new leaf owner on Long Island

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TinMachine

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 6, 2012
Messages
51
Location
Center Moriches, NY
Hi,

I had researched the Nissan Leaf and the Volt and decided on the Leaf. I read all (well a lot anyway)of the blogs and post and pros and cons, etc. My biggest concern was the lack of charging stations around the Suffolk county area.
So I decided to take a chance and go with the Nissan Leaf. I checked up with the local dealers and found that 2 dealers had several Leafs in stock so I went, test drove and leased one on the same day. The dealer even threw in a free Lo-Jack system.

So far using the trickle charger is a bit of a pain but until I get my tax return or bonus for work early 2013, a L2 charger will have to wait.

The good news is my company just revised their corp responsibilities statement and it includes getting employees to reduce the carbon footprint, to witch they are encouraging telecommuting and other ways. So I suggested to the regional mangers to consider installing a L2 charger at the office parking lot and see if that gets any traction.

If any other Leaf owners happen to be in the Nassau/Suffolk area please speak up. I'd like to hear about your experiences and see what others are doing regarding charging, etc.

Bill A.
Leased new leaf: 8/3/2012
 
Welcome to the forum!

I know you have a lease, but you might consider EVSEUpgrade.com for your L2 needs. I did and for only a couple hundred bucks it is a fabulous solution.

Good Luck and don’t hesitate too much to ask questions here.
 
Hello there! I'm in Nassau and I've had a blue Leaf since the end of January. I'm in the Five Towns/JFK area (although I'm currently in London at the Olympics, missing my Leaf!)

Not too many charging stations on LI. The Kohls in Massapequa on Sunrise Highway has a free Chargepoint. I know there's also some out in Babylon I think. Check out Plugshare.com for a good list.

I used the L1 for my first two months and got on just fine. I never really rely on public charging stations to get around -- a boost is nice, but it can't be relied on. Station might be broken, in use, or blocked by a gas car. The only times I've ever needed public charging were once when I took the car to NJ and needed to stop at Nissan in Staten Island for 1.5 hours and when I took the car up to Stamford, CT and charged it during dinner and a movie.
 
FairwoodRed said:
Welcome to the forum!

I know you have a lease, but you might consider EVSEUpgrade.com for your L2 needs. I did and for only a couple hundred bucks it is a fabulous solution.

Good Luck and don’t hesitate too much to ask questions here.

Thanks for the advice and I did look into this. I will consider the advanced placement option with the pigtail which in the end should only cost me about $482 + cost of electrician installing 240v socket in garage. Seems I will have to wait a few months either way. My company is allowing me to plug in my 120v while I am here so at least I can top off while working.
 
NYLEAF said:
Hello there! I'm in Nassau and I've had a blue Leaf since the end of January. I'm in the Five Towns/JFK area (although I'm currently in London at the Olympics, missing my Leaf!)

Not too many charging stations on LI. The Kohls in Massapequa on Sunrise Highway has a free Chargepoint. I know there's also some out in Babylon I think. Check out Plugshare.com for a good list.

I used the L1 for my first two months and got on just fine. I never really rely on public charging stations to get around -- a boost is nice, but it can't be relied on. Station might be broken, in use, or blocked by a gas car. The only times I've ever needed public charging were once when I took the car to NJ and needed to stop at Nissan in Staten Island for 1.5 hours and when I took the car up to Stamford, CT and charged it during dinner and a movie.

Already looked into plug share and ordered my chargepoint card. I knew about the ones at Babylon town hall and am hounding my local politicians about adding more infrastructure in Suffolk, due to Cuomo's annoncement of 325 new charging stations in NY, I am hoping a decent share make it onto Long Island. But knowing the reality it's more likely LI will see one or two and upstate and NYC will get the lion's share.

So far I have been making out ok on the L1 charging at work and home seems to be working fine. I am hoping my company will install a L2 at my work but not holding my breath.
 
Here's a full list of who the money is going to for the charging stations: http://www.governor.ny.gov/press/06062012Charging-Stations

Access Technology Integration Inc. – Plans to install charging stations with innovative reservation and payment systems at seven locations around the Albany area, including St. Peter’s Hospital, Albany-Rensselaer Train Station, Times Union Center, universities, supermarkets, and other locations. NYSERDA funding: $244,000. UPSTATE

Beam Charging LLC – Company will install a total of 28 charging stations, each one in a separate public parking garage around Manhattan, for the purpose of gathering data to determine how well such charging stations are used. $400,000. MANHATTAN

Car Charging Group Inc. – Plans to install charging stations at up to 15 high-traffic locations in New York City, directed toward apartment dwellers who do not have parking at home. Sites would go in parking garages that are used primarily for monthly parking. NYSERDA funding: $200,000. MANHATTAN

City of Rochester – Plans to install 24 charging stations at seven highly-visible and busy locations around the city, including municipal parking garages, City Hall, the Port of Rochester and the Rochester Public Market. NYSERDA funding: $228,000. UPSTATE

So, yes, the majority of the money will be going to Upstate locations or the city. Not much for us here on LI. Although, since I live so close to the city, I'll get some use out of those, maybe.
Coulomb Technologies Inc. – Partnering with National Grid, Coulomb will deploy 81 dual charging stations with Coulomb’s ChargePoint software. The technology will demonstrate a web-based demand response program, a new low-cost installation method and a customized reservation system. NYSERDA funding: $1 million. Maybe LI?

