Normalcy

After a full year of ownership with no car problems and passing my 1-year battery check with no issues and so far no service costs I feel like a milestone has been passed. I almost started a thread suggesting this forum was becoming irrelevant, but that didn't convey the right message. I still read it regularly and it will always be relevant to those new to EVs and the Leaf. The point is that after one year, the Leaf is just our car and we don't really have to think about issues related to it other than the remaining range for certain trips, which is almost never. It's comfortable, easy to drive, reliable, and low-cost. It is just a normal car. That's a good thing and is necessary for the Leaf and EVs in general to gain mainstream acceptance.

I used to read this forum two or three times a day, but most of what I read what speculation. Then I got the car. Now usually once a day, but some days I skip it. I find myself reading fewer and fewer posts on this forum because there just isn't a need. The troubleshooting, tips, and suggestions to Nissan threads seem to have fewer and fewer new posts, and those that appear are usually repeats to some extent of earlier threads. Again, this is good. The learning curve has largely been mastered by both owners and Nissan. An aftermarket has appeared for EVSEs, seat covers, horns, etc. Leafs have been in accidents, run out of juice on the highway or street, had some failures here and there, yet the world hasn't come to an end. I love the fact that they have become just normal everyday vehicles that I see all the time. Nissan deserves credit for a job well done. EVs are back to stay.

+1 Well put
-Matt

Rat said:

EVs are back to stay.

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So we hope!

I agree (with the exception of the battery capacity issues affecting those in hot areas).

Stoaty said:

I agree (with the exception of the battery capacity issues affecting those in hot areas).

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That is a huge exception.

Well put.
We have also passed 1 year mark June 4.
Wife blew a tire a few months ago. Still don't know how. I took picks of the car on a flatbed. Our usual convers is: You're goin' the to the city (SF)?
Yeah.
You're Leafin' it, right?
I guess...
No, you guess, you're Leafin' it.
Fine. If I get stuck I'm calling you.
Just keep it at 65. Use cruise control.
I hate cruise control.
Get used to it... Don't worry, you'll come back with 10 miles.
I need the car later again.
Plug it in. Couple of hours, that's all you need.
You really don't need to tell me that.
You're right.

Normalcy... Aaaah.

Anyway. I just noticed today that the tires are almost frickin' bald. Whoa! 24,000 miles. I should have known. Cheepie tires. I'll be looking (finally!) at some low-res Michelines. Any good ones out there, anyone?

One expense many will have on the Leaf that most other cars do not is replacing the crappy tires that came with it very early...

I replace my 2005-Prius tires at 28,000 miles with Michelin Hydroedges. They were still good when my granddaughter took it at 68,000 miles.

ILETRIC said:

Our usual convers is: You're goin' the to the city (SF)?
Yeah.
You're Leafin' it, right?
I guess...
No, you guess, you're Leafin' it.
Fine. If I get stuck I'm calling you.
Just keep it at 65. Use cruise control.
I hate cruise control.
Get used to it... Don't worry, you'll come back with 10 miles.
I need the car later again.
Plug it in. Couple of hours, that's all you need.
You really don't need to tell me that.
You're right.

Normalcy... Aaaah.

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Wait. Are you saying they NEVER recover from their range anxiety?! I thought after a certain number of successful trips those conversations would subside...

We've only had the LEAF for a little over three months now, so it has not yet become "normal" to us. We are still building our expectations on range and also are still learning how to use all the features. I must say, the ability to turn on climate control remotely is "Da Bomb!"

Rat said:

...I still read it regularly and it will always be relevant to those new to EVs and the Leaf. The point is that after one year, the Leaf is just our car and we don't really have to think about issues related to it other than the remaining range for certain trips, which is almost never. It's comfortable, easy to drive, reliable, and low-cost. It is just a normal car. That's a good thing and is necessary for the Leaf and EVs in general to gain mainstream acceptance...

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To me, my LEAF is not "just a normal car", which for all my life, has meant an ICEV.

The reliability and low cost you mention, along with the far lower environmental cost of a BEV, offer me the opportunity to maintain my lifestyle, which requires a personal vehicle, in the future. A future in which it has become clear to me, an ICEV as my primary vehicle, is no longer a viable option. So, my LEAF is, in this sense, superior to any "normal car".

However, due to my location and driving patterns, I also feel that my LEAF is still missing a vital component. Without access to a fast-charge infrastructure, I frequently need to consider range in trip planning, rather than "almost never", as you do.

I can easily foresee how improved my driving experience will be, once my BEV is finished, but it's still not there yet.

I would agree with the original poster. I've had my Leaf now for well over a year. I've had to deal with a lot of regular car type stuff such as a flat tire and hail damage. No tickets yet, though. But over all the experience has become just habit. Plugging my car in when I get home from work is no longer a thrill of excitement about something new and different. It is now just part of life and I don't really even think about it. I have no range anxiety because I've driven the car all over town for the last year and I know that 99% of my destinations are worry free and the 1% that are questionable I use my Wife's car (which is now a Volt).

When I took my Leaf to the Father's Day car show this year a few people recognized it and said, "I recognize this car. You had it here last year. So how has it been for a whole year?" Many people were surprised when I told them it had become our primary family car, doing the bulk of our driving needs. I told them it has never required any maintenance or repairs other than a flat tire and hail damage. I said it has never once let us down and has in fact been the most reliable car I've ever owned.

Honestly. It is no longer a novelty, it is a way of life. And I can't imagine having to go back to gasoline cars.

edatoakrun said:

However, due to my location and driving patterns, I also feel that my LEAF is still missing a vital component. Without access to a fast-charge infrastructure, I frequently need to consider range in trip planning, rather than "almost never", as you do.

