The official "I got my Leaf" thread

[TNVOLSLeaf]

Catching a bus to Nashville to purchase a 2013 Slate Gray SL Premium Saturday morning and then driving about 225 miles to get home. I have 5 quick charge stops and one level 2 stop mapped out to get me back home in Pigeon Forge. Looks like we will get well acquainted with our new Leaf on the trip home.

Well its official, I purchased the Leaf and we drove from Nashville to Pigeon Forge last evening. I am worried that all of the quick charge stops to make the trip may have heated the battery too much.

This was after the last charge, 9 bars. We had been running 6 bars most of the day but it had seven bars when we began the final charge. We waited 10 minutes before starting the charge but the temp did not drop. If anyone can settle my concerns, please let me know.

Anyway, when gas prices go up again and they say you just gotta take it, No you don't.

 

[bronsonb]

Catching a bus to Nashville to purchase a 2013 Slate Gray SL Premium Saturday morning and then driving about 225 miles to get home. I have 5 quick charge stops and one level 2 stop mapped out to get me back home in Pigeon Forge. Looks like we will get well acquainted with our new Leaf on the trip home.

Well its official, I purchased the Leaf and we drove from Nashville to Pigeon Forge last evening. I am worried that all of the quick charge stops to make the trip may have heated the battery too much.

This was after the last charge, 9 bars. We had been running 6 bars most of the day but it had seven bars when we began the final charge. We waited 10 minutes before starting the charge but the temp did not drop. If anyone can settle my concerns, please let me know.

Anyway, when gas prices go up again and they say you just gotta take it, No you don't.

It's not in the red zone, so maybe it's OK? I really don't know. Mine has always been low...maybe 4 or 5 bars on the temp meter. Did you see it heat up after the first quick charge? Just curious...Being in GA, I've not yet been able to quick charge.

 

[abasile]

This was after the last charge, 9 bars. We had been running 6 bars most of the day but it had seven bars when we began the final charge. We waited 10 minutes before starting the charge but the temp did not drop. If anyone can settle my concerns, please let me know.

Congratulations on the new LEAF!

Without a doubt, the battery pack degrades far more quickly when its temperature is that high. Your pack probably has a small amount of premature capacity loss as a result. I wouldn't sweat it, as it's probably not enough to notice. But I would absolutely avoid, barring an emergency, letting the pack get that hot in the future. On a long trip, I prefer to extend the range per charge by driving more slowly and reducing the number of quick charges. When possible, I also try to avoid quick charging above 60-80%, as it's when the battery is more full that charging heats it the most.

So, what is a good battery temperature? 5 bars or below is ideal. At 6 bars, you really should avoid habitually leaving the car at a high state of charge (close to 75% or above) for many hours. At 7 bars, I try to avoid quick charging and lower the state of charge ASAP, ideally to 30%.

The Tesla S will cool its battery pack when 'Supercharging', but that's in a whole different price range!

 

[TNVOLSLeaf]

It's not in the red zone, so maybe it's OK? I really don't know. Mine has always been low...maybe 4 or 5 bars on the temp meter. Did you see it heat up after the first quick charge? Just curious...Being in GA, I've not yet been able to quick charge.

The temp was at 6 bars after the 1st quick charge (80%). I arrived at my 2nd stop with only 9 miles remaining but I could not initially get the quick charger to work and hooked to a level 2 charger at that location. After a couple of hours, the manager of the facility reset the breakers and I finished charging with the quick charger but took it to 100%. I can't say for certain when the temperature increased but at my next to last stop it was at 7. I arrived at my last stop with 14 miles and again quick charged to 100%. It was while driving this final leg home that I noticed the 9 bar. Very tired from a long day so I wasn't paying the best attention. I was near the house when I did notice and took the photograph.

I am very grateful to the Cracker Barrel chain for providing Level 3 quick chargers spaced nicely between Nashville and Knoxville. It made this trip possible and especially since the level 3 quick chargers are free.

 

[surfingslovak]

and again quick charged to 100%

It might be wise to avoid QCing to 100%, if possible.

 

[TNVOLSLeaf]

Congratulations on the new LEAF!

