The official "I got my Leaf" thread

[Sondy132001]

Leased a silver 2015 SV from Nissan of Cool Springs on March 2 to supplement and keep city miles off of our Cadillac SRX and Chrysler convertible. What a surprise :!: The Leaf is so much fun to drive that we have not touched either one of our other cars since we got it. The lease is for 36 months with a cap cost of $22,777 based on MSRP of $33,450. Still using trickle charge, but getting level2 installed soon. The age old question: If you had to do it over again, would you still buy it? Answer: you bet we would

Wow. First post and already a gold member? Glad you like it. Welcome to the future.

I'm going to take a guess that they donated to the board, that helps your status !

 

[DNAinaGoodWay]

Good guess. Contributions aren't required, but I figure I get way more out of the info that folks post here than whatever small amount I chip in, it's well worth supporting.

 

[hariinfo]

Leased a white 2015 SV from Nissan with a 6.6KW and QC port
The drive has been smooth so far, I even tried topping it up with DC charger from the local Nissan dealer.
Need to shop for a L2 charger soon as I have just learn that DC charger is fast only for the initial 80% of the battery and after that it charges at snails pace and I do not want to waste time sitting at the DC charging station.

 

[ishiyakazuo]

Hi all,
I read the heck out of this forum while doing my research on whether or not the Leaf was right for me. I bit the bullet and picked up an off-lease 2012 Leaf SL (Cayenne Red) this past Friday (March 20), with just over 20k miles on the odometer. Installed my NEMA 14-50 receptacle in the garage over the weekend, waiting for my L2 EVSE to arrive (hopefully tomorrow, the 24th). Replacing a 2006 Hyundai Sonata with it, but on my first opportunity to drive it to work, we get an unexpected 6 inches of snow, so I left it at home and ended up taking the Sonata anyway. Thunderstorm coming tomorrow night overnight too, so I'm trying to figure out when to take it on its first "real" commute (excluding the 30 miles I had to drive from the dealer).
Anyway, looking forward to many years of quiet commutes!

UPDATE: Just installed my EVSE (GE DuraStation from Home Depot). Seems to work!

 

[Rudolf]

So bought my Leaf few days ago and to get the best possible deal bought from Sheffield and then drove the car back to London.
Journey back to home was really nice but made me realise how much energy motorway driving consumes (specially uphills are bad for the range) and for 175 miles trip had to stop 3 times for rapid charge instead the planned 2 stops (each about 20 mins or less to get ~80% charge). Car drives so well on motorway and at speed of 70miles/h driving is very solid and comfortable (probably party because car is quite heavy and feels more stable). Once I got into city Leaf is really at its best with constant stopping and accelerations without annoying gear changes (I had automatic gearbox in previous car) and noise from engine etc.

Leaf is not perfect but so much better than any ICE I have driven before (cars costing less than £40k as new). I find Carwings really poorly implemented and I think they could make it so much better and faster. I can only hope Nissan has sense to improve it and make it more like a Tesla's interface via software updates to make that experience better or at least open it for 3rd parties to write better apps if nothing else... For now I have to use LeafSpy to get better idea what's really going on with the car.

Really looking forward driving with the Leaf.

 

[berkeley]

Leaf acquired.

• New 2015 Nissan LEAF S
  Exterior Color: Super Black / black
  Options: Charger package, Floor mats, Hologram kick plates, Cargo net, Safety kit, Splash guards
  Dealer: Autocom Nissan Walnut Creek
  Purchase or lease: Purchase

Pricing info is here http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=1225&p=417595#p417595. Car seems nice.

Reading these forums after the purchase I see a lot of "I wish I had X on the base model...2015 base includes X now".

 

[jpadc]

Leaf acquired...

Welcome to the club... I'm always curious about what people were driving before. What did you have?

 

[CmdrThor]

Just replaced my 2013 LEAF SL which was coming up on the end of my 24 month lease at the beginning of June. The Georgia $5,000 tax credit is likely going away soon so the dealers in the area seem to be keen on clearing their inventory. I got what I felt to be a pretty good deal for a base SV. Went with a purchase this time around because this will be my commuter car and I have a short ~17 mile round trip commute. Even though I know the resale value will tank like the rest of them, I don't plan on selling it any time soon, and the $5,000 Georgia credit helps out there a lot.

I decided against getting the QC port because I only used it 3 times in the 22 months I had my SL. The extra cost just wasn't worth it. Plus we should be able to take delivery of a Tesla Model X towards the end of this year and that will be our primary vehicle to take longer trips in.

 

[berkeley]

I'm always curious about what people were driving before. What did you have?

We still have our 2010 Honda CR-V; this car is an addition.

 

[dgpcolorado]

...Journey back to home was really nice but made me realise how much energy motorway driving consumes (specially uphills are bad for the range) and for 175 miles trip had to stop 3 times for rapid charge instead the planned 2 stops (each about 20 mins or less to get ~80% charge). Car drives so well on motorway and at speed of 70miles/h driving is very solid and comfortable (probably party because car is quite heavy and feels more stable). Once I got into city Leaf is really at its best with constant stopping and accelerations without annoying gear changes (I had automatic gearbox in previous car) and noise from engine etc...

