ive just bought a 5 year old leaf 30 , has 107,000 miles and i love it, still has 10 bars battery health , does about 60 miles 80to 30% great machine and lovely to drive and cost £6k
The 2nd generation Leaf offers over 200 miles, as do most newer EV models these days. Battery capacity has really grown these past 5 years, without raising the price of these vehicles drastically. I like to think of it in terms of cost, where my Leaf can travel 80 miles on under $3 of energy whereas only a few months ago (gas is quite cheap, for now) $2.50 for a gallon of gas would get you maybe 30 miles of travel in the average gas car. Of course you drive an efficient car, and a hybrid at that, so you won't experience the same boost in efficiency switching to electric. But NEVER having to go to the gas station is such a relief when you go electric!
@@EVeverything to me, never being able to go to the gas station is like never being able to pee or poop when you're out of your home. EV cars should be able to run at least 500 miles on a charge in order to convert people from gas cars to EV's
@@1wasinAlpha Interesting analogy. I think the solution is more public charging stations with faster charging speeds. Our Tesla is good for a little over 200 miles on road trips, and stopping at a Supercharger for 20 minutes is a totally acceptable amount of time to restore another 150 miles or so to the battery. I think gas drivers tend to want a larger battery than is necessary for fear of running out of charge, or the inconvenience of stopping longer than a traditional fill-up at the gas pump. Of course it all depends on your driving habits, so if you want a 500-mile EV you can always put a reservation down on the top trim Cybertruck
Just leased a 2020 leaf sv for $300 down, $300 a month with no additional fees. I get ~150 miles in range. It’s been two weeks and I love it. My fiancé installed a lvl 2 charger so we only have to charge for like 6 hours. I haven’t had range anxiety at all. I even took a round trip that was 106 miles and I was fine.
That's great to hear! If you decide to travel beyond the range limits of the car, use apps like PlugShare to find public chargers (Google Maps has started showing chargers too). It'll cost more than charging at home, but at least enables you to drive further if necessary. Enjoy your LEAF!
I bought a 2015 about two years ago, and I’m glad I was able to get the middle tier version with the full navigation screen and full Bluetooth compatibility with my phone. Mine does not, however, have the tier 3 fast charge port, and it sounds like that’s why, after 69,000 miles, mine hasn’t lost any battery capacity bars. I understand that faster charging can negatively impact battery capacity over time.
Yeah, not sure I'll ever actually use that fast-charge port. But you bring up a good point, and I'm sure excessive Level 3 charging will negatively impact the battery over time.
Hello John! So I just purchased a 2015 Leaf S with quick charge and 59k miles also with 11 bars. I live in city so I would like to know how much range do you get and how long does it charge usually ?
@@nellyapollonia1224 as you see in the video, my 2015 Leaf is still getting its rated range of 80 miles. Your Leaf has about double the miles on its odometer, but I'd still expect you should be getting at least 70 miles on a full charge (city, not highway) if your battery is in good health. For charging speeds, if you use the Level 1 charging cable that comes with the car & plugging it into a standard wall outlet you're looking at 12 hours minimum to get between 80-100% charge (depending on what % your battery is at once charging begins). Stepping up to Level 2 charging by having a 240v plug installed, you'll cut charging way down to only about 4-5 hours.
Okay, so that little tiny peice about how to read the current battery capacity was the single most important thing I could have learned, that is so helpful to shopping for used leaf, thank you!
Such a shame about the Gen 1 (2011-2017) Leafs. These were great cars, especially the 2013 and later models, particularly in the SV and higher trim levels. I have a 2013 SV and love every aspect of this car save the battery. At 70,000 miles I'm down to 10 bars, and wondering when the degradation is going to accelerate. There's some that say the degradation levels off after awhile. I got mine for $9000 w/33k miles in 2017, and at that price it was a steal, I thought. I figured, surely by 2021 or 2022 a third-party battery upgrade would be available. Well, it's 2021 and no battery upgrade is in sight, nor is there any reason to think there ever will be.
Battery upgrade would be a very nice option to have, but not sure it will ever happen unless through a third party. My understanding on degradation is that it takes the biggest hit at the beginning and then is very steady after that, kinda like solar panels.
Good to hear your 2016 battery is holding up so far! I've heard degradation became more of an issue with the 30kwh battery packs, but sounds like you had the option to stick with the 24kwh.
Great video. We have a 2015 S model LEAF with 11 bars . We love the car as well. as far as the stereo goes I did replace it with a cheap touch screen android auto/apple carplay stereo. It was not hard to do. Your wife would thank you! If you plan on doing it I can send you a list of the items required. backup camera and all steering wheel controls still work. Keep up the good work :)
If you are concerned about your range on the LEAF. There is a company in Europe called MUXSAN that make any model year of Leaf gain back their original or better range. The LEAF models have not changed the physical footprint of the main battery pack. Just the internals have changed, So a model year 2011 - 2015 LEAF has the same battery pack dimensions. There are video's online that show a 40 kWh pack being inserted into the same pack space of a 24 kWh LEAF... See the James and Kate video on this upgrade. MUXSAN also sell and add on kit including suspension upgrades for increasing the battery range by installing additional batteries in the trunk space ... I have watched multiple video's about this and even seen some people upgrade a 2015 LEAF to a 62 kWh pack giving them over 300 miles of range on a 2015 model year. Might be something you could check out for yourself IF you are interested in keeping your Nissan Leaf ... Previously posted on another source.
It's really uneven between cars to losing a capacity bar. I lost my first at almost 140 000 km (some 95 000 miles). Car is 2013 Leaf. Just turned 200 000 km last week (celebrated it, made a vid - in my utube). Still have 11 capacity bars. My actual range has dropped from 140km to 110km. I fast charge several times a month.
That's very impressive for a 2013 Leaf! I've always heard early model years suffered more aggressive degradation, but it's good to know that isn't the case with every car.