Without a doubt, the battery pack degrades far more quickly when its temperature is that high. Your pack probably has a small amount of premature capacity loss as a result. I wouldn't sweat it, as it's probably not enough to notice. But I would absolutely avoid, barring an emergency, letting the pack get that hot in the future. On a long trip, I prefer to extend the range per charge by driving more slowly and reducing the number of quick charges. When possible, I also try to avoid quick charging above 60-80%, as it's when the battery is more full that charging heats it the most.

So, what is a good battery temperature? 5 bars or below is ideal. At 6 bars, you really should avoid habitually leaving the car at a high state of charge (close to 75% or above) for many hours. At 7 bars, I try to avoid quick charging and lower the state of charge ASAP, ideally to 30%.

The Tesla S will cool its battery pack when 'Supercharging', but that's in a whole different price range!

Thanks for the advice. I have no plans for long trips in this vehicle again. That is what my Tahoe is for.

The vehicle had 6 bars on the temp gauge when I picked it up. I have not seen it below that. Sounds like this is something that I need to research more and pay close attention to. I purchased and I plan to keep the Leaf for many years to come.

 

[cgaydos]

I am no expert but I know Nissan recommends only one Quick Charge per day.

 

[abasile]

The vehicle had 6 bars on the temp gauge when I picked it up. I have not seen it below that. Sounds like this is something that I need to research more and pay close attention to. I purchased and I plan to keep the Leaf for many years to come.

I also own my LEAF and intend to keep it for a long time, so knowing how to optimize battery life is valuable to me. 6 temperature bars generally means the battery pack is between 74 and 98 degrees, a pretty wide range. From what I understand, it's somewhere above 80 degrees combined with high states of charge that the degradation rate increases the most. The best advice is probably to be in the habit, using a charging timer, of charging the LEAF right before you plan to use it. During warm and hot weather it's best if most hours are spent at moderate states of charge like 30-40%. If you don't drive many miles, then consider charging to only 50% or so.

Also keep in mind that the battery has a lot of thermal mass and can take hours to reach the ambient temperature. In my case it has likely helped that I park outdoors (no garage here) and the battery has plenty of time to cool each night. Of course, that can become a negative during the winter, as a truly cold battery has somewhat less capacity (though it's only temporary).

Hope you enjoy the LEAF as much as I have, and don't stress over the battery care! Just do what you can while meeting your needs.

 

[TimLee]

The temp was at 6 bars after the 1st quick charge (80%). I arrived at my 2nd stop with only 9 miles remaining but I could not initially get the quick charger to work and hooked to a level 2 charger at that location. After a couple of hours, the manager of the facility reset the breakers and I finished charging with the quick charger but took it to 100%. I can't say for certain when the temperature increased but at my next to last stop it was at 7. I arrived at my last stop with 14 miles and again quick charged to 100%. It was while driving this final leg home that I noticed the 9 bar. Very tired from a long day so I wasn't paying the best attention. I was near the house when I did notice and took the photograph.

I am very grateful to the Cracker Barrel chain for providing Level 3 quick chargers spaced nicely between Nashville and Knoxville. It made this trip possible and especially since the level 3 quick chargers are free.

9 temp bars is a lot. The most I've seen so far in 12,000 miles was 8 bars but that was on a very hot 103F day after spirited driving and DCFC to 80%.
I did one trip Chattanooga to Knoxville with 3 DCFC going, and 4 coming back home, but there was about a 4 hour delay before the return home trip.
The 7th DCFC of the day, the temp hit 7 bars near the end of the 80% DCFC.
I agree that the Cracker Barrel DCFC stations are great, since Blink appears to have gotten them working fairly reliably.
The problem is that the eVProject was listening to the "so called 100 mile range capability" of the LEAF, and has them too far apart.
In going from Athens to Farragut on an 80% DCFC at 70 mph, in a 12,000 mile LEAF that has around 11% battery degradation according to Stoaty's degradation model, I had to turn off the heat for 2/3 of the drive and slow down to 65 mph, and just barely made it to Farragut with 2 miles on the DTE.
As several people in Nashville mentioned about a year back, it is probably more effective DCFC and better for the battery to stay under 60 mph.
But that is awfully slow compared to most other drivers on the interstate in TN.
What average speed did you achieve Nashville to Pigeon Forge?
I achieve 38 mph overall from Ooltewah (northeast of Chattanooga) to downtown Knoxville.
It is difficult to achieve more than an overall 40 mph speed for travel beyond 70 miles in the LEAF using DCFC.

