Winter Commute

[DNAinaGoodWay]

$139/month

http://www.quirknissan.com/Nissan-Car/Leaf-Deals/new-nissan-leaf-lease-and-finance-offers-quincy-ma.htm?gclid=Cj0KEQiA_fy0BRCwiLaQ5-iFgpwBEiQA884sOcyou0bxBNuTO1C3I8pv45gQWPX_iyHAPAFFW0L9j5MaAv0L8P8HAQ

I'm betting you could get a 2 yr, 15k lease for $149/month or less. More of these around than I thought. Then you'd be ready for any next gen EV.

 

[ebuonaccor]

That is a great deal but it is for a 2015. Do you think i would do ok with the reduced range? I have been keeping track of the miles I drive over the last few weeks. Most days are right around 50 miles. My max was 70 miles but on the 70 mile day I was home in the middle and could have charge for a few hours. Honestly, I like the Soul EV better than the Leaf so if you think i can make it with the reduced range I might buy the Soul EV instead.

 

[GRA]

That is a great deal but it is for a 2015. Do you think i would do ok with the reduced range? I have been keeping track of the miles I drive over the last few weeks. Most days are right around 50 miles. My max was 70 miles but on the 70 mile day I was home in the middle and could have charge for a few hours. Honestly, I like the Soul EV better than the Leaf so if you think i can make it with the reduced range I might buy the Soul EV instead.

You would probably be okay for a year or two, but how long do you want to keep this car? Are you going to lease and replace it soon, or do you want something that you might buy, now or later? Personally, I believe that the 2015 and earlier LEAFs are just cutting it too close in your worst case conditions; it can be made to work, provided you're willing to adapt your needs to those of the battery. The Soul will give a you a bit more wiggle room, and I see you're also asking the question in that forum, which is a good idea. The 2016 LEAF SV/SL will also give you a little more peace of mind. It comes down to this: For tens of thousands of dollars, do you want to worry about possibly having to juggle heat/distance to get home, or whether you'll be able to make a spur of the moment or emergency trip when your battery's depleted?

If not, then either wait for 150-200 mile BEVs, or else get a PHEV as recommended upthread.

 

[ebuonaccor]

Thanks for the reply GRA! I'm planning on leasing for two or three years so i can replace the car when extended range EVs come out. We do own an ICE that i can use in emergencies, and if its being used by someone else Uber is always an option in my neighborhood. I also live right down the street from a rental car place and would have no problem renting a car the one or two times a year i might need to drive long range. I understand there are tradeoffs to driving a BEV and am willing to make sacrifices. I agree with you about the added range of the 2016 SV/SL thats the main reason it is the frontrunner in my mind. One of the reasons I want an EV is that we installed rooftop solar and are producing way more electricity than we need. With a BEV i could drive with no cost for energy saving me almost $200 a month, way more then i would need to take the occasional Uber or rental car. Charing with my panels extra power will also reduce my carbon footprint even more.

I did ask the same question in the Soul EV forum, sadly the members there are not nearly as responsive as you guys!

 

[GRA]

Thanks for the reply GRA! I'm planning on leasing for two or three years so i can replace the car when extended range EVs come out. We do own an ICE that i can use in emergencies, and if its being used by someone else Uber is always an option in my neighborhood. I also live right down the street from a rental car place and would have no problem renting a car the one or two times a year i might need to drive long range. I understand there are tradeoffs to driving a BEV and am willing to make sacrifices. I agree with you about the added range of the 2016 SV/SL thats the main reason it is the frontrunner in my mind. One of the reasons I want an EV is that we installed rooftop solar and are producing way more electricity than we need. With a BEV i could drive with no cost for energy saving me almost $200 a month, way more then i would need to take the occasional Uber or rental car. Charing with my panels extra power will also reduce my carbon footprint even more.

I did ask the same question in the Soul EV forum, sadly the members there are not nearly as responsive as you guys!

There are a lot fewer members there, and even fewer living in cold areas, so it's to be expected that you'd get a limited number of replies. On that note, here's a video review via ievs, from a Canadian owner:

2016 Kia Soul EV Long-Term Review – Video

http://insideevs.com/2016-kia-soul-ev-long-term-review-video/

Seeing as how you prefer the Soul and you're only going to keep it for a few years, I'd say go for that instead of the LEAF. Definitely opt for the heat-pump equipped model.

