My Nissan Leaf Forum

(Sorry if this has been posted already...)

http://www.autoblog.com/2012/03/20/niss ... -of-range/

Lest anyone misunderstand the specifics, the 2013 Leaf will have a more efficient heater to avoid losing up to 25 miles of range in cold weather. The overall range will not be greater than it is now.

So far, we don't know how Nissan will increase that heater efficiency. Heat pump? Ethanol burner like the Volvo C30? We can only guess.

As for other details, the 6.6kWh charger has been confirmed, as well as options for darker or leather upholstery.

Meh. I'm happier than ever to be taking delivery of my Leaf one week from tomorrow. None of the above strikes me as worth waiting any longer.

heat pump?

or are we talking a new battery heater that warms the battery to say 70 degrees during prewarming? either could make a substantial difference in cold whether.

We were told a heat pump and resistance heating by Mark Perry on Dec 3.

Heat pump is only good to about 40F, then still resistance below that.

Please change the title to not let people think the range is increased.

did they give you any idea how they were going to gain back that 25 miles of range in cold. a heat pump that only works to about 40, which is where you really start feeling the need for heat, will help some, but it's below 40 where the resistive heater really starts chewing up electrons. is this 25 miles of gain realistic? Seems Nissan needs to work on managing expectations. any time you over state an expectation you turn a moderate improvement that should be celebrated into a disappointment.

To me, this falls in to the same category as the proclamation that the Leaf has a 100 mile range... Yeah, under ideal conditions and with a conservative driver...
[quote="GaslessInSeattle"is this 25 miles of gain realistic? Seems Nissan needs to work on managing expectations. any time you over state an expectation you turn a moderate improvement that should be celebrated into a disappointment.[/quote]

For me, if it's above 40 (and this is where a heat pump would kick in), I don't really need the added efficiency. It is nice to have though since it gives you the flexibility to run the heat between 40 and 60 degrees with little loss in range. Heated seat is enough for me above 40 though.

The 6.6KWh charger...is nice.

Heat pump won't help when it's below freezing outside. 6.6kWh charger will be nice. Interior choices are good to have. But the real question is: How much more will it cost this time?

If it will cost the same, I'll cancel my order and hold out for a 2013.

Again, a proper heat pump with a modern refridgeant (R410 or CO2 or a few others) will work well down to at least around 5 F, that's -15C or so. -16 C was the coldest weather I drove my Leaf in this winter.

Welp, that's the absolute worst complaint I had addressed

I don't know if this is a universal, but in my area about 80% of the time I need the heater it's in the 35-50's range. Seldom below freezing. And Jebus the current heater chews through charge...

Assuming they can make the heater work under most situations with a similar draw to the downright surprisingly efficient A/C, that's a huge win.