Offcial Honda Fit EV Thread (lease only)

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theaveng said:
the Prius Plug-in ... has an EV mode, but only 8 mile range on the EPA test.
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I think the (still pitiful) EPA EV range for the PIP is 11 miles.
 
Comparison test of the FitEV and RAV4EV here:

http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/alternative/1211_2013_honda_fit_2012_toyota_rav4_ev_comparison/?rec=1" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

And here's a Fit review by the WSJ:

http://blogs.wsj.com/drivers-seat/2012/10/01/honda-fit-ev-pricey-but-ready-for-prime-time/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
 
GRA said:
Comparison test of the FitEV and RAV4EV here:

http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/alternative/1211_2013_honda_fit_2012_toyota_rav4_ev_comparison/?rec=1" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

And here's a Fit review by the WSJ:

http://blogs.wsj.com/drivers-seat/2012/10/01/honda-fit-ev-pricey-but-ready-for-prime-time/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Click to expand...

They are really very different cars. I think that Motor Trend just happened to have the two to test in the same time span, so they did a bit of a comparison. From my seat time in the Fit EV, though, I found it among the sportiest of the currently available offerings. The Sport mode adds enough extra power and torque, and the car is light weight enough to provide a pretty sporty handling experience, and the independent rear suspension adds to the handling precision. The Fit EV is a hoot to drive around town. The Fit EV is smaller inside than the LEAF, so there is less passenger room, and it's true that the dash and gauges are less impressive than the LEAF's. The amount of information available is less than the LEAF shows you (including, it should be noted, that the Fit EV doesn't have any gauge that shows battery capacity. Come to think of it, I don't know of a production EV that does have that, other than the LEAF.) If you're considering the Fit EV lease in CA or Portland OR, I recommend that you seek out a dealer that handles the Fit EV and take it for a test drive on some curvy roads to get a feel for the difference between it and the LEAF.
 
This was posted on the Honda Fit page. Great idea, happy Halloween!

PHhWhe
1
 
Peder Norby has penned a nice blog post about his experience with the Fit so far. I quoted an interesting tidbit below.

4,000 Miles in the Honda Fit EV

Peder Norby said:
I recently spoke to a few Honda execs who visited our home and shared our story, lifestyles, likes (many) dislikes (few) about the car. After spending a few hours with them it is crystal clear to me that they are serious about EVs and planning a future including multiple EVs and PHEV’s in the near future. I am excited about the Honda Accord Plug-In that will produced in mass quantities, and I am optimistic about future EV products from Honda.
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1
 
I just leased a Fit EV -- took delivery yesterday of VIN 151, presumably out of 1100 they plan to make. We have had our Leaf for over 14 months and almost 12K miles, and I was basically never getting to drive it during the week, since it is perfect for my wife and kid to tool around town. I had been driving a 2001 Honda Insight, but I can't take my daughter to school in the morning with that car. So the Fit EV will be my daily driver, and we'll decide on weekends which car makes the most sense to take. Leaf pluses: more comfy, DC fast charge, more trunk space. Fit pluses: a bit more range (haven't really tested this out yet!), much faster 240v charging (2.5x faster, as measured by miles range per hour of charge), Sport mode when you don't care so much about range. The lease allows for 12K miles. Sadly, I probably won't use nearly all the allotted miles, unless we always choose the Fit over the Leaf for weekend trips. Guess I'll have to let people borrow it :). Nice that collision insurance is included -- that will save us a little. I justified the cost with a combination of gas savings, leveraging our solar electricity that we've already paid for, the $2500 CA rebate, and saving miles on our 12-year-old Audi that we use for long trips --I want to put off the brake overhaul that I know is coming soon, and city driving sure doesn't help there.

The Fit does feel more sporty than the Leaf, but the tradeoff is you really feel the bumps. I think the Leaf does a good job of compromising between handling and absorbing the bumps on our awful roads and freeways in California. The Fit doesn't have the steering feel of an Audi or BMW -- but it's precise if not particularly communicative. I'll have to see what I think in a month or two. I considered waiting for the 2013 Leaf, but owning two Leafs just seemed a bit boring. Might as well try out the competition. If someone was comparing the two as their first EV and asked me tomorrow which they should get, I'd probably recommend the Leaf to most people, especially given the lower lease rates we've seen lately. I expect the 2013 Leaf lease rates to be closer to the Fit EV, at least if the 6.6kW charger option and nav is chosen.

