I've had my 30kwh leaf since July 17 . Done 14500 miles . My commute is 66 miles return daily. Of which 22 miles are at 70 mph motorway. Never had a problem with range . Once you get past the looks it's a great car.
Hello Ryan, it's Rik here from the Netherlands. Thank you very much for your nice video's on electric cars! I always look forward to the next one! Here in the Netherlands there is a company called Muxsan (on UA-cam they are called PowerElectronicsBlog). They just started and after their "testcustomers" they will offer extender batteries for a first generation Nissan Leaf and a lot of other improvements, like rapid charging with very reduced rapid gate, longer battery life and more useful upgrades. They even made a custom 60kWh Leaf out of a first generation Leaf! Very nice engineering and I like the fact that these older Leafs are still being updated. It would also make an affordable Leaf with a decent range on the second hand market. Keep up the good work and many thanks again!
Very good video. Don't forget for some reason people take the S D card out of them. So never buy a second hand leaf without a s d card. As they are maped to each car and hard to replace. I am going to see what fate does to me. If Nissan give me a good deal on the new one I will get that whn my pcp expires. if not I will buy my one
A very informative and entertaining review. Funny you should go on at length about the shiny console surface; that very same thing was one of the few inarguable advantages I saw in the 2013 LEAF I purchased over later versions. In the U.S. anyway, that console surface was a nice, clean matte finish in the basic model of LEAF. No heated rear seats...but no maddening fingerprints and scratches, either.
Just got a 2015 24Kwh Leaf this year for commute to & from work love it ,wife still has petrol Fabia which we use for longer trips, due to changed in two years time and i will be looking for an other EV this time with more range
Really enjoyed the video. There are bargains out there as we just purchased our first Leaf with 16,162 miles and 10 bars left. Priced less than $7,000.00 and feel it will do well for this retired couple who have a distance vehicle for long trips. Your video was very helpful in educating what to be on the lookout for and what really matters.
A great video, thanks for putting together and it's one I'll be sharing. I guess the two points which jumped out were 1) a bit move emphasis on the impact of the weather/driving conditions on the range. If you're looking at a used car in March you may get a very different view on it than if you tested in July. 2) LeafSpy is very good but there's a risk of being overloaded with the numbers. My SoH seems to be behaving a bit odd at the moment, being around 96% last week and suddenly without warning is at 90%. Car is driving fine and (with the warmer weather this week) range is typical summer range (just under 1% per mile driven on 24kWh). I know it states the number of rapid and L1/L2 charges to the battery but wouldn't really know what is good/bad/indifferent on that front. Definitely the 12-bar test and look at the SoH for a sense check with the age and mileage of vehicle.
Only just watched this. Have to say you offered sound advice on focusing on the version you really need. In my ICE I do approx 60 miles per week so a move to EV is for me, a good option. I occasionally do more but, rarely. So, the 24kwh version is probably the best option for me. Made me think a bit so thanks.
I enjoy it very much. Took it to a Drive Electric event in town and made some converts. I've put about 800 miles on it since early August purchase. I only drive around town. My work commute is two miles. LOL
Another great informative episode. I love my leaf and would never part with it but we have had to get a hybrid ioniq, I just wished that the leaf had more range, such a shame but to be honest I dread the price of the 60kwh 18/19 leaf.👍
Thanks, especially for the spy tool. My 2016 2nd hand leaf bought last year (2019) is a joy to drive. I charge it by plugging into a 15 amp circuit with necessary cable. The power mostly coming from solar cells on the house roof. I live in Sydney so cold issues not much of a concern. Charging on a really hot day ? I don't actually know anyone else with an EV. With potential of free power from the sun, it seems a shame. Glad the sat.nav is no good as my car still has a map of Japan!
If you're thinking of buying a leaf around the 2015/2016 year, you might want to check that it's not overdue for a BMS update, that's the battery management software. There's a bug on some versions that misreports battery capacity and makes the car think battery degradation is higher than it actually is. It results in SoH being misreported with an alarmingly low value. Mine, according to leafspy is below 80% on a three year old leaf which is still showing 12 bars on the display. I'm currently caught between a dealer who says they did the update and leafspy that says they didn't. Also, open the bonnet, take out the little triangular cover at the corner of the windscreen on the drivers side (UK car). You'll probably find the top of the strut is rusted due to a design flaw combined with penny pinching - there's no cover protecting the strut unless a previous owner has fitted one. Eco mode does not prevent full power being available. It just remaps the accelerator pedal. If you floor it, you'll have full power.
I bought a 2012 Leaf with 61,000 miles and 8 battery bars for $5k in May 2018. My commute is only 13 miles and I can get about approximately 50 miles on a full charge in warm weather. I'm debating putting a new battery in it, or maybe waiting until they make the refurbed batteries available.
I regretted trading in my 2015 leaf for an ID.4, it was junk, could not even charge reliably owing to crap saftware. Now we have a 2020 Citego e and this replaces the Leaf and is much better. We also have a Model Y for road trips and it's fantastic.
As always a very informative video. Well done. I think of all my "ev" channels I subscribe to yours is right up there with the best. Keep up the good work. Thanks again.
My metallic blue 2011 LEAF has 20000 miles use in total . 99% like new . Petrol over €2 Euros Litre .. It still has 100 km battery range . Maybe the latest super batteries will become available and my beloved LEAF will have a new life .
Great video, just bought a used tekna and all very good advice that rings true. the road down to abbotsbury you shot there is probably my favourite local road with a view. Keep up the good work.
Thank you and awesome local knowledge. I lived in and around that area for over 20 years and had only ever used the coast road from Weymouth to Bridport. I only discovered the road in the video 2 weeks ago when I was trying to film (unsuccessfully) at Hardy's monument!
when it is illegal to use a mobile phone whilst driving (for all-too obvious reasons) don't you think it's a bit stoopid to be taking your eyes off the road to talk in to the camera ??