 

[TimLee]

Well its official, I purchased the Leaf and we drove from Nashville to Pigeon Forge last evening.

I forgot to say, CONGRATULATIONS!!!!
Would the dealer not deliver it to you, or did you just want the joy of driving it back home?
Gallatin dealer delivered my 2011 on trailer to my drive way, no extra charge.
But Nashville to Pigeon Forge is about twice as far as Gallatin to Ooltewah.

 

[TNVOLSLeaf]

I forgot to say, CONGRATULATIONS!!!!
Would the dealer not deliver it to you, or did you just want the joy of driving it back home?
Gallatin dealer delivered my 2011 on trailer to my drive way, no extra charge.
But Nashville to Pigeon Forge is about twice as far as Gallatin to Ooltewah.

It did not occur to me to ask about delivery. I wanted to buy the same car locally but the dealership wanted to stay with sticker price and the Nashville dealership gave me $3,500 off... so....

I was running around 65 most of the trip but did have segments where I upped it to 70 and even a couple of quick burst to 75 when going around trucks. On the leg between Lebanon and Cookeville, you are increasing elevation and I was concerned about having sufficient charge to make the trip, I set the cruise on 60, stuck my butt in the right hand lane and let the other cars fly past me.

 

[TNVOLSLeaf]

I am no expert but I know Nissan recommends only one Quick Charge per day.

I asked about that to the rep and she showed me in the owner's manual where that is not the case.

She did not think I would have any problem but did recommend the 10 minute cool down period after stopping before hooking up the charger.

With this in mind, I started the trip. With something new, sometimes you learn as you go.

 

[LEAFfan]

I am no expert but I know Nissan recommends only one Quick Charge per day.

That was in the 2011 manual, then later they changed the manual to read that multiples were ok.

 

[tomarseneault]

Hi all
Got my Leaf on Sat (just went there to ask some charging questions but they had exactly what I wanted in stock, right color scheme and everything). I'm Leasing and the Lease cost is a little higher than I liked until I figured in my Gas savings, cut my payment almost in half. And since I did not have to do some much needed repairs on my truck, there went my down payment.

My commute is about 40 Miles a day and I'm in the SF bay area so very moderate weather. Where I work does have a few charging stations but it's quite a walk to my building. I'll try trickle charging for a while (no charger at home) from what I've read in this forum it works for quite a few people just fine.

My equipment: Silver w/black interior SV. 6.6 w/quick charger option (no quick charge in area yet)

I drive it in ECO mode, makes it a little slugish off the line but I've never been a drag racer. Just need to take it out of ECO on one spot in my commute with a short merge on the freeway (nice pep w/o ECO). Found if I don't watch it I tend to speed, which was a nice suprise. I pushed 3 dots on my commute execpt for the bridge, got up to 4. And I noticed that I got almost 2 mile back using the regen brakeing system to slow down when exiting the freeway.

The only complaints I have about the car are the thick posts on either side of the windsheild obstructs my view of the corners when at a cross walk and although the car itself is very quiet, rough roads or those with the water guidance groves in it are very noisy. Over ride though is better than my truck (2002 Nissa Frontier), which was very car like.

Tom

 

[mybleaf]

This may be boring, but it's my story - so here goes. I started looking at the Leaf back in 2010 and had a reservation to purchase, but passed it up. I picked up a Challenger R/T and essentially postponed my desire to do what was right for my desire to enjoy a mid life crisis car. Turns out it was a good decision. I just sold the Challenger at a net cost of $1,500/yr of depreciation.

Now to my Leaf. The price reduction, advancements with the 2013 and impending economic recovery/correlated gas price increases made the new Leaf ("b" Leaf) the right decision. Now that this vehicle satisfies my "sustainability" test of alternative fuels that actually make financial sense, I pulled the trigger.