@@EVeverything It seems the battery suffers most from simply not being used. Have seen ads on several older Leafs with very low mileage and only 11 capacity bars. I think the record of most miles before losing first bar, (in the forum MyNissanLeaf) is around 105 000 miles - at least last time I checked some 2 years ago. My only true repairs, during all this time, has been replacing parking brake-wire. Had to change brake pads 4 wheels too, but that's normal useage. And rear wiper. And a few sets of tires. I live in Sweden, with rainy summers...and rainy winters...and rainy springs...and ra...u get the idea.
I have a 2011 Leaf SV, top trim level, and the infotainment system is tops. Plays both IPod, IPhone vía charge cord or Bluetooth managing songs, modes, etc via the screen answers/place phone calls, etc. The S trim lacks those features as it’s the entry level trim. You are lucky the CHAdeMO was purchased, not standard. Love the simplicity of the controls, cleans well, has 2017 battery/software that after 26,000 miles list the top segment as yours did. I’m keeping this EV at least thru 2025 unless money falls into my hands. Thanks for the review and for driving electric!! Ray Cardona, EV Ambassador, Drive Electric Cincinnati.
Have you lost any of the capacity bars on your dash display? At that rate it sounds like you can only travel about 15 miles total on a full charge, which would be an extreme issue. Have you had it inspected at a Nissan dealership?
EV Everything I lost one capacity bar and I will be making a appointment with Nissan hopefully Wednesday. I love my EV but I need to go at least 20 miles out every few weeks.
@@damonickabrown5461 I'd be curious to know how they diagnose the issues. That is not normal battery degradation for a 5-year-old car. Battery replacement may be a consideration, if you're still under warranty.
Your point about the infotainment center not aging well is one of my main gripes with modern cars. They integrate so much into them that there is no upgrade path. You can't just buy a new stereo and install it. I would rather see all the car functions run through the instrument cluster screen and make the infotainment center upgradable.
That's an interesting idea! But just like making battery packs upgradeable, the auto manufacturers are unlikely to do that since they'd rather you just buy a new car from them instead.
We have bought a 2015 Leaf couple of months ago. Couple of things I wanted to add. When brake pedal is pressed this provides additional regen braking. What I mean is, there is a regen when the gas pedal is released and additional regen when applying brakes, and if the brake pedal is pushed even more, the car then engages conventional brakes. I'm not sure if there is a difference between US and UK models, but in the UK if you have a Level 3 charger, this does not mean you have faster charging on a Level 1 or 2. Our car has Chademo socket, but it charges at 3.3kW max. There is 6.6kW option that was sold as optional extra. Thanks
First of all, that price seems much too high if it's a 2017 or older Leaf. Also, I would want to know what the range indicator shows the driving range is. If it's showing less than 70 miles of range at 100% (or less than say 30 miles at 50%) then I'd be a bit more concerned about the battery, unless you can live within those range limitations. Is this a car you can see in-person and test drive?
@@baylee_baby_ as long as the battery appears to be in good health and the car can go at least 60 miles or so on a charge, it might be an option. Also, just realized the guy who commented first said $2,500 not $25,000 which I misread and responded the way I did about the price. Woops 😖
Is it a 2017 or older Leaf? If so, yes B-mode on the gear shifter will give you the most regen. It is not necessary though, just if you like the car to start slowing on its own. But you will not come to a complete stop, and only the newer 2018+ LEAFs offer one-pedal-driving like that with their e-Pedal button.
@@kaymarie5635 great, and congrats! If you run into any issues or have any questions I'm happy to help. Got a few other videos on my channel as well dealing with the Leaf too.
Hi EVE, I have a Nissan Leaf 2014 X trim. Replaced the telematics unit with a LUMINA AUDIO BTN-400 unit - with Apple carplay. oemaudio.co.nz/btn-400-universal-multimedia-head-unit-170-mm-x-96-mm-cddvd This unit is compatible with your car. A great solution to your problem. The Leaf is well built and I will keep mine and replace the battery with a 40KW eventually.
We no longer own the Leaf, but thanks for sharing your audio solution. I wish the batteries were swappable for larger battery packs, but did not find that to be an option. If I could have, for instance, put a new 2018 Leaf pack into my 2015 to get 150 miles of range then we may have owned it longer.
So I found several of these for cheap, but would it be correct to say that buying one would be like buying a gasoline car, knowing that the entire engine is going to have to be replaced in just a few years even if you only drive it a few miles a week ? It's like a cell phone battery in the sense that it will die after a few years even if you never use it, correct ? I have had an ICE car for over 20 years, and only have had to replace a few batteries and tires. In 20 years time, how many times would you have to buy a new battery ? ( Not trying to criticize the car - just being planning ahead.👍 )
My experience would not lead me to be concerned about any of those things. Even when driving gas cars I never anticipated having engine problems, certainly nothing to replace the entire engine as you say. If you're worried about what COULD happen, then I'd say buy brand new and the battery pack will be covered for 6-10 years under warranty. Now the LEAF has been known to have battery pack issues regarding degradation, so that's why I encourage people to only look at 2015 and newer. Our Leaf only lost 1 battery capacity bar in 5 years, our 2017 Volt showed no signs of degradation in the 3 years we had it, and our 2014 Tesla Model S still gets 250 miles of range down from its original 265 after 6 years. I don't know anything about batteries going bad if not being used (cell phone or otherwise), and why wouldn't it be used? Keeping the battery charge between 20-80% capacity seems to be a common practice, and even seems to have extended the life of my phone battery by charging it the same way. So in 20 years time how many battery packs would I have expected to buy? Well, I've never owned any single vehicle that long, especially not an EV. Some Teslas out there have over 300K miles on them and are on the same battery pack, so hard to say when electric cars have only been around for a decade. It's simply not a concern I have when considering an EV, and the tech just keeps improving.
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.
I only have hands-on experience with the LEAF, but I always thought the Soul EV seemed quite compelling. My concern with a 2016 or 2017 LEAF is it appears that the larger battery they went to for those model years possibly degrades faster than the smaller 2015 battery. Our latest episode deals with this topic and shows how to analyze the LEAF's battery health ua-cam.com/video/4ZgwePP6YEo/v-deo.html. I do believe a 2016 LEAF will have a little more range than a Soul EV, but I wouldn't count the Soul out necessarily. LEAF will probably be found cheaper though. Hope this helped, and feel free to ask further questions!