I hate shu==glossy plastic for the same e[reasons. What I found that helps somewhat is applying a matte finish plastic dressing to all the plastic. It will knock down the gloss enough that dust is less annoying.
Thanks for this. My Type R's days are numbered and will probably be going for a 30kwh Leaf in the next few months. Had 2 Zoe's before, but prefer the build quality of a Nissan to a Renault.
Craig Brown that’s interesting to hear from a Zoe driver. I have been looking at them as a possible second EV but I have had a Renault before and wasn’t impressed.
Zoe is potentially a great car, but let down by charging issues and build quality. Panel gaps are a suggestion at Renault and the tinny doors and hard plastic trim isn't a match for the Leaf. A second EV? Get another Leaf :)
Really informative video. I've also spent an inordinate amount of time looking at used Leafs. The 30kwh version would work better for me but there seems to be reports of high degradation rates on these batteries. Apparently Nissan have been made aware so it'll be interesting to see how they respond. The fall back position is a new Zoe which may give me greater peace of mind but Renault have pushed the prices up and the build quality does not appear to be as good.
Sheetal Shah I agree with you. We are just a bit limited on choice at the moment and when you look at the classified ads it’s all Leaf’s and Zoe’s. I have the same reservations as you about the Zoe, that said if you watch Ian Sampson ‘s videos he seems very happy with his.
2:57 why on earth did the truck driver behind you do that? What's the difference between X and G Nissan Leafs? Thanks for this very detailed information.
I live in Southern California, I am interested in a 2nd hand leaf, I did my math based on my situation my city my electricity rates, compared 2012 leaf with 58000 miles priced at $8500 ( assumed 75 miles per charger ) to a 2013 Prius 2 with 94000 miles priced at $9500 ( the Prius is my car and give me 45 mpg ) I found that to drive 15,000 miles per year ( my commute ) I will be spending $101 per month on the Prius and $99 on the leaf, I used the price of $3.65 per gallon and $0.25 per KWh, now some people will say the Prius will need maintenance, over the course of 94000 miles I spent $170 to replace the small battery after 93000 miles and $315 on oil changes at my Toyota Dealership here in San Diego, I had couple head gasket leaks that were covered by CPO warranty, after looking at this video I am not sure if the 75 miles figure on the leaf is true because it's based on the owner words VS the prius is my actual numbers but anyway ( i gave the prius to my sister a year ago but I still drive it occasionaly ), I got disappointed because there is no savings minimal comparing a prius to a leaf, resale value of the prius is way higher, no mileage limitation, no weather to effect battery life, lets be real, most of the people drive the car for about 100,000 miles, I own a 2016 Charger RT V8 too which is my daily car, that car did cost me $2900 of gas in the last year 16200 miles but I still can't give it away, I get 17 smiles per gallon, If I ever wanted to switch to nissan leaf I would consider the prius, even when I went to nissan website to check my savings, I found that with the new prius non plugin edition and 50 miles of communte per day I wouldn't save any money over 20 years.
shammas90 your figures are a good example of how things are different in the USA compared to the UK. Your fuel is cheap and electric expensive so I can see how you are struggling to make it work financially. I’m like you in that it is only an option if the finances work. I’d like to say it’s down to being green but with a family to look after the bank balance comes first!
@@EVOpinion Well people get solar here but I am not paying $15k to save $500 per year and they are using here what's called time of use, so you can charger you EV cheap at night but they will charge the hell out of you between 4:00OM-9:00PM, No the equation will change if you have free charging at work but for me still it's not worth it as of today.
For a second EV not doing huge miles then a 22KW Zoe with a leased battery is a possibility I checked that out and there are lots of 2015 models which have finished their pcp (presumably) and although there is a monthly cost £49 you don't need to worry so much about the battery on an older one because it's not yours :) All credit to Nick raimo for his video on the subject John
J Tait it i have definitely considered it. At the moment the prices on all used EVs are really strong. I have another 12 month I can take on my Leaf so will bide my time and keep looking 👍
I have a question. I'm going to soon be losing my work van that I use to get to and from work and I want something reliable £0 tax cheap to run and can do 8 miles a day for 42 weeks of the year. Literally just a set of wheels that keeps me dry and means I don't have to get the bus. I was thinking about a Fiat 500 Twin-air, but considering a Leaf. To be honest I wouldn't be seen dead in one but like I said it's just got to get me the 8 miles to and from work. But, from what I've seen people say you can tell the state of the battery by the 12 bars etc. My question finally is. Can it be battery "clocked?" Can car dealers put bars back on via that OBD2 port to make the car look fresher than it actually is? Would Leaf Spy know if something had been messed about with? You might have guessed, I don't trust car dealers.
Hi and thanks for putting out this video, i am looking at buying my first ev and focused on a leaf. How would you rate mileage as a criterion for evaluating a second hand electric car? There are some 4/5 yr old leafs out there very well priced with 120K miles to 160k miles, does a high mileage matter that much if the battery SOH is around 90%, afterall there are no moving parts to wear down. I think that buyers of ev's approach the purchase with the same thinking one would apply to the ICE used car market.
I drive a works Leaf through work not for my own use very often and as they say they are like marmite, I do short journeys so I think a leaf would me ideal for me , I've been informed that when purchased from new some buyers bought the battery outright from nissan , some rented the battery , if I'm purchasing one how will I know if the battery has been bought or rented ? Thanks very much great review.
I like your drone camera work. Do you have a video about drones and filming? If not, would you consider making a video about drones? Thanks for the videos.
