New Leaf owner with questions

Hi all-

Just purchased a 2015 S this weekend and am still learning about it. (I'm just loving the acceleration -- it was so unexpected. I don't think I'll ever use the ECO button <g>).

But I have two questions that I'm hoping someone can help with:

1) When I bought the Leaf, I didn't realize that the charging cord I got was also the same one that rides in the pack in the back (i.e., you only get one). I'm in Atlanta, so there are lots of charging options (including a free DCFC station near me), so I think my trickle charger will be sufficient, but I really would like to have one in the car (I don't want to have to pack and unpack it every day). I rent my home, so getting a level 2 installed isn't an option. It seems that just getting a 2nd trickle charger one like the one that came with the Leaf would work, but it looks like the Nissan standard one is crazy expensive (initial searches on Amazon showed it costing $800-$1000 -- about the same cost as a level 2). Is there a cheaper option for a backup trickle charger or is that what I stuck with?

2) Sadly, I've read the threads about the lack of BlueTooth streaming on the S. Also, I've discovered that my Android phone (HTC One) isn't recognized by the USB. One of the things I was looking forward to with the new car was playing music from my phone. So, what's my best option for this? I just want to play mp3 files that are on my phone, not interested in streaming. Is it possible to copy the files to a USB key and play them that way? Or do I have to connect my phone directly to the aux port and use the phone's controls to play them?

Thanks in advance for any responses.

dfscott said:

Just purchased a 2015 S this weekend and am still learning about it. (I'm just loving the acceleration -- it was so unexpected. I don't think I'll ever use the ECO button <g>).

Click to expand...

Congrats!!!
The accel is nice... But it does effect the range..
Still worth it sometimes... ;-)

dfscott said:

2). Is there a cheaper option for a backup trickle charger or is that what I stuck with?

Click to expand...

E-bay is a low cost option for L1's I think. Yeah, the "new" ones do cost almost as much as the L2s. Sometimes more. ;-(
(Man, I should have though about Clipper Creek (mentioned below). They make great stuff!)

dfscott said:

Is it possible to copy the files to a USB key and play them that way? Or do I have to connect my phone directly to the aux port and use the phone's controls to play them?

Click to expand...

Both should work...

desiv

Here's a good portable L1, $395:

http://www.clippercreek.com/store/product/pcs-15-portable-level-1-evse/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Another good option is the EVSEupgrade of a factory cord. If purchased as extra cord, it's a little more money that an L1 Clipper Creek but is good for either L1 or L2 and entirely portable. That way you can leave the factory cord at home and have the converted EVSEupgrade cord riding in the car.

desiv said:

dfscott said:

Is it possible to copy the files to a USB key and play them that way? Or do I have to connect my phone directly to the aux port and use the phone's controls to play them?

Click to expand...

Both should work...

Click to expand...

The difference being that with a thumb drive and USB port, the steering wheel controls (basically |< and >| ) do work, but not with a phone or other plaayer through the 1/8" jack. I haven't tried a phone through the USB port, but if it can find the music, I suspect that the controls would also still work.

mbender said:

I haven't tried a phone through the USB port, but if it can find the music, I suspect that the controls would also still work.

Click to expand...

This actually worked on on older versions of Android, because they would show up as a standard storage device. But somewhere (don't remember which release), they stopped that.
Not sure if it was a licensing thing or what.. But they moved to MTP, which most car stereos don't support. (At least that I've seen)
And as more people move to bluetooth, I don't see MTP being added..
And a lot of stereos do support Apple's iDevices also. Just Android that messed up (IMHO).

Too bad, as it worked well, at least for us before the phone upgrades (pre-Leaf).

desiv

desiv said:

mbender said:

I haven't tried a phone through the USB port, but if it can find the music, I suspect that the controls would also still work.

Click to expand...