I got the fully loaded SL in black with premium sound. She's a beaut clark. I payed $1,500 below invoice and am very happy with the car. At 6'5" I still have head room. My family of 4 fits perfectly (little kiddos). The car has clearly been designed from scratch vs. the confines of existing vehicles. Driving it provides me with the kind of joy that I had in rolling a sweet remote controlled car down the street as a child.

Having worked for an oil company, I can tell you - we are all doing good stuff by supporting this movement. I am happy to join this outstanding group of pioneers (better late than never) and I am humbled by the collection of brilliant people who have contributed to this board and made my Leaf possible.

 

[LEAFfan]

Tom, there's just as much pep in ECO. You just have to push the pedal farther. I always leave it in B ECO, but coast in N every chance I get which increases your miles and m/kW h more than regen unless you have really steep hills or mountains.

 

[TimLee]

The price reduction, advancements with the 2013 and impending economic recovery/correlated gas price increases made the new Leaf ("b" Leaf) the right decision. Now that this vehicle satisfies my "sustainability" test of alternative fuels that actually make financial sense, I pulled the trigger.

I got the fully loaded SL in black with premium sound. She's a beaut clark. I payed $1,500 below invoice and am very happy with the car. At 6'5" I still have head room. My family of 4 fits perfectly (little kiddos). The car has clearly been designed from scratch vs. the confines of existing vehicles. Driving it provides me with the kind of joy that I had in rolling a sweet remote controlled car down the street as a child.

Having worked for an oil company, I can tell you - we are all doing good stuff by supporting this movement. I am happy to join this outstanding group of pioneers (better late than never) and I am humbled by the collection of brilliant people who have contributed to this board and made my Leaf possible.

+1
Congratulations on your new LEAF!
I've been driving a 2011 for nearly two years now, and although there are a few things I don't like, the car still puts a smile on my face every time I drive it.
I test drove a 2013 SL like yours, and it is a great car. BIG improvements over 2011/2013, although I would miss the electric parking brake.
If I had just leased instead of bought, might upgrade to it, but cost of that is just too high right now.
Did you lease or buy?

 

[mybleaf]

I purchased my Leaf. Even when I was first considering a Leaf it was always a "buy" for me. The final price after tax and all fees was about $36k. After California rebate and tax incentives the net cost is $26k. Not bad. I think we are at an inflection point where values on these vehicles won't plummet. If battery technology improves - 100 mile batteries will get cheaper. Gas prices will increase as the economy improves - electric car values will hold. Gov't incentives will go away = newer electric cars will become more expensive. Quick chargers will come online more steadily = perception of these cars will become better.

I love all of the incentives. On top of the $10k, I am going to save about$100/month from the SMUD EV Innovators program. So total energy savings per month is $350 - nice! Also, I get free parking in any Sacramento City garage - and free charging. Nice deal - saves up to $18/day in parking costs!

 

[TimLee]

I purchased my Leaf. Even when I was first considering a Leaf it was always a "buy" for me. The final price after tax and all fees was about $36k. After California rebate and tax incentives the net cost is $26k. Not bad. I think we are at an inflection point where values on these vehicles won't plummet. If battery technology improves - 100 mile batteries will get cheaper. Gas prices will increase as the economy improves - electric car values will hold. Gov't incentives will go away = newer electric cars will become more expensive. Quick chargers will come online more steadily = perception of these cars will become better.

I love all of the incentives. On top of the $10k, I am going to save about$100/month from the SMUD EV Innovators program. So total energy savings per month is $350 - nice! Also, I get free parking in any Sacramento City garage - and free charging. Nice deal - saves up to $18/day in parking costs!

I hope you are right about the used EV values. But I wasn't quite as confident in this after dealer would only offer $15,500 on trade-in of a 2011 LEAF with 12,000 miles, that cost $34,000 in May 2011, $24,000 after federal and state incentives (not counting taxes, registration, etc.)

Your Sacramento incentives are amazing. Just be careful to avoid summer peak charging between 4PM and 7PM at 42.6 cents/kWh, and especially charging on Conservation days, which is $3.50 per kWh after use of 2 kWh.

 

[mybleaf]

Peak is $.27...not terrible at all. I am currently running at $.14, so I stand to save $100/month with the program. Here are the details:

https://www.smud.org/en/residential/environment/plug-in-electric-vehicles/EV-innovators/whole-house-plan.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;