Got one at a National Drive Electric Week event in the Austin area. I think it was at the Smart Charge America booth, but I don't see that they sell merch online. Definitely a favorite shirt of mine!
My understanding has been that battery replacement is free if the pack loses 3 bars (25%) within the warranty period. I'm not sure if that period is 8 years, may only be 5 or 6. Might also be different on the newer 2nd generation Leaf, as compared to older ones like mine.
Yes, I believe someone else commented something similar. This would add more bluetooth connectivity & perhaps even support for Apple CarPlay/Android Auto?
Yeah absolutely. I use a $10 Bluetooth receiver thats connected to the aux for playing spotify. But yeah, If you go for a android headunit you can get one thatl do android auto/carplay for a couple 100
My 18 year old stepdaughter wants one 2015+ would you recommend a used one , plus how often you charge the batteries, how long it takes to charge on a 120 volt outlet ?
Yes, and really 2015 model year is my favorite as it came with some nice luxuries as heated leather steering wheel & heated front/back seats as standard. Of course 2018 and newer are a refreshed model with much longer driving range, if she travels more than say 50 miles daily. On my 2015 it would take 10 hours maybe to charge to 80% overnight. Of course you're not starting from 0% charge either, so really don't need much more time than that using a 120v wall outlet. Essentially, you get 4-5 miles per hour charging at level 1 speeds. Let me know if you have any other questions!
Thank you for the information, l feel more confident now about buying one , just one more question, did you have any considerable increase on the power bill or is very minimal?
@@christianpatines4250 yes, you'll experience an increase but to what degree you'll notice may come down to the price of electricity in your area. I pay about 10 cents per kWh so, using my Leaf's 24 kWh battery as an example, it would cost me about $2.50 for a complete charge from empty to full. Realistically, you might have 20% or so of battery when you start the charge & I usually halted charging around 80% to keep the battery healthy, so probably spending less than $2 each time I plugged in at night. But lets' just say $2 and multiply that by 3 charge sessions each week (15 charges monthly), and so I was adding around $30 each month to my electric bill. The way I like to think of it is that $2.50 in gas would get you maybe 50 miles of travel, where the same $ amount is propelling the Leaf for 80 miles. So while you're just moving over your "fueling" costs, hopefully you'll find that even with cheap gas that the cost in electrons is significantly less. And try to maximize those savings by charging during off-peak hours, usually overnight. Hope this helps, and happy to answer any more questions that may come up.
when ur buying ev when u see low km that can also mean bad battery because batery is good if it is maintained corretly that meaning charge-discharge frequently. if battery is in no use it can degrade even more faster
I remember having to take my LEAF in to have something done to the protective plating around the battery, or something like that. It did not come across as critical, but I had it done anyway. If you're in the US, you can look up recalls by vehicle on the NHTSA website
If you are concerned about your range on the LEAF. There is a company in Europe called MUXSAN that make any model year of Leaf gain back their original or better range. The LEAF models have not changed the physical footprint of the main battery pack. Just the internals have changed, So a model year 2011 - 2015 LEAF has the same battery pack dimensions. There are video's online that show a 40 kWh pack being inserted into the same pack space of a 24 kWh LEAF... See the James and Kate video on this upgrade. MUXSAN also sell and add on kit including suspension upgrades for increasing the battery range by installing additional batteries in the trunk space ... I have watched multiple video's about this and even seen some people upgrade a 2015 LEAF to a 62 kWh pack giving them over 300 miles of range on a 2015 model year. Might be something you could check out for yourself IF you are interested in keeping your Nissan Leaf ...
Thanks, I've heard of that company before (or at least that process). We no longer have our LEAF, but it's good info for owners considering ways to maximize their range without upgrading to the 2nd generation model.
We charge our leaf with three pin plug Granny charging cable, at 9miles/hour rate, is great for Popping round town. So 2.9Kw/hr at 16p/Kwh To charge 20% to 80% 14.4Kwx 16p=£2.30 for 50 miles that =🤣👍 Soon to get Octopus smart meter with cheaper night charging rate. Oh and if you own a Leaf congratulations it is going up in value, due to high demand for second hand Ev's
We want to buy a used one….maybe 2017ish ? But, we do worry about getting hit with a $5500 battery replacement. Are replacement batteries still this much ? Also, is it hard to find charging stations while on the road ? Thx !!!
I'm not sure on battery replacement costs, but a used 2017 would have warranty protection coverage for a number of years/miles at least. Finding charging stations easily will depend on where you live, but using an app like Plugshare will allow you to see all the public chargers available in your area on a map. Happy to help if you have any more questions
Here in Ontario Canada a 2016 lower mileage Leaf is $17-18 grand Thinking about an older one so I called Nissan about battery replacement. They said $15000. GUESS WHO'S NOT GETTING A LEAF ?
Definitely should not cost that much, especially those smaller 24kWh batteries in early models. But of course you shouldn't be considering battery replacement if you choose a LEAF that shows good battery health, which is most easily determined by looking at the range indicator on the dash screen. But again, battery replacement should not be a consideration in your EV purchase just as total engine/transmission replacement isn't something you anticipate with a gasoline vehicle.
I daily drive a 2006 Taurus with ~165K on it. It's getting tired and I only drive 5 miles round trip daily. I was looking at a used Leaf as a replacement daily commuter and grocery getter because I have a V8 luxury sedan and a V8 muscle car so long distances and highway commutes are covered. These seem to fit the bill. Cheap to buy, cheap to maintain, and cheap to own. Nice video! Thank you.
Your short daily commute makes you an ideal EV driver. If you're looking at a LEAF, just be sure to get a good idea of the battery health & see that it's still estimating a decent driving range (hopefully no less than 60 miles on a full charge). Good luck!
Here in Ontario Canada a 2016 lower mileage Leaf is $17-18 grand Thinking about an older one so I called Nissan about battery replacement. They said $15000. GUESS WHO'S NOT GETTING A LEAF ?
That sounds incredibly high for battery replacement. I had heard around US $6,000, but if the car shows a healthy battery then you shouldn't have to worry about replacing the battery.
