Where do you fall on the economy/comfort spectrum?

[EJensen]

I've only had my 2013 S for a few weeks, and I just got my wall meter installed a few days ago, so I'm just starting to capture and analyze data. One thing I do expect to find is that the efficiency is influenced by driving habits.

I'm entirely willing to drive in freezing temperatures wearing a jacket and gloves to avoid using the heater in the car. I also try to avoid using the AC during warm weather as much as I can.

My wife, on the other hand, takes a different view. It's not worth the potential hit in domestic tranquility to try to change her habits, and she won't try to change mine.

I'm not asking for numbers (although if you have some comparative usage numbers, that would be cool), but where do you see yourself on the economy/comfort spectrum, and how does that influence your driving habits?

 

[TonyWilliams]

I'm not asking for numbers (although if you have some comparative usage numbers, that would be cool), but where do you see yourself on the economy/comfort spectrum, and how does that influence your driving habits?

That depends on what I'm trying to accomplish. If it's maximum range, I may go without climate control and drive really slow. Otherwise, set the temperature to whatever you want and enjoy.

With the Rav4, thankfully, there's not many times when I need to stretch the range, so I generally drive fast everywhere, accelerate as fast as I want, and run the heater wherever I want.

 

[Stoaty]

I go for both economy (lifetime efficiency of 5.7 miles per kwh from the dash) and comfort. Since I live in Southern California, I have only turned the heater on twice in almost 2 years. However, I use the AC whenever I feel I need it, as the AC is very efficient and uses little energy. I estimate about a 3% penalty for a 20 mile drive. Since my drive home takes about 4 wkh, using AC it is more like 4.12 kwh. Probably uses more in really hot climates, but still not much to worry about. The resistive heater is a different story, as it burns the electrons like there is no tomorrow.

 

[thankyouOB]

what stoaty said about socal, but i use the preheater more than he does.
the balance?
i like to get where i am going, so the trip rules--if i getta get range, i go heatless. Regardless, it seems that i lean a little toward turning down the heat and even the AC just to not break below 4 miles/kWh; i dunno why.
I still turn off lights in the house, even with solar paying all the bills.

 

[SalisburySam]

...where do you see yourself on the economy/comfort spectrum, and how does that influence your driving habits?

I'm in the same boat as TonyWilliams, that is, I consider the purpose and necessary range for my trip, then drive and "accessorize" accordingly. I'm in Central Ohio and had a 56-mile round trip yesterday. I knew there were no charging stations at the destination, so I did the following before deciding to use my LEAf.

• 1- I charged at home to 100% instead of my normal 80%
  2- Using the LEAF Energy app on my smartphone, I determined whether the trip was do-able at all, and then how efficiently I had to drive
  3- I used LEAF Energy separately for the two legs of the round trip. Outbound was in wicked rush hour traffic, inbound would be almost traffic-free so different speeds planned for each leg
  4- With an outside temp of 43F, my 100% charge gave me all 12 SOC bars and an 83-mile range showing in LEAF Link, the Nissan LEAF app, and even the GOM
  5- At least 2/3 of trip was on Interstate
  6- I preheated the car while plugged in at home for the outbound trip
  7- My overall driving efficiency since purchase is 3.7mpkWh, not especially high

Results:

Using only steering wheel and driver seat heater on "hi," all driving only in ECO mode, I completed the trip with two SOC bars left and 12 miles on the GOM. Both LEAF Link and the Nissan LEAF app showed 9 miles left.

After returning home, my feet were pretty darn chilly. I was able to overcome this fairly quickly with a fireplace and a martini.

I have the same trip coming up again and I may try to use the ECO mode restricted heat output for a portion or all of the return trip to see the difference. It would be wonderful if I could make the entire trip with at least minimal heat, but I don't see that happening. Lessons learned: keep the fireplace ready to go and the vodka chilled.

 

[adric22]

I think I'm in much the same situation as the OP. My wife demands climate control and driving as fast as she wants. Thus the unspoken rule in my home is that she doesn't take the Leaf on trips longer than 40 miles round-trip.

For me.. It greatly depends on my mood and how far I'm going to be driving. I'm willing to sacrifice climate control and speed if it means I can make the trip in the Leaf instead of having to drive a gas car. My wife is not. If I'm going to be driving less than 40 miles, I drive the car with as much comfort and speed as I desire.

 

[dgpcolorado]

When I do my one-day-a-week carpool in Winter I preheat and if it is very cold—below 10ºF—I use the heater a bit after twenty minutes or so. I will sometimes preheat while unplugged at work if the car is below freezing. The distance is only 40 miles so range isn't remotely a factor on an 80% charge. My carpool partner is used to cold weather so he isn't very picky about cold temperatures and he tends to not bother with the heated seat.

When by myself I just use the steering wheel and seat heaters, regardless of distance, because I am dressed for cold weather and the heater is simply unnecessary. An exception was a January trip over the mountains at night in 5ºF weather: I used the heater a bit when I knew I could make my destination. And I preheated the next morning after being parked outside at -8ºF.

Where I live the sun tends to heat the car even when it is very cold so the heater is rarely necessary. AC is not needed at all in my climate, although I've used it a couple of times just to see how it works.

So, I generally stick with comfort and economy. It is easy to do in a dry climate like mine.