This actually worked on on older versions of Android, because they would show up as a standard storage device. But somewhere (don't remember which release), they stopped that.
Not sure if it was a licensing thing or what.. But they moved to MTP, which most car stereos don't support. (At least that I've seen)
And as more people move to bluetooth, I don't see MTP being added..
And a lot of stereos do support Apple's iDevices also. Just Android that messed up (IMHO).

Too bad, as it worked well, at least for us before the phone upgrades (pre-Leaf).

desiv

Click to expand...

I'm running a custom (rooted) version of Android, so I wonder if there's any hacks to get around that. I'll do some digging and report back if I find anything.

desiv said:

E-bay is a low cost option for L1's I think. Yeah, the "new" ones do cost almost as much as the L2s. Sometimes more. ;-(
(Man, I should have though about Clipper Creek (mentioned below). They make great stuff!)

desiv

Click to expand...

DNAinaGoodWay said:

Here's a good portable L1, $395:

http://www.clippercreek.com/store/product/pcs-15-portable-level-1-evse/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Click to expand...

I did find both new and used stock chargers on Ebay (said they were from export cars). With shipping the new was $315, used was $275. The level 2 upgrade appears to almost double the cost, so I'm not sure if it's worth it. After only 3 days, I really don't know what my driving/charging pattern will be. I might hold off a bit and see.

Thanks to everyone for helping me out.

In case you didn't see mention of this elsewhere....

Be cautious about using your L1 in a plug that has not at least been inspected to ensure it is well installed and up to the regular high-draw use. Unfortunately it seems there are quite a few 120v plugs in and around garages that are simply not up to the job.

If your building is relatively new and well built you have less of a risk here than if it is much older or built by the 'lowest bidder'.

The risk here may be small, but the potential damage could be severe (fire risk).

As to the recommendation on second cord - I'd get one that can to L1 or L2 and carry it around as suggested - the EVSE upgrade option is a good choice here if you can find one in your budget. IF you find yourself our somewhere needing a charge (and not having a public EVSE available) then the flexibility may be of great value to you. Mind you I upgraded my EVSE and have only used it twice away from home - both time planned, but it was very nice to be able to get L2 rates as there was a 240 plug available at my destination. Just be aware that if you are going this route it could be well worth it to buy the necessary plug adapters for different types you could encounter out there.

dfscott said:

Hi all-

Just purchased a 2015 S this weekend and am still learning about it. (I'm just loving the acceleration -- it was so unexpected. I don't think I'll ever use the ECO button <g>).

Click to expand...

FYI, the ECO mode does absolutely nothing to change the acceleration capability, maximum power, or the energy economy of the vehicle. It modifies the pedal-response curve and delivers some power further into the pedal stroke. You can still command 100 percent power at any time (or 90%, 80%, etc...). You can still accelerate just as quickly.

The only "Eco" in ECO mode is in the mind of the designers. They somehow expect that you won't be able or willing to move your foot far enough to get the power delivery you desire. Rather silly if you ask me. Unless you have some weird ankle problem I can't see that it takes any more "effort" to move your toes 4 inches instead of 2. :lol:

The real value in ECO mode is that it gives you a linear response to accelerator input, which is how the car SHOULD be by default (imho) and allows for more intuitive and precise speed control.

But, enjoy the asymptotic accelerator-response curve if you prefer Lots of people seem to think it makes the car "faster".

Nubo said:

dfscott said:

Hi all-

Just purchased a 2015 S this weekend and am still learning about it. (I'm just loving the acceleration -- it was so unexpected. I don't think I'll ever use the ECO button <g>).

Click to expand...

FYI, the ECO mode does absolutely nothing to change the acceleration capability, maximum power, or the energy economy of the vehicle. It modifies the pedal-response curve and delivers some power further into the pedal stroke. You can still command 100 percent power at any time (or 90%, 80%, etc...). You can still accelerate just as quickly.