I have a 2012 Leaf and have just moved. At my new Apt the outdoor plugs are GFIs and will trip after 4 seconds of charging it. This building was built in 2019. What can I do to troubleshoot my issue? Would you mess with the wiring or can I try something different with my cable?
You don't want too strong regen as its more efficient to keep the car rolling than try to recover energy. You get better MPGe that way. I upgraded to a 40KWh leaf as I found the range in the winter was too short (40 miles only) for my needs. The higher battery capacity car meets my needs much better.
Iam in south Asia and none of this car available in my Country, there is one called Nissan E-Power... never owned nissan before and is this car reliable as Toyota Hybrid ? The E power system similiar with the hybrid one except no need to charge the battery ( charge by the petrol machine )
Yes, I've heard of the e-Power. Not a plug-in because the gas engine charges the battery from what I understand. Unfortunately, this does not seem very efficient, and defeats one of the main benefits of electric vehicles with a plug. So maybe it performs a bit like a hybrid for increased mpg, but still less efficient than a fully electric or plug-in vehicle with the option to charge your own battery.
Can't you just buy a Bluetooth adapter. It plus right into your cigarette lighter and connects to your phone. It's been all the rage b4 Bluetooth were standard in cars.
Yes, plenty of bluetooth devices out there. I was never that inconvenienced by the lack of bluetooth, but just pointing it out as a missing feature on the base model of first generation Leafs.
Honestly the infotainment system is sort of a null point since anyone that knows what they're doing can just swap those out. Unless these use some sort of proprietary garbage to prevent that.
You must be using the DC Fast Charger (DCFC) a lot. No way should you be down a bar at 27k miles. I have all 12 bars at nearly 60k miles with a battery SOH of 89%. What you need to do is download an app called "Leaf Spy" onto your cell phone or iPad and via your OBDII connector use BlueTooth to properly evaluate your battery. It's really quite easy and Leaf Spy will tell you exactly how many DCFC charges your battery has seen. If you bought a used Leaf that was formerly a lease car then it may have seen a lot of DCFC. The early Leaf battery chemistry doesn't like frequent DCFC especially in areas of the country with high ambient temperatures (think Arizona in the Summer). To give us a real update please tell us what part of the country you live in and use Leaf Spy to find out how many times you've used DCFC. Do you wait until you're below 10% charge before recharging? These will help give a true picture of your battery's state. If your car lost a bar before 15k miles then you're likely qualified for a new battery even if you're not the original owner. MORE INFO: I picked up my used 2015 off lease in late 2016 with 3500 miles on the clock. I live near Wash DC and drive about 35 miles each way to work for about 70 miles per day. Leaf Spy tells me that it had only had 47 QC's (Quick Charges, or DCFC), which in this part of the country aren't as risky because of the mild climate. I've only given it 4 more Quick Charges since I've had it. I don't have to let the battery go below about 60% (about 35 miles traveled) before recharging since I have a Level 2 charger where I work. When I get home I'm down to 60% again where I then wait until evening before charging with my home's Level 2 charger. I'm lucky because I never have to charge in temperatures above about 80F. I believe this makes a big difference even if only using Level 1 and Level 2 charging. Also, one more bit of advice, don't drive above 75 mph for extended periods. It can drive up the battery's internal temperature quite a bit especially if it's hot outside.
I've never use a fast-charger with this car, but it's possible the first owner did. I've heard of LeafSpy, but never tried it. We live in Texas, so it's hot and I'm assuming the previous owner did as well. Range is actually just as good as it's rated for, but yeah the early loss of the capacity bar was concerning. I believe you have to lose 4 or so before it's eligible for a replacement, and that has to be within a certain range of time. I'm not worried about further degradation at this point, but I'll give LeafSpy a try and share what I learn.
@@EVeverything - You'll need an ELM327 compliant Bluetooth OBD2 OBD-II scanner to plug into your OBDII connector. They're available on eBay or Amazon for $10-25. Good luck, I'm very much interested in reading your results. www.electricvehiclewiki.com/wiki/leaf-spy-pro/ ua-cam.com/video/6yS-5HMYUHc/v-deo.html
Fyi: Maybe it's different in the US but having the rapid Chademo charger port in the EU/UK does not automatically mean you have the 6.6kwh charger, it was always an optional extra, even all the way up to 2017. If you're buying a second hand one, you can check if it has the faster on board Type1 charging unit by checking on the screen in front of the steering wheel, skip through the screens until it gives you estimated charge times, it will either have 1 or 2 estimates, 3.6 or 3.6 and 6.6, if the latter, it has the faster on board charger.
It was my understanding that adding the CHAdeMO option automatically upgraded the onboard charger, but I do not know that for a certainty. Thanks for adding the info about how to check for yourself, bc yes it is easy to find out toggling through the dashboard display.
Yes, we had a 2017 Volt for a 39-month lease term. Similar to my Leaf story, the plan to purchase the car after the lease didn't turn out as planned. We ultimately decided to go with a used Tesla Model S to replace the Volt. We are approaching 1-year with the Tesla, so will probably do a video about it soon!
Hi, informative video. Question for you as I am looking to try out a 2015 SV Leaf (currently running a BMWi3 2014 first gen 50 mile range); how is the regenerative braking if any? also, how's the feel of the drive eg. sporty? sluggish? etc. Cheers mate
I talk about regen later in the video, but it's not very strong. You have 2 modes, and even the strongest "B" mode really is going to seem measly compared to an i3. It's there, and helps restore battery charge & save your brakes, just not among the strongest regen available. The drive can be torquey (I wouldn't say sporty), but you have to disengage Eco Mode. I wanted max efficiency, so always drove in Eco with max B regen. This is not exciting driving, but was getting over 4 miles/kWh using this method. Car can zip pretty good though if you turn those off, just be ready to sacrifice 10-15 miles of range on an already range-limited EV. Also be aware this is a front-wheel driven car, compared to i3 rear-wheel, so not going to handle the same & shouldn't really be compared too directly. More interior room though than an i3!
