How Much Lifestyle Change Does Leaf Force?

[mdonehoo]

I have seen many threads here discussing specific commutes and whether they could be handled by the Leaf. Many responses say things to the effect of, "You would need to recharge while you're at work, especially in winter or after the battery starts to degrade." I've also seen several discussions of how people have made trips that required recharging several times along the way.

This makes it pretty clear that driving a Leaf, or any EV, is going to force at least some lifestyle change. It seems you have to plan your driving pretty carefully, and you might not be able to take a spontaneous side trip. I live in the greater Atlanta area, and it is a big place, with zero useful charging infrastructure. You can cover a lot of miles just doing your day to day driving, and if a wrench gets thrown into the works -- like if my preferred electronics store in Alpharetta doesn't have the part I need, but the Gwinnett Mall Store does -- that's another 40 miles out of my way, which I might not have enough range for. If I need something, I usually need it now, rather than tomorrow or next Saturday. Thus, it seems that the Leaf's relatively limited range could be a problem.

I would be interested to know how people's behavior had to change when they got a Leaf, and how y'all have adapted. Thanks.

 

[DNAinaGoodWay]

If that sort of thing is going to be a problem for you, and you cant swing a Tesla right now, then you should consider a Volt or Cmax or i3x instead of one of the current low range EVs. In a couple more years, when BEV range is more like 150-200, that issue will be lessened.

In a nutshell, the LEAF works for me because it fits my lifestyle, I didn't have to adapt much at all, besides getting my own "fueling" station for the garage. At first I spent some time thinking about distances vs SOC, but now it's just second nature and I hardly think about it, it's become routine to charge and go. My driving needs are few. If I'm going further than normal, I know where all the QCs are, there aren't that many yet. If we're going really far, we take the gas burner, but we did that before too as my old commuter was a breakdown waiting to happen.

 

[Slow1]

Clearly the answer is "it depends" with the dependency largely being how you drive whatever vehicle the Leaf is replacing (presuming it is in fact replacing a vehicle).

In our house, the Leaf replaced our Hyundai Accent - they are very similar in size (5 passenger, 4 door) and our intention was for the Leaf to be a drop-in replacement. What has changed? well, we charge at night mostly - sometimes away from home when convenient (there is a public charger near a shopping area we use). IF I go to the airport or any other long range drive I do actually have to think "is the car fully charged" in time to use it - relatively rare event, but that is a lifestyle change (previously the question would have been "does the car need gas?" because I hate having to stop when I'm going somewhere so it isn't a major difference).

We find we use the Leaf a bit more than we did the Accent because we just like the car so much (and it is new, which appeals to all). We do have a minivan that we use whenever the whole family is going somewhere or I'm driving the carpool (basically if we need more than 5 people at one time). In our situation, it seems that anytime we go anywhere more than 40 miles away it is the whole family so we aren't in the "little" car anyway.

Now - others may have different experiences. The "changes" to your lifestyle depends on what your lifestyle is. I honestly believe that people think too much about charging away from home. This car can meet many needs within it's range. If you have 240v charging at home (and I highly recommend this) then you just plug in at end of each day and it is ready the next.

When I meet folks who say they have to charge away from home daily to make their commute or whatever, I suggest this isn't the car for them. I'm perhaps on the lazy side, but I wouldn't stop en-route every day to my job and buy gas for an ICE vehicle, so why plan on having to stop daily for electricity? It takes someone very dedicated to something (being green, minimizing cash expenses, whatever) to do that. On the flip side, one has to get used to the idea of arriving home with <10% of their capacity at times - this would be scary in an ICE vehicle perhaps (I never let mine go below 1/4 tank), but is perfectly acceptable with the Leaf.

 

[LeftieBiker]

My lifestyle change has been minimal. I do sometimes have to think about whether my (L-1) charge will be adequate for my needs for the day, but I have another car (PIP) and motorcycle available, so it's more a matter of me not wanting to use an ICE vehicle than of being inconvenienced in a real way. That isn't the car's doing, it's my own paradigm change, and that was initiated by a Lepton electric motorscooter, in 2002.

 

[RonDawg]

I live in the greater Atlanta area, and it is a big place, with zero useful charging infrastructure.

I have never set foot in Atlanta, not even the airport, but a quick check of PlugShare is showing that it's not exactly a public charging wasteland. You have quite a few public charging stations, and what strikes me is how many are along major corridors outside of downtown Atlanta. In a way that makes it a bit better than here in greater LA.