Hills do take extra energy of course, but the real range killer is speed. Above about 35 mph aerodynamic drag is the main factor in energy use and drag increases at about the square of speed. So, drag at 70 mph is ~4X that at 35 mph. Even the difference between 85 kph and 110 kph is considerable and drag is a dead loss (the energy used from the battery goes to heat the air). Because the LEAF is so quiet it is easy to get going very fast without realizing it. I find that driving in Eco helps with speed control because of the power mapping of the accelerator pedal.

If you haven't already seen it before, you might want to take a look at Tony Williams' Range Charts. It will show how speed affects energy use and range. There is a metric version if you prefer. Other factors affecting range are temperature (cold air is more dense and a cold battery will hold less usable energy), weather (wind, rain, snow), and heater use. Also, most of use run the tires at significantly higher pressure than Nissan recommends. It gives better range AND better tire wear.

 

[LightningLeaf]

1st post and hello to all.

Leased - 2015 Nissan LEAF S on March 28, 2015
Exterior Color: Brilliant Silver / Interior Color: Black
Options: Charger package, Floor mats, Hologram kick plates, Cargo net, Safety kit, Splash guards
Dealer: Temecula Nissan

The whole negotiation occurred using text messages.
Got the price down to $29057 from Fleet Manager. MSRP was $32,230

36 months lease with 35 monthly payment of $227.85 (the first payment is in the down payment) for total of $8,202.60.
Residual Value at $12,247.40 (38%). Down payment was $2499.01 which will be rebated using California EV credit.

Right now still trickling charge. Electrician coming this weekend to run an estimate for EVSE.

 

[Rudolf]

Also, most of use run the tires at significantly higher pressure than Nissan recommends. It gives better range AND better tire wear.

What tyre pressure would you recommend to use?
Does higher tyre pressure have any adverse impact on car handling in for example wet weather or any other situation?

 

[dgpcolorado]

Also, most of use run the tires at significantly higher pressure than Nissan recommends. It gives better range AND better tire wear.

What tyre pressure would you recommend to use?
Does higher tyre pressure have any adverse impact on car handling in for example wet weather or any other situation?

Generally around 40-42 psi (versus Nissan's recommended 36 psi). Some run as high as 44 psi (a few even higher) but the range improvements above 40 are reported to be slight.

The ride is noticeably harder with more air in the tires but it doesn't negatively impact cornering; if anything it helps and the steering is less vague. The problem with LRR tires and sharp turns at high G forces, when using the Nissan recommended pressure, is that the outer edges of the tires roll under so one gets more wear on those edges. I presume that Nissan chose the lower pressure as a compromise for a cushy ride. But the LEAF is a heavy car and a higher pressure helps. Try it and see.

 

[desiv]

Well, so far so good.
I've been getting more and more confident with how "low" I can go. (Never too low.. ;-) )
Initially, the GOM did have me convinced I might not be able to make some things (even tho I had read on here all about how off it is, but still when it starts to drop... ) that now I know I can make easily.

Quick update is that it's still going fine.
I have been making it to/from work with the LBW usually just coming on as I'm approaching (a few miles on the outside).
But, just saw some interesting news...
It's always the things you can't control..
http://www.kgw.com/story/news/traffic/2015/04/03/some-oregon-highways-could-see-speed-limit-hike-to-75mph/25260049/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Basically, they are talking about raising the speed limits.
Not sure if it would affect my drive, but I'd guess so..
If the 55MPH highway (where I usually drive 60+ for traffic flow) becomes 65, that means 70+?
That would just about kill any chance for me making it in one shot.
Not a huge issue, in that I expected to have to stop halfway anyway once my battery degrades.
And it might be academic if it takes long enough to enable the new speed limits (new signs, etc), as my battery degrades. ;-)

But just another thing to consider for long rangers.. ;-)

desiv

 

[redleafusa]

New 2015 Leaf S in red purchased on 4-4-15.

The dealer actually added rubber floor mats as an option, even though the car came from Nissan with the fabric floor mats option. Crazy. We had to walk out of the local Nissan dealer's showroom when they rejected our offer after 3 back and forths. The salesman called us 30 minutes later with a change of heart, after consulting with the decision makers. This Leaf had our name on it.

Love the car.

 

[dunkinb]

After years of following the evolution of the EV market (including clicking around this forum from time to time), last month an opportunity arose that I couldn't pass up. I'd been looking for good deals on a '13 or '14, and occasionally something would turn up, but rarely within single-charge driving distance, and the additional hassle of hiring someone to transport it - well, I wasn't that enthusiastic.

But then I picked a random day to click over to cars.com, and this popped up - '13 SV, slate gray (which was my preferred color), right here in town, for a price comparable to more long-distance options. And only 400 miles! Apparently it had never left the lot - there was a round-trip paperwork transaction about a year ago to allow someone to get the tax credit, and that was it. So I ended up with an essentially new car for several thousand less than the original sticker minus the tax credit.