If you are concerned about your range on the LEAF. There is a company in Europe called MUXSAN that make any model year of Leaf gain back their original or better range. The LEAF models have not changed the physical footprint of the main battery pack. Just the internals have changed, So a model year 2011 - 2015 LEAF has the same battery pack dimensions. There are video's online that show a 40 kWh pack being inserted into the same pack space of a 24 kWh LEAF... See the James and Kate video on this upgrade. MUXSAN also sell and add on kit including suspension upgrades for increasing the battery range by installing additional batteries in the trunk space ... I have watched multiple video's about this and even seen some people upgrade a 2015 LEAF to a 62 kWh pack giving them over 300 miles of range on a 2015 model year. Might be something you could check out for yourself IF you are interested in keeping your Nissan Leaf ... Previously posted on another source.
Hmmm, you might be right about that. I only owned this particular LEAF for about 2.5 years, and the normal interval for brake fluid checks is around 2 years I think. It's possible that was done during a dealership service visit at some point, but I don't recall. Good thing to point out!
I too have a used 5 year old leaf of the same model, here in the UK with similar mileage and my main battery has no degradation. However, you missed the most important point to watch out for in a leaf of this age which is the regular 12 volt battery that runs all of the cars electronics. If this goes flat or fails to recharge (which after 5 years is common) the car won’t start or even turn on. This has happened to many people during the lockdown periods when the car is not used. It’s an easy fix: replace the regular 12 volt battery and your leaf will provide you with excellent service for many more years.
Yes, I do think my first bar loss was premature. At least I didn't notice any loss in range, so it wasn't as big a deal as I thought it was at first. Never had issues with the 12v, but glad you addressed it in your comment for those who may run into that problem. It seems so strange that electric cars still have these 12v lead acid batteries at all, but I suppose there is some technical reason.
A thought about regen... Make sure that when speaking about regen the car you consider does not have a feature where it also uses the friction brake. If it comes to a complete stop, that is likely the case. The new generation LEAF's E-Pedal combines heavy regen with friction braking where required to come to a complete stop. It does have stronger regen, but there is an element of friction brake in there as well.
Yes, that has been my understanding for some vehicles. Not sure how to know which cars incorporate friction braking during the regen process. Bolt EV, for example, has very strong regen and brings the car to a complete stop.
ive just bought a 5 year old leaf 30 , has 107,000 miles and i love it, still has 10 bars battery health , does about 60 miles 80to 30% great machine and lovely to drive and cost £6k
Great example of buying a used EV that meets your needs. Thanks for sharing!
WOW! 80 mile range translates to 2 gallon tank on my accord hybrid... I don't think I can live with that
The 2nd generation Leaf offers over 200 miles, as do most newer EV models these days. Battery capacity has really grown these past 5 years, without raising the price of these vehicles drastically. I like to think of it in terms of cost, where my Leaf can travel 80 miles on under $3 of energy whereas only a few months ago (gas is quite cheap, for now) $2.50 for a gallon of gas would get you maybe 30 miles of travel in the average gas car. Of course you drive an efficient car, and a hybrid at that, so you won't experience the same boost in efficiency switching to electric. But NEVER having to go to the gas station is such a relief when you go electric!
1wasinAlpha that is better than 2011/12 leaf had epa of 73 and mine gets 30 miles now
@@EVeverything to me, never being able to go to the gas station is like never being able to pee or poop when you're out of your home. EV cars should be able to run at least 500 miles on a charge in order to convert people from gas cars to EV's
@@1wasinAlpha Interesting analogy. I think the solution is more public charging stations with faster charging speeds. Our Tesla is good for a little over 200 miles on road trips, and stopping at a Supercharger for 20 minutes is a totally acceptable amount of time to restore another 150 miles or so to the battery. I think gas drivers tend to want a larger battery than is necessary for fear of running out of charge, or the inconvenience of stopping longer than a traditional fill-up at the gas pump. Of course it all depends on your driving habits, so if you want a 500-mile EV you can always put a reservation down on the top trim Cybertruck
@@1wasinAlpha weird analogy 🤣
Just leased a 2020 leaf sv for $300 down, $300 a month with no additional fees. I get ~150 miles in range. It’s been two weeks and I love it. My fiancé installed a lvl 2 charger so we only have to charge for like 6 hours. I haven’t had range anxiety at all. I even took a round trip that was 106 miles and I was fine.
That's great to hear! If you decide to travel beyond the range limits of the car, use apps like PlugShare to find public chargers (Google Maps has started showing chargers too). It'll cost more than charging at home, but at least enables you to drive further if necessary. Enjoy your LEAF!
I bought a 2015 about two years ago, and I’m glad I was able to get the middle tier version with the full navigation screen and full Bluetooth compatibility with my phone. Mine does not, however, have the tier 3 fast charge port, and it sounds like that’s why, after 69,000 miles, mine hasn’t lost any battery capacity bars. I understand that faster charging can negatively impact battery capacity over time.
Yeah, not sure I'll ever actually use that fast-charge port. But you bring up a good point, and I'm sure excessive Level 3 charging will negatively impact the battery over time.
Yes, the faster 6.6kw charger will degrade the battery more than the 3.3.
Hello John! So I just purchased a 2015
Leaf S with quick charge and 59k miles also with 11 bars. I live in city so I would like to know how much range do you get and how long does it charge usually ?
@@nellyapollonia1224 as you see in the video, my 2015 Leaf is still getting its rated range of 80 miles. Your Leaf has about double the miles on its odometer, but I'd still expect you should be getting at least 70 miles on a full charge (city, not highway) if your battery is in good health. For charging speeds, if you use the Level 1 charging cable that comes with the car & plugging it into a standard wall outlet you're looking at 12 hours minimum to get between 80-100% charge (depending on what % your battery is at once charging begins). Stepping up to Level 2 charging by having a 240v plug installed, you'll cut charging way down to only about 4-5 hours.
I’d say I typically get about 70-80 miles on a full charge. I just charge overnight in my garage with the level 1 charger.
Okay, so that little tiny peice about how to read the current battery capacity was the single most important thing I could have learned, that is so helpful to shopping for used leaf, thank you!
If you find a good price on a leaf with at least 11 battery bar you’re OK less than that forget about it😎
Time stamp?
