Ground School?

[electriclarry]

I been sharing information about my 'pending' Leaf Purchase with a work friend. He being a former Private Pilot thinks new owners and especially reporters should be required to attend a 'ground school' before they can buy or test a Leaf.

You have to treat a trip close to max range ( what ever that is!?) of the Leaf like you are doing a flight. Fuel, well of course, but if you have fully charged and your trip is not greater than max miles what do you need as a contingency reserve? You must look at the weather, is it going to be too hot or too cold, subtract range, using the wipers, maybe the defroster on, subtract range, is the trip very early in the morning, lights on, subtract range, is the terrain hilly?, subtract range. Downhill, add range, eco mode add range, maybe... Yes, some planning is required with an ICE car, but if it's 32C or 32F it's not going to be super critical. Yes weather factors, will effect an ICE car also, but not as much as an EV and in most urban area, a gas station is usual nearby.

Which one of you Geeks is going to program the first Leaf trip planning (like a flight planning program) Iphone/Ipod touch/ IPAD app?

With the exception of a .25 mile drive at the SF Auto Show I have not driven a Leaf. Today is the first day I've seen one in the wild, but reading this group since August I figured a few things out. This group has been my ground school, thank you.



Larry

 

[Stoaty]

Doesn't sound like a good way to make this a car for the masses. It's the exact opposite of what Nissan has been trying to do.

 

[DeaneG]

It's easier than that - if in doubt, take another car.

 

[electriclarry]

Moderator

Sorry, I should posted this in the ' CNN Money" Please move this to the 'CNN Money.'

Thanks


Larry

 

[tps]

It's been a while, but one of my flight instructors once said something like "The superb pilot uses his superb intelligence so he doesn't have to use his superb skill." The same idea can be applied to driving... Sometimes I wish driver's education had been more like flight training.

To parallel the flight training thing, driving a LEAF might require a checkout drive with an instructor...

 

[AndyH]

Larry - I think you've nailed it.

I think it's absolutely time for an evolution of transportation intelligence on the planet - and that's going to require retasking a couple of under-used neurons.

The current batch of 'senior EVers' learned the hard way - and the school of hard knocks takes time and often comfortable walking shoes. An EV Ground School can significantly ease the learning curve and result in speeding the acceptance of EVs (without requiring those long walks). What's not to like about that?!

 

[BudRaymond]

You don't need to be that careful. Unlike in an airplane, we can always pull over.