Aggrocragg said:
I am looking into purchasing either a 2013 Nissan Leaf SV or SL. My commute is 27 miles each way between Long Beach, CA and Irvine, CA ... Since my annual mileage is around 15-17k, it seems that a lease would not be a financially feasible option, so this is why I am looking for a used Leaf. There are a good number of charging stations along my commute (L2 and DCQC). My regular schedule rarely varies from doing 55-60 miles per day. I am hoping to keep my costs as low as possible, but I am willing to pay extra for the DCQC if it is a necessity.
Since there are dozens of DC chargers (CHAdeMO) in SoCal for you to use, and the first time you would need one, it will surely be worth every penny. No, it's not a necessity, but neither is an electric car a necessity.
Your commute is not a slam dunk round trip. Freeways get detoured, storms happen, you might enjoy the heater, the battery loses capacity over time and in cold. Heat degrades the battery.
So, I recommend paying the extra few dollars to get a 15,000 mile lease on the basic LEAF with a DC charging port. Buying a used one will already have a partially degraded battery, and I doubt you'll save ANY money over a new lease.
When the car is new, it should be easy to get over 80 miles of range at 65mph steady speed (not average) down the freeway with a warm battery and no heater. After 45,000 miles on a three year lease, I suspect you'll have 20% reduction in range from degradation, which leaves you with about 60-ish miles of range in the same conditions.
When cold weather and a detour is needed in your degraded car, you'll truly appreciate having all the fastest charging options. In addition to the 20% degradation over the 45,000 miles, also expect an additional 10% degradation in freezing cold temperatures. Running the heater will also consume far more power than the relatively efficient air conditioner.
Note: Nissan LEAF cannot use the Tesla "Supercharger" stations or any of the "SAE - CCS - Combo1" stations used by GM Chevy Spark EV, BMW i3, and future VW eGolf.