Destination Likelihood

[ztanos]

I am looking at getting a 2013 Leaf. I am curious as to if I can make it to work and back on a single charge. My local dealer won't let me borrow the car for a couple of days to lessen my worries, but I know you guys are really knowledgeable. I currently drive:

0.6mi @ 25 mph
3.7mi @ 55 mph
1.2mi @ 45 mph
4.0mi @ 35 mph
4.0mi @ 45 mph
3.2mi @ 40 mph
9.2mi @ 45 mph
1.3mi @ 55 mph
0.2mi @ 25 mph

54.8mi round trip. I know this puts me in the good according to the graph, but experience is better than guessing.

This is the speed limit for these roads. I know that I can drive faster or slower depending on range, but I would like to know if I could make it there and back without a charge. My work has already said I can plug in, but it's better to know the worse-case scenario and not need it.

 

[EdmondLeaf]

I do similar every other day and never charged to 100%. Always back home with 2-3 bars left

 

[mkjayakumar]

This should be a piece of cake.. even with CC on and driving at 60 mph on those sections that are 55 mph max speed.

 

[coqui]

Np

I am looking at getting a 2013 Leaf. I am curious as to if I can make it to work and back on a single charge. My local dealer won't let me borrow the car for a couple of days to lessen my worries, but I know you guys are really knowledgeable. I currently drive:

0.6mi @ 25 mph
3.7mi @ 55 mph
1.2mi @ 45 mph
4.0mi @ 35 mph
4.0mi @ 45 mph
3.2mi @ 40 mph
9.2mi @ 45 mph
1.3mi @ 55 mph
0.2mi @ 25 mph

54.8mi round trip. I know this puts me in the good according to the graph, but experience is better than guessing.

This is the speed limit for these roads. I know that I can drive faster or slower depending on range, but I would like to know if I could make it there and back without a charge. My work has already said I can plug in, but it's better to know the worse-case scenario and not need it.

 

[thankyouOB]

that is my commute, but yours is about 4 more total miles and, more importantly, for me 40 miles are at 60-65.
i do it with ease and only charge to 80%.

 

[ztanos]

Thanks for you answers guys. All the help you can give me makes me more comfortable.

Last one, I swear.

My alternate return trip is highway with:

18.6mi @ 55mph
24.9mi @ 65mph
1.2mi @ 35mph
.7mi @ 50mph
.6mi @ 25mph

 

[trentr]

alternate return trip? did you mean round trip? If so, yes, that is doable as well.

 

[ztanos]

alternate return trip? did you mean round trip? If so, yes, that is doable as well.

no, I live in Atlanta, so at any given moment I will need to find a second route home. This is my farthest distanced backup route. If I can make this one, I can make all of them.

 

[ztanos]

So I guess I am asking about the 28 slow speed trip to work and the 47 mile fast speed trip from work, if that is doable or I would most likely need a charge.

 

[GaslessInSeattle]

Your commute(s) is well within the Leaf's range. It's not hard to get 80 miles or more out of a charge doing even a lot of highway as long as you are willing to learn a few tricks about regen and acceleration using the range/efficiency tools the car comes with. As has been said, you will likely get quite comfortable doing your commute on an 80% charge in eco mode.

 

[CWO4Mann]

I am looking at getting a 2013 Leaf. I am curious as to if I can make it to work and back on a single charge. My local dealer won't let me borrow the car for a couple of days to lessen my worries, but I know you guys are really knowledgeable. I currently drive:

0.6mi @ 25 mph
3.7mi @ 55 mph
1.2mi @ 45 mph
4.0mi @ 35 mph
4.0mi @ 45 mph
3.2mi @ 40 mph
9.2mi @ 45 mph
1.3mi @ 55 mph
0.2mi @ 25 mph

54.8mi round trip. I know this puts me in the good according to the graph, but experience is better than guessing.

This is the speed limit for these roads. I know that I can drive faster or slower depending on range, but I would like to know if I could make it there and back without a charge. My work has already said I can plug in, but it's better to know the worse-case scenario and not need it.

This is a no problemo commute. Now what's this statement "Go Slower"? Whaaaaat???? I drive my Leaf balls to the wall all the time and still get 80 miles a day out of it.

Dave

 

[Cheezmo]

As has been said, you will likely get quite comfortable doing your commute on an 80% charge in eco mode.

If you are saying he needs to drive in ECO mode to make that trip (which I'm pretty sure he doesn't) then you should advise him to make sure and test drive it in ECO mode and be sure he would be happy driving it that way. I know I wouldn't.

But, he should be fine either way.

 

[gergg]

This is a no problemo commute. Now what's this statement "Go Slower"? Whaaaaat???? I drive my Leaf balls to the wall all the time and still get 80 miles a day out of it.

