Leaf Places Second in "America's Most Fuel Efficient Vehicle

[LEAFfan]

A full charge takes about eight hours on a 220-volt dock and will carry you 73 miles, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. The price tag is steep, but a $7,500 federal tax credit helps.

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I can't figure out where all these people are getting 8 hours to charge from an L2 (240V) charging station. I've been down to zero bars and recharged to 100% in a little over 5 hours every time. If I'm just charging to 80%, it will charge 20% every hour. With L1 (120V), it would only take a little over 10 hours to 100%.

 

[TomT]

Something is wrong with your numbers. I just had to charge on 120 (for the second time ever) and in 13 hours I went from about 5 percent to 80 percent...

With L1 (120V), it would only take a little over 10 hours to 100%.

 

[Stoaty]

I can't figure out where all these people are getting 8 hours to charge from an L2 (240V) charging station. I've been down to zero bars and recharged to 100% in a little over 5 hours every time. If I'm just charging to 80%, it will charge 20% every hour.

I actually measured the charging with the Gid-o-meter and found that the figure more precisely was 19% per hour on L2.

 

[planet4ever]

I can't figure out where all these people are getting 8 hours to charge from an L2 (240V) charging station. I've been down to zero bars and recharged to 100% in a little over 5 hours every time. If I'm just charging to 80%, it will charge 20% every hour. With L1 (120V), it would only take a little over 10 hours to 100%.

L1 voltage is half of L2 voltage, but you can't assume the time will be twice as long based on that. There are at least two other factors involved:

1. At 120v the LEAF only accepts 12 amps, but it will accept 16 amps at 240v. So that is a limit of 1.44kW for L1 vs. 3.84kW for L2; 2.67:1, not 2:1.
2. Charging efficiency is lower at 120v; perhaps about 75% compared to about 85% at 240v. This could be partly what the charger is optimized for, but a major factor is that there is an apparently time-constant cooling overhead. If the cooling system is running more than twice as long it will use up more than twice as much energy; energy that comes from the wall but is subtracted from what actually gets to the battery.

Ray

 

[cwerdna]

Forget all those cars, the guys on Fox news said just buy a Chevy Cruze for $15k and get 42mpg

course the cruise eco is $25k+ and is a 6 speed manual that about 2% of people in the US know how to operate , even less want a manual trans

but hey evryone shhould just buy a cruze

Do too many people focus (no pun) on these 40-something mpg figures? Elantra, mazda skyactive, cruze, etc... how much of the time do you see a full 40mpg in real world conditions?

I hate the stupid emphasis and advertising of the highest number, highway on non-hybrid ICE cars. What's the combined EPA mileage rating of the manual Cruze Eco? 33 mpg.
What about the automatic? 31 mpg.

What if you don't want to pay extra for the Eco trim and want an automatic? 30 mpg.
What if you want to go for the cheapest trim and an automatic? 27 mpg

What about for the Prius and Prius c? 50 mpg!

Not everyone lives and works on a highway. Not everyone has a strictly highway commutes. Many people w/highway commutes end up stuck in rush hour traffic w/mostly stop and go w/tons of idling, that more closely resembles city driving.

http://priuschat.com/forums/other-cars/99292-detnews-40-mpg-claims-grab-headlines-miss-mark.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; was one of my rants on this garbage.

 

[kmp647]

the cruze is a nice car , but I am very tired of commentators quoting the 42mpg cruze when 98% of buyers choose an LT or LTZ that gets 27 to 30 mpg

Manual transmission sales in the USA sre very low

so its a joke to refer to "the 42mpg cruze" as an alternative to a Prius or plug in car

the reality is 30-32mpg auto LT or LTZ and 21 to 27k $

 

[GRA]

the cruze is a nice car , but I am very tired of commentators quoting the 42mpg cruze when 98% of buyers choose an LT or LTZ that gets 27 to 30 mpg

Manual transmission sales in the USA sre very low

so its a joke to refer to "the 42mpg cruze" as an alternative to a Prius or plug in car

the reality is 30-32mpg auto LT or LTZ and 21 to 27k $

Semi-OT, as someone who drives a stick, enjoys it, has no need to commute by car but frequently takes long trips on the weekends, a Cruze (to be accurate, a more reliable car getting similar MPG) is an alternative for me. In their comparison test of the Volt and Cruze, C & D recorded 42 mpg on a long, mostly highway run, 47 mpg in a mixed commute, and 20 mpg in heavy stop and go.

I think it's a great pity that so few people are learning to drive sticks nowadays. They're cheaper to purchase, require less maintenance (assuming you're good with a clutch), get better highway mileage AOTBE and IMO are far more fun when the road gets interesting. I feel you're more engaged in driving when you're using one, and it's pretty hard to use a cell phone if you need both hands for driving, a good thing.