The only "Eco" in ECO mode is in the mind of the designers. They somehow expect that you won't be able or willing to move your foot far enough to get the power delivery you desire. Rather silly if you ask me. Unless you have some weird ankle problem I can't see that it takes any more "effort" to move your toes 4 inches instead of 2. :lol:

The real value in ECO mode is that it gives you a linear response to accelerator input, which is how the car SHOULD be by default (imho) and allows for more intuitive and precise speed control.

But, enjoy the asymptotic accelerator-response curve if you prefer Lots of people seem to think it makes the car "faster".

Click to expand...

The second value to eco mode is if you use it as default switching to normal then feels like you have a sport mode.

minispeed said:

Nubo said:

dfscott said:

Hi all-

Just purchased a 2015 S this weekend and am still learning about it. (I'm just loving the acceleration -- it was so unexpected. I don't think I'll ever use the ECO button <g>).

Click to expand...

FYI, the ECO mode does absolutely nothing to change the acceleration capability, maximum power, or the energy economy of the vehicle. It modifies the pedal-response curve and delivers some power further into the pedal stroke. You can still command 100 percent power at any time (or 90%, 80%, etc...). You can still accelerate just as quickly.

The only "Eco" in ECO mode is in the mind of the designers. They somehow expect that you won't be able or willing to move your foot far enough to get the power delivery you desire. Rather silly if you ask me. Unless you have some weird ankle problem I can't see that it takes any more "effort" to move your toes 4 inches instead of 2. :lol:

The real value in ECO mode is that it gives you a linear response to accelerator input, which is how the car SHOULD be by default (imho) and allows for more intuitive and precise speed control.

But, enjoy the asymptotic accelerator-response curve if you prefer Lots of people seem to think it makes the car "faster".

Click to expand...

The second value to eco mode is if you use it as default switching to normal then feels like you have a sport mode.

Click to expand...

I use ECO mode because it increases the amount of regen braking when taking my foot off the accelerator... Makes 'slowing to a stop' a bit easier.

Nubo said:

The only "Eco" in ECO mode is in the mind of the designers. They somehow expect that you won't be able or willing to move your foot far enough to get the power delivery you desire. Rather silly if you ask me. Unless you have some weird ankle problem I can't see that it takes any more "effort" to move your toes 4 inches instead of 2. :lol:

The real value in ECO mode is that it gives you a linear response to accelerator input, which is how the car SHOULD be by default (imho) and allows for more intuitive and precise speed control.

But, enjoy the asymptotic accelerator-response curve if you prefer Lots of people seem to think it makes the car "faster".

Click to expand...

For me, maybe it's "unlearning" my old ICE habits. In the old automatics I drove, there was steady resistance of the pedal to a point, then a "hump" which you could push over, which generally resulted in a downshift and high revs of the engine to give you that "floor-it" passing power. I was taught me to never push past that hump except in an emergency (although as a teenager, I often did). So basically I tend to drive using only about 3/4 of the pedal travel.

I'll have to try and summon full power in ECO mode on the way home. I tend to baby it anyway and only "punch it" when I'm trying to dart into an opening in traffic.

BTW, nice sig quote. I'm using a keyboard right now -- so quaint.

Slow1 said:

I use ECO mode because it increases the amount of regen braking when taking my foot off the accelerator... Makes 'slowing to a stop' a bit easier.

Click to expand...

I was wondering if that was just me imagining it or not. I actually feel like I get too much braking in ECO mode. I like to have at least some coast factor, so I normally drive in "B" with ECO off (if you can count two days of ownership as "normally").

dfscott said:

Slow1 said:

I use ECO mode because it increases the amount of regen braking when taking my foot off the accelerator... Makes 'slowing to a stop' a bit easier.

Click to expand...

I was wondering if that was just me imagining it or not. I actually feel like I get too much braking in ECO mode. I like to have at least some coast factor, so I normally drive in "B" with ECO off (if you can count two days of ownership as "normally").

Click to expand...

