The official "I got my Leaf" thread

[zeeman1953]

Hi All, I'm the newbie. Just got my Leaf SL in Ocean Blue, S/N: 4933 on June 25. Lots of people asking the same ????'s. But many want a test drive. All are very impressed with quietness, ride quality but mostly performance (they think golf cart). I have about 200+ miles so far. I have a 12 mile round trip to work and back. I have experimented with charging, 2x to 100% and 1x to 80%.

Starting SOC : 80% and 100%
Range (till battery low) : 74 miles
Range (till turtle) : Have not seen yet
Efficiency : Averaging 4.9 miles/Kwh in ECO mode
Driving : 74 mile round trip yesterday for Dr. appt. Got home with 15 miles showing @ 80% SOC. Longest trip so far. Should have charged to 100% before leaving home. Range anxiety started creeping in
Climate : Ran A/C there, Intermittant A/C use coming home

My 1995 Geo Metro 96 volt electric conversion is starting to get a little dusty sitting in the garage. Will sell it soon and recoup some expenses for the Leaf.

 

[MuManChu]

Picked up my Leaf June 11, 2011. It has 400 miles on it now and I just love the car! I went from a V6 Rav4 to the Leaf and the power is impressive, not as good as the Rav4 but not bad at all. The A/C works great in Phoenix too, even when it's 114 out, and pre-cooling it for a few minutes before i get in at lunch and after work is a great bonus. No problem with the battery temperature either on those super hot days even when driving 75 on the highway. I drive pretty aggresively and fast so my miles per kilowat number is only 3.4. I worked with Brian Shirley at Power Nissan Tempe. Good experience. I leased, my first least ever out of about 15 cars I've owned over the past three decades.

Reserved: 4/21/2010
Ordered: 11/3/2010
Blink Charger Installed: 4/6/2011
Delivered: 6/11/2011
Model: SL-E
VIN: 4512
Color: Cayenne Red

 

[leaf561]

Finally got my LEAF. Picked it up from Boardwalk, Redwood City, CA.

Loved driving it back home. I will be spending the weekend tinkering with all the options

 

[Sheffield]

My dealer got it yesterday. I plan to do a test drive Sunday, then orphan it. I will bring along a friend whose delivery date is September, who has cash and may be able to take it off the dealers hands.

I'm sad to walk away from a car that I have waited for since Apr 20. Nissan broke faith with me so many times, in so many ways, that I can do nothing else. Without the promised range, the promised infrastructure, the promised rebate, the promised delivery date, or even the promised EVSE, I will gladly let another experience the next years of broken promises.

 

[mxp]

Finally picked up our LEAFs from Boardwalk, Redwood City, CA.

It arrived June 22 but since we missed the full $5k rebate, might as well save some on sales tax by purchasing them on July 1.

Reserved: Apr 23, 2010. Ordered: Nov 30th, 2011. Delivery: July 01, 2011

 

[nogajim]

We could wait no longer. we picked up "Moby" on 6-22. My wife gave it the nickname because I was like Capt. Ahab in pursuit. We live in GA and I had emailed various TN dealers when a Leaf showed in their inventory. Finally, I got a call last week that someone in Chattanooga had to refuse their silver SL-e (didn't know it was an -e, till we picked it up) because they lived in a condo and couldn't work out a way to charge it. We are grateful to benefit from their loss; it went to a good home! We figured that paying a bit over MSRP was going to be a wash since we assumed the price would go up with the mandatory cold pack that we didn't especially need.