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If AGW turns out to be real then you may to change that, and shorten your commute.. its a good thing to do in any case, unless you like to spend a significant portion of the day fighting traffic.

yes, the car is a fine one and running it has become routine.
Some of that is that it is perfect for my 50-mile commute in coastal LA climate.

as to the routine, I have a very special relationship with this car that includes some daily attention to the charging needs, and a daily routine that covers that.
it seems simplest to me for folks who commute to a single destination or vary among several destinations, rather than going new places all the time. Any issues about range and how to get around go away after the first test route; knowing that it can be done successfully, and perhaps including in that route some special rules, such as not going over 60 mph to stretch the range.

I love the car and unlike the few -- and yes they could be the canary in the coal mine -- I have no issue with the battery and degradation. Maybe it will hit, but I don't see it yet.

As I told an interviewer for Nissan at a focus group a few months ago: I am very happy with the car. It was a gamble when I bought. I knew that and that I might look back at the purchase in a year and know it was a mistake. It was not. The thing is genius and I think so every day.

good to hear that everyone like it!! Hopefully i can buy one in 1-2 months...

Are you saying they NEVER recover from their range anxiety?! I thought after a certain number of successful trips those conversations would subside...

It's a 60-70 mile trip so she gets worried. Too close for comfort. And mostly, "what if I deside to go places while I'm there?" (i.e. the city). She might get into range trouble or have to look for charging. And that is not going to go well with her. Thus the conversation.

Let's face it: it's like driving with a 2.5 gallon tank when it's full. The irony is, 2.5 gallons is when you start looking for a gas station to fill up, not start your trip... :twisted:

Herm said:

edatoakrun said:

However, due to my location and driving patterns, I also feel that my LEAF is still missing a vital component. Without access to a fast-charge infrastructure, I frequently need to consider range in trip planning, rather than "almost never", as you do.

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If AGW turns out to be real then you may to change that, and shorten your commute.. its a good thing to do in any case, unless you like to spend a significant portion of the day fighting traffic.

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I live in a rural area, have no commute, and there is virtually no traffic.

Since AGW is reality, without a BEV, I might eventually be compelled to relocate to somewhere I would have to endure both a commute, and traffic.

Needless to say, I am a very happy BEV owner.

But I will be even happier, if and when the DC infrastructure allows me easier longer-range travel, so I can drive my LEAF, even more.

ILETRIC said:

It's a 60-70 mile trip so she gets worried. Too close for comfort. And mostly, "what if I deside to go places while I'm there?" (i.e. the city). She might get into range trouble or have to look for charging. And that is not going to go well with her. Thus the conversation.

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Yes, one of the longer trips for my wife is 75 miles with a 600-ft mountain to cross both ways. We did it together this weekend for the first time. From full with a pretty heavy load in good weather A/C on the entire time (plus pre-cooling at each stop) we got home just after LBW. I showed her where she could charge on the way if desperate and I have configured our generator to be able to charge the LEAF since she would be nearby if she didn't make it home. This trip is very doable with the car still new and warm weather. It will not be possible in the wintertime or after the battery degrades significantly.

ILETRIC said:

Let's face it: it's like driving with a 2.5 gallon tank when it's full. The irony is, 2.5 gallons is when you start looking for a gas station to fill up, not start your trip... :twisted:

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My wife starts looking for gas once the HCH gets below half! (It has a 650-mile range!)

The LEAF has been an adjustment for her, but she is getting used to it.

I have had my car over 1 year with almost 15,000 miles. We use it as our primary car with the Honda Civic Hybrid as a back up only for long distance travel - until the DC chargers are available. I have had no issues with the car whatsoever. This is the perfect about town car and a super 'retirement" car. My cost of ownership is $500 for the year and I predict this will continue for the next 4 years for an estimated 5 year total cost of operation of $2500.

There are no other cars on the road that can compare to this except the Tesla - but they are out of my price range.

I installed leather and a wood dash kit with the expectation of keeping the car for over 10 years. I am confident that 5-8 years from now I will be able to replace the battery with a longer range pack for less than $4000. The Tesla S battery is currently a 300 mile range pack - so this is not a dream. And the "engine efficiency" will remain constant throughout this time by merely blowing dust out of the windings every 100,000 miles or so.

A pleasant side effect for me is to see Ferraris, BMW's, and other exotic sports cars and thinking I am as fast off the line as they are and they are sooo yesterday gas guzzlers with a LOT of maintenance issues.

It is a great feeling to know I am living the future in the present.

Nicely said. I too find the "excitement" of plugging the car in at night gone. Even at public spots I don't think twice. Guess I've moved on from the honeymoon phase into the marriage.

The one time I was excited was when I got the use a quick charger, that was pretty neat because it was done so quickly.

I rotated the tires last weekend at about 7,500 miles and explained to my neighbor that this is the extent of the maintenance. Considering I changed the oil on the other car a few weeks ago, rotating tires is pretty boring but at least it gives me more me time.

I used to make excuses to go to a public charger near a coffee shop, just to get free charging. But have since realized that it's actually cheaper to charge for a few hours at home, even at peak times, as opposed to charging for free and buying a latte

I still get a kick out of silently stalking people in parking lots and silently zooming past people at red lights. I don't think that'll ever change

EricBayArea said:

I still get a kick out of silently stalking people in parking lots and silently zooming past people at red lights. I don't think that'll ever change

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Zooming past people at red lights is fun, but stalking people in parking lots is not fun because I wish they hear me and get out of the way. I know I can use the horn, but I don't want to startle them either (I upgraded my horn. :lol: ).