New Survey Out (Online Research Panel)

[mwalsh]

That's interesting - my survey missed that entirely because I selected the "already ordered" button. When combined with the battery range information questions - I wonder if they are thinking about delaying the car in order to increase the range. Or if they are thinking about delaying for anyone who hasn't ordered yet (in order to increase range?)

If given the choice between December delivery at 100 mile range and June delivery at 200 mile range - as much as I hate to say it, I'd have to take the later.

I must say, even though I don't need more than 100 miles range daily, I think I would make the same decision....it just makes the car that much more versatile.

 

[evnow]

If given the choice between December delivery at 100 mile range and June delivery at 200 mile range....

Just take that idea out of your mind. The range is not a marketing question. It is an engineering / cost question. If you could magically double the range, believe me, they already would have.

I think they are just trying to find out the effectiveness of the website / information dessimination.

ps : Companies planning to delay the launch, don't start new expensive ad campaigns.

 

[Azrich]

If given the choice between December delivery at 100 mile range and June delivery at 200 mile range - as much as I hate to say it, I'd have to take the later. The range of the car around here is a major issue because of all of the traveling I do over the pass to Carson City. Right now I don't think that car can get to Carson and back (it depends on how good the regeneration going downhill is), so I would certainly take a delay to get more range. That would move the car from being usable 50% of the time to more like 80% of the time.

Whatever the deal is - I hope that the initial deliveries are not different cars from the mid-year deliveries - and if they are, I hope that Nissan brings the early deliveries up to spec. Hopefully we'll know if there is anything going on like this well before delivery.

I agree. After going through the survey I'm worried about two things in relation to range:

1. Air conditioning - a must in Tucson from May through September - often at full blast. This will decrease my range during those months significantly. It might mean driving in the morning to do errands, return home, charge mid-day (at higher rates), then do other errands, visit friends, or go to dinner. I had hoped to only charge once a day, during off peak time.

2. Garage storage heats up during the summer days - The LEAF will be in our garage but it gets 105 degrees in there on a hot summer day. We are going to install a whirlybird ventilator on the roof but the one wall gets direct sun in late afternoon and really heats it up in there. Does anyone know what type of extreme temperatures they are referring to when they say:

Excessive capacity reduction could be attributed to:
· Driving or storing your LEAF in extreme temperatures

 

[DaveinOlyWA]

Well the options available Said i said i was just thinking about it Really bums me out. A 200 mile range I would have bought two of them. A 200 mile Range with a quick charge options Would have covered every trip i'd have made in the past 4 years with the exception of 4.
Those 4 i could have Still done since they were multiple day trips which would have allowed overnight charging. But the additional expense of a larger pack would have eliminated the to car option

 

[MaryC]

Is it possible that they are wondering why such few orders so far? Here we are waiting on them to send us this elusive "time to RAQ" email. This website keeps us pretty informed but we are only a fraction of the Leaf reservist. Maybe the right hand doesn't know what the left hand is doing at Nissan.

 

[TimeHorse]

Here is my latest set of rants to Nissan in this survey:

I would like to know more detailed information about how the range for each scenario is computed and be given equations where we can plug in our own numbers, such as different ambient temperatures and how eco mode effects these, what does eco mode do in cold weather (you only said it reduces the a/c, not the heating), how will heated seats and steering wheel effect range when used in place of full cabin heating and in general what is the range using the cold weather package, not to mention when this package will be available. Basically, I want to be able to look at some cubic equation P(v), power required at a given speed, with the constant terms effected by climate systems (A/C, Heat) and idle energy (headlights, display), a linear term for rolling resistance and ascending and descending hills, a squared term that essentially captures changes in momentum due to acceleration and a cubic term with a coefficient of drag that calculates the air resistance, as well as multiple Coefficients of drag for each plane of the car (front, left, right, back, top, bottom) so that we can estimate how wind will effect range. When will the curb weight be finalized, and we'd like to know how adding more items to this weight will effect the power equation through changes in mass (if we know the base mass -- curb weight -- we can add in the additional mass directly). Finally, what is the battery capacity loss percentage under various scenarios, such as cruise control at 55 and massive stop and go traffic. Will we be able to see the battery degrade over time. For instance, will there be a way to see a 0.3% drop per month in range / charge, as your models seem to predict? Would we be able to see in that first month or year that the battery could store 0.3% or 3.5% for the first year? Is there a way for us to see how well our battery is holding up? Can we predict range if we don't know how much our capacity has shrunk?

Also, what's the deal not giving the option "because you haven't even offered me the option to schedule an assessment yet" in the list of reasons I haven't had an assessment. :roll:

 

[TimeHorse]

I mentioned this site when they ask about where you get your range info from .... hint hint

Did it before you even had to ask!

 

[mwalsh]

Maybe the right hand doesn't know what the left hand is doing at Nissan.

I hate to say that you might be onto something here, but some of my dealings with Nissan Corporate lead me to think that they may have way too much managerial compartmentalization.

 

[TimeHorse]

I should have suggested they post the uso6 test results

will someone else suggest that when they get a survey

Oh, karp! I forgot too! D'Oh!