Such a shame about the Gen 1 (2011-2017) Leafs. These were great cars, especially the 2013 and later models, particularly in the SV and higher trim levels. I have a 2013 SV and love every aspect of this car save the battery. At 70,000 miles I'm down to 10 bars, and wondering when the degradation is going to accelerate. There's some that say the degradation levels off after awhile. I got mine for $9000 w/33k miles in 2017, and at that price it was a steal, I thought. I figured, surely by 2021 or 2022 a third-party battery upgrade would be available. Well, it's 2021 and no battery upgrade is in sight, nor is there any reason to think there ever will be.
Battery upgrade would be a very nice option to have, but not sure it will ever happen unless through a third party. My understanding on degradation is that it takes the biggest hit at the beginning and then is very steady after that, kinda like solar panels.
Can you not replace the battery yourself when needed? I've seen a video on chrisfix chanel him fully replacing a Toyota prius battery.
...I HAVE THIS CAR.BLACK.S MODEL ..2016. ...12 BARS..24WH BATT. 13,000 MILES...WOULD I BUY AGAIN? ....SHUT-UP AND TAKE MY MONEY!!!
Good to hear your 2016 battery is holding up so far! I've heard degradation became more of an issue with the 30kwh battery packs, but sounds like you had the option to stick with the 24kwh.
Great video. We have a 2015 S model LEAF with 11 bars . We love the car as well. as far as the stereo goes I did replace it with a cheap touch screen android auto/apple carplay stereo. It was not hard to do. Your wife would thank you! If you plan on doing it I can send you a list of the items required. backup camera and all steering wheel controls still work. Keep up the good work :)
Sure, share the info! Others watching this video may be interested to make the upgrade as well.
His wife would find another excuse to not use the Leaf and stick with theTesla.
@@don-cw1yz like everybody else 🤣. Well eventually even me 🙃
If you are concerned about your range on the LEAF. There is a company in Europe called MUXSAN that make any model year of Leaf gain back their original or better range. The LEAF models have not changed the physical footprint of the main battery pack. Just the internals have changed, So a model year 2011 - 2015 LEAF has the same battery pack dimensions. There are video's online that show a 40 kWh pack being inserted into the same pack space of a 24 kWh LEAF... See the James and Kate video on this upgrade. MUXSAN also sell and add on kit including suspension upgrades for increasing the battery range by installing additional batteries in the trunk space ... I have watched multiple video's about this and even seen some people upgrade a 2015 LEAF to a 62 kWh pack giving them over 300 miles of range on a 2015 model year.
Might be something you could check out for yourself IF you are interested in keeping your Nissan Leaf ...
Previously posted on another source.
all the drawbacks he cited for the infotainment are the features i actually want lol
It's really uneven between cars to losing a capacity bar. I lost my first at almost 140 000 km (some 95 000 miles). Car is 2013 Leaf. Just turned 200 000 km last week (celebrated it, made a vid - in my utube). Still have 11 capacity bars. My actual range has dropped from 140km to 110km. I fast charge several times a month.
That's very impressive for a 2013 Leaf! I've always heard early model years suffered more aggressive degradation, but it's good to know that isn't the case with every car.
@@EVeverything It seems the battery suffers most from simply not being used. Have seen ads on several older Leafs with very low mileage and only 11 capacity bars. I think the record of most miles before losing first bar, (in the forum MyNissanLeaf) is around 105 000 miles - at least last time I checked some 2 years ago. My only true repairs, during all this time, has been replacing parking brake-wire. Had to change brake pads 4 wheels too, but that's normal useage. And rear wiper. And a few sets of tires. I live in Sweden, with rainy summers...and rainy winters...and rainy springs...and ra...u get the idea.
I have a 2011 Leaf SV, top trim level, and the infotainment system is tops. Plays both IPod, IPhone vía charge cord or Bluetooth managing songs, modes, etc via the screen answers/place phone calls, etc. The S trim lacks those features as it’s the entry level trim. You are lucky the CHAdeMO was purchased, not standard. Love the simplicity of the controls, cleans well, has 2017 battery/software that after 26,000 miles list the top segment as yours did. I’m keeping this EV at least thru 2025 unless money falls into my hands. Thanks for the review and for driving electric!! Ray Cardona, EV Ambassador, Drive Electric Cincinnati.
Can someone shed some light on battery replacement costs ?….and how easy/difficult it is to find charging stations on the road ?
Thx !!!
I love my 2015 Nissan Leaf S but I have a battery problem. I go less than a mile at 40 mph and lose 7% of battery.
Have you lost any of the capacity bars on your dash display? At that rate it sounds like you can only travel about 15 miles total on a full charge, which would be an extreme issue. Have you had it inspected at a Nissan dealership?
EV Everything I lost one capacity bar and I will be making a appointment with Nissan hopefully Wednesday. I love my EV but I need to go at least 20 miles out every few weeks.
@@damonickabrown5461 I'd be curious to know how they diagnose the issues. That is not normal battery degradation for a 5-year-old car. Battery replacement may be a consideration, if you're still under warranty.
Were you able to resolve the issue?
Your point about the infotainment center not aging well is one of my main gripes with modern cars. They integrate so much into them that there is no upgrade path. You can't just buy a new stereo and install it. I would rather see all the car functions run through the instrument cluster screen and make the infotainment center upgradable.
That's an interesting idea! But just like making battery packs upgradeable, the auto manufacturers are unlikely to do that since they'd rather you just buy a new car from them instead.
We have bought a 2015 Leaf couple of months ago. Couple of things I wanted to add. When brake pedal is pressed this provides additional regen braking. What I mean is, there is a regen when the gas pedal is released and additional regen when applying brakes, and if the brake pedal is pushed even more, the car then engages conventional brakes.
I'm not sure if there is a difference between US and UK models, but in the UK if you have a Level 3 charger, this does not mean you have faster charging on a Level 1 or 2. Our car has Chademo socket, but it charges at 3.3kW max. There is 6.6kW option that was sold as optional extra. Thanks
i found a used leaf with 11 bars for $2500 with 62,000 miles Interior and exterior looks really good and has Quick charge
is that a good deal ???
