Gavin
Well-known member
I second the thanks Chris...great video
Me=jealous
Gavin
Me=jealous
Gavin
Photos of under the hood!
- Thread starter Bicster
- Start date
Help Support My Nissan Leaf Forum:
Azrich
Well-known member
Chris, thanks for the great test drive video. I have a couple questions:
You asked whether the LEAF would have "creep" on a hill. I live in hilly area of Tucson so this is very important to me. Is there anything else you can tell us about this?
It appears the top of the motor chamber is sealed off, like you said possibly from dirt. Were you able to tell if the bottom of the motor chamber was also sealed? Again, Tucson has a lot of blowing dust at times, but have more of a problem with the pack rats that sometimes get in our garage. They are notorious for chewing on the wire insulation in car engines.
And finally, would you compare the size of the front seats (leg room and head room) to a Prius or another model for us. I'm 6 foot 2 inches and I don't want my head to touch the ceiling.
Thanks for answering our questions.
You asked whether the LEAF would have "creep" on a hill. I live in hilly area of Tucson so this is very important to me. Is there anything else you can tell us about this?
It appears the top of the motor chamber is sealed off, like you said possibly from dirt. Were you able to tell if the bottom of the motor chamber was also sealed? Again, Tucson has a lot of blowing dust at times, but have more of a problem with the pack rats that sometimes get in our garage. They are notorious for chewing on the wire insulation in car engines.
And finally, would you compare the size of the front seats (leg room and head room) to a Prius or another model for us. I'm 6 foot 2 inches and I don't want my head to touch the ceiling.
Thanks for answering our questions.
garygid
Well-known member
Since I have a long trunk, I am also interested in the height issue.
With the new "lowering" of the driver seat in the 2010 Prius, I fit in there nicely.
Az...,
Maybe Rat Traps and plugging or screening holes need to be part of your pre-Leaf preparation?
With the new "lowering" of the driver seat in the 2010 Prius, I fit in there nicely.
Az...,
Maybe Rat Traps and plugging or screening holes need to be part of your pre-Leaf preparation?
Azrich
Well-known member
garygid said:
Done that, Gary. We have electronic noise makers plugged in, have sprayed the scent of bobcats at any openings, and have two live traps set. (Can't stand to kill the little guys since they look so much like Mickey Mouse! They say you need to take them at least five miles away when you release them, or they will come back to the "home". I take my captures to work, 22 miles away, and release them in a field for their new life in the desert. ) Actually we have been pack rat free for about 6 months now.
garygid
Well-known member
22 mile relocation ...
so 44 rats each move over a half mile, and "presto", you have a new tennant before you leave work to head home.
I syspect that leaving "bait" (food) in the garage is also a thing to avoid?
6 months Rat-free, reminds me of those AA meetings! (grin)
Good Work!
so 44 rats each move over a half mile, and "presto", you have a new tennant before you leave work to head home.
I syspect that leaving "bait" (food) in the garage is also a thing to avoid?
6 months Rat-free, reminds me of those AA meetings! (grin)
Good Work!
Scuba72Chris
New member
- Joined
- May 2, 2010
- Messages
- 4
Azrich,
If you're used to driving a car with standard auto transmission then you should feel at home in the Leaf. The car does indeed have creep and the guy I spoke to confirmed that the car shouldn't roll back on a hill start. I couldn't confirm this as my short test drive was on level ground.
The 'engine' compartment is sealed top and bottom (the whole underside of the car is covered by a smooth fairing). There is an air inlet at the front of the car however, where the radiator would be on a regular car. I guess this is to allow cooling air to flow over the electronics and batteries.
As for cabin space and comfort, obviously I wasn't able to sit in the Leaf but I did stick my head in and have a good look around. What's immediately apparent is that this car looks bigger in the flesh than it does in the pictures I've seen. The cabin is very roomy and looks like a pleasant place to spend time in. I have been assured that headroom will be more than adequate for taller drivers. The size of the car is comparable to other 'C' segment vehicles such as the Ford Focus. I don't know if you guys have the Citroen C4 over there but that's what I drive currently and is also pretty much the same size as the Leaf. I have to say though, the prototype I drove had MUCH more power than my Citroen!
Chris.
If you're used to driving a car with standard auto transmission then you should feel at home in the Leaf. The car does indeed have creep and the guy I spoke to confirmed that the car shouldn't roll back on a hill start. I couldn't confirm this as my short test drive was on level ground.
The 'engine' compartment is sealed top and bottom (the whole underside of the car is covered by a smooth fairing). There is an air inlet at the front of the car however, where the radiator would be on a regular car. I guess this is to allow cooling air to flow over the electronics and batteries.
As for cabin space and comfort, obviously I wasn't able to sit in the Leaf but I did stick my head in and have a good look around. What's immediately apparent is that this car looks bigger in the flesh than it does in the pictures I've seen. The cabin is very roomy and looks like a pleasant place to spend time in. I have been assured that headroom will be more than adequate for taller drivers. The size of the car is comparable to other 'C' segment vehicles such as the Ford Focus. I don't know if you guys have the Citroen C4 over there but that's what I drive currently and is also pretty much the same size as the Leaf. I have to say though, the prototype I drove had MUCH more power than my Citroen!