 

[TimLee]

For me, I lean much more towards comfort and accomplishing what I need and want the LEAF to do.
I have a miles per kWh to date of only 3.3 in 12,000 miles of driving.
Several reasons for this.
I have frequently driven the LEAF on the interstate at a high rate of speed to travel the 16 miles to downtown and get there on time. Never seem to leave early enough.
I use the heat whenever I want to and pre-heat 90% of the time. Only time I have ever not used the heat was to be able to make it from the Athens, TN DCQC to the Farragut, TN DCQC at 65 to 70 mph on February 7th. Would not have made it if I had not turned the heat off or slowed down. Just made it there with DTE showing 2 miles. Slowing down wasn't an option, because I just barely made it to the meeting in Knoxville, only 5 minutes late.
I also listen to the radio of the LEAF for extended periods of time in the garden. One of the great things about it compared to an ICE is that the pack battery will keep the 12V battery charged for extended periods of time.
But when time is not an issue, the LEAF has led me to more efficient driving than when driving ICE previously. Typically set the cruise at speed limit or less. And I've gotten much better at timing lights in 30 to 40 mph traffic for maximum efficiency.
But I'm clearly in the camp of comfort over efficiency.
For me I would never consider buying or leasing a 2013S.
It keeps all the bad features of the 2011 and 2012 LEAF; horrible recycled material cloth seats that stink horribly for 6 months, and forever give you a static charge shock 50% of the time; horribly inefficient heat system; and a fairly poor stereo system.
For me, the only 2013 LEAF I would ever consider is the SL with all the options.
The 2013 SL adds the features that my 2009 Altima has that are sadly missing in the 2011 LEAF.
There is only one good thing about the 2013 S --- Price.
And for me, the 2013 SL price difference is clearly worth it for the added improved features.

 

[GetOffYourGas]

For me and my family, it depends on whether the kids are in the backseat. If they are, they cannot enjoy the heated seats through the carseats, so we use the heat as much as necessary. This can result in as little as 35-40 miles on an 80% charge. But it doesn't matter, because we're in a small city and rarely drive that far.

If it's just me or me and the wife, we use the heated seats/steering wheel and all is well. I find them comfortable enough, even without preheating, down to about 0F. Below that, I do like to enjoy a little heated air as well.

 

[larrycookjr]

I'm more towards economy (one of the reasons I bought the car) but I won't freeze myself. My one-way commute is 10 miles and 20 minutes so I don't usually put the heat on unless the outside temp gets down to the high twenties, and that's only because my feet start getting cold. I set the temp to 65. I do have the seat and steering wheel heaters on most of the winter. In summer I do use the A/C frequently as it is very efficient and I hate being hot. I drive in D because I didn't find much difference in efficiency. I do put it in ECO going down a long hill with a 45 MPH limit so I don't have to use the brake pedal. I do avoid the Interstate when feasible. I usually stick to the speed limit, but I was doing that with my previous car to get better MPG.

 

[ebill3]

After returning home, my feet were pretty darn chilly. I was able to overcome this fairly quickly with a fireplace and a martini.

Lessons learned: keep the fireplace ready to go and the vodka chilled.

Oh, the horrors! Gin, man, gin, not vodka, and preferably from the blue bottle.

Fortunately, our usual LEAF round trip is <60 miles, so 100% charge, pre-heat, and not terribly frigid temperatures makes for a comfortable trip.

 

[mrdcmills]

One of the reasons I got a new car was the fact I rode without A/C for about a year.

 

[Boomer23]

Those of us living here in lotus land probably don't qualify to answer this question, since most of us don't really need the heater very much at all. Like Stoaty, we hardly ever use it. We'll use the AC whenever necessary, though, unless we are really range-limited. Range is the primary determinant, and it overrides everything else for us, since both of us are fairly tolerant of temperature variations. And it's not like the rides in the LEAF are that long that you're uncomfortable for long, right? Now if you live in cold country, I get that this is a real issue.

Interestingly, I find that I still usually drive with economy in mind, out of habit, even when range is no issue at all. The car just encourages a zen-like calm and comfort with moderate speeds. Unless I've decided that I'm out to enjoy the EV torque for the day, I always have my eye on the mi/kWh display and I feel wasteful if I let it get much below 3.8. This also fits with my wife's stated dislike for riding as a passenger in a car that I'm driving quickly. She "doesn't like G-forces". :lol:

This is all pretty weird, since I like to think of myself as someone who enjoys a spirited drive, and if asked, I fall in the category of those who feel that we should drive fast to dispel the notion that EVs are slow. Oh the woes of the performance-loving greenie! :lol:

 

[TomT]

I'm with your wife on this one, unless I absolutely need every last bit of range for a given trip.

IMy wife, on the other hand, takes a different view. It's not worth the potential hit in domestic tranquility to try to change her habits, and she won't try to change mine.

 

[Pipcecil]

For the winter - I am willing to jacket it for awhile, or put the heater on low if its really cold. I am lucky to have a charger at work so its more of saving the additional dollar off of blink for the additional hour of charging. For the summer - full blast A/C. Its Texas and its hot, and there is no way I will go without A/C. Given that, A/C suck so little power that I don't have any range impact, so it makes it all better. Besides, the Leaf A/C is phenominal and I have to set it pretty high (warm) since it will freeze me out fairly fast.