First of all, that price seems much too high if it's a 2017 or older Leaf. Also, I would want to know what the range indicator shows the driving range is. If it's showing less than 70 miles of range at 100% (or less than say 30 miles at 50%) then I'd be a bit more concerned about the battery, unless you can live within those range limitations. Is this a car you can see in-person and test drive?
The cheapest leaf in my area is a 2015 SV for $6,500 with 74,000 miles on it😂
@@baylee_baby_ as long as the battery appears to be in good health and the car can go at least 60 miles or so on a charge, it might be an option. Also, just realized the guy who commented first said $2,500 not $25,000 which I misread and responded the way I did about the price. Woops 😖
My leaf is being delivered today! Thanks for this very detailed informative video. So when coming to a stop, you have to put it in B-mode?
Is it a 2017 or older Leaf? If so, yes B-mode on the gear shifter will give you the most regen. It is not necessary though, just if you like the car to start slowing on its own. But you will not come to a complete stop, and only the newer 2018+ LEAFs offer one-pedal-driving like that with their e-Pedal button.
@@EVeverything ok cool. Mine is a 2015 S
@@kaymarie5635 great, and congrats! If you run into any issues or have any questions I'm happy to help. Got a few other videos on my channel as well dealing with the Leaf too.
@@EVeverything cool thank you so much. I will definitely check out the other videos.
@@kaymarie5635 how has the car held up?
Hi EVE, I have a Nissan Leaf 2014 X trim. Replaced the telematics unit with a LUMINA AUDIO BTN-400 unit - with Apple carplay.
oemaudio.co.nz/btn-400-universal-multimedia-head-unit-170-mm-x-96-mm-cddvd
This unit is compatible with your car. A great solution to your problem. The Leaf is well built and I will keep mine and replace the battery with a 40KW eventually.
We no longer own the Leaf, but thanks for sharing your audio solution. I wish the batteries were swappable for larger battery packs, but did not find that to be an option. If I could have, for instance, put a new 2018 Leaf pack into my 2015 to get 150 miles of range then we may have owned it longer.
So I found several of these for cheap, but would it be correct to say that buying one would be like buying a gasoline car, knowing that the entire engine is going to have to be replaced in just a few years even if you only drive it a few miles a week ?
It's like a cell phone battery in the sense that it will die after a few years even if you never use it, correct ?
I have had an ICE car for over 20 years, and only have had to replace a few batteries and tires.
In 20 years time, how many times would you have to buy a new battery ?
( Not trying to criticize the car - just being planning ahead.👍 )
My experience would not lead me to be concerned about any of those things. Even when driving gas cars I never anticipated having engine problems, certainly nothing to replace the entire engine as you say. If you're worried about what COULD happen, then I'd say buy brand new and the battery pack will be covered for 6-10 years under warranty. Now the LEAF has been known to have battery pack issues regarding degradation, so that's why I encourage people to only look at 2015 and newer. Our Leaf only lost 1 battery capacity bar in 5 years, our 2017 Volt showed no signs of degradation in the 3 years we had it, and our 2014 Tesla Model S still gets 250 miles of range down from its original 265 after 6 years. I don't know anything about batteries going bad if not being used (cell phone or otherwise), and why wouldn't it be used? Keeping the battery charge between 20-80% capacity seems to be a common practice, and even seems to have extended the life of my phone battery by charging it the same way. So in 20 years time how many battery packs would I have expected to buy? Well, I've never owned any single vehicle that long, especially not an EV. Some Teslas out there have over 300K miles on them and are on the same battery pack, so hard to say when electric cars have only been around for a decade. It's simply not a concern I have when considering an EV, and the tech just keeps improving.
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.
I only have hands-on experience with the LEAF, but I always thought the Soul EV seemed quite compelling. My concern with a 2016 or 2017 LEAF is it appears that the larger battery they went to for those model years possibly degrades faster than the smaller 2015 battery. Our latest episode deals with this topic and shows how to analyze the LEAF's battery health ua-cam.com/video/4ZgwePP6YEo/v-deo.html. I do believe a 2016 LEAF will have a little more range than a Soul EV, but I wouldn't count the Soul out necessarily. LEAF will probably be found cheaper though. Hope this helped, and feel free to ask further questions!
But where did you get your shirt?! 😍
Got one at a National Drive Electric Week event in the Austin area. I think it was at the Smart Charge America booth, but I don't see that they sell merch online. Definitely a favorite shirt of mine!
Do nissan give 8 years warranty on the battery ? If so do they change it for free or there is hidden fees too .
My understanding has been that battery replacement is free if the pack loses 3 bars (25%) within the warranty period. I'm not sure if that period is 8 years, may only be 5 or 6. Might also be different on the newer 2nd generation Leaf, as compared to older ones like mine.
@@EVeverything how many warranty years for yours ?
You look like Michael buble dude, nice video
I'm sure his beard is much nicer, but thanks for the compliment. Glad you enjoyed the video!
why not charge it 100% then make a video. How we know the real range
Enjoy! ua-cam.com/video/0XIIq04t_Og/v-deo.html
About the out of date head unit, there are pretty easy and cheap fixes for that
Yes, I believe someone else commented something similar. This would add more bluetooth connectivity & perhaps even support for Apple CarPlay/Android Auto?
Yeah absolutely. I use a $10 Bluetooth receiver thats connected to the aux for playing spotify. But yeah, If you go for a android headunit you can get one thatl do android auto/carplay for a couple 100
My 18 year old stepdaughter wants one 2015+ would you recommend a used one , plus how often you charge the batteries, how long it takes to charge on a 120 volt outlet ?
Yes, and really 2015 model year is my favorite as it came with some nice luxuries as heated leather steering wheel & heated front/back seats as standard. Of course 2018 and newer are a refreshed model with much longer driving range, if she travels more than say 50 miles daily. On my 2015 it would take 10 hours maybe to charge to 80% overnight. Of course you're not starting from 0% charge either, so really don't need much more time than that using a 120v wall outlet. Essentially, you get 4-5 miles per hour charging at level 1 speeds. Let me know if you have any other questions!
Thank you for the information, l feel more confident now about buying one , just one more question, did you have any considerable increase on the power bill or is very minimal?