There's also quick charge stations at Gwinnett Nissan and at Regal Nissan for that time when you have to check both cities for that item you need. If this sways you towards a Leaf, make sure the car you get has one (it's an option on all but the top level SL model).

As far as lifestyle changes, it's not dramatic. No you can't just jump in your car and spontaneously have a 150 mile one way road trip...but how often does that happen? I have to remember to drive my ICE car regularly or else it will deteriorate from lack of use. In fact, I had to have it jump-started the other day because it sat for so long, in an extended heat wave, that the battery finally died. Since January, I have only put about 1,000 miles on it. Before I got my Leaf, I was regularly a 15k/year driver.

Granted, if you plan to have the Leaf as your only car, you do need to plan ahead well. But if you have easy access to an ICEV or hybrid, then it's really not a problem.

Some people think having to plug in every night is an inconvenience. For me it's become a habit...I pull into the garage, pop open the charge port, and plug it in. No different than remembering to brush your teeth. Plus no waiting in line to fill up, no need to hunt around for the best prices, no worries about watching the news and wondering how it will affect your wallet at next fill-up.

The people we recommend have workplace charging are those who will be exceeding 50 miles per charging session. It's to give some cushion (and thus some relief from "range anxiety") in case of unexpected detours, cold weather, and eventual range degradation. If you drive less than 50 miles a day, you won't need to worry about it.

 

[2k1Toaster]

0 change. I drive the Leaf except when I need to go further, then I drive the Prius.

 

[GetOffYourGas]

The only change the the Leaf "forced" in my life is talking with my wife about who takes which car for the day. And that's not even a change because we used to have a gasser and a hybrid. Now we have a hybrid and an EV. We try to maximize miles on the more efficient car. When we exceed the Leaf's range, we're all together, and just take the hybrid.

But that's my case because the Leaf fit my existing lifestyle. Others will be different, and if the Leaf doesn't fit you, consider a plug-in hybrid as was suggested earlier.

 

[GRA]

Greater Atlanta may be the second biggest sprawl metro area in the country, after only Jacksonville, Fl., and has some of the longest average commutes by time and ranks high in average commute distance. As such, if the OP needs/wants to be able to go anywhere/anytime at minimal notice as mentioned in their post, a sub-100 mile BEV like the LEAF is probably a poor choice, and as suggested a PHEV like the Volt etc. would be a better option for them until affordable BEV range increases considerably.

 

[Zythryn]

There are more and more EVs every month. Picking the one that best fits your lifestyle is a far better choice than changing your lifestyle to fit the car.

No, I don't own a Leaf, however, you did say any EV would require lifestyle changes, so here are the lifestyle changes I have experienced...

Driving is much more enjoyable, so much so that even heavy rush hour traffic is much calmer than it used to be. Less aggregation, better blood pressure levels.

I'm late to appointments less often as I am never required to fuel up while traveling anywhere I go in town.

Road trips are much more enjoyable and relaxing. Much less time planning my recharge stops than planning hotel stops.

Fueling is far more convenient, and much less expensive.

Air is cleaner in my garage, less carcinogens being inhaled in my garage, or at the pumps.

Those are the big ones, and I think all but the road trips apply to the Leaf, Teslas, or any other EV.

 

[smkettner]

Gwinnett Place Nissan is two blocks down from the Gwinnett Mall with L3 charging.

Also Regal Nissan is a short drive from Alpharetta. Also L3 charging.

BTW I believe these are both FREE. How long does it take to adjust to FREE FUEL.

See plugshare.com

 

[smkettner]

Holy @#$%^& look at your electric rates :shock:

Monthly Rate Schedule
WINTER - October through May SUMMER - June through September
First 650 kWh: 5.3927¢ per kWh First 650 kWh: 5.3927¢ per kWh
650-1000 kWh: 4.6270¢ per kWh 650-1000 kWh: 8.9637¢ per kWh/td>
Over 1000 kWh: 4.5422¢ per kWh Over 1000 kWh: 9.2638¢ per kWh

That is practically free (compared to CA)

http://www.georgiapower.com/pricing/residential/standard-service-plan.cshtml

I think that is equivelent to 50 cents per gallon maybe less.
That will also take some style adjustment....