I am about to buy my first EV car. Looking at the Nissan Leaf cause a Tesla is currently out of my price range. I was also researching if it is possible to install flat solar panels on the roof of a Leaf to charge the battery in a pinch for 10 miles or so. We are living in exciting times. An EV revolution is upon us. It is amazing to think that in 10 years EVs will have ranges of 500-1,000 miles and be able to recharge in 5 minutes! Change is always slow, but it’s inevitable. My dream EV is the VW ID Buzz that is coming in 2023. It’s suppose to have a 375 mile range, quick charge & even a solar panel on the roof.
I am looking to buy my first ev. I'm thinking 2016 Nissan leaf or 2016 Kia Soul. The more I look..the more unsure I become. Any thoughts, opinions would be greatly appreciated. I'm in Canada.. so winter driving is a consideration. I have to make a decision soon.
great video, do you have any recommendation regarding whether 3kw onboard charger is adequate or would you miss your cars ability to charge at 6kw eg from a 7kw public charger?
As with any used car there is some research/homework that should be done before purchasing. Not just the particular vehicle but the brand, the model and the variation being offered. In the case of the an EV especially a LEAF there is another factor to be considered as is detailed in the link below. Nissan is the only manufacturer to my knowledge who thinks that an air cooled battery system is viable for the long term life of the vehicle or the battery pack. Every other manufacturer uses some variation of liquid cooling with radiators and fans. If you're considering a used LEAF you need to know how many bars are on the battery - less than 9 out of 12 means you're looking at replacing the battery so you need to know from Nissan in your country what is the price to do that. Watch the video at this link to see how it works in Australia. ua-cam.com/video/L_zdtaJeYmw/v-deo.html
If I may throw this out : replacement batteries. Nissan has quietly hiked up the prices of replacement batteries ( USD ) $ 7000. I am really wanting one ( Leaf ) because I live in a city environment, my car is an older Toyota RAV4. Should I continue on this Quest or try other EV options? I enjoy your videos, very practical √
Don't be afraid of having to replace batteries. My Leaf is 6 years old, has 75000 miles and going strong. Just make sure you don't over estimate how far you can go and select a car / battery that matches your needs comfortably and you will be very happy!
Buy a Twizzy! fun fun fun till ya daddy takes it away :) Ps the buttresses on the new leaf are my biggest pet hate! they stop your knee from moving out wide (for when you want to stretch out a bit after hours) and are an awful hard 1970s Japanese plastic unlike the rest of the interior which is pretty much solid.
Honda clarity phev with almost Volt like range of 50 miles are my top two choice. Also to note a chevy volt 2012 can still do the same electric range as it was new, no battery degradation.
I agree. The new PHEV Clarity is for sale at a local dealership here in Seattle. I checked it out. The Volt has excellent active thermal battery management system and a 4 kwh buffer so its batteries are not stressed out. I rarely drive more than 40 miles a day but when I do I just use the petrol range extender which generates electricity automatically on demand. The Vauxhall Ampera (the Chevy Volt equivalent) was not very popular in the U.K. I don't know why. Now new Amperas are not available at all due to GMs decision to pull out of the European market.
Thank you for another very informative video. I have one question. I have seen different adverts for used leafs. Some say battery owned and some say battery leased. Which in your opinion would be the better option .
Hi! Thank you for a very interesting and "direct to point" video! If I buy Leaf Spy and a cable with plug for my Iphone, will it be enough to see a full picture about car electronics and battery? By the way, what is the name of that cable/adapter which I need to buy from Amazon to be able to use Leaf Spy on my phone? I called Nissan service and they said that they can do full inspection and diagnostics for $137. T
Quebec 100% EV no. That wasn’t mine. I e been away from home for a few days and couldn’t access my files so I had to find a generic picture. I need to plug mine in again but as I mentioned on the video 6000 miles ago I was at 97% 😁
Where were you when I impulse-bought my 2015 24kWh Leave in November last year? Ha ha. Great information that I really would have liked to have in my possession then. Shared out.
Good information, I am looking at getting the 30kwh model to do a daily 60 to 70 miles daily, my concern if the car can withstand tempretures of 30 to 34 c on a daily I live in the Caribbean. Would you recommend one for this application or should I look at something else?
Great video! Having just bought a used Nissan Leaf - the only thing I would add is to make sure you get at least the EVSE charging cable (for anyone who doesn't know, that's the one that plugs into a 13A socket). I think most leafs come with a Type-1 to Type-2 cable also, but this isn't a guarantee. It's something you may never need, but if you're getting it from a dealer and it doesn't come with it, it's a ~£200 cable, so worth trying to negotiate its inclusion before you do a deal.
I know this is an old old video but found a Tekna 30kWh for a great price imo. So tempted and I could potentially get a 5 year loan at 2.8% APR* and it'd be around 160 odd a month. With petrol saving etc I'd be spending about 100 a month compared to my old banger. After 3 years, I could probably sell it and not lose much on the loan and pay it all off and it'd have been very cheap to run. Sounds like a good idea to me...?
Your video content has been so useful for making the decision to purchase the leaf. Thank you so much for taking the time to make them to help your fellow humans out.
I didn't notice my driver door squeak on my Leaf until I started using it for rideshare, then I took the door panel off to investigate, but I didn't put any shims or tape. It still squeaks unless I press on the door panel. When the Model 3 arrived, I sold the Leaf to a relative, so I'll have to silence it if they notice.
Gordon Warlow thank you and you’re definitely right. It’s amazing how many 3 year old Renault Zoe’s are available too. PCP’s and lease hires are coming to an end flooding the market with great examples 👍
I use my sat nav all the time here in Québec Canada and it's very good. It's not perfect but it gets me every where I need to go. For the charging stations nissan pared with the biggest network "circuit électrique" that represents 95% of all charging stations so it's very easy to find one. You can get traffic report and traffic jam alert with reroute if you subscribe to the satellite provider "sirus". It's almost to par with Google maps and for me I didn't have to have a data plan for my phone since it's so expensive here. Canada has the most expensive rate of the G20 for phone!