@@christianpatines4250 yes, you'll experience an increase but to what degree you'll notice may come down to the price of electricity in your area. I pay about 10 cents per kWh so, using my Leaf's 24 kWh battery as an example, it would cost me about $2.50 for a complete charge from empty to full. Realistically, you might have 20% or so of battery when you start the charge & I usually halted charging around 80% to keep the battery healthy, so probably spending less than $2 each time I plugged in at night. But lets' just say $2 and multiply that by 3 charge sessions each week (15 charges monthly), and so I was adding around $30 each month to my electric bill. The way I like to think of it is that $2.50 in gas would get you maybe 50 miles of travel, where the same $ amount is propelling the Leaf for 80 miles. So while you're just moving over your "fueling" costs, hopefully you'll find that even with cheap gas that the cost in electrons is significantly less. And try to maximize those savings by charging during off-peak hours, usually overnight. Hope this helps, and happy to answer any more questions that may come up.
Thanks a bunch, you've been a great help 🤙
Your intro music scared me, it sounds like the training videos at Walmart. That was a nightmare.
Oh, no! Sorry for the triggering music
@@EVeverything haha its fine :P
Only 80 miles driving on one charge 😳
For a 2016 or older LEAF, yes. I actually just got my 3rd LEAF (2013) a few months ago and it still remains a reliable commuter.
when ur buying ev when u see low km that can also mean bad battery because batery is good if it is maintained corretly that meaning charge-discharge frequently. if battery is in no use it can degrade even more faster
Teslas come to complete stop on Regen. It's called hold
Perhaps newer ones do, but my 2014 Model S doesn't quite come to a stop.
ANY recalls for any of the Leafs?
I remember having to take my LEAF in to have something done to the protective plating around the battery, or something like that. It did not come across as critical, but I had it done anyway. If you're in the US, you can look up recalls by vehicle on the NHTSA website
If you are concerned about your range on the LEAF. There is a company in Europe called MUXSAN that make any model year of Leaf gain back their original or better range. The LEAF models have not changed the physical footprint of the main battery pack. Just the internals have changed, So a model year 2011 - 2015 LEAF has the same battery pack dimensions. There are video's online that show a 40 kWh pack being inserted into the same pack space of a 24 kWh LEAF... See the James and Kate video on this upgrade. MUXSAN also sell and add on kit including suspension upgrades for increasing the battery range by installing additional batteries in the trunk space ... I have watched multiple video's about this and even seen some people upgrade a 2015 LEAF to a 62 kWh pack giving them over 300 miles of range on a 2015 model year.
Might be something you could check out for yourself IF you are interested in keeping your Nissan Leaf ...
Thanks, I've heard of that company before (or at least that process). We no longer have our LEAF, but it's good info for owners considering ways to maximize their range without upgrading to the 2nd generation model.
We charge our leaf with three pin plug Granny charging cable, at 9miles/hour rate, is great for Popping round town. So 2.9Kw/hr at 16p/Kwh To charge 20% to 80%
14.4Kwx 16p=£2.30 for 50 miles that =🤣👍
Soon to get Octopus smart meter with cheaper night charging rate. Oh and if you own a Leaf congratulations it is going up in value, due to high demand for second hand Ev's
Glad to hear your positive experience with the LEAF! Charging at night is always a good way to minimize cost of electricity
We want to buy a used one….maybe 2017ish ?
But, we do worry about getting hit with a $5500 battery replacement. Are replacement batteries still this much ? Also, is it hard to find charging stations while on the road ? Thx !!!
I'm not sure on battery replacement costs, but a used 2017 would have warranty protection coverage for a number of years/miles at least. Finding charging stations easily will depend on where you live, but using an app like Plugshare will allow you to see all the public chargers available in your area on a map. Happy to help if you have any more questions
Here in Ontario Canada a 2016 lower mileage Leaf is $17-18 grand Thinking about an older one so I called Nissan about battery replacement. They said $15000.
GUESS WHO'S NOT GETTING A LEAF ?
Definitely should not cost that much, especially those smaller 24kWh batteries in early models. But of course you shouldn't be considering battery replacement if you choose a LEAF that shows good battery health, which is most easily determined by looking at the range indicator on the dash screen. But again, battery replacement should not be a consideration in your EV purchase just as total engine/transmission replacement isn't something you anticipate with a gasoline vehicle.
I daily drive a 2006 Taurus with ~165K on it. It's getting tired and I only drive 5 miles round trip daily. I was looking at a used Leaf as a replacement daily commuter and grocery getter because I have a V8 luxury sedan and a V8 muscle car so long distances and highway commutes are covered. These seem to fit the bill. Cheap to buy, cheap to maintain, and cheap to own. Nice video! Thank you.
Your short daily commute makes you an ideal EV driver. If you're looking at a LEAF, just be sure to get a good idea of the battery health & see that it's still estimating a decent driving range (hopefully no less than 60 miles on a full charge). Good luck!
Here in Ontario Canada a 2016 lower mileage Leaf is $17-18 grand Thinking about an older one so I called Nissan about battery replacement. They said $15000.
GUESS WHO'S NOT GETTING A LEAF ?
That sounds incredibly high for battery replacement. I had heard around US $6,000, but if the car shows a healthy battery then you shouldn't have to worry about replacing the battery.
I have a 2012 Leaf and have just moved. At my new Apt the outdoor plugs are GFIs and will trip after 4 seconds of charging it. This building was built in 2019. What can I do to troubleshoot my issue? Would you mess with the wiring or can I try something different with my cable?
It's tripping even using the slow, level 1 trickle charging? I am no electrician, and would certainly not suggest messing with any wiring
did you get free clown shoes whit that
Yeah, sure, why not?
You don't want too strong regen as its more efficient to keep the car rolling than try to recover energy. You get better MPGe that way. I upgraded to a 40KWh leaf as I found the range in the winter was too short (40 miles only) for my needs. The higher battery capacity car meets my needs much better.
Congrats on the new LEAF!
Iam in south Asia and none of this car available in my Country, there is one called Nissan E-Power... never owned nissan before and is this car