But getting home was half the "fun". I had plotted a backroads route of 124 miles. Only a short stretch in interstate to pop over a mountain ridge. I took a portable GPS as a backup and tried to send my google route to the Leaf ahead of time. All of this went awry in the fog of getting the new car on the road. I love GPSs, but I can never get them to find the middle ground between all-interstate and cutting through parking lots and gravel roads. I wandered a bit off my expected route and the hills killed my mileage. I stopped at a Waffle House and asked a couple of bemused waitresses if I could plug in in back while I ate dinner and got my bearings. I was about 25 miles from Roswell Nissan, not exactly on my way, but they were open late and were willing to let me charge. The backup plan was to call their towing company if I didn't make it. I went less than 10 miles when the low battery warnings began. I decided to get off at the next exit and call the towing company. It took nearly an hour, because they are located close to my home. By then it was getting late for a useful amount of charge, so it suited the tow truck operator just as well to take me home! There were 5 miles of range left on the display, and I think I had driven 88 before giving up.

Nerve-wracking, but it worked out and we love it! Can't wait to see someone else with one!

 

[HIOJim]

I picked up "LineJumper" on Wednesday, June 29th. Wilsonville Nissan has been flooded with wave after wave of Leaf deliveries so despite my car coming in the previous week it took until then for me to be scheduled to pick it up.

Indeed, when I arrived I saw their back lot packed with Leafs still in their shipping plastic. Unfortunately, mine was one of them I checked with the office to see if I had gotten the pickup day wrong but as it turned out the prep request for LineJumper got lost somehow. If I was superstitious I would start to think that this car was jinxed!

But to their credit the dealership quickly got things going and by the time we figured out the financing the car was cleaned and ready for inspection. Seeing it pull up outside the finance office almost made my heart stop. I fell in love immediately. Joel Fowler gave me a thorough overview of the cars systems and after about 3 hours I was on the road and heading home.

As others have said, the car is amazing. I'm still learning the in's and out's of its systems but am totally delighted with it.

 

[lonndoggie]

I picked up "LineJumper" on Wednesday, June 29th.

Congratulations!

It must've been fate that you and 'Jumper be united, since you took delivery even after you cancelled your order. One for the books, that.

 

[HIOJim]

I picked up "LineJumper" on Wednesday, June 29th.

Congratulations!

It must've been fate that you and 'Jumper be united, since you took delivery even after you cancelled your order. One for the books, that.

When my $99 wasn't refunded 10 days after I canceled and my DB date kept changing, I started to suspect that I could be getting 'the call' shortly. And wouldn't you know, I did. My theory is that Nissan had no way of stopping an order as far along as mine. In this case, I'm glad they were inefficient.

I went to the dealership fully intending not to buy the car (I have a deposit on a Volt). After all the time waiting I just wanted to see what the car looked like and what condition it was in. Of course, once I saw it I was doomed.

Now all I have to do is figure out what I'm going to do with my Volt order...

 

[davewill]

Now all I have to do is figure out what I'm going to do with my Volt order...

I think a Volt would make a FINE second car for you!

P.S. Better not go for the test drive!

 

[HIOJim]

...P.S. Better not go for the test drive!

That's probably good advice

In fact, I drove a volt in late 2010 when their roadshow stopped briefly in Portland. I went to see the car mostly because the site was where I worked and kicking EV tires is better than working.

I fully expected to hate the car but came away kinda impressed. The guy who gave me my test drive (10 minutes with the battery depleted) was an engineer who had worked for GM all the way back to the Impulse. He was involved with the EV-1 and designed some of the Volt. Talking to him was almost better than the test drive!

At one point I asked if GM was serious about the Volt or just looking for Green Points. He turned to me and said "We're as serious as a heart attack".

Cool experience, and the car impressed me a lot. It was only because the Volt wasn't going to be rolled out in Oregon that I didn't pursue ordering one.

 

[Packet]

A superblack Leaf SL identical to my order was orphaned at Campbell-Nelson (where I had ordered through) this weekend, so I find myself the extremely happy owner of a Leaf /much/ earlier than I expected to. YAY! Just in time to poke around on the long weekend... though, alas, that means I can't talk to the Ecotality folks about pushing my EVSE install forward until Tuesday. Trickle-charging for me until then, unless I head to one of the Chargepoint units around town.

Somehow, I'll cope.

 

[HIOJim]

A superblack Leaf SL identical to my order was orphaned at Campbell-Nelson (where I had ordered through) this weekend, so I find myself the extremely happy owner of a Leaf /much/ earlier than I expected to. YAY! Just in time to poke around on the long weekend... though, alas, that means I can't talk to the Ecotality folks about pushing my EVSE install forward until Tuesday. Trickle-charging for me until then, unless I head to one of the Chargepoint units around town.

Somehow, I'll cope.

Congratulations!

Did you get the same terms as your original order? If so, then you have a very cool dealer.

 

[Packet]

Did you get the same terms as your original order? If so, then you have a very cool dealer.

I did, and I do. Ray's active on these forums, and the fact that no one on here or on the local LEAF Facebook group who had done business with him had anything but praise figured strongly into my dealer choice.

 

[dfwcre8tive]

Took delivery of our Super Black SL w/ quick charger & eco package on July 1st (it arrived at the dealer 6/27) from Bankston Nissan in Dallas. Love the eco package and the color it adds to the interior. We're L1 charging until L2 is installed (live in an apartment complex with shared garage).

VIN: 4308
Color: Super Black
Reserved: 04/20/10
Ordered: 10/15/10
Delivery: 07/01/11

Here are a few photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/dfwcre8tive/sets/72157627102307798/

 

[happyamp1]

Took delivery of our Super Black SL w/ quick charger & eco package on July 1st (it arrived at the dealer 6/27) from Bankston Nissan in Dallas. Love the eco package and the color it adds to the interior. We're L1 charging until L2 is installed (live in an apartment complex with shared garage).

VIN: 4308
Color: Super Black
Reserved: 04/20/10
Ordered: 10/15/10
Delivery: 07/01/11

Here are a few photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/dfwcre8tive/sets/72157627102307798/

 

[happyamp1]

good for you! thanks for the pictures. still exciting after I got mine two weeks ago!

 

[LEAFfan]

Picked up our Leaf from Rairdon's in Auburn on Tuesday.
Excellent car, I will NEVER be going back to that dealership again.

What happened? Who is the LEAF sales person now? I heard Todd Fee was fired. I wonder what he did.

 

[LEAFfan]

Based on how I was treated, I think that they would be a candidate for best auto dealer in the country.

I believe that distinction has to go to Tempe Power Nissan since the sales guy installed my seat covers for me, programmed my garage door opener, and hooked my cell up to the bluetooth. :mrgreen:

 

[packrat09]

I picked up "LineJumper" on Wednesday, June 29th. Wilsonville Nissan has been flooded with wave after wave of Leaf deliveries so despite my car coming in the previous week it took until then for me to be scheduled to pick it up...................................... Joel Fowler gave me a thorough overview of the cars systems and after about 3 hours I was on the road and heading home........

My Leaf was among the waves that came in and ended Joel's vacation ahead of time. Apparently, it arrived Monday the 27th, and I was scheduled to pick it up Thursday at noon. I had a slight issue with my credit union and my check wasn't likely to arrive before I needed to leave to get the Leaf (60 mi.). Fortunately, Tonkin Wilsonville Nissan assured me that the missing check was not a problem and I could pick up my Leaf regardless.
Thursday morning we hitched a ride with my step-daughter and our two grand-kids, who dropped my wife and me off at the dealership and stayed long enough to see the new car, of course!
After a 3 hr. tour of features and optional extras, we shook hands, signed papers and hit the road for home in our new car.
I drove half the distance in my normal manner :twisted:, and the balance as a normal human being. Including a brief stop at Costco, the trip took about 1.25 hrs.
I am rapidly learning that people ask a lot of questions I don't remember the exact answers to.
I have also learned that I can, unfortunately, hear the high frequency whine that others have commented on, while my wife cannot. In order to maintain balance in the universe, I complain a lot. :lol:
There is something UFO-meets-vampire about the pulsating blue glow of a Nissan Leaf charging at night under a carport.