Gilles Pelletier I love hearing how different everywhere is. It’s really interesting how we all have the same technology but use it in such different ways. Sounds like there is good support in Canada and with a national network there is some consistency 👍
EV Opinion I should add Kia/Hyundai don't offer any telematics her in Canada. App to connect to your car are not available. No charging stations on GPS except what's already in there. So coverage is really depending on car manufacturers not technology.
Nissan still being stubborn about active thermal management for the battery which means that Nissan EVs will only last about 20% of the life of an EV with active thermal battery cooling (which is all EVs other than Nissan)
I looking to buy an EV (first one) and the more afordable ones here are these Leafs (2016) the early Zoe's and the triplets. I need it to do around 80kms (50miles) per day. The triplets weren't recomended because of the low range, the Zoe's most of them have the battery rental crap (and the ones that don't are more expensive) leaving the Leafs. I went to see a 2016 with 40000km (~25k miles), imported from France to Portugal. Its the Visia model, so no sat nav or any of that (thats why its cheap), but on the test drive there weren't any rattles or noises, it pulled nicely , etc. It had 88% charge and the guessometer indicated 105km of range (with an avg of 17kWh/100km). After about 4km it lost one on the guessometer, so i'm sure it would do more than 105kms. The battery indicator has 11 bars and I didn't have the Leaf spy to check the SOH. One thing I noticed was that the fabric on the drivers door was a bit worn..I saw 2 Leafs with about the same km's on the odometer, both having that worn fabric..is this usual on the Leafs? Thanks!
I have a 2017 Nisan leaf 40kw Its only done 15k on a warm day when I charge fully it will show about 145 miles range but on a cold day it will only show about 125 miles.
To me the MOST important thing BY FAR is the battery status. In other words how many bars are still showing verses the original 12 bars. You can see this on the dash display or even better do a battery health check. Then secondary was it had to be a second generation, third it has to have the charger, and then forth I wanted one that was garaged. Also wanted a quick charger just to have for emergencies. I did not really care about the model, miles driven, color, small dents, etc.
Eco for my leaf just changes the throttle to linear... I still have full power. When it is off eco, and you hold it half throttle, it will wind up the output like a "power band" a gas engine has. Also, under that hood, your charger exists too.. as for the 2011 and 2012 it the charger is in the rear behind seats. Also, the 11 and 12s we're less efficient according to EPA with 34kwh per 100 miles vs 2013 and newer ones were 29kwh per 100 miles. This was a good video overall! Thanks for posting it :)
I’m thinking about getting one of these cars just do the fact that we don’t pay for electricity so plugging it in 110 overnight and just doing local driving will save me a ton of money.
It's nice to have a no nonsense video from someone who owns one. Thanks for all the great help.
Pete Moore you’re welcome and thank you for taking the time to comment 😁👍
I've had my 30kwh leaf since July 17 . Done 14500 miles . My commute is 66 miles return daily. Of which 22 miles are at 70 mph motorway. Never had a problem with range . Once you get past the looks it's a great car.
What year is your leaf? How is it now?
I have watched every review on the 2nd generation leaf i could find. For me this one is by far the best.
Hello Ryan, it's Rik here from the Netherlands. Thank you very much for your nice video's on electric cars! I always look forward to the next one! Here in the Netherlands there is a company called Muxsan (on UA-cam they are called PowerElectronicsBlog). They just started and after their "testcustomers" they will offer extender batteries for a first generation Nissan Leaf and a lot of other improvements, like rapid charging with very reduced rapid gate, longer battery life and more useful upgrades. They even made a custom 60kWh Leaf out of a first generation Leaf! Very nice engineering and I like the fact that these older Leafs are still being updated. It would also make an affordable Leaf with a decent range on the second hand market. Keep up the good work and many thanks again!
Hi
Please try this. At speeds over 55MPH leave ECO off. You will get much better MPA ( Miles per Amp)
Donough Ryan I had a play with different settings myself. I agree, eco off seems to be the way to go. ua-cam.com/video/65_bajTZNi4/v-deo.html
Very good video. Don't forget for some reason people take the S D card out of them. So never buy a second hand leaf without a s d card. As they are maped to each car and hard to replace. I am going to see what fate does to me. If Nissan give me a good deal on the new one I will get that whn my pcp expires. if not I will buy my one
A very informative and entertaining review. Funny you should go on at length about the shiny console surface; that very same thing was one of the few inarguable advantages I saw in the 2013 LEAF I purchased over later versions. In the U.S. anyway, that console surface was a nice, clean matte finish in the basic model of LEAF. No heated rear seats...but no maddening fingerprints and scratches, either.
Just got a 2015 24Kwh Leaf this year for commute to & from work love it ,wife still has petrol Fabia which we use for longer trips, due to changed in two years time and i will be looking for an other EV this time with more range
Really enjoyed the video. There are bargains out there as we just purchased our first Leaf with 16,162 miles and 10 bars left.
Priced less than $7,000.00 and feel it will do well for this retired couple who have a distance vehicle for long trips.
Your video was very helpful in educating what to be on the lookout for and what really matters.
Freddie Moretti I’m glad to have helped. Sounds like you have got a good deal. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do 😁👍
That's a great deal. I'm surprised it lost any bars with that few miles on it.
