Leaf Test Drives in the US

[garygid]

Lots of details and clear pictures. Thanks. (ignore the typos)

The tilt/eject button at the bottom right of the screen shows clearly.

"A" (Accelerate) pedal and "B" (Brake) are bland (but functuonal), similar to the interior?

At least the writer used the "go-pedal" term.

First I have heard that the "Navigation" might be an option.
Thanks for the nice review.

 

[JasonT]

Nice story (a typo festival). Not a lot of new info.
http://blogs.edmunds.com/greencarad...est-drive-reveals-an-ev-with-street-cred.html

What the heck happened to the display in this car? It looks like the screen is "melted" in the Driving Distance section.

 

[mwalsh]

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

Those sneaks! :shock: Still, I suppose as this makes them willing and able to sell to other reservees at MSRP.... They have promised you MSRP, haven't they Gary?

 

[LEAFer]

It would be extremely odd if Nissan let a journalist run around in a vehicle with such a defect. It could be (and looks a little like) a reflection of a multi-LED flash light, but not obvious enough. I assume it's a digital photo ... if paper (then scanned ?) it looks like a smudge.

Odd indeed ....

 

[johnr]

I wonder if that's where the flash glared through on a poorly shot photo, and what we're seeing is a poorly done photoshop job of removing it :roll:

 

[Frank]

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.

A Leaf was in San Diego on Wednesday 7/7 and I find out about it on Thursday 7/8!!! I live only a few miles from the Nissan Design Center in San Diego and if I knew that there were media test drives being given I would have stood outside the building and taken some photos. The reviews that have been written about the 7/7 test drives indicate that the test drives were on actual city streets with pot holes and other imperfections. One of the reviewer's says,

"Ride quality is firm but compliant, though the rear beam axle can give a bump over lumpy road conditions. Batteries are stashed below the floor in a structure that enhances chassis rigidity."

Isn't this the first time a journalist reviewer has been on a test drive in a non-mule Leaf on a real city street?

The article says that the Leaf will be in LA next week for more media test drives. Does that mean that it is still in San Diego for the rest of this week? If anyone has any info please post.

 

[mwalsh]

Isn't this the first time a journalist reviewer has been on a test drive in a non-mule Leaf on a real city street?

The article says that the Leaf will be in LA next week for more media test drives. Does that mean that it is still in San Diego for the rest of this week? If anyone has any info please post.

Yes, there have only been test rides before this (our friend in Denmark and that one chap in Ireland).

The only thing I can tell you with certainty is that both the people I know of are at a test drive event on Wednesday next. The car is definitely in LA for that.

 

[johnr]

and, if you buy the SL model or acquire it as an option on the base SV model, the screen for the navigation and information system.

First time I've read that the base model might not include a nav screen. That's got to be in error, right?

 

[LEAFer]

... a poorly done photoshop job of removing it :roll:

Good point ... had not thought of that. Seems the most logical now that you've said it. ( I'm not a "photoshopper". )

 

[mwalsh]

This is probably the best review I've seen in terms of pictures, that's for sure!

There is another new performance figure for us: "A steady 55 mph on the freeway with the AC blasting on a 95-degree day was good for 70 miles before the battery charge was drained."

Anyone notice this shot. 66 miles worst case, 95 miles best case?

 

[LEAFer]

and, if you buy the SL model or acquire it as an option on the base SV model, the screen for the navigation and information system.

First time I've read that the base model might not include a nav screen. That's got to be in error, right?

Yeah, that's an error. I logged in and looked up my reservation. The base trim level (SV) says:

• Nissan LEAF SV
  available in limited quantites, our standard model includes:
  * Nissan navigation system
  * BlueTooth hands-free phone system
  * cruise control
  * regenerative braking system
  * 16" alloy wheels

 

[DaveinOlyWA]

nice article and does verify what we already knew, fast charge to 80% in a few... remaining 20% in 90 minutes. two hours total. still not bad and very viable if stopping for lunch which would probably give you near 90% in an hour

 

[mwalsh]

Yeah, that's an error. I logged in and looked up my reservation. The base trim level (SV) says:

And they want "journalists" at these events rather than us because......... :roll:

 

[evnow]

Merged.

 

[Frank]

I'm surprised no one has posted any interpretations of the Leaf's dashboard display shown in this Edmund's review: http://blogs.edmunds.com/greencaradvisor/2010/07/2011-nissan-leaf-our-first-us-test-drive-reveals-an-ev-with-street-cred.html

The range guage on the right shows 95 miles remaining, and the driving distance shown in the center of the gauge says 26 miles. Does the driving distance amount (e.g. 26 miles) get reset every time the Leaf is charged or is it manually reset? If we add 95 and 26 to we get the total range of 121 miles since the last full charge?

 

[Bicster]

Personally, I'm wondering why Edmunds found it necessary to obfuscate the contents of the lower dash display. And they used a stock photo for the upper one (as well as some other shots.)

 

[johnr]

I'm a big fan of that energy info screen. Not only does it show how much power is consumed or generated by the motor, but it even shows how much is consumed by climate control and other systems, and it has datalogging capability. http://blogs.edmunds.com/greencaradvisor/LeafScreen1SD.jpg

 

[Bicster]

A Leaf was in San Diego on Wednesday 7/7 and I find out about it on Thursday 7/8!!! I live only a few miles from the Nissan Design Center in San Diego and if I knew that there were media test drives being given I would have stood outside the building and taken some photos.

It's still there. This photo was taken 5 minutes ago:

http://tweetphoto.com/31506284

 

[mwalsh]

I'm surprised no one has posted any interpretations of the Leaf's dashboard display shown in this Edmund's review: http://blogs.edmunds.com/greencaradvisor/2010/07/2011-nissan-leaf-our-first-us-test-drive-reveals-an-ev-with-street-cred.html

The range gauge on the right shows 95 miles remaining, and the driving distance shown in the center of the gauge says 26 miles. Does the driving distance amount (e.g. 26 miles) get reset every time the Leaf is charged or is it manually reset? If we add 95 and 26 to we get the total range of 121 miles since the last full charge?

Oh, I wondered about it. I just never brought it up. I suspect that is 26 miles traveled since the last charge. But we don't know how those miles have been driven, though we do know that driving that far has depleted two bars from the fuel gauge and left 95 miles at best.

FWIW, a couple of the Japanese test drive photos showed between 128km (79 miles) and 145km (90 miles) remaining with two bars gone, but with neither display set to showing distance traveled, nor with us having any idea under what circumstances that energy had been used.

 

[DaveinOlyWA]

I'm surprised no one has posted any interpretations of the Leaf's dashboard display shown in this Edmund's review: http://blogs.edmunds.com/greencaradvisor/2010/07/2011-nissan-leaf-our-first-us-test-drive-reveals-an-ev-with-street-cred.html

The range guage on the right shows 95 miles remaining, and the driving distance shown in the center of the gauge says 26 miles. Does the driving distance amount (e.g. 26 miles) get reset every time the Leaf is charged or is it manually reset? If we add 95 and 26 to we get the total range of 121 miles since the last full charge?

the reason you see that is most likely because estimate of remaining range is dependent upon current driving conditions which is average performance over previous like 5 mins or something. iow, if you were to go up a hill, the range estimate might drop to 30 miles. still useful info, but much more useful if driving in a consistent manner...ie; freeway or roads with light traffic