Seriously? I have an 82 mile commute where most of my highway drive(60 miles) will be under 63mph, the other 22 miles will be 40-55mph, pretty easy drive, not a lot of stop and go, most of the time no/little AC/Heat, small rolling hills, based on what I have read this would be a touch and go commute with the Leaf....what do you guys think? By the way, I now drive a VW diesel and am very good with conserving energy/fuel so I think I would have no problem driving the Leaf to it's limit mileage-wise(it's a game to me).

 

[mkjayakumar]

Driving in ECO takes the fun out of driving an EV no doubt, but I got used to it. IMHO the OP has to do this "one way back street/return trip on highway" using ECO and 100%, and also given that he wouldn't know when the return trip will be on the highway, that means charging to 100% everyday just to be safe.

Again just my opinion.

 

[Cheezmo]

Driving in ECO takes the fun out of driving an EV no doubt, but I got used to it.

Because you have to or because you don't want driving to be fun. :?

 

[planet4ever]

Driving in ECO takes the fun out of driving an EV no doubt, but I got used to it.

I really don't understand statements like that. If I punch it when the light turns green, I jump the same way in ECO as in D. Same story if I need to accelerate quickly to catch a hole in the next lane over. If I'm driving a winding road, ECO lets me keep my foot on the go-pedal as I slow before a curve and then power my way through it. Now, admittedly, if I were to take my foot off both pedals going down a long steep hill, D would give me more of a "thrill" as I would rocket to 80+, but that kind of "fun" I can get along without on public roads.

Ray

 

[Cheezmo]

Driving in ECO takes the fun out of driving an EV no doubt, but I got used to it.

I really don't understand statements like that. If I punch it when the light turns green, I jump the same way in ECO as in D. Same story if I need to accelerate quickly to catch a hole in the next lane over. If I'm driving a winding road, ECO lets me keep my foot on the go-pedal as I slow before a curve and then power my way through it. Now, admittedly, if I were to take my foot off both pedals going down a long steep hill, D would give me more of a "thrill" as I would rocket to 80+, but that kind of "fun" I can get along without on public roads.

Ray

There is more to it than how much energy you get when punching it to 100% pedal. The curve is different (logarithmic vs. linear?) which gives you a completely different feeling of connection to the power.

 

[planet4ever]

There is more to it than how much energy you get when punching it to 100% pedal. The curve is different (logarithmic vs. linear?) which gives you a completely different feeling of connection to the power.

Oh, I agree the curve is different. ECO seems to give you power proportional to pedal position, while D gives you something closer to acceleration proportional to pedal position. If that's true, I would think that the ECO behavior would be more like a gasoline car, except that if you are used to a 350 HP monster you intuitively expect that power = acceleration anywhere up to well past legal freeway speeds.

[Watch the console power meter - the left side pie chart at ZeroEmission -> EnergyInfo - while you hold the pedal half depressed but steady. I think you'll find that in ECO the power holds steady, while in D it ramps up as you speed up.]

Ray

 

[Cheezmo]

There is more to it than how much energy you get when punching it to 100% pedal. The curve is different (logarithmic vs. linear?) which gives you a completely different feeling of connection to the power.

Oh, I agree the curve is different. ECO seems to give you power proportional to pedal position, while D gives you something closer to acceleration proportional to pedal position. If that's true, I would think that the ECO behavior would be more like a gasoline car, except that if you are used to a 350 HP monster you intuitively expect that power = acceleration anywhere up to well past legal freeway speeds.

Ray

Why yes! I am used to driving a BMW M3, a Mercedes E55, and a Mercedes ML55. They aren't "monsters" they are fabulous vehicles. I love that driving the Leaf can feel as close as it does to that experience.

Your suggestion that preferring a more aggressive power response on the accelerator implies disregard for speed limits is insulting.

Different people enjoy different driving styles. It is nice that the Leaf accommodates both.

 

[planet4ever]

Your suggestion that preferring a more aggressive power response on the accelerator implies disregard for speed limits is insulting.

No, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to suggest that at all. What I was trying to say was that people used to high powered cars are likely to associate accelerator position with amount of acceleration, and that is what they get with D. To reverse the bias from my previous post, people used to wimpy cars are likely to associate accelerator position with amount of power, and that is what they get in ECO. Historically I have driven more Beetles and Priuses than anything else, with the occasional miscellaneous econobox along the way. These are clearly what you would consider to be wimpy cars, so the ECO pedal behaves in a way that seems more familiar to me. But that's just pedal position. ECO or D, this is the liveliest car I have ever driven. I don't always use ECO, but it makes things a lot more fun on curvy roads, just as I used to shift into B on my Priuses and downshifted my Beetles.

I can only guess about your feelings, however I suspect the D pedal behaves in a way that seems more familiar to you. But that's just pedal position. ECO or D, this car must seem to you like it's pushing through molasses. Pedal position aside, is there some reason the car is more fun to drive in D?

Ray