The official "I got my Leaf" thread

[tree1]

Just got my 2014 SV+QC yesterday.
Drove to work today first time (20 miles one way).

Play with gear D, B, Econ. Try to use B as much as possible.
Enjoy 2 good feelings so far:
1. Change from econ to non-econ mode, the leaf accelerates nicely with interesting boost power/speed!
2. In general accelerate from 0, the motor generates increasing V V V.. noise. Sounds exactly like the Fast remote electric race toy car! What a feeling!

On the way home, stop by a college parking lot, just did my first charging (up to 95% full in 29 mins!) using a public charge station.
Start the charging journey....

Haven't got time to read the manual. No time to set up car wings either.
Just drive, charge and enjoy!

I think 100% EV is 'the' right choice for me!!

Start to plan for a 45 miles trip (one way) next.....

 

[MD56]

Leased a 2014 SL + QC + Premium package in Pearl White yesterday.

Was not my first color choice, not even my 2nd color choice but I got what I think is a good deal so I bit the bullet. Pearl white looks good, it's just not a color that I would have ever picked before. I think once the windows are tinted it'll look really good.

My job has twelve level-2 charging stations available so I'm hoping to do all of my charging on my works dime

One thing that is tough is getting my head around all of the tech. I'm familiar with all of it, there's just so many menu features that it's hard to know exactly what I have.

For a new Leaf owner, what are some things that I need to know that I may not know yet? Are there certain features that I'm really going to want to get familiar with? I'm hoping you seasoned vets can provide some insight.

Thanks

 

[gaspasser]

Picked up my 2015 Leaf SV with Premium package 8/1/2014. Silver, premium package. Bought for ~$24,500 after incentives and tax credit from Nissan Team North in Lebanon NH. O% financing x 3 years. Saleperson Danielle Thibodeau could not have been more honest and attentive. Zero pressure, no dealership games. She drove me an hour each way to their sister dealership in Manchester NH to pick up the car on very short notice so my ICE care would not be stranded. Financing guy was absolutely zero pressure about the extra packages/warranties which I declined. Was in and out of the dealership, including processing the financing in about 90 minutes. They checked the car over and solved a small glitch or two while I was there. Handles beautifully, poring over the manuals, successfully linked to Carwings. Almost too fun to drive..... almost. Who would of thought that a commuter car could bring the fun back into driving?

I'd like to thank all on the forum who provided balanced advice and guidance. Now on to deciding on which EVSE to get for home.... I can wire and install it myself. Don't need glitz, prefer low profile and reliablity. Will use OEM dealer supplied charger at EVSE at work (free juice). Any thoughts?

Many thanks!

 

[Staque]

Team Nissan North was instrumental in getting my Leaf deal in Albany NY. I walked into my local dealer with a quote from Team Nissan North for $2500 less than MSRP. Local dealer made serious frowny faces and matched it. :lol: So, my thanks to Team Nissan North as well!

 

[Phatcat73]

Team Nissan North was instrumental in getting my Leaf deal in Albany NY. I walked into my local dealer with a quote from Team Nissan North for $2500 less than MSRP. Local dealer made serious frowny faces and matched it. :lol: So, my thanks to Team Nissan North as well!

Is that $2500 off on top of the $3500 nissan rebate?

 

[Staque]

Team Nissan North was instrumental in getting my Leaf deal in Albany NY. I walked into my local dealer with a quote from Team Nissan North for $2500 less than MSRP. Local dealer made serious frowny faces and matched it. :lol: So, my thanks to Team Nissan North as well!

Is that $2500 off on top of the $3500 nissan rebate?

That was more than a year ago when I bought my 2013. (Sorry for that lack of detail.) There was no rebate at that time.

 

[Kipp]

Got my Leaf 12 days ago.

I was surprised I'd actually buy an EV. I needed to replace my aging 1999 Silverado pickup with something more targeted toward commuting back and forth to work. I hardly used the pickup for its intended purpose. If need be, I'll rent a pickup at HD, or use my sons'.

I saw the 2014 clearance sales in Dallas, and after adding up all the columns in my spreadsheet, I found that I could basically lease a Leaf for what it cost me to just operate my pickup. That includes all costs, including level 2 charger install, $20.00-$30.00 electricity per month to charge, insurance, maintenance, taxes, etc. etc. I left nothing out.

Replaced my Silverado with a brand spankin' new 2014 gun-metal metallic SL + premium package + window tint + + +. I Left nothing out. Even got a 15000mi/yr lease.

I couldn't be happier. I've become a great fan of electrics, and the Nissan Leaf in particular.

This car is bundled fun, and I was genuinely surprised: I can carry my two 6'5" 350lb. high school football linemen sons in the passenger/back seats, without too much drama (for the short commutes, at least). My wife and mother-in-law love the car. Brother-in-law is selling his mini, looking for an inexpensive commuter replacement. He's interested now as well.

This thing makes very few compromises. Full comfort, and cold air (in Texas, mind you). Plus, state offers an $1875.00 rebate for 36-month lessees of electrics!