EV Connect Inc. – Plans to install EV charging stations at five Marriott hotels around New York State that make use of a unique reservation and payment system. Project would make it possible for overnight visitors to charge their vehicles while staying at a hotel. NYSERDA funding: $250,000. Maybe LI?

Golub Corp. (Price Chopper Supermarkets) - Plans to install 12 charging stations at four locations, each equipped with a weather canopy and lighting to make them visible. This is the first phase of an intended statewide rollout. NYSERDA funding: $325,000. UPSTATE

New York Port Authority – Plans to install seven experimental charging stations for fleet vehicles and public use that practice demand-response (aligning charging times with times of low power demands, reducing charging cost and impact during peak demand to the grid). NYSERDA funding: $720,000. MANHATTAN (or 5 boroughs at least)

New York Power Authority – Plans to install 124 charging stations at train and bus stations, airports and municipal parking lots. Three sites would be powered in part through on-site solar power. NYSERDA funding: $989,000. Maybe LI?

Plugin Stations Online – Plans to install charging stations at three apartment complexes in Albany, Rochester and Buffalo, as well as one at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy. NYSERDA funding: $64,000. UPSTATE
 
What Long Island Dealers have you guys purchased your Leafs from? How is the sales/support experience?
Thanks
 
h2oboxer2 said:
What Long Island Dealers have you guys purchased your Leafs from? How is the sales/support experience?
Thanks

I leased mine from Smithtown Nissan. Overall a nice experience. The salesman was OK, but I felt I knew more about the Leaf that he did but still did a fine job of getting everything done paperwork wise and dealing with my trade-in. I had purchased from 112 Nissan previously and they had 1 or 2 Leafs in stock but Smithtown called me back about it first so I went there.
One of the in stock Leafs at Smithtown was the red one, which is the one I wanted. However when I arrived and inquired about the red on I was told that I could get they one but the dealer owner's wife was currently using it and it had somemileagee on it. So I opted for a silver one with nomileagee on it.

So far I have not required any service as I have only had it for a month, but I have dealt with Nissan in the past and never had any major issues with service. I would expect that any future service would be good.

Oh and Smithtown Nissan also included a lifetime key-fob replacement and a free lo-jack installed in the car.

I pay a bit more on the lease than average because my credit is not 740+, but I put nothing down and the residual is about $14000 after 39 months/12000 miles/year.

Thinking about it now I should have called the dealer and asked about the newly advertized $1000 L2 charger credit as well.
 
I bought mine from Nissan of Garden City. It was different back when I got in January as you had to pre-order online and wait for the car to be shipped from Japan. None of the dealers in this area were able to figure out how to respond to my "Request a Quote" on the website. They just let it sit for over a month, not at all interested in selling me a Leaf. I put calls out to all the Leaf-certified dealers in the area, and none of them seemed interested in helping. Nissan of Garden City eventually got back to me and sold me my car. That being said, I wouldn't recommend them. I spent 9 hours negotiating with them, it was a very uncomfortable experience, complete with an extremely rude and pushy finance manager. I finally left with my Leaf at 9pm...the salesman didn't have time to show me any features of the car (and since I knew more than him about it, it didn't really matter), and Carwings didn't work at all. I had to bring the car back a week later to have them get Carwings working.
 
TinMachine said:
I leased mine from Smithtown Nissan.
Right in my area - if I see a Silver LEAF on the road I'll know who it is! :lol:

Glad to hear you had an overall positive experience. My next vehicle will be an EV but I expect that will still be a few years, but if I needed a new car tomorrow a LEAF is first choice by a good margin... unless the RAV4EV makes it to the east coast, anyway.

Hope to hear more about your future experiences with Smithtown Nissan and the vehicle in general!
=Smidge=
 
Well I am registered to attend the Plugin-day at the Sun-vet Mall off Sunrise hwy on Sept 23rd.

http://events.pluginday.org/p/salsa/event/common/public/index.sjs?event_KEY=67970" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

You should drop by and check out the event.
 
This topic has been dormant since 2012....

I am on long island, and would like to know about other Leaf Owners in the area.

I really don't see many Leafs on the road and would like to get a sense how many of these cars are really being sold in new York..

Please sign in and introduce yourself????

Thanks
 
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