Unexpected benefits of Leaf ownership

A couple of benefits I did not expect when I bought the Leaf:

1. Its a mobile science lab - today I had a long conversation with my 13-yr old about regen and eco mode on the way to tennis lessons. She has already volunteered the car for her middle school science class to study. I keep thinking that these kids may be the first generation that will look at ICE cars like we look at electric-shock therapy!

2. Safer driving style - I never was a super aggressive driver, but I'm finding myself really focused on maximizing my range and my average miles/KWH, as opposed to trying to stay at the safe edge of the speed limits. I was thrilled today to drive almost 18 miles (incl. 7 miles of highway), and end up with 9 miles more range than I started with!

Sure I'll find more...

Visual said:

2. Safer driving style - I never was a super aggressive driver, but I'm finding myself really focused on maximizing my range and my average miles/KWH, as opposed to trying to stay at the safe edge of the speed limits.

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I was never super aggressive in terms of other drivers. But I was always about the fastest car out there, when conditions permitted - it was not uncommon for me to be at 80mph for as much of my commute as I could, mostly to make up time for the parts where I'd be stood completely still. But that's all out the window now, and while I don't find myself driving to come out with more available miles than I started with, I certainly find myself driving in a style that gives me respectable numbers (and enough range to get to work and home again).

Visual said:

2. Safer driving style - I never was a super aggressive driver, but I'm finding myself really focused on maximizing my range and my average miles/KWH, as opposed to trying to stay at the safe edge of the speed limits. I was thrilled today to drive almost 18 miles (incl. 7 miles of highway), and end up with 9 miles more range than I started with!

Sure I'll find more...

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+1

I'm embracing my "inner blue-hair" and actually enjoying my 55-60mph commute. Yes, even on SoCal highways. The only problem I seem to cause other drivers is the occasional jerkwad who thinks the far right lane is just FINE for blowing past people at 90mph while making rapid lane changes. Those guys get quite a shock when they come up behind me, but I could care less. :twisted:

I wish my Leaf had about 10-15 more mile range OR my commute was less hilly. Aside from that, I LOVE my Leaf! :mrgreen:

At 55 to 60 mph on the freeway, it seems that we need to stay OUT of the FAST carpool lane.

Do we need an ECO (slow) lane, just for safe "leasurely" driving?

garygid said:

At 55 to 60 mph on the freeway, it seems that we need to stay OUT of the FAST carpool lane.

Do we need an ECO (slow) lane, just for safe "leasurely" driving?

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Interesting, in WA carpool lane is the slowest, especially after 7pm when it becomes open to everyone and we get "very nice drivers" doing below 60 there...

garygid said:

At 55 to 60 mph on the freeway, it seems that we need to stay OUT of the FAST carpool lane.

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I'm beginning to think you may be right Gary, at least for my 65mph comfort zone. Unless one of maybe four things:

1) The whole of the freeway otherwise is jammed up. So just get in there anyway and screw anyone who want to go faster.
2) Something is already impeding the flow of the carpool lane and keeping it down to speeds that are comfortable for us.
3) The cops start actually doing something about speeders.
4) The maximum speed limit is dropped to 55mph again and 65mph (once again) becomes the new 75mph.

mwalsh said:

3) The cops start actually doing something about speeders.

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I think CA is sorely lacking in this respect. If people can speed with impunity they will.

I'm not sure why this isnot seen as a good revenue opportunity

evnow said:

mwalsh said:

3) The cops start actually doing something about speeders.

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I think CA is sorely lacking in this respect. If people can speed with impunity they will.

I'm not sure why this isnot seen as a good revenue opportunity

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When I was a speeder, I wasn't massively keen on this idea. :lol:

mwalsh said:

1) The whole of the freeway otherwise is jammed up. So just get in there anyway and screw anyone who want to go faster.

