Leaf Test Drives in the US

[evnow]

http://www.signonsandiego.com/weblogs/maynards-garage/2010/jul/07/nissan-leaf-ev-first-drive/

Unfortunately most of what he writes can be done without setting a foot in the car ... but then this is for general public, not us.

I was among a few journalists to be the first behind the wheel of the Leaf in North America. Earlier previews were held in Japan with earlier prototypes. The preproduction prototype I drove seemed complete – production level – in interior décor, materials and features.
...
The Leaf weighs 3,600 pounds, 600 of which are from the battery pack.
...
The body styling contributes to a slick 0.29 drag coefficient.
...
The top speed is 90 mph and the front-wheel-drive car will cruise easily between 65 and 75, with plenty of acceleration to merge with highway traffic. Most EVs have strong off-the-line power, but Nissan added some kick in the 50- to 70-mph range for passing power, Perry said.
...
Leaf has removed some of the harsher realties that were once part of the EV experience. Among them, hard, low-rolling resistance tires gave a noisy and grainy ride. Suspensions were hard and transmitted road noise and harshness. And acceleration was not completely smooth. There were constant reminders I was in a battery-powered car.

With Leaf, I would have to retrain myself to keep an eye on the range. 100 miles will go by very easily.

 

[EVDRIVER]

So now it weighs 3600 lbs? The weight sure changes, and he will be praying for 100 miles with hills. They many need to change the name to the rock in the end. The acceleration was not smooth? Strange comments.

 

[DaveEV]

So now it weighs 3600 lbs? The weight sure changes, and he will be praying for 100 miles with hills. They many need to change the name to the rock in the end. The acceleration was not smooth? Strange comments.

He said acceleration was smooth. I wonder if the 3600 lbs is the correct weight - could be as he mentions it weighs 800 lbs more than the Versa which the Leaf shares it's platform with. 3300 lbs is OK - 3600 is getting to be pretty darn portly.

Overall, though, the article was pretty good.

 

[EVDRIVER]

So now it weighs 3600 lbs? The weight sure changes, and he will be praying for 100 miles with hills. They many need to change the name to the rock in the end. The acceleration was not smooth? Strange comments.

He said acceleration was smooth. I wonder if the 3600 lbs is the correct weight - could be as he mentions it weighs 800 lbs more than the Versa which the Leaf shares it's platform with. 3300 lbs is OK - 3600 is getting to be pretty darn portly.

Overall, though, the article was pretty good.

3600 lbs, puts me on the pass and wait list, far too heavy for an EV of that class.

 

[garygid]

I thought the LEAF was only 3520 lbs.

For comparison, the 2010 Prius is 3042 lbs "curb" weight.

 

[EVDRIVER]

I thought the LEAF was only 3520 lbs.

For comparison, the 2010 Prius is 3042 lbs "curb" weight.

There is not much use comparing to a Prius. Even at 3400 lbs the Leaf is getting heavy for an EV. At 3500 lbs the Leaf is going to be highly inefficient in hilly areas, 3600 plus passengers is a tank of an EV. I suppose LA4 does not include many steep hills, I have logged considerable EV miles in hilly areas and I really hope these numbers are way off as it's very disappointing compromise.

 

[garygid]

I agree, even 3500 is too heavy for good "hilly" performance.

Perhaps this rollout is only a small start for the LEAF,
but it is a giant start for all EV-kind.

We can expect the LEAF-II to be better.

 

[mitch672]

I agree, even 3500 is too heavy for good "hilly" performance.

Perhaps this rollout is only a small start for the LEAF,
but it is a giant start for all EV-kind.

We can expect the LEAF-II to be better.

by the time most of us actually get it, it will ALREADY be Leaf V2

 

[evnow]

http://www.nctimes.com/business/article_3c0babc2-f2d2-5502-80e2-d88dc4c72217.html

The all-electric Nissan Leaf blew through town Wednesday, its first stop on a national tour.
...
The car was available to local officials and journalists for test drives Wednesday at Nissan's design office in San Diego.
...
The Leaf will be in Los Angeles next week before heading east on its tour.

So, we should start seeing more reviews. Any "blogger" from here going as a journalist ?

 

[planet4ever]

So apparently this is a journalist test drive tour, right? Have any of us Apr 20 $99'ers been invited? And I wonder if it will ever come back around to the SF Bay Area.