Chris.
Scuba72Chris
New member
- Joined
- May 2, 2010
- Messages
- 4
One other bit of info... I asked how much the Leaf weighs. The answer: 1.6 metric tonnes (1600kg). Whichever way you cut it, that's a lot of weight for a car of its size!
Chris.
Chris.
Wow! That is much higher than I was anticipating (~3500 lbs) . I figured around 2900 lbsScuba72Chris said:
From this Aug.2009 Autoblog.com piece :
I figured comparable meant Nissan Versa which is about 2700 lbs. There is a rather large discrepancy here.
garygid
Well-known member
3520 pounds, ... well, not a lap-puppy.
But with the low CG, it should (aerodynamics permitting) "stick" down fairly well.
But with the low CG, it should (aerodynamics permitting) "stick" down fairly well.
Scuba72Chris
New member
- Joined
- May 2, 2010
- Messages
- 4
A few thoughts on tires and batteries...
It doesn't look like a spare wheel will be provided with the car. I guess it would add unnecessary weight (like the car isn't heavy enough already!) and it would also take up valuable battery space. That means either selling the car with run-flats or providing a 'get-me-home' puncture repair kit. You know the type of thing, some kind of gloop you pump into the tire to seal up the hole.
I'm guessing it's going to be the latter option as it's A.-cheaper and B.-Run flats give a very hard ride.
The Leaf prototype was fitted with Bridgestone Ecopia (low rolling resistance) rubber. These tires are current production models so it's fair to expect the final production Leaf will be sold with these.
Another thing that intrigues me is how the batteries will be protected in the event of a crash. Anyone who has experience of laminated lithium ion batteries will know that they need to be treated with a bit or respect. Damage or overcharge a pack and you might end up with something that looks like a magnesium flare! There were quite a few Nissan employees from surrounding dealers at the event. They were there to learn what to expect when they have to start supporting these cars next year. I listened in to the guy who was explaining the battery technology to them. He had a 'cutaway' battery module to show them, which had been accidentally dropped earlier that day and had a nice big dent in the corner of the aluminium housing. Obviously the modules themselves aren't built to withstand a large impact so maybe it's down to the placement/structure of the car. One thing I did learn is that if you do experience any battery problems then your main dealer will have some kind of diagnostic tool which will pinpoint any problem cells and allow just those cells to be swapped out. Much quicker and cheaper than having to replace the whole pack.
Some of the comments I read on here did make me cringe though. Such as Nissan not getting any more money out of them for a proper charger. As far as I'm aware, the car can be connected directly to an AC outlet in your house but the official charger has diagnostic & monitoring software built in to it which should protect your expensive batteries / balance cell voltages etc. I know the chargers aren't particularly cheap but they should provide years of service and should be compatible with any EV you have in the future.
Chris
It doesn't look like a spare wheel will be provided with the car. I guess it would add unnecessary weight (like the car isn't heavy enough already!) and it would also take up valuable battery space. That means either selling the car with run-flats or providing a 'get-me-home' puncture repair kit. You know the type of thing, some kind of gloop you pump into the tire to seal up the hole.
I'm guessing it's going to be the latter option as it's A.-cheaper and B.-Run flats give a very hard ride.
The Leaf prototype was fitted with Bridgestone Ecopia (low rolling resistance) rubber. These tires are current production models so it's fair to expect the final production Leaf will be sold with these.
Another thing that intrigues me is how the batteries will be protected in the event of a crash. Anyone who has experience of laminated lithium ion batteries will know that they need to be treated with a bit or respect. Damage or overcharge a pack and you might end up with something that looks like a magnesium flare! There were quite a few Nissan employees from surrounding dealers at the event. They were there to learn what to expect when they have to start supporting these cars next year. I listened in to the guy who was explaining the battery technology to them. He had a 'cutaway' battery module to show them, which had been accidentally dropped earlier that day and had a nice big dent in the corner of the aluminium housing. Obviously the modules themselves aren't built to withstand a large impact so maybe it's down to the placement/structure of the car. One thing I did learn is that if you do experience any battery problems then your main dealer will have some kind of diagnostic tool which will pinpoint any problem cells and allow just those cells to be swapped out. Much quicker and cheaper than having to replace the whole pack.
Some of the comments I read on here did make me cringe though. Such as Nissan not getting any more money out of them for a proper charger. As far as I'm aware, the car can be connected directly to an AC outlet in your house but the official charger has diagnostic & monitoring software built in to it which should protect your expensive batteries / balance cell voltages etc. I know the chargers aren't particularly cheap but they should provide years of service and should be compatible with any EV you have in the future.
Chris
sjfotos
Well-known member
Chris, thank you for that very informative post. This is the first I have seen the possible specific Bridgestone tire identified.
sjfotos
Well-known member
Here is a link to the Ecopia tires used on the Prius. I never knew there was a specific tire made for the RAV4 EV vehicles, but there is one in this same Ecopia line.
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Bridgestone&tireModel=Ecopia+EP20
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Bridgestone&tireModel=Ecopia+EP20