A great video, thanks for putting together and it's one I'll be sharing. I guess the two points which jumped out were 1) a bit move emphasis on the impact of the weather/driving conditions on the range. If you're looking at a used car in March you may get a very different view on it than if you tested in July. 2) LeafSpy is very good but there's a risk of being overloaded with the numbers. My SoH seems to be behaving a bit odd at the moment, being around 96% last week and suddenly without warning is at 90%. Car is driving fine and (with the warmer weather this week) range is typical summer range (just under 1% per mile driven on 24kWh). I know it states the number of rapid and L1/L2 charges to the battery but wouldn't really know what is good/bad/indifferent on that front. Definitely the 12-bar test and look at the SoH for a sense check with the age and mileage of vehicle.
Only just watched this. Have to say you offered sound advice on focusing on the version you really need. In my ICE I do approx 60 miles per week so a move to EV is for me, a good option. I occasionally do more but, rarely. So, the 24kwh version is probably the best option for me. Made me think a bit so thanks.
If you live in a cool area of the world, it might be reasonable. If it is hot, passive thermal cooling will kill your battery way too fast.
This is a great video! Good information for a wanna be ev driver. Now I know what to look for in the future 🙂
Mike Coulter great news and thank you for your kind comments 😁👍
I'm the opposite of you - love the look of the front (much better than the Leaf 2.0 in my opinion) hate the rear end.
Good review, had my leaf 6 years, and still love it.
This is a great video but please don't talk to the camera while driving. It's not safe, especially in urban areas!
Enjoy your videos. Just bought a used 2016 SL (in Aug 2019). Thanks for all the info.
Brilliant news. I’m glad I was able to help 😁👍
how is it working so far? are you pleased with it?
I enjoy it very much. Took it to a Drive Electric event in town and made some converts. I've put about 800 miles on it since early August purchase. I only drive around town. My work commute is two miles. LOL
Another great informative episode. I love my leaf and would never part with it but we have had to get a hybrid ioniq, I just wished that the leaf had more range, such a shame but to be honest I dread the price of the 60kwh 18/19 leaf.👍
swap your battery to 62kw/h for 200+ range
I would also have explained the different charging speed options, IE the 3.3kW Vs the 6.6kW as this could be important for some prospective owners.
David G indeed you are right. A glaring omission on my part. Thank you 👍
Thanks, especially for the spy tool. My 2016 2nd hand leaf bought last year (2019) is a joy to drive. I charge it by plugging into a 15 amp circuit with necessary cable. The power mostly coming from solar cells on the house roof. I live in Sydney so cold issues not much of a concern. Charging on a really hot day ? I don't actually know anyone else with an EV. With potential of free power from the sun, it seems a shame. Glad the sat.nav is no good as my car still has a map of Japan!
If you're thinking of buying a leaf around the 2015/2016 year, you might want to check that it's not overdue for a BMS update, that's the battery management software. There's a bug on some versions that misreports battery capacity and makes the car think battery degradation is higher than it actually is. It results in SoH being misreported with an alarmingly low value. Mine, according to leafspy is below 80% on a three year old leaf which is still showing 12 bars on the display.
I'm currently caught between a dealer who says they did the update and leafspy that says they didn't.
Also, open the bonnet, take out the little triangular cover at the corner of the windscreen on the drivers side (UK car). You'll probably find the top of the strut is rusted due to a design flaw combined with penny pinching - there's no cover protecting the strut unless a previous owner has fitted one.
Eco mode does not prevent full power being available. It just remaps the accelerator pedal. If you floor it, you'll have full power.
I bought a 2012 Leaf with 61,000 miles and 8 battery bars for $5k in May 2018. My commute is only 13 miles and I can get about approximately 50 miles on a full charge in warm weather. I'm debating putting a new battery in it, or maybe waiting until they make the refurbed batteries available.
you know of any good deals on a Nissan leaf
I regretted trading in my 2015 leaf for an ID.4, it was junk, could not even charge reliably owing to crap saftware. Now we have a 2020 Citego e and this replaces the Leaf and is much better. We also have a Model Y for road trips and it's fantastic.
This was one of my favorite cars
Many people liked this car, it was my first car...
@Suzanne Duncan It's really an important thing but we buy without realizing it,,
@Suzanne Duncan I will definitely keep these in mind if I buy a used car from next time,,.
As always a very informative video. Well done. I think of all my "ev" channels I subscribe to yours is right up there with the best. Keep up the good work. Thanks again.
My metallic blue 2011 LEAF has 20000 miles use in total . 99% like new . Petrol over €2 Euros Litre .. It still has 100 km battery range . Maybe the latest super batteries will become available and my beloved LEAF will have a new life .
the intro was literally about me hahaha! great video
Great video, just bought a used tekna and all very good advice that rings true. the road down to abbotsbury you shot there is probably my favourite local road with a view. Keep up the good work.
Thank you and awesome local knowledge. I lived in and around that area for over 20 years and had only ever used the coast road from Weymouth to Bridport. I only discovered the road in the video 2 weeks ago when I was trying to film (unsuccessfully) at Hardy's monument!
The coast is still an excellent road, I'm still in that area so if you're passing through and need a charge or a coffee let me know.
Oliver Duquemin thank you very much. I was in Dorchester yesterday having a coffee with a friend. I love going back 😁👍
Great review!
when it is illegal to use a mobile phone whilst driving (for all-too obvious reasons) don't you think it's a bit stoopid to be taking your eyes off the road to talk in to the camera ??
I hate shu==glossy plastic for the same e[reasons. What I found that helps somewhat is applying a matte finish plastic dressing to all the plastic. It will knock down the gloss enough that dust is less annoying.
Thanks for this. My Type R's days are numbered and will probably be going for a 30kwh Leaf in the next few months. Had 2 Zoe's before, but prefer the build quality of a Nissan to a Renault.
Craig Brown that’s interesting to hear from a Zoe driver. I have been looking at them as a possible second EV but I have had a Renault before and wasn’t impressed.