If the battery issues had looked better, I might have bought instead of leased. When the lease expires in 3 years, I'll be back. If the battery issues look resolved (plus the expected mileage gains with newer tech batteries to around 150 miles/charge), I will buy next time around, no question.

 

[Houdini]

Got mine last Wednesday. Love it.

It's a 2013 build but a Gen one as we only get those down here (down under).

 

[Zurc]

Congrats.
That White looks nice.
Mine is Red.

Zurc

 

[greengate]

Got my Leaf 12 days ago.

I was surprised I'd actually buy an EV. I needed to replace my aging 1999 Silverado pickup with something more targeted toward commuting back and forth to work. I hardly used the pickup for its intended purpose. If need be, I'll rent a pickup at HD, or use my sons'.

I saw the 2014 clearance sales in Dallas, and after adding up all the columns in my spreadsheet, I found that I could basically lease a Leaf for what it cost me to just operate my pickup. That includes all costs, including level 2 charger install, $20.00-$30.00 electricity per month to charge, insurance, maintenance, taxes, etc. etc. I left nothing out.

Replaced my Silverado with a brand spankin' new 2014 gun-metal metallic SL + premium package + window tint + + +. I Left nothing out. Even got a 15000mi/yr lease.

I couldn't be happier. I've become a great fan of electrics, and the Nissan Leaf in particular.

This car is bundled fun, and I was genuinely surprised: I can carry my two 6'5" 350lb. high school football linemen sons in the passenger/back seats, without too much drama (for the short commutes, at least). My wife and mother-in-law love the car. Brother-in-law is selling his mini, looking for an inexpensive commuter replacement. He's interested now as well.

This thing makes very few compromises. Full comfort, and cold air (in Texas, mind you). Plus, state offers an $1875.00 rebate for 36-month lessees of electrics!

If the battery issues had looked better, I might have bought instead of leased. When the lease expires in 3 years, I'll be back. If the battery issues look resolved (plus the expected mileage gains with newer tech batteries to around 150 miles/charge), I will buy next time around, no question.

It all depends upon ones needs.

I bought because I knew I would be no more than 30 miles from home where I could recharge in the evening. As it turns out, after 18 months I only have 7,200 miles on the car and I recharge on about every 3rd night so buying has worked well for me.

 

[SamLeaf15SLP]

Hi All,

I am new to the forum and I just bought a white 2015 Leaf SLP at the Kearny Mesa Mossy Nissan, San Diego, CA a few days ago. I am a Toyota guy since birth and
it was a struggle for me to switch brand at first. As soon as I test drove the Leaf though, not only that I saw great quality but I felt it to the core. The dealership
gave me a lot of reason it was time to trade in my Prius and I did not hesitate.

I was very anxious the first week driving the Leaf due to the limited driving range it provides, which is an official 84 miles. At first glance of the stats, my commute of exactly 70 miles/day was well within the Leaf's range. The actual 70 mile drive for a few days I have to admit made me nervous because I was still driving at a speed that I have gotten used to with my Prius - 70+ mph average.

If there was a real snag I initially encountered, it came from the free charge card registrations with numerous EV Charging providers. Although I was told it would take up to three days for the card to be recognized at the "pump", it took more than two weeks to the card to finally working - I had to make several calls in the process which were the times I needed the fast charging.

Overall, I may have found a vehicle worth keeping for a few years. For the past 25 years, I have been changing vehicles at a rate of every two years - mainly due to all sorts of highway/driving noise. The Leaf is almost as silent as our previous Lexus LX vehicle - we wanted to keep it until the end but I had to get rid of it due to the ever growing feeling of seemingly being taken advantage of by the oil business. Because of this feeling, my main goal is to have all of our vehicles to be gasoline-free as soon as possible.

In conclusion, buying the Leaf was not really about (totally) decided on helping with environmental initiatives but to break from the chains of being an active participant to adding trillions of income for oil businesses around the globe. I could no longer stand having to be toyed with on fuel hikes whenever they want because
I had no choice. Now that I do, I am very happy with my decision to buy a Nissan product and the Leaf was a perfect bridge for me in breaking free of the "oil" chains. Thank you Nissan and thank you all who drive electric vehicles who gave me inspiration to break free!!!

 

[TimLee]

Hi All,


In conclusion, buying the Leaf was not really about (totally) decided on helping with environmental initiatives but to break from the chains of being an active participant to adding trillions of income for oil businesses around the globe. I could no longer stand having to be toyed with on fuel hikes whenever they want because I had no choice.
Now that I do, I am very happy with my decision to buy a Nissan product and the Leaf was a perfect bridge for me in breaking free of the "oil" chains. Thank you Nissan and thank you all who drive electric vehicles who gave me inspiration to break free!!!

Welcome!!!
Been driving a LEAF for 39 months.
Still pleased with the choice!.
Someone was admiring the choice yesterday.
Have been a few low points with Nissan behaviour but at this point I still consider it to be a good choice!

 

[DNAinaGoodWay]

Yes, welcome SamLeaf15SLP. Even with that long commute, you sound like you'll do just fine. In a couple years, you can trade it in for a longer range EV, but for now, you're still part of the cutting edge.
Read a lot here, you'll learn tons. Assume you've found PlugShare.com?