Nissan certainly seems to be better set up for EVs, and their telematics website is a lot of fun. I don't think Honda has anything like that. They are collecting the data, but I don't think the consumer can see it, at least not yet. I haven't even set up the "HondaLink" system -- can't get the PIN on a weekend! I will have to call them tomorrow.
 
KeiJidosha said:
leafedbehind said:
I just leased a Fit EV...
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Congratulations on the Fit EV. What are you doing about charging? Second EVSE or sharing?
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Thanks! For now, we're sharing the Blink in the garage that we got with the Leaf. The cable is just barely long enough to reach both cars if we park the Leaf farther from the charger than the Fit. Unfortunately, we mounted the charger on the right side of the garage, and the Fit has its charge port on the left side. At least it's not at the back of the car like on some EVs and plug-ins. The Leaf really got that part right.
 
This may have been mentioned earlier, but I can confirm that the level-2-upgraded portable charger from EVSEupgrade works fine on the Fit EV. FWIW, I confirmed that it does NOT work on the Toyota RAV4 EV.

Edit: I just re-read the EVSEupgrade website, and the reason for it not working with the RAV4 EV is probably that I have the "revision 2" version which runs at 16A, and the RAV4 may not be prepared for that.
 
any new updates how the Fit EV and Nissan Leaf comparisons?

I stuck right in the middle of which one I want. I would rather have the Fit EV based on longer range and "funnest" factor and rarity. But the Leaf deals of how much cheaper they are makes it difficult.

If you only had to pick one car, which one would you take?

Thanks
Leonard
 
Kansaisupra said:
any new updates how the Fit EV and Nissan Leaf comparisons?

I stuck right in the middle of which one I want. I would rather have the Fit EV based on longer range and "funnest" factor and rarity. But the Leaf deals of how much cheaper they are makes it difficult.

If you only had to pick one car, which one would you take?

Thanks
Leonard
Click to expand...
Regarding cheaper LEAF deals ... remember to take into account the collision insurance that's included on the FIT-EV (IIRC).
 
Really depends on your situation and how you will use the car. LEAF has clear price advantage, a Quick Charge option, and more room. Fit has better performance, range, Drive Mode selection, faster L2 charging, and included collision insurance. I choose the Fit EV, and would again even at current LEAF discount. For me, the right car mattered more than the cheapest price. But if acquisition cost is an issue, LEAF is very compelling. Are you comparing Leases? If you are buying, can you claim the full value of the Federal Tax credit on the LEAF?

You can rent a LEAF for a test drive, and ZipCar was to offer the FIT EV in the bay area. Have you driven either EV? Where are you located?
 
Does the FitEV qualify for the california cvrp rebate?

It does include collision insurance, and there's nothing due at the start of the lease except first month's payment. Not a bad deal, and an interesting vehicle.
 
BudRaymond said:
Does the FitEV qualify for the california cvrp rebate?
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Yes, per http://energycenter.org/index.php/incentive-programs/clean-vehicle-rebate-project/cvrp-eligible-vehicles" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;.

Side note: I was at the SF Auto Show on Monday and there was no indication anywhere in/around the Fit EV on display there that it was lease only. They had a Monroney sticker on display/attached to the car w/some high price ($40K-ish or something like that). I mentioned it being lease only to a few people who passed by and they were surprised. I told them I had no idea why.

Honda could at least do a little better job w/signage or something stating it's lease only.
 
cwerdna said:
I mentioned it being lease only to a few people who passed by and they were surprised. I told them I had no idea why. Honda could at least do a little better job w/signage or something stating it's lease only.
Click to expand...
This exactly how BMW did it with the ActiveE as well. The Monroney sticker said nothing about their lease-only program. I believe that both vehicles are considered to be test mules, although the Fit is likely closer to being a production car.
 
Good performance numbers. I looked at one at the LA autoshow. Was kind of surprised by the rear drum brakes, and plain halogen headlights.
 

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