Zoe is potentially a great car, but let down by charging issues and build quality. Panel gaps are a suggestion at Renault and the tinny doors and hard plastic trim isn't a match for the Leaf. A second EV? Get another Leaf :)
Really informative video. I've also spent an inordinate amount of time looking at used Leafs. The 30kwh version would work better for me but there seems to be reports of high degradation rates on these batteries. Apparently Nissan have been made aware so it'll be interesting to see how they respond. The fall back position is a new Zoe which may give me greater peace of mind but Renault have pushed the prices up and the build quality does not appear to be as good.
Sheetal Shah I agree with you. We are just a bit limited on choice at the moment and when you look at the classified ads it’s all Leaf’s and Zoe’s. I have the same reservations as you about the Zoe, that said if you watch Ian Sampson ‘s videos he seems very happy with his.
The price has gone up for used leafs since diesel gate
Is this a good price for a used Leaf? £9,390 www.motors.co.uk/car-48525253/?i=0&m=scp
Keith Watts I presume that is a 24kwh one in which case it’s about average. There are some cheaper private sales out there.
2:57 why on earth did the truck driver behind you do that?
What's the difference between X and G Nissan Leafs?
Thanks for this very detailed information.
Great information. Many thanks for sharing your knowledge and experience
Another enjoyable and informative video as always and great drone footage.
Ryan is very consistent in his delivery. Just talks naturally. Rarely says um. Ryan is one of the best but all of the UK ev vloggers are good. :)
PhilBo thank you. I’m really enjoying the extra dimension the drone gives. Glad you are enjoying it too 😁👍
Keith Watts stop it! You’re making me blush 😆
Thank you
Very good detailed explanation. Subscribed!!!
WorldDweller thank you and welcome 😁👍
I live in Southern California, I am interested in a 2nd hand leaf, I did my math based on my situation my city my electricity rates, compared 2012 leaf with 58000 miles priced at $8500 ( assumed 75 miles per charger ) to a 2013 Prius 2 with 94000 miles priced at $9500 ( the Prius is my car and give me 45 mpg ) I found that to drive 15,000 miles per year ( my commute ) I will be spending $101 per month on the Prius and $99 on the leaf, I used the price of $3.65 per gallon and $0.25 per KWh, now some people will say the Prius will need maintenance, over the course of 94000 miles I spent $170 to replace the small battery after 93000 miles and $315 on oil changes at my Toyota Dealership here in San Diego, I had couple head gasket leaks that were covered by CPO warranty, after looking at this video I am not sure if the 75 miles figure on the leaf is true because it's based on the owner words VS the prius is my actual numbers but anyway ( i gave the prius to my sister a year ago but I still drive it occasionaly ), I got disappointed because there is no savings minimal comparing a prius to a leaf, resale value of the prius is way higher, no mileage limitation, no weather to effect battery life, lets be real, most of the people drive the car for about 100,000 miles, I own a 2016 Charger RT V8 too which is my daily car, that car did cost me $2900 of gas in the last year 16200 miles but I still can't give it away, I get 17 smiles per gallon, If I ever wanted to switch to nissan leaf I would consider the prius, even when I went to nissan website to check my savings, I found that with the new prius non plugin edition and 50 miles of communte per day I wouldn't save any money over 20 years.
shammas90 your figures are a good example of how things are different in the USA compared to the UK. Your fuel is cheap and electric expensive so I can see how you are struggling to make it work financially. I’m like you in that it is only an option if the finances work. I’d like to say it’s down to being green but with a family to look after the bank balance comes first!
@@EVOpinion Well people get solar here but I am not paying $15k to save $500 per year and they are using here what's called time of use, so you can charger you EV cheap at night but they will charge the hell out of you between 4:00OM-9:00PM, No the equation will change if you have free charging at work but for me still it's not worth it as of today.
For a second EV not doing huge miles then a 22KW Zoe with a leased battery is a possibility
I checked that out and there are lots of 2015 models which have finished their pcp (presumably) and although there is a monthly cost £49 you don't need to worry so much about the battery on an older one because it's not yours :)
All credit to Nick raimo for his video on the subject
John
J Tait it i have definitely considered it. At the moment the prices on all used EVs are really strong. I have another 12 month I can take on my Leaf so will bide my time and keep looking 👍
I have a question. I'm going to soon be losing my work van that I use to get to and from work and I want something reliable £0 tax cheap to run and can do 8 miles a day for 42 weeks of the year. Literally just a set of wheels that keeps me dry and means I don't have to get the bus. I was thinking about a Fiat 500 Twin-air, but considering a Leaf. To be honest I wouldn't be seen dead in one but like I said it's just got to get me the 8 miles to and from work. But, from what I've seen people say you can tell the state of the battery by the 12 bars etc. My question finally is. Can it be battery "clocked?" Can car dealers put bars back on via that OBD2 port to make the car look fresher than it actually is? Would Leaf Spy know if something had been messed about with? You might have guessed, I don't trust car dealers.
Hi and thanks for putting out this video, i am looking at buying my first ev and focused on a leaf. How would you rate mileage as a criterion for evaluating a second hand electric car? There are some 4/5 yr old leafs out there very well priced with 120K miles to 160k miles, does a high mileage matter that much if the battery SOH is around 90%, afterall there are no moving parts to wear down. I think that buyers of ev's approach the purchase with the same thinking one would apply to the ICE used car market.
I drive a works Leaf through work not for my own use very often and as they say they are like marmite, I do short journeys so I think a leaf would me ideal for me , I've been informed that when purchased from new some buyers bought the battery outright from nissan , some rented the battery , if I'm purchasing one how will I know if the battery has been bought or rented ?
Thanks very much great review.
Replace or find a way to get a protective coating. For the shiny parts.
I like your drone camera work. Do you have a video about drones and filming? If not, would you consider making a video about drones? Thanks for the videos.
