Need help choosing a 2013 Leaf in Miami and advise on how to get it back to Tampa

I am planning to travel from Tampa to Miami to buy one of six 2013 Leafs that are on offer by an Off-Lease dealer - $10K each.
Does anyone know of someone in Miami who I can pay to check the cars over for me so that I don't end up buying the wrong one?

Then I am going to drive the car 280 miles back to Tampa. My understanding is that I should stop at a charging station every approximately 60 miles to charge the battery before proceeding with my return journey. Does anyone have any tips for me on how to do this efficiently?

Thanks,

MJ

Assuming the car has a 60 mile range, I would download the PlugShare app and check for Quick Chargers on your route. Make sure the model you buy has a quick charger too.

So, I am assuming that the quick charger is something that I must install at my home. I was told that I can simply charge it at one of my home outlets which has three holes, like the one that you would plug a washer or dryer into?

Thanks for the tips.

smook said:

So, I am assuming that the quick charger is something that I must install at my home. I was told that I can simply charge it at one of my home outlets which has three holes, like the one that you would plug a washer or dryer into?

Thanks for the tips.

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A LEAF's "quick charge" port gives external high voltage DC charging equipment a direct-connection pathway to the vehicle's battery, bypassing the vehicle's onboard AC-to-DC converter/charger electronics. The advantage of this is that the external equipment doesn't have to fit inside the car, and can have its considerable cost (tens of thousands of dollars) spread out over many vehicle users. Exploiting these advantages, the DC fast charge equipment delivers about ten times as much power to the battery as the car's internal charger can. But for practical home charging, you should just use the normal "EVSE" (Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment) for safely connecting an AC power line to the vehicle's on-board charger. A 240V connection is preferred, and usually allows the car to charge faster (up to 2X faster).

You are going to have to stop 4 to 5 times to charge (at 30 min each if it's a quick charge station.... 4 + hours otherwise!!!) so that's an extra 2.5 hours.... if it were me I would rent a tow dolly and tow it home.

Thank you for your detailed tips. Much appreciated.
MJS

Thanks for the tow dolly tip. It gave me an idea. I called the AAA and they will tow me 200 miles for free with my upgraded membership that costs $95. So I only have to cover 80 miles on my own.

A 240V connection is preferred, and usually allows the car to charge faster (up to 2X faster).

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It's much more than 2X faster - that's the improvement with the lowest amperage EVSE available. More like 5X faster than 120 volt charging, with the optimum setup.

IMO, south Florida is a QC desert. In my area there is only ONE QC, at the PGA Golf resort, and the last time I was there it was out of service. What little else we have around here is L2 (240 VAC), where you can only charge at a rate of about 20-25 miles for every hour you are plugged in (IF you have the better 6.6 kW charger option). Most of the L2 chargers aren't anywhere near a highway, like 95 or the Turnpike, but more often along Route 1, which would take DAYS to get your Leaf home. As others have suggested, it will be MUCH easier to just tow it home. At typical Florida Turnpike speeds, a degraded 2013 battery would be lucky to make 60 miles.
Also, just FYI: the factory EVSE supplied with the Leaf is only 120 volt, You can have it modified to plug into 240 VAC by http://www.evseupgrade.com but you can also just pickup a good L2 charger and install it.