Enjoy.

Edit: P.S. you were born in a Toyota?

 

[RonDawg]

SamLeaf,

Do you have the ability to charge at work? While it is unknown at this time how much your battery will degrade (since it uses a new chemistry), as the car ages you might find yourself experiencing range anxiety, particularly in winter as the car's battery won't hold as much juice and other factors will cause you to use more kWH/mile. But being able to plug in at even 120 volt during your work day will make your commute home a lot less nerve-wracking.

A 240 volt charging station at your home is going to be a must for your commute. If you plan on relying on public charging stations for your primary charging needs....don't. Way too much can go wrong. A big problem is ICE'ing (non-EV's blocking the charging stations) and there is even a whole thread devoted to that behavior. And as EV's become more popular, there will be queues at existing stations that aren't ICEd or broken.

 

[RonDawg]

Edit: P.S. you were born in a Toyota?

Possibly. Maybe his parents didn't quite make it to the hospital in time. Plus there's the matter of possibly being conceived in one :lol:

 

[Zurc]

Yes!!!! Another person breaks free from liquid fuel. Three cheers!!!!!

That was my prime motivator as well. So very tired of watching the prices fluctuate and keep rising and my pocket book deflating.
Now I use the money I used to spend on fuel to help pay for my leaf. Much better investment in my opinion.

Been driving mine for over a month and no regrets about changing over.
The car could fit better but I'm happy with it anyways.

Zurc.

 

[SamLeaf15SLP]

Hi Ron,

A Juicebox was installed in my garage right away after my charge card did not work the first week of purchase. I have the scheduler on Leaf to charge after midnight every night.

I have to drive another two miles from work to get to a regular L2 Charger, but I really don't need to, I have 25+ miles left of charge when I reach my garage at night. I have been driving below 60 mph though, slower than truck speed most of the time. I still have to get used to people inching my ass and flash from their headlights for not going above the speed limit. : ) Drivers follow me too close because they either admire my Leaf or they are simply jealous I am not buying gas anymore!

SamLeaf,

Do you have the ability to charge at work? While it is unknown at this time how much your battery will degrade (since it uses a new chemistry), as the car ages you might find yourself experiencing range anxiety, particularly in winter as the car's battery won't hold as much juice and other factors will cause you to use more kWH/mile. But being able to plug in at even 120 volt during your work day will make your commute home a lot less nerve-wracking.

A 240 volt charging station at your home is going to be a must for your commute. If you plan on relying on public charging stations for your primary charging needs....don't. Way too much can go wrong. A big problem is ICE'ing (non-EV's blocking the charging stations) and there is even a whole thread devoted to that behavior. And as EV's become more popular, there will be queues at existing stations that aren't ICEd or broken.

 

[SamLeaf15SLP]

Edit: P.S. you were born in a Toyota?

Possibly. Maybe his parents didn't quite make it to the hospital in time. Plus there's the matter of possibly being conceived in one :lol:

LOL! Don't take all my words as gospel. Correction - I was just a Toyota Fanatic from birth!

 

[SamLeaf15SLP]

I started noticing people parking their vehicles on charging station's EV parking Ron. As long as I follow my commute, I should be able to get back home in one charge. I learned my lesson on challenges of finding a charging station, it is when I desperately need to charge too and it was the very first few days of EV ownership as usual. One of my long time buddies asked me to drive him back to his car from a hospital in San Diego one hot afternoon and after 15 miles of driving, I did not have enough juice to get home.

Initially, I drove five miles to one Nissan dealership with a broken fast charger, then drove another 3 miles to a fast charger near La Jolla. At this charge site, the NRG eVgo phone lines were not receiving calls and it was the time I am still waiting for my EZ-Charge card to work so I needed to call an attendant to "hook me up a juice". Although I still have about 10 miles of range at this point, I was within the range of the Dealership where I bought the vehicle. I decided to call the salesperson I bought the car from when I got to the dealership because I needed a working charge card right away. After two and a half hours of driving around San Diego to get to a fast charger and get my juice-up, I was able to drive back home again. Sam

SamLeaf,

Do you have the ability to charge at work? While it is unknown at this time how much your battery will degrade (since it uses a new chemistry), as the car ages you might find yourself experiencing range anxiety, particularly in winter as the car's battery won't hold as much juice and other factors will cause you to use more kWH/mile. But being able to plug in at even 120 volt during your work day will make your commute home a lot less nerve-wracking.

A 240 volt charging station at your home is going to be a must for your commute. If you plan on relying on public charging stations for your primary charging needs....don't. Way too much can go wrong. A big problem is ICE'ing (non-EV's blocking the charging stations) and there is even a whole thread devoted to that behavior. And as EV's become more popular, there will be queues at existing stations that aren't ICEd or broken.

 

[thewillb]

Got my 2015 Leaf SL a couple weeks ago. Loving it so far.

Anybody else impatient with the 3 second you have to wait from pushing ON to being able to put it in D? lol, such a minor thing but I wish it was 1 second.