I am about to buy my first EV car. Looking at the Nissan Leaf cause a Tesla is currently out of my price range. I was also researching if it is possible to install flat solar panels on the roof of a Leaf to charge the battery in a pinch for 10 miles or so. We are living in exciting times. An EV revolution is upon us. It is amazing to think that in 10 years EVs will have ranges of 500-1,000 miles and be able to recharge in 5 minutes! Change is always slow, but it’s inevitable. My dream EV is the VW ID Buzz that is coming in 2023. It’s suppose to have a 375 mile range, quick charge & even a solar panel on the roof.
Great post mate !
I am looking to buy my first ev. I'm thinking 2016 Nissan leaf or 2016 Kia Soul. The more I look..the more unsure I become. Any thoughts, opinions would be greatly appreciated. I'm in Canada.. so winter driving is a consideration. I have to make a decision soon.
Fantastic video thanks for sharing 👍👍👍👍
great video, do you have any recommendation regarding whether 3kw onboard charger is adequate or would you miss your cars ability to charge at 6kw eg from a 7kw public charger?
How does insurance compare between your Leaf and Twingo?
As with any used car there is some research/homework that should be done before purchasing. Not just the particular vehicle but the brand, the model and the variation being offered. In the case of the an EV especially a LEAF there is another factor to be considered as is detailed in the link below. Nissan is the only manufacturer to my knowledge who thinks that an air cooled battery system is viable for the long term life of the vehicle or the battery pack. Every other manufacturer uses some variation of liquid cooling with radiators and fans. If you're considering a used LEAF you need to know how many bars are on the battery - less than 9 out of 12 means you're looking at replacing the battery so you need to know from Nissan in your country what is the price to do that. Watch the video at this link to see how it works in Australia. ua-cam.com/video/L_zdtaJeYmw/v-deo.html
Very good car.
If I may throw this out : replacement batteries. Nissan has quietly hiked up the prices of replacement batteries ( USD ) $ 7000. I am really wanting one ( Leaf ) because I live in a city environment, my car is an older Toyota RAV4. Should I continue on this Quest or try other EV options?
I enjoy your videos, very practical √
Don't be afraid of having to replace batteries. My Leaf is 6 years old, has 75000 miles and going strong. Just make sure you don't over estimate how far you can go and select a car / battery that matches your needs comfortably and you will be very happy!
I would only buy a 6.6 kw ac charger car and one with the battery included... rental batteries are a big rip off. Plus the bose radio is fun !
pol1250 totally agree 😁👍
Buy a Twizzy! fun fun fun till ya daddy takes it away :) Ps the buttresses on the new leaf are my biggest pet hate! they stop your knee from moving out wide (for when you want to stretch out a bit after hours) and are an awful hard 1970s Japanese plastic unlike the rest of the interior which is pretty much solid.
Honda clarity phev with almost Volt like range of 50 miles are my top two choice. Also to note a chevy volt 2012 can still do the same electric range as it was new, no battery degradation.
I agree. The new PHEV Clarity is for sale at a local dealership here in Seattle. I checked it out. The Volt has excellent active thermal battery management system and a 4 kwh buffer so its batteries are not stressed out. I rarely drive more than 40 miles a day but when I do I just use the petrol range extender which generates electricity automatically on demand. The Vauxhall Ampera (the Chevy Volt equivalent) was not very popular in the U.K. I don't know why. Now new Amperas are not available at all due to GMs decision to pull out of the European market.
Keith Watts it was a real shame they didn’t push more in the UK. Let’s hope the Corsa EV becomes a reality soon.
buying used nissan leaf gen 1 or gen 2? or maybe bwm i3 rex?
11mins in and you haven't said anything of any use, spent the first 6 mins talking about plastic....
Thank you for another very informative video. I have one question. I have seen different adverts for used leafs. Some say battery owned and some say battery leased. Which in your opinion would be the better option .
What year is your car mate? I’m looking into purchasing a 2015 cash
Hi! Thank you for a very interesting and "direct to point" video! If I buy Leaf Spy and a cable with plug for my Iphone, will it be enough to see a full picture about car electronics and battery? By the way, what is the name of that cable/adapter which I need to buy from Amazon to be able to use Leaf Spy on my phone? I called Nissan service and they said that they can do full inspection and diagnostics for $137. T
im going for an ev as my first car. am i nuts? ive got my eyes on a 2014 65KWH ZOE for 5 grand.
Really good video, thanks - wash your own car!
Can you charge at Nissan garages if they are open when you need a charge?
Where can I get my leaf battery replaced please?
Hi
Can anyone please send me the link of the right obd reader for leaf spy to check when looking at used leads? 24kwh car. Probably 2013?
If I saw correctly you have a SOH of 82.69%? Is that at 35,000 miles? Is that typical for a 2013+ 24kwh Leaf?
Quebec 100% EV no. That wasn’t mine. I e been away from home for a few days and couldn’t access my files so I had to find a generic picture. I need to plug mine in again but as I mentioned on the video 6000 miles ago I was at 97% 😁
Where were you when I impulse-bought my 2015 24kWh Leave in November last year? Ha ha. Great information that I really would have liked to have in my possession then. Shared out.
Danny Thompson Ha! Nothing wrong with an impulse buy. Some of my best gadgets have been exactly that 😂
Hello ,, there is any explanations in English where I can look for about Nissan Leaf `?
Hvit Lotus what sort of info are you looking for? Check back through some of my old videos and you should find most things 👍
shiny plastic + sunshine = terrible glare
Will you give us a link to buy this blue plug? What is it called? Thx.
It is an OBD2 and if you look in the description below the video you’ll see a link to the one I use 😁👍
Good information, I am looking at getting the 30kwh model to do a daily 60 to 70 miles daily, my concern if the car can withstand tempretures of 30 to 34 c on a daily I live in the Caribbean. Would you recommend one for this application or should I look at something else?