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I don't look at it so much as "screw anyone who wants to go faster"....I think it's fantastically UNSAFE to have bumper-to-bumper stop-and-go traffic creeping along at 10 mph while the carpool lane has people whizzing past at 80+mph. The speed difference is too great....some jerkwad is gonna pull out into the carpool lane at the wrong time and *whammo* you get smash-em-up derby at rush hour. :shock:

Umm.. the whole point of the carpool lane is that you CAN'T just pull out.

It has a double-double-yellow -- a virtual island. No matter how slow the car in front of you is going, you can not exit the carpool lane.

This is why it's so infuriating to be in the HOV lane, stuck behind someone doing 55, when the fast lane is moving at 70. To obey the law, I have to stay behind the slow car until the Carpool lane has a legal entrance/exit.

This is also the very thing that is SUPPOSED to make it safe and attractive to be going 60 in the carpool lane while the fast lane is crawing along in traffic.

GroundLoop said:

This is also the very thing that is SUPPOSED to make it safe and attractive to be going 60 in the carpool lane while the fast lane is crawing along in traffic.

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Supposed to, yes. In reality, no. Those double yellow lines of paint don't stop very many people from what I've seen. :? Myself? I get nervous in those situations because I know there are idiots out there.

Yes, it's only a $371 fine IF you get caught, and I see a driver illegally cross into or (more commonly) out of the carpool lane fairly frequently.

They SHOULD not cross in/out, but they certainly CAN (and DO).

I went to driving in "grandma" mode when I started driving Priuses so I will be used to it. Because of regen though I will be working the hills a lot more

That is why God invented the high beam flash function! There is NO reason to be in the car pool lane if you want to go slower than the traffic in the regular lanes...

IBELEAF said:

[
Interesting, in WA carpool lane is the slowest, especially after 7pm when it becomes open to everyone and we get "very nice drivers" doing below 60 there...

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GroundLoop said:

Umm.. the whole point of the carpool lane is that you CAN'T just pull out.

It has a double-double-yellow -- a virtual island. No matter how slow the car in front of you is going, you can not exit the carpool lane.

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That doesn't stop idiot CA drivers.

In northern CA you can enter/leave carpool lane anywhere. There might be one new area in East Bay where it's prohibited, otherwise it's a free-for-all.

MsLusty said:

In northern CA you can enter/leave carpool lane anywhere.

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Same thing in WA, AFAIK.

MsLusty said:

In northern CA you can enter/leave carpool lane anywhere. There might be one new area in East Bay where it's prohibited, otherwise it's a free-for-all.

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Yes, they've just opened a section of 680 over the Sunol Grade that is a combined HOV/toll (Fastrak) lane. Other than that I've never seen double double yellows on HOV lanes up here. The concept was so foreign to me that several years ago when we were driving somewhere in the LA area I moved over to the HOV lane without thinking about it, and only after being there for a bit did I realize, 'Hey, that's a double yellow line. Maybe I wasn't supposed to cross it. But how could I get into the diamond lane otherwise?' I soon got my answer to that, of course, when I saw the merging lanes.

And yes, Jimmy, it can be scary to be roaring down the HOV lane at 70 only a foot or two and a dotted white line from stop-and-go traffic. Been there, done that.

cdub said:

GroundLoop said:

Umm.. the whole point of the carpool lane is that you CAN'T just pull out.
It has a double-double-yellow -- a virtual island. No matter how slow the car in front of you is going, you can not exit the carpool lane.

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That doesn't stop idiot CA drivers.

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It stops ME.
My point is that the idiot driving 50 in the HOV lane stops *me* from pulling out, since I don't want to get a ticket. It's an unpassable lane, and you're stuck in it until the next merge section.

I'm the guy that wants to go the limit in the carpool lane, so coming up behind Mr. Hypermiler is a real drag... for miles.

the carpool lanes do have areas where you can only enter and exit in certain areas but most around here AND Cali are simply "diamond" lanes where you simply have to work on trust. i see people jump into them to pass a car and jump right back out all the time.

very tough to get caught. i b honest with ya. i dont plan to drive fast enough to do the diamond lanes in most cases. i will stick in traffic at 60 mph unless its real congested