I've been delighted so far. I've never been a car person - I understand them and I appreciate when they work well, but they're just tools. I find that I'm much more enthusiastic about this one. The efficiency is hugely important for me, but I also appreciate the performance, and as a data junkie I'm looking forward to getting Leaf Spy running so I can pore over the minutae of what's going on from moment to moment.

This community has already been a great resource - looking forward to continuing to share with you all!

 

[RonDawg]

Apparently it had never left the lot - there was a round-trip paperwork transaction about a year ago to allow someone to get the tax credit, and that was it. So I ended up with an essentially new car for several thousand less than the original sticker minus the tax credit.

Congrats on the purchase, but if this is the story the dealer told you, I'm a bit doubtful. I can't understand why an individual would buy a $30k+ car and never drive it just to get a $7500 tax credit.

More likely, the dealer itself bought the car and took the tax credit(s) for itself. I do hope that the price was at least $7500 off MSRP, plus the value of any state or local incentives, since you cannot take the credit(s) for yourself since it's technically a used car.

Sorry for being a Debbie Downer, but a local dealer tried to sell me a "new" Leaf which already had California license plates (meaning it's been titled). I stormed off the lot towards the ICEV I showed up with, with the salesman in the "new" Leaf slowly following me the entire way, pleading with me to change my mind by making me an "outstanding offer" as the car was making that funny little noise at low speeds...

 

[VTLeaf]

dunkinb, we seem to be similar - I was scouring the market to off-lease 2013 SVs w/QC, and found one for $13k from Carmax. 22k miles on it, the color I wanted both inside (light gray) and out (red!), all 12 capacity bars, clean history - a crappy set of Chinese-made tires on the front (only..) and no back-up camera, but otherwise perfect! I'm fully experiencing the EV grin and have driven it all over highways, muddy back roads, and (my normal) boring short in-town commutes getting 75 miles per charge (if I stick in-town it looks like I'll get close to 100??). My commute is 2 miles each way and I drive 100 miles in a 'heavy' week so I'm hoping to go a long time before forking over the money for a replacement pack (off market? increased capacity? dare I hope?) Trickle charging for now as it might just suffice - we'll see. I think I'm the third Leaf in/near our southern Vermont town - I don't plan to use them but a few new level 3 chargers suddenly make it possible to get to Canada if I wanted to spend a ridiculously long time trying to get there (our other car is .. of course .. a Prius..).

The one thing - sadly - I couldn't do was check the battery stats - I've got a dongle that's on the approved list and an Android phone and have read all the tricks and tips but get stuck on 'connect to ELM' on LeafSpy Lite so test drove the heck out of it and ordered a second dongle to arrive next week.

I know this car hasn't worked for everyone and especially '11 and '12 owners got somewhat screwed. But now is a great time to buy a 13!

Big thanks to all those who've filled this board with fantastic stuff. I've been scouring it gratefully! (my wife would say obsessively… but I think it totally paid off

 

[dunkinb]

dunkinb, we seem to be similar - I was scouring the market to off-lease 2013 SVs w/QC, and found one for $13k from Carmax. 22k miles on it, the color I wanted both inside (light gray) and out (red!), all 12 capacity bars, clean history - a crappy set of Chinese-made tires on the front (only..) and no back-up camera, but otherwise perfect!

Congrats - sounds great, especially with full capacity at 22k.

Trickle charging for now as it might just suffice - we'll see.

It was about a month before I got the L2 installed, and L1 was adequate, but I really appreciate being able to push in 20-25 miles of range per hour when it's at a low state of charge and I want to go somewhere relatively soon. Like this morning, I had 14 miles on the guess-o-meter and 20 miles round trip to work - 45 minutes while I ate breakfast and showered gave me plenty of headroom.

The one thing - sadly - I couldn't do was check the battery stats - I've got a dongle that's on the approved list and an Android phone and have read all the tricks and tips but get stuck on 'connect to ELM' on LeafSpy Lite

Last night my Konnwei KW902 arrived ($22 at Amazon) and it worked on the first try. Were you able to pair the device in the Android Bluetooth settings before switching over to Leaf Spy?

 

[VTLeaf]

Yes, the phone finds and pairs with the OBD - but then LeafSpy doesn't see it (I've tried port 16, making sure the phone isn't paired to audio, etc.). I've got this one on the way and, while I don't really need any #s other than 'how far the car goes' (which is a highly-satisfying 90+ miles if exclusively puttering around town) I can't help but want to join everyone in analyzing Ahr:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008UR7J6I/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I'm waiting on an estimate for upgrading to L2 - it would likely require upgrading our 100 amp service and some trenching to run a line to the garage - I do like a good digging project but wouldn't get to that until summer. In the meantime I haven't sold our (now) third car (we only need two) in case I manage to get myself caught with insufficient range. I'm sure the fact that charging is more efficient at level 2 will eventually get me to jump (to my wife's potential chagrin).