70 Mile 1 way commute - Will Leaf Work?

KJD said:

ConsideringALeaf said:

Hello,
I have a 70 mile one way commute, with a rough mileage break down like this:
16 miles - 55 - 60
40 miles - 70 - 75
14 miles - 55 - 60
I live in Indiana, so winters can get cold. I will be able to L2 charge once I reach work.
Would the Leaf work for me?

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Hey the LEAF salesman told me I would get 100 miles per charge on average. 70 miles no problem. :lol:

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Sadly I was in a Nissan dealership yesterday (using the charger) and saw a LEAF display with the 100 mile range listed prominently. In fine print they listed the name of the test that got 100 miles. Love the car, hate that this myth is still being repeated.

The OP has made the right decision - assume a 50 mile range between charges and you'll be a happy LEAFer. Of course you *can* do more than that - under optimal conditions more than twice that. Heck, yesterday I did 40 miles on a 50% charge while climbing a net of 2200 feet and didn't even get to the VLB warning (by hyper-miling and by taking a side road with slower speed limits, of course). But you can't count on that for every day driving.

ericsf said:

Nubo said:

You've described an 84 mile commute.

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There are 3 kinds of people in the world: those who can count, and those who can't.

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Hey, I was edited into falsehood. :lol:

ConsideringALeaf said:

Thanks for the honest feedback everyone, it is greatly appreciated!

Sounds like I'll be passing on a Leaf for now (keeping my Prius) but will look into again if I move, change jobs, or in a few years when range increases. Thanks again!

BTW, I get a smile on my face just thinking about others being able to drive fully electric vehicles. The future is going to be awesome, and I'm looking forward to being a part of it someday!

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Come on, where's your sense of adventure. :lol: Well, seriously, you haven't got a chance without slowing down considerably and having lots of luck with the weather (you know, down hill both ways with the wind). For more info, read about the Leaf mileage champ's experience: http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=27&t=12781
Here's a solution that nobody mentioned: Get two Leafs and arrange a charging location halfway between home and work. Pull in with your 3/4 empty Leaf, plug in, take off with your full Leaf, and continue on your merry way. Arrive at home (or work) and charge the 2nd Leaf. Repeat twice daily. :lol:

mitch672 said:

A Tesla Model S would work, you wouldn't even need to charge at work.
Of course, it's a bit more expensive than the Leaf
How much is never buying gas again worth to you?

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what he said! the 60 kW Tesla S would fit perfectly if you are willing to pay a premium for a premium experience, the car is out of this world amazing!

We are actually more delighted with our Leaf now that we don't push it so much. We use the Tesla for longer trips and the Leaf for around town driving, a great pair!

...or just buy a Toyota Rav4ev at $299 per month lease. Range is 120 to 150.

I think this thread is missing an option. Enginer has an 8kwh or "maybe soon" 12kwh add-on battery pack for just this purpose. No, I'm not a representative or associated with them. OP could install this and gain ~25 more miles for 8kwh or 32 for 12kwh. I'm sure there are trade-offs in weight and efficiency that take away from my guesstimate, but it should be enough to assure range comfort. Price for this and the Leaf will still be well below that Tesla S in base. Now to get Nissan to add a range extender pack to the list of accessories.
I'm driving an 80+ mile round trip without charging at work, but I can add supplemental L2 charging nearby if my range goes below. I just took delivery in June, but I researched the Enginer option before buying my Leaf. When my range drops to inconvenience level, I'll be shopping for some type of extender. Hopefully there will be a variety by then.
As a testament to my faith in the car, I drove 94.6 miles home from the dealership where bought it. There were closer dealers. I wanted to see the VLB warning on the first trip, and did. About 4 miles from home. Longest drive so far: 106 miles on a 100% charge and I didn't hit Turtle. I know it will decline over the life of the car, so I am being proactive.

I thought Enginer had dropped that product line...

joewaters said:

I think this thread is missing an option. Enginer has an 8kwh or "maybe soon" 12kwh add-on battery pack for just this purpose.

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joewaters said:

Longest drive so far: 106 miles on a 100% charge and I didn't hit Turtle. I know it will decline over the life of the car, so I am being proactive.

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Congratulations on joining the 100 Mile Club, Mr. 66.