 

[evnow]

I should have suggested they post the uso6 test results

will someone else suggest that when they get a survey

Oh, karp! I forgot too! D'Oh!

I wanted to but I din't see any free text suggestion boxes ...

 

[TimeHorse]

If given the choice between December delivery at 100 mile range and June delivery at 200 mile range - as much as I hate to say it, I'd have to take the later. The range of the car around here is a major issue because of all of the traveling I do over the pass to Carson City. Right now I don't think that car can get to Carson and back (it depends on how good the regeneration going downhill is), so I would certainly take a delay to get more range. That would move the car from being usable 50% of the time to more like 80% of the time.

Whatever the deal is - I hope that the initial deliveries are not different cars from the mid-year deliveries - and if they are, I hope that Nissan brings the early deliveries up to spec. Hopefully we'll know if there is anything going on like this well before delivery.

I said I'd still consider the car even if delayed a year, but not 2 because then I'd already have a number of other choices (Mini-E? Smart-E? Ford? Tata?). But if I could wait a little and get twice the battery capacity or the cold weather package, I'd definitely go for it!

 

[TimeHorse]

I wanted to but I din't see any free text suggestion boxes ...

I think you had to say you were dissatisfied with the current amount of information available.

 

[DaveinOlyWA]

I think this site represents Less than 10 percent Of the total orders. I would venture to say That there has been over 1000 orders processed so far

 

[Long4Leaf]

Don't know if your counting, but I got the survey too. My thought at the time was it is trying to evaluate the effectiveness of their communication on what is clearly a sensitive capability. Could be they are just trying to estimate how many unhappy customers there will be because the range is not what they thought.

 

[AndyH]

A couple of scattered thoughts on my survey and aftermath:

Early in the survey I told them that I had a $99 reservation but hadn't yet scheduled the assessment. There was a long list of possible reasons why I hadn't yet scheduled an assessment and I was free to select multiple reasons. The bottom option was a free-flow text box for 'other'. I said there that the L1 EVSE option would meet my needs, and that I'd be moving in the next few months and didn't want an assessment on my old house.

This afternoon I contacted Nissan Chat to see if they could activate the Assessment waiver - and they can and did in less than about 35 seconds.

Justin:
It have been done for you AndyH, please make sure to check the box indicating that you've read and understand the information about proceeding without a home assessment from AeroVironment Inc.

I was logged-in on Nissan's site and looking at the assessment calendar. Once the chat was complete, I went back to the main page, clicked into my account again, and the next open option was the waiver:

please make sure to check the box indicating that you've read and understand the information about proceeding without a home assessment from AeroVironment Inc.

while your Nissan LEAF does come standard with a 110V trickle charger which will take up to 20 hours to charge your batter, Nissan recommends you purchase a 220V charging dock which will take up to 8 hours to charge your battery. AeroVironment Inc. is the Nissan recommended partner certified to conduct the assessment and installation of the home charging dock for the Nissan LEAF. AeroVironment Inc. is knowledgeable regarding Nissan LEAF charging requirements, functionality and the recommended charging equipment. while you are under no obligation to use AeroVironment Inc., use of other charging devices may not be compatible with the Nissan LEAF. please electronically indicate that by not doing so you will be:

sourcing and retaining your own home charging dock installer and/or equipment
[or] not purchasing a home charging dock

On the bottom of the waiver page is a link to schedule an assessment - so the option still exists even though I've selected the waiver.

Onward to requesting a quote...

 

[garygid]

Is this a renge-info summary (roughly)?
Their range info indicates that any one factor might bring range down to 80%, and
two factors down to 60%, and fast freeway, A/C, lights, teperature, and hills might
bring one down to just 40 miles, and then the 30% drop for age/use over 5 years
might get you down to just a 28 mile range ... and they do not seem to guarantee anything.

Did I understand their examples correctly?

 

[johnr]

Well I doubt there are many scenarios where all those factors would apply. But in such a case, then I guess you're probably reading it right.

 

[johnr]

I took the survey just now, and the additional info on range was informative. Also the preview of the Leaf's EPA window sticker. I was pleased to see questions about why I did not schedule an assessment. I picked the boxes for "charger price too high" and "exploring other vendors".

 

[LEAFfan]

Is it possible that they are wondering why such few orders so far? Here we are waiting on them to send us this elusive "time to RAQ" email. This website keeps us pretty informed but we are only a fraction of the Leaf reservist. Maybe the right hand doesn't know what the left hand is doing at Nissan.

Mary, I believe you hit the nail on the head! Since Yvonne (CC Sup) doesn't seem to know that order emails were sent to TX, someone didn't tell her how screwed up the process has become. I'm getting the feeling that they are going to delay the deliveries by one month to get it all straightened out and treat everyone fairly. It isn't all their fault because ECOtality had a tough time keeping up.

 

[MaryC]

Leaffan, one of the reasons I think that is on the survey I got one of the questions is why hadn't I ordered yet. To which I answered I am waiting for RAQ email from them and my order slot isn't until October. You would think they would/should know that.