Have you checked your SOH recently?
darren willliams no I haven’t. I need to download the app myself instead of relying on other people. I’ll do it soon and report back 😁👍
U need at least 8k
I3 Rex good second car.
With those ranges, don’t do it !
99% want an EV as my first car.
its bloody ugly, but also a lot like the black pearl
Great video! Having just bought a used Nissan Leaf - the only thing I would add is to make sure you get at least the EVSE charging cable (for anyone who doesn't know, that's the one that plugs into a 13A socket). I think most leafs come with a Type-1 to Type-2 cable also, but this isn't a guarantee. It's something you may never need, but if you're getting it from a dealer and it doesn't come with it, it's a ~£200 cable, so worth trying to negotiate its inclusion before you do a deal.
I know this is an old old video but found a Tekna 30kWh for a great price imo. So tempted and I could potentially get a 5 year loan at 2.8% APR* and it'd be around 160 odd a month. With petrol saving etc I'd be spending about 100 a month compared to my old banger.
After 3 years, I could probably sell it and not lose much on the loan and pay it all off and it'd have been very cheap to run.
Sounds like a good idea to me...?
Your video content has been so useful for making the decision to purchase the leaf. Thank you so much for taking the time to make them to help your fellow humans out.
Thanks very much for the video.
You mentioned many of the questions I too was wondering.
I didn't notice my driver door squeak on my Leaf until I started using it for rideshare, then I took the door panel off to investigate, but I didn't put any shims or tape. It still squeaks unless I press on the door panel. When the Model 3 arrived, I sold the Leaf to a relative, so I'll have to silence it if they notice.
Great educational video, and timely, as there will be more and more used EVs coming onto the market as the EVolution continues. Cheers.
Gordon Warlow thank you and you’re definitely right. It’s amazing how many 3 year old Renault Zoe’s are available too. PCP’s and lease hires are coming to an end flooding the market with great examples 👍
Use fine-grit sandpaper to give the centre console a matte brushed look.
the longest "Journey" I take is about 30. miles.
I use my sat nav all the time here in Québec Canada and it's very good. It's not perfect but it gets me every where I need to go. For the charging stations nissan pared with the biggest network "circuit électrique" that represents 95% of all charging stations so it's very easy to find one. You can get traffic report and traffic jam alert with reroute if you subscribe to the satellite provider "sirus". It's almost to par with Google maps and for me I didn't have to have a data plan for my phone since it's so expensive here. Canada has the most expensive rate of the G20 for phone!
Gilles Pelletier I love hearing how different everywhere is. It’s really interesting how we all have the same technology but use it in such different ways. Sounds like there is good support in Canada and with a national network there is some consistency 👍
EV Opinion I should add Kia/Hyundai don't offer any telematics her in Canada. App to connect to your car are not available. No charging stations on GPS except what's already in there. So coverage is really depending on car manufacturers not technology.
Nissan still being stubborn about active thermal management for the battery which means that Nissan EVs will only last about 20% of the life of an EV with active thermal battery cooling (which is all EVs other than Nissan)
I looking to buy an EV (first one) and the more afordable ones here are these Leafs (2016) the early Zoe's and the triplets.
I need it to do around 80kms (50miles) per day. The triplets weren't recomended because of the low range, the Zoe's most of them have the battery rental crap (and the ones that don't are more expensive) leaving the Leafs.
I went to see a 2016 with 40000km (~25k miles), imported from France to Portugal.
Its the Visia model, so no sat nav or any of that (thats why its cheap), but on the test drive there weren't any rattles or noises, it pulled nicely , etc. It had 88% charge and the guessometer indicated 105km of range (with an avg of 17kWh/100km). After about 4km it lost one on the guessometer, so i'm sure it would do more than 105kms.
The battery indicator has 11 bars and I didn't have the Leaf spy to check the SOH.
One thing I noticed was that the fabric on the drivers door was a bit worn..I saw 2 Leafs with about the same km's on the odometer, both having that worn fabric..is this usual on the Leafs?
Thanks!
Nissans are very reliable
I have a 2017 Nisan leaf 40kw
Its only done 15k on a warm day when I charge fully it will show about 145 miles range but on a cold day it will only show about 125 miles.
To me the MOST important thing BY FAR is the battery status. In other words how many bars are still showing verses the original 12 bars. You can see this on the dash display or even better do a battery health check.
Then secondary was it had to be a second generation, third it has to have the charger, and then forth I wanted one that was garaged. Also wanted a quick charger just to have for emergencies.
I did not really care about the model, miles driven, color, small dents, etc.
Thanks for so much great information. At 70, looking for my first ev, I need to learn a lot!
I'm 44 and learning too : )
Eco for my leaf just changes the throttle to linear... I still have full power. When it is off eco, and you hold it half throttle, it will wind up the output like a "power band" a gas engine has. Also, under that hood, your charger exists too.. as for the 2011 and 2012 it the charger is in the rear behind seats. Also, the 11 and 12s we're less efficient according to EPA with 34kwh per 100 miles vs 2013 and newer ones were 29kwh per 100 miles. This was a good video overall! Thanks for posting it :)
Have you considered a Kona EV?? That seems like a good option for long travel. Cheers from Arizona USA.
they are also 40k usd lol we are trying to save money !! lol
I’m thinking about getting one of these cars just do the fact that we don’t pay for electricity so plugging it in 110 overnight and just doing local driving will save me a ton of money.
Thx for a great video! Bought a -17 30kwh yesterday :)
Bought a used leaf 2015 model a few years back, love it. Range almost not decreased compared to new one.
Im looking at 2015s. Thanks for your information