OTOH, they can be tedious to drive in stop and go traffic, usually get lower mileage in that scenario, and for someone who drives in an area with steep hills and isn't good with a clutch (anyone else remember Bill Cosby's old bit "Driving in San Francisco"?) they can cost a lot in maintenance and replacement. If I had long commutes every day in stop-and-go traffic I'd want an automatic too, but I think if you choose to live somewhere that requires one, what car you drive is the least of your problems

 

[DaveinOlyWA]

Chevy Cruize is a popular option with my current co-workers and most average in the mid 30's. have yet to talk with anyone who averaged 40+...well actually, one guy thought he was so i asked him to track his mileage. he did two tanks, got 36 on one, 34 on the other....oh well

 

[edatoakrun]

"kmp647" the cruze is a nice car , but I am very tired of commentators quoting the 42mpg cruze when 98% of buyers choose an LT or LTZ that gets 27 to 30 mpg

Manual transmission sales in the USA sre very low...

The majority is often wrong. How many BEVs were sold last year in the USA?

The MT cruze, focus, and elantra, were the only ICEVs I seriously considered, before I bought my LEAF. No hybrid or PHEV made the cut, for their deficit of economic and/or enjoyable driving.

"GRA"Semi-OT, as someone who drives a stick, enjoys it, has no need to commute by car but frequently takes long trips on the weekends, a Cruze (to be accurate, a more reliable car getting similar MPG) is an alternative for me. In their comparison test of the Volt and Cruze, C & D recorded 42 mpg on a long, mostly highway run, 47 mpg in a mixed commute, and 20 mpg in heavy stop and go.

I think it's a great pity that so few people are learning to drive sticks nowadays. They're cheaper to purchase, require less maintenance (assuming you're good with a clutch), get better highway mileage...

Except for a (very disappointing) 6,000 miles in an Automatic Corolla, before I dumped it, and a few thousand miles of driving several AT trucks, I have 37 years of driving, and about 500,000 miles, all on MT vehicles.

If you "need" an automatic, you're not driving the right way, or to the right place, IMO.

I prefer to think that, now I drive a LEAF, with a (1 speed) manual transmission...

 

[DaveinOlyWA]

I prefer to think that, now I drive a LEAF, with a (1 speed) manual transmission...

you should investigate ECO and make it 2 speed

 

[edatoakrun]

I prefer to think that, now I drive a LEAF, with a (1 speed) manual transmission...

you should investigate ECO and make it 2 speed

Same "speed" (final drive ratio), different pedal pressure.

Actually, I do drive in ECO 99% of the time.

 

[DaveinOlyWA]

I prefer to think that, now I drive a LEAF, with a (1 speed) manual transmission...

you should investigate ECO and make it 2 speed

Same "speed" (final drive ratio), different pedal pressure.

Actually, I do drive in ECO 99% of the time.

point taken. i do fondly remember my Datsun 280 ZX which was my first 5 speed car. it was a blast to drive. but then again, that was a different time and place. back then, i considered our country to be invulnerable.

i definitely do not feel that way any more

 

[GRA]

I prefer to think that, now I drive a LEAF, with a (1 speed) manual transmission...

you should investigate ECO and make it 2 speed

Same "speed" (final drive ratio), different pedal pressure.

Actually, I do drive in ECO 99% of the time.

Which is undoubtedly why I pine for a 'B' mode or two, it gives me something to do while driving in the mountains. I like the 'i's choice of D (no or minimal regen) / Eco (moderate regen) / B (heavy regen), and the Fisker giving you two B modes selected via paddle shifter. Not as much fun as working a clutch, but gives me some options. Hell, I'd like to see 'B mode be fully variable, with the default set by the driver (or even different defaults for each driver, activated by smart key) and adjustable up or down via a thumb switch on the wheel or transmission selector (or just use the cruise control thumb switch). It would cost a little more, but it shouldn't be a problem for the controller.

 

[toasty]

can peopel even buy a mini-i?

1. 2012 Mitsubishi i-MiEV
Mpg-equivalent: 112
Engine type: Electric
Car type: Rear wheel drive subcompact
Fuel cost per year: $540
Sticker price/base model: $29,125

 

[GRA]

can peopel even buy a mini-i?

1. 2012 Mitsubishi i-MiEV
Mpg-equivalent: 112
Engine type: Electric
Car type: Rear wheel drive subcompact
Fuel cost per year: $540
Sticker price/base model: $29,125

People can. I haven't seen one yet, but there are local owners.