That review had one glaring error, probably an accidental wording slip:

The 100-mile range isn't absolute: The air conditioner and the heater both draw down the battery, reducing range, and the car has better efficiency at higher speeds.

 

[mwalsh]

So, we should start seeing more reviews. Any "blogger" from here going as a journalist ?

I know of a couple of people going to the one in LA next week. I had asked for a couple of us from here to be able to go, but they pretty much blew us off saying that "Nissan agrees and recognizes that we need to keep forum administrators and members – true vehicle advocates – into the vehicle. However, this mentioned activity isn’t the right opportunity for that."

BTW, this was JesswithNissan responding to me. So she hasn't fallen of the ends of the Earth, as we'd thought! She closes by saying "When we have actual production units and go on a formal tour – I am your biggest resource for ensuring you get into it!"

So right now I'm working the +1 angle, and seeing if I can tag along with either of the people I do know who are going.

 

[sjfotos]

I've been very disappointed in the number and quality of reviews from journalists to date. Given all of the time and monies being spent on sending them to Yokohama, I would have expected more. These recent reviews are not appreciably better.

I think we would get more from any of the EV owners or enthusiasts here......I guess I am going to have to wait for the Fall Tour, when actual EV consumers get a drive.

 

[DaveinOlyWA]

i have to agree that the reviews seem to be "cookie cutter" copies of each other. this article provides no new info and i have seen the weight stated at just under 3500 lbs in a few other articles. one was 3478 lbs or there abouts which implies that the person actually looked at the door panel instead of taking someone's word for it.

test drives will be going around in two months. i guess we be waiting for that

 

[Azrich]

My Nissan dealer's LEAF specialist has been told nothing about test drives coming to Tucson. He has absolutely no information. He is still under the impression that we will order our LEAFs without ever seeing one. He and four others at the dealership put in reservations, seconds after they got the emails on April 20.

Why don't they tell their dealers anything?

 

[evnow]

Why don't they tell their dealers anything?

Looks like they only tell them tactical stuff - so they will be informed when the dates are finalized.

ps : the ordering seems to start in Aug and test drives in Sep/Oct.

 

[sparky]

Nice story (a typo festival). Not a lot of new info.
I agree about the interior blandness. Although I don't yearn for the "cut-up" distracting interior of the Volt.
It seems they've worked the instrument layout to be simple but with the details available for those of us who are Coulomb-compulsives.

1) The interior left something to be desired - that something being a bit of color and contrast. It's all a sort of grayish taupe. The vast expanses of monochrome fabric (made of recycled material) and plastic were relieved a bit by the infotainment and climate control panel in the center of the dash, the black glass and brightly lighted digital readouts in the double-deck instrument panel and the small black inserts in the armrests on the doors. But it was very little relief and the Leaf's interior cries out for a little more color.

http://blogs.edmunds.com/greencarad...est-drive-reveals-an-ev-with-street-cred.html

 

[garygid]

My dealer's people also have put in something like 5 reservations, so that the dealership will "have some LEAFs to sell".

I wonder how that will work out?
Do they plan to "not take final delivery" after "their" LEAF arrives at the dealership, get their full deposits back, an then leave the LEAF in the lurch, with the dealer "stuck" with a new car"?

Let's see, 1000 dealers times 5 cars, might possibly be nearly one third of the "pre-ordered" LEAFs.

If half of the non-dealer pre-orders drop out, the dealer "stock" could be about equal to all the "initial" sales, perhaps leafing room for some good deals?

But, maybe only 100 dealers "have pre-ordered" LEAFS for inventory.

 

[Bicster]

Edmunds street drive: http://blogs.edmunds.com/greencaradvisor/2010/07/2011-nissan-leaf-our-first-us-test-drive-reveals-an-ev-with-street-cred.html

 

[LEAFer]

(Emphasis mine.)

I didn't get to test the upper speed limit, but did get to just past 82 on the freeway before my turnoff arrived, and the go-pedal still had some room to travel.

(Perry said Nissan staffers call it the "A" pedal, for accelerator, because - of course - there's no gas for a gas pedal.)

Hmm ... and that would make the other one the "B" pedal ... well it makes sense ... "B" for Brake :lol:
Nice report.

 

[LEAFer]

Interesting shot (picture near the bottom of the report):

Driving Range 95miles ... Turn on Climate Control for -4 miles

A little under 5%. Good to know. YMMV :lol:

But it also shows the ClimateControl can use as much as 6kW.