Well, give it some time and you will develop your own habits I'm sure. I tend to 'shift' for variable conditions quite a bit. Perhaps it comes from years driving a stick and liking that (illusion?) of greater control. When I want to coast, I shift it into neutral and coast away. I will go in and out of eco mode as desires/conditions require (i.e. put in drive when I know I want to pull out quickly into traffic, eco for other times). I'll probably wear out that hockey puck some day

Nubo said:

FYI, the ECO mode does absolutely nothing to change the acceleration capability, maximum power, or the energy economy of the vehicle. It modifies the pedal-response curve and delivers some power further into the pedal stroke. You can still command 100 percent power at any time (or 90%, 80%, etc...). You can still accelerate just as quickly.

The only "Eco" in ECO mode is in the mind of the designers. They somehow expect that you won't be able or willing to move your foot far enough to get the power delivery you desire. Rather silly if you ask me. Unless you have some weird ankle problem I can't see that it takes any more "effort" to move your toes 4 inches instead of 2. :lol:

The real value in ECO mode is that it gives you a linear response to accelerator input, which is how the car SHOULD be by default (imho) and allows for more intuitive and precise speed control.

But, enjoy the asymptotic accelerator-response curve if you prefer Lots of people seem to think it makes the car "faster".

Click to expand...

Not entirely true. Unless they have changed it on the newer LEAFs, Eco also dials down the maximum power used in the climate control system, with the notable exception of the defrost setting, since getting the windshield clear quickly is a safety issue.

Eco helps with driving efficiency since the accelerator pedal mapping makes it a lot easier to control speed precisely and the sort of aggressive acceleration encouraged by D is the opposite of efficient driving. But, yes, one can learn to drive efficiently in D with practice.


For those of us with older LEAFs that don't have B mode, shifting between Neutral, D, and Eco also adjusts regen. I do this frequently when descending hills on undulating terrain as a form of speed control. I could do much the same with the accelerator pedal in Eco but I enjoy shifting between N, D, and Eco to find the speed I want without either pedal. It is a game. Newer LEAFs can do the same by turning B mode on or off. [But I don't have to deal with traffic — most of the time — in this thinly populated area, so it is less of a safety issue that it would be for others who need to drive at a steady speed for the cars behind them.]

dgpcolorado said:

Nubo said:

FYI, the ECO mode does absolutely nothing to change the acceleration capability, maximum power, or the energy economy of the vehicle. It modifies the pedal-response curve and delivers some power further into the pedal stroke. You can still command 100 percent power at any time (or 90%, 80%, etc...). You can still accelerate just as quickly.

The only "Eco" in ECO mode is in the mind of the designers. They somehow expect that you won't be able or willing to move your foot far enough to get the power delivery you desire. Rather silly if you ask me. Unless you have some weird ankle problem I can't see that it takes any more "effort" to move your toes 4 inches instead of 2. :lol:

The real value in ECO mode is that it gives you a linear response to accelerator input, which is how the car SHOULD be by default (imho) and allows for more intuitive and precise speed control.

But, enjoy the asymptotic accelerator-response curve if you prefer Lots of people seem to think it makes the car "faster".

Click to expand...

Not entirely true. Unless they have changed it on the newer LEAFs, Eco also dials down the maximum power used in the climate control system, with the notable exception of the defrost setting, since getting the windshield clear quickly is a safety issue.

Click to expand...

True, I should have stated that it doesn't change the efficiency of the *drivetrain*.

For the OP, if you're thinking of buying a second L1 EVSE you may want to look over at the Private: For Sale/Want to Buy board: http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewforum.php?f=41" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; Occasionally people will be selling OEM EVSEs, often upgraded by EVSE Upgrade to dual voltage, for much less than what Nissan's parts department wants for a replacement.

Speaking of which, EVSE Upgrade itself is selling a whole upgraded unit for $649 http://evseupgrade.com/?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=25" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; This would allow you to charge at 240 volts/up to 20 amps if you have access to a 240 volt outlet. I would also buy a few adapters for various plug types you might encounter, at the very least an adapter to let you plug the unit back into a regular 120 volt/15 amp outlet.