 

[DNAinaGoodWay]

The downside to the Soul is that there are only the 2 dealers in CT that are authorized to sell and service them, in all of New England, so if you did have a need for EV related service, it's a long ways to go. If you're willing to risk that, because maybe more Kia dealers will be on board this year or next year, Kim at Premier made a good offer of $199 by email, while all I got out of Executive was $325 and repeated requests to call and come in, but they did have more in stock, Kim only had one left. But like the LEAF, no body is clamoring for these cars, so if you like to negotiate, you can really have a good time low balling them.

With your mileage needs, you'd need an 18k/yr lease, unless you can work around that.

If you only charge at home, that'll eat up at least 500 kWh of that excess solar.

 

[ebuonaccor]

After lots of research and a bunch of help from all of you I finally went ahead and leased a 2016 Leaf SV. So far I love it. The GOM reads around 119 miles on a full charge even in the cold weather we have been having over the last few days. I have yet to run it down to LBW to get an actual range reading but the GOM seems fairly accurate. It seems to decrease by the same number of miles I travel. My ESVE was just delivered and is being installed this weekend. Thanks for all the help!

 

[powersurge]

You did good (well...) getting the SV now. Waiting for the "high mileage" evs is like saying "I'm going to exercise one of these days... You can wait for a few years, but you will start saving petroleum costs NOW... The 240v charger is a MUST because you can pretty much use the car 24/7. You can commute to work, come home and charge, and then go out again in the evening... I first tried to just use the 120v charger, and the car was unusable in the evenings because it took 12 hours to charge. congrats.

 

[Reddy]

... I first tried to just use the 120v charger, and the car was unusable in the evenings because it took 12 hours to charge. congrats.

Yes, the 240V station is much better than the 120V cord. However, if the car took 12 hours to charge, then it was about 1/2 full (it takes about 25-27 hrs from Turtle to 100%) and thus still available to drive at least 30-40 mi. So, not quite "unusable", especially in a small town. Right now my 2011 Leaf (2-bar loser) is sitting at about 50% and I probably won't even bother to plug it in tonight since I only drive about 10 mi/day.

 

[DNAinaGoodWay]

Was interesting to watch you evolve from used to a 2016. Congratulations and enjoy.

For my own research, how many local dealers did you contact, and where did you end up? I like Anchor, but they still don't have QC.

 

[Jefe]

You did good (well...) getting the SV now. Waiting for the "high mileage" evs is like saying "I'm going to exercise one of these days... You can wait for a few years, but you will start saving petroleum costs NOW...

And even better, if you can adjust to and be happy with the range you are getting in the SV, which is a mental and lifestyle adjustment to a degree, then when you do get a higher capacity vehicle, it will be much more impactful. It's like going on an extremely restrictive pre-diet to make a diet more palatable.

 

[ebuonaccor]

I ended up at Milford Nissan. They hard the largest selection. Most other Nissan dealerships only had one maybe two to look at. They also had a ton of really positive comments left for them on plugshare from both Leaf and non-Leaf owners. I figured if they were nice to non-Leaf owners who wanted to borrow their electricity they would be good to work with. I was right, it was the most positive car buying experience I have ever had. They were friendly, knowledgeable, and it was absolutely pressure free.

 

[GRA]

I ended up at Milford Nissan. They hard the largest selection. Most other Nissan dealerships only had one maybe two to look at. They also had a ton of really positive comments left for them on plugshare from both Leaf and non-Leaf owners. I figured if they were nice to non-Leaf owners who wanted to borrow their electricity they would be good to work with. I was right, it was the most positive car buying experience I have ever had. They were friendly, knowledgeable, and it was absolutely pressure free.

Glad you found a dealer you're happy with, and that the car's working for you. Even if we did cost you several thousand dollars extra, I think you'll be a lot more relaxed with the 2016 than a 2015. let alone an earlier used model. Enjoy! And please do keep us up to date at least occasionally on how the car's working for you.