 

[RonDawg]

The most expensive tier is only 2/3 what I normally pay. The folks in PG&E-land must be absolutely green with envy.

 

[rpmdk]

I've had to slow down, considerably. If you're driving 70 on the freeway you're not going to get too far in a LEAF. I've had it for 3 years and I love it, but it comes up short a little too often. I really wish they'd hurry up and get the next generation of EVs out there. I certainly won't go back to an ICE, but I really do need more range.

For me more infrastructure isn't the answer, a more robust battery is.

 

[Moof]

No changes here. We are now a 3 car family. I've only driven my truck once a month to keep it alive and kicking. We've moved more of our miles onto the Leaf than we planned, so now my wife's care gets less use on weekend and days that I ride my bike to work.

My commute is 7.5 miles, and I often do an evening trip to the climbing gym 13 miles away so I am a good candidate. I get away with level 1 charging without having to think much about it. I've only charged on the road twice, and it was more for the novelty of it than the need.

I think the point the OP is getting at is that a Leaf is not for everyone. If you are using it for modest commutes of <20 miles each way it can be a no-brainer. If your commute is >30 miles you probably are signing up for lifestyle changes, or at least need to do more homework to be sure. If the Leaf is a second or third car then long trips are easy, just take the other car. If you are making the Leaf your only vehicle, you are signing up for lifestyle changes for long trips (consider a rental like a Zip car to augment long trips if charging will be a hassle).

Keep in mind that a sight like this will get a disproportionally large number of comments and visitors with evangelists, and people at the fringe (the "I got 150 miles going 20 mph! Eat it EPA!" crowd). People experiencing few issues who just drive to work won't post much. The "Eat my voltage" crowd will tend to be more vocal. The result is that you can get easily get a skewed view of what an average Leaf owner experiences. As they say, your mileage may vary.

 

[asemeco]

After I stopped smoking, I started noticing "smoker's breath" on nearby smokers.

It is similar with gas. Every time I go to a gas station (either to fill up my other car, or to get gas for the lawn mower), I can feel the gas fumes on me for a while.

I used to associate the rumble of a sports car engine with power and 'cool'. Now the revving up of an ICE vehicle sounds to me like the groaning of a heavy beast under stress.

Silent, instant torque feels cooler to me now.

By the way, my Leaf's range is plenty for my daily commute, so no problem there.

That's just me. YMMV.

 

[smkettner]

We have also moved probably 20%+ miles off the gas car onto the electric. So we save maintenance on the gas car in addition to virtually zero maintenance cost on the EV. And it is not just the cost but the hassle of taking it in, getting upsold on all sorts of non-sense, then wondering if the work was even done right.

Takes a few months of not going to a gas station to realize how much a hassle that is.

Probably run more small errands because EV is so low cost. Also efficient from the word go due to no warm up period. No need to combine trips.

Otherwise we just drive.

Long journeys are in the gasoline vehicle or on an airplane. No adjustment there.

 

[eleafchero]

I've been reading these forums forever, "any day now" is when we will lease, (also related to "when will the Honda fail", and hoping to beat the last offer 6 months ago of 0Dwn, $315/m, 36K mileage for an S w/quick charge) (Seattle).
We have PV, and will need to install charging in the garage. We also have the last compact pickup made, you have to go back 10 years to get 25mpg, not a bad age to retire it to second car status.

Have you ever looked in your armrest console/museum of personal items?
We both work half time, and plan to switch cars everyday, and I expect the biggest lifestyle change for me will be to get a large gym bag to shift all the crap I have to have with me during the day, from work tools to dental floss.

Looking forward to many airbags, and being able to defend my Leaf with the phrase, "I may not know what I'm doing, but I know where I'm going".

 

[DocMoose]

I live in the Atlanta area as well. I have about a 60 mile round trip from the north side to Buckhead. We have chargers at work but I only use them when I have somewhere to go that is out of my way afterwards.

This Leaf is definitely a car with a purpose. I would never have replaced my regular vehicle outright. I did wind up selling my other car to get a pickup truck (which also has a special purpose, yeah?) I planned to use the Leaf as a commuter-only, but it's become much more than that. My wife and I enjoy it on date nights, sometimes finding a place to charge in Atlanta on the way. It's fun, and adds to the experience. That said, I'd have a hard time getting rid of the other car, mainly for emergencies. We are a three-car family now.