Another dual voltage option is AeroVironment's TurboCord: http://www.amazon.com/TurboCord-Dual-Plug-Charger-Volt/dp/B00J8O1XQE" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; At $599 it's slightly cheaper than EVSE Upgrade, but AV does not recommend using any adapters other than the 240 --> 120 volt one that comes with it. And the "brick" may make it challenging to plug into outlets that are deeply recessed and/or crowded in by other things, as opposed to a regular straight plug. You can of course use an extension cord in such a situation but again AV does not recommend it, so if there is a problem you're on your own. It also maxes out at 16 amps, so if your Leaf S has the optional Quick Charge port, it's not going to be charged as quickly as using a 20 or especially 30 amp unit when plugged into a 240 volt outlet.

If you can live with just L1 and/or cost is the biggest issue, you can buy a Clipper Creek PCS-15 for $395. http://www.clippercreek.com/store/product/pcs-15-portable-level-1-evse/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; It's same thing as what came with your car, just made by Clipper Creek instead of Panasonic. I believe this unit is the OEM EVSE for the VW eGolf with a "Delphi" label instead of CC's. (oops I see it was mentioned earlier)

dfscott said:

I was wondering if that was just me imagining it or not. I actually feel like I get too much braking in ECO mode. I like to have at least some coast factor, so I normally drive in "B" with ECO off (if you can count two days of ownership as "normally").

Click to expand...

I find it much easier to modulate the pedal to achieve a coast in eco, it doesn't tire my foot at all the way it use to in the insight trying to keep it in lean burn. So for me regular drive eco on with a light modulation makes coasting super easy, for light regen I simply lift my foot a bit or all the way, for full regen a light tap of the brake can accomplish full regen without engaging the friction brakes, same that you would get in B. I think there's an added safety to using the brake for regen because reaction times are sped up if you already have your foot on the brake and need to make an emergency stop. I only use B going down a hill when I'd speed without it or have a stop at the bottom.

Then as mentioned normal non eco has become my sport mode for pulling out and having fun.

dfscott said:

Hi all-
2) Sadly, I've read the threads about the lack of BlueTooth streaming on the S. Also, I've discovered that my Android phone (HTC One) isn't recognized by the USB.

Click to expand...

I also have a new S, and for me, the lack of functionality for bluetooth and the charge timer were surprises. It almost seems like they went out of their way to make them function poorly. If my dealer had pointed those things out to me, he may have been able to get me to go for the SV. The fault is mine I suppose, as I'm not sure he knew about those differences (for example, he'd say things like "it even has bluetooth!" without describing its crippled status).

I'm still happy with my car, but they likely missed an up-sell with me. If it turns out that the central console can be swapped out in my future beyond-warranty days, I'll likely do it.

Oh and for the audio, I mostly stream my stuff, and I use the aux port, awkward placement and all.

caSteve said:

I also have a new S, and for me, the lack of functionality for bluetooth and the charge timer were surprises. It almost seems like they went out of their way to make them function poorly. If my dealer had pointed those things out to me, he may have been able to get me to go for the SV. The fault is mine I suppose, as I'm not sure he knew about those differences (for example, he'd say things like "it even has bluetooth!" without describing its crippled status).

Click to expand...

Yeah, I have to admit that I was surprised that the salesman really downplayed the features of the SL and SV. I didn't realize that all the S-models now have have DCFC, which is what I was on the fence about (so glad I got it now!). He said, "unless you need navigation, there's no reason to get the SV since it's really just a nav system and wheels" and never mentioned all the other "hidden" items in the those models. I wonder as well if he just didn't know the difference or if they happened to be overstocked with S-models.

What is the charge timer difference -- doesn't that not work with the S? I'm on a standard electric rate plan so I don't have any need to charge later but I was just curious.

Edit: Oh, and the other thing that he said wasn't really that great was CarWings -- he said it was basically just a fancy version of PlugShare...