Greetings,
This is my first post here, so more verbose than usual.
The purchase:
I bought my 2020 SV+ 1/1/23, with 17k miles on the odometer. This was purchased from a local
no-haggle used-vehicle dealer that had dozens of EVs of many makes, which made comparisons easy. The Leaf was a lease return, so it should qualify for the $4k tax credit in the US. I sold my Camry Hybrid when used car prices were still strong, so I'm into 200mi range full BEV for well under $20k.
Driving:
I've put 16k miles on it to date (1/5/24). I commute 100 miles (round-trip) a few times a week and make longer drives (300mi - 600mi) every couple of months. The steering and cruise options are a treat and work very well. The anti-collision braking/steering are a bit too paranoid for me, so they are switched off, but alerts are still on.
Charging:
Local: I made a 220v extension cord ( 6ga) running 100' to my garage for charging. No opportunity for trenching and a 220v overhead connection to a sub-panel was also impractical. My licensed electrician pal says the cord is fine. I can dial-down the current on my
Aimler EVSE if I get paranoid. At my workplace, we have a
ChargePoint HomeFlex hardwired into 208v.
Travel: Rapidgate is a concern, but if I can get three QCs without cooking my battery, life will be great. I'm now also a
Dala patreon, and very encouraged about the CCS>CHAdeMO adapters. (Battery cooling is on my list.)
Value:
I still own a 1986 Jetta turbo-diesel, but the price of fuel is still stupidly high; my monthly commuting cost was ~$120. With the Leaf, I charge at work and home; my monthly commuting cost is now ~$42.
How I got here:
Kudos and thanks to forum member
denwood for their
guidance on rustproofing. My Leaf was originally a Texas car, so protecting it from Michigan road-salt was high on my list before the so-called winter we are having. I have a vehicle lift at work, so the job was a breeze. Thanks also to those members that shared info on compact-spares that fit the Leaf, I found a 2007 Quest at the boneyard with a good spare.
Mods so far:
Rustproofing as mentioned above. Installed the
Etrailer big hitch. Sheepskin seat covers in lieu of seat heaters. 3D printed insert for the oddball phone cavity in the console, Cargo cover (details soon).
The Future:
Plans include a
1500W inverter for 120V during blackouts, and
battery cooling like
kmcmahan. Would love an easily removed roof rack. More coming soon.
TL;DR:
The Leaf SV+ fits my lifestyle perfectly. Yes, they have their quirks, but a better choice for me than a (cough:Nazi) Tesla or fugly Bolt.