Level 2 vs Level 3

[Vanguard]

Hello everyone, new to the board here and wanted to get some advice. I've been reading a lot on this board trying to make up my mind between a couple different options that is available to me.

Option 1:
$36,700 for SL without Level 3 charger, in a color that we don't like. This car comes with leather and heated seats (custom order).

Option 2:
~$35,500 for SL with Level 3 charger. No leather or heated seats. I would have to wait and see if this car is even available. We are kind of in a pinch because we need a car immediately (last one totaled).

So I guess my question is, which option would you pick if you had to do it all over again? How many Leafs out there have the Level 3 charger vs the Level 2 charger? If you could go back, would you have opt'd with or without the Level 3 charger?

I know the level 3 charger isn't installed on public roads yet and it might be years before it is available but I'm more worried about resale value of a Leaf w/o the level 3.

 

[TomT]

None of the Leafs are available with leather... And all 2012s now come with the cold weather package that includes heated seats... I'm in the EV project and the QC port was free so it was a no-brainer for me... Personally, I'd go for option2.

Hello everyone, new to the board here and wanted to get some advice. I've been reading a lot on this board trying to make up my mind between a couple different options that is available to me.

Option 1:
$36,700 for SL without Level 3 charger, in a color that we don't like. This car comes with leather and heated seats (custom order).

Option 2:
~$35,500 for SL with Level 3 charger. No leather or heated seats. I would have to wait and see if this car is even available. We are kind of in a pinch because we need a car immediately (last one totaled).

 

[LakeLeaf]

If there is no L3 charge station near you, and no current plans for one to be installed, then the QC port won't be of much value to you personally.

Will the QC give the car a higher resale value? Of course - unknown at this point. How long do you intend to own the car - as it's also unclear how long the battery pack will keep a high percentage of its capacity - 5 year? 7 years? So depending on how long you plan to own, it may all be a moot point.

You may be fortunate in that the QC port really isn't material to you, so you could get a car with it or without it - whatever you come across first.

 

[Vanguard]

I understand that Leafs don't come in leather but this one was a custom order that the person decided they didn't want and backed out so its sitting on the dealer's lot. I might look into that EV project and see if they're accepting any new applicants =)

 

[TomT]

It would have to be an after-market item then as there is nothing available in leather from the factory.

I understand that Leafs don't come in leather but this one was a custom order that the person decided they didn't want and backed out so its sitting on the dealer's lot. I might look into that EV project and see if they're accepting any new applicants =)

 

[garygid]

Leather installed by the dealer could still be a New (not used) 2011 LEAF.

I would call Mossy, Fontana, Connell, and a few/many other Nissan dealers and
check on their orphans. In our threads here, it seems like several a week
are reported as available.

1. Forget the color you do not like.
2. Leather is a plus only if you like the feel of leather (in the summer).
3. The QC Port was important to me, still hoping that these charging
stations will appear. Now, we have one about 30 miles away.

 

[adric22]

My Leaf has no QC port. And so far, hasn't been an issue. I believe there is a single QC station somewhere in Dallas, which is on the other side of town from me.

I believe the only real use of a QC port is for travelling, and honestly the Leaf's battery pack is just not really high enough capacity to make that worth while. We all know that on the highway you can expect 70 miles or less, and if you only take an 80% charge from QC, then you might get 50 or 60 miles. so that would mean stopping every hour and charging for half an hour. That won't be a pleasant trip.

If we could just get a decent infrastructure of L2 chargers in the places that we work and shop, I think that would go a long way towards reducing the need for L3. As it is, there is not a single public L2 charger in Fort Worth (where I live), other than at Nissan Dealers. Some of the surrounding cities have one here or there but haven't seen one in person yet.

 

[planet4ever]

So I guess my question is, which option would you pick if you had to do it all over again? How many Leafs out there have the Level 3 charger vs the Level 2 charger?

You probably already know this, but the situation is not exactly as you have described it. All LEAFs have a combined Level 1/Level 2 charger in the car, with a J1772 port for charging. Some LEAFs also have a separate QuickCharge port, but no cars have a charger for that. The QC charger (sometimes incorrectly called L3) is a large expensive external machine (think $20k to $40K).

I originally ordered an SV model, for which the QC port was not even an option. Do to a mixup at Nissan NA I ended up with an SL that included the QC port, but I remain unconvinced that large numbers of the QC chargers will be showing up any time soon, nor do I expect that I would make much use of them even if they did. If I had it to do all over again I would once again order an SV and save the money.

Ray

 

[garygid]

Two QC uses in one day (one going and one coming back home) GREATLY
extends the daily one-way range from about 40 to about 90 miles,
Not Traveling, just normal Southern California driving.

 

[Pipcecil]

Personally I am a bit scared of after market upgrades that I didn't select myself (i.e. the leather seats) and potentionally the heated seats (if its a 2011). As for the QC port, it really depends where you live and how large your driving area is. For me, in Dallas-Fort Worth, I live on the way south side and can't visit family or friends without a Quick Charge that live on the north (level 2 stations aren't nearby and level 1 at their homes takes more time than we would spend there). Add to the unique places up north or in fort worth (I live south of dallas), all these places become accessibly with a QC port, without one, I can't make it to these places. So for me, it was invaluable. In addition DFW is putting in multiple L3 charging stations around the region so that is the other side that convinced me to get a QC port.

In the end, 40 miles one way (or 50 if your good), just doesn't support a large metropolitain area if you need to go to the far reaches or go cross town multiple times on errands. QC helps with that, and to be honest, there has been over a dozen times I could have used the QC port here in Dallas (access to the one current charger is not ready, will be by mid september), and I have only owned the car 2.5 months. I believe if you have a port, and there are chargers available you will definetely find a use for it.

 

[Vanguard]

Thanks for all your input. We found a SV model in Black and got it at $500 under MSRP =). A very good point that was brought up was the fact that you could really only drive it for about an hour or slightly longer before it needs a charge, so for every hour driven, you would have to charge it for half an hour. Too much work imo and in cases like that I would just bring out the gas guzzler M3 for longer trips. I had to drive about 2 hours to pick it up and on the way back we had to make a couple pit stops to charge it up, but in the end the little Leaf is in the garage =). Thanks for the help gang.

 

[eHelmholtz]

Thanks for all your input. We found a SV model in Black and got it at $500 under MSRP =). A very good point that was brought up was the fact that you could really only drive it for about an hour or slightly longer before it needs a charge, so for every hour driven, you would have to charge it for half an hour. Too much work imo and in cases like that I would just bring out the gas guzzler M3 for longer trips. I had to drive about 2 hours to pick it up and on the way back we had to make a couple pit stops to charge it up, but in the end the little Leaf is in the garage =). Thanks for the help gang.

It's great to hear that others are getting orphans for less than MSRP. At the very least, the dealer with whom you ordered ought consider selling an orphan to you for the price that you negotiated on the ordered vehicle. I got an orphan with another dealer for $1K less than MSRP when my original dealer wouldn't agree to it - http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=5364" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

 

[smkettner]

I ordered without the L3 port, just L2. So far I am happy with my decision.
If my car was totalled I would have focused on finding an orphan for immediate purchase.