tires, equating to a higher top speed but a lower acceleration force.

If there is a potential higher top speed, would that also mean that cruising at say 70mph would be more efficient with 17" wheels vs 16" wheels? If so for someone who does a lot of interstate driving this might be a benefit.

 

[TomT]

Assuming I don't pull the trigger on my Tesla reservation, which would make it moot, I'll wait for the 2015 Leaf and see if they have actually dealt definitively with the battery, range and other issues, rather that just applying some bandaids...

I started to pitch all the great new features of the 2013 to my wife hoping to warm her up to letting me upgrade in the Spring. In spite of the battery fiasco, she surprised me by saying "How about you buy a 2013 and let me have your 2011." Love that woman.

 

[TonyWilliams]

Level 2 with a modified EVSE (assuming it's the same Panasonic EVSE as my Rav4) will also be 12 amps.

I agree this is the likely result, if it is even possible to upgrade. Wasn't there a limit on how many times the thing could even be used? Did Phil managed to defeat that?.

Yes, there is a limit to number of uses. Phil did not defeat it (yet).

 

[GRA]

Level 2 with a modified EVSE (assuming it's the same Panasonic EVSE as my Rav4) will also be 12 amps.

I agree this is the likely result, if it is even possible to upgrade. Wasn't there a limit on how many times the thing could even be used? Did Phil managed to defeat that?.

Yes, there is a limit to number of uses. Phil did not defeat it (yet).

How many uses? And what are they charging for a replacement?

 

[jtunkel]

In the dash it now shows you what the estimated charge times are on 120v, on 3.3kW, and on 6.6kW. I can't imagine them bothering if there wasn't a way to select between L2 charging rates.

That could simply be because the 3.3kW charger is available on some trim levels and they don't want to have multiple versions of the software.

Surely its a simple matter for the software to query what car its running on and report only pertinent info.

 

[cwerdna]

I arrived about 10-15 mins late at the south SJ meet w/the showing of the '13 Leaf and Tim Gallagher there from Nissan. Big thank you to the SF BayLeafs group and Nissan for making it happen! I figured this thread was a better place to add my rough notes than the Phoenix meeting one.

From the VIN, the car was the same car as one that at was Phoenix (http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?p=257096#p257096" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false. The right side front door had some problem and couldn't be opened from the inside nor outside handle. Maybe that was one of the problems that Ingineer was referring to?

Tim said we'll hear the prices on Monday. He also said it'll be available for sale Feb 4th, but later I heard him say early Feb. As for EPA rated range, he alluded to needing it soon to print Monroney stickers since it's going on sale so soon.

Re: the range, it sounded like he wasn't thrilled about how the media sort of took the Japanese '13 Leaf announced range and spun things given differences in test protocol and standards.

Someone asked him about whether we'd see some of the improvements (like SoC %) backported to the '11 and '12. I believe he didn't know. I asked him whether there was any way to limit/set how much the car drew when charging. Answer was no. (I didn't see any UI on the car to do it either, before I could ask). I mentioned to him Tony Williams' melted Rav4 EV inlet and it sounds like he saw that thread (and it sound like he reads MNL, in general). I explained to him what's believed to be a faulty crimp in the Blink EVSE's handle causing the overheating and how Fit EV drivers have also hit something similar. It was unclear from my conversation whether the '13 Leaf has any sort of thermal monitoring at the inlet to slow down or stop charging when there's an overheat condition. It sounded like no. :/

I asked whether the newer smaller L1 EVSE would be the only L1 EVSE available (and that there might be a run/clamor for the old ones, if the newer one isn't upgradable or not as upgradable). He didn't know.

I stood around him for quite awhile and there was a lot of other interesting conversation. It was interesting to hear his perspective. I did mention how I wasn't happy about Nissan's reps at auto shows telling people the range is "100 miles average/on average".

He did mention he drives a Leaf and IIRC, has 9K miles on his and apparently, he found he lives either 45 miles or 45 minutes from Tony Williams.

 

[Deleted member 3147]

One more thing. Tim announced that within a fairly short period of time (sorry, I don't remember the time frame he mentioned), Nissan would be installing public-access DCQC stations at "a majority of Nissan dealers in the area". He said that he expects that most of them will be available 24/7 and most of them will be free!

Frankly, I think this was the biggest thing that was announced today!

 

[Deleted member 3147]

By the way, there was one thing I saw on the MY'13 Leaf that I don't think has been talked about. With the 4-way cameras on the car, the display can be set so that while the main display will switch between the front and back cameras depending on if you are in D or R, the side display will show only a downward view from the RH mirror-mounted camera, showing the curb while parallel parking! Very nice.

 

[JeremyW]

One more thing. Tim announced that within a fairly short period of time (sorry, I don't remember the time frame he mentioned), Nissan would be installing public-access DCQC stations at "a majority of Nissan dealers in the area". He said that he expects that most of them will be available 24/7 and most of them will be free!

I'll believe it when I see it, but I am hopeful. Tim does seem rather confident that there will be some up and running in 60 days. :roll: Also asked him about the steering wheel heat, and if it is more consistent than in the '12. He didn't know but would check it out.

 

[cwerdna]

For the folks who were standing around Tim in San Jose when there were comments about marketing and his reply about Nissan's large marketing spend per vehicle sold on the Leaf vs. the rest of their lineup, here were Nissan's 2012 US sales numbers: http://nissannews.com/en-US/nissan/usa/channels/U-S-Sales-Reports/releases/nissan-north-america-sales-increase-9-5-percent-in" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;.

One can also hopefully see why dealers/salespeople might be more interested in devoting more effort into cars that sell in far in greater numbers and are easier to sell (e.g. Versa, Altima).

For those who don't look at auto sales figures, usually Googling for (major automaker name) reports sales (month name) (year) will work. All major automakers release their US sales figures a few days after the beginning of each month.

 

[RegGuheert]

Welcome, jtunkel!

Surely its a simple matter for the software to query what car its running on and report only pertinent info.

Agreed! But my observation as a LEAF owner is that user-facing software is not Nissan's strong point! (I have fewer complaints with embedded vehicle software, but there are still some issues.

 

[JPWhite]

One can also hopefully see why dealers/salespeople might be more interested in devoting more effort into cars that sell in far in greater numbers and are easier to sell (e.g. Versa, Altima).

Yes and No.

Sure mainstream vehicles deserve mainstream marketing/sales effort. However did you notice the LEAF outsold 3 other Nissan marks? Cube, 370z and GT-R.

The GT-R isn't a surprise, but I am surprised that the 370z sells so few. Now tell me a salesperson will steer a buyer away from a 370z in favor of an Altima (NOT). But they may well do so for a LEAF.

There are several other Infiniti marks that sell less than the LEAF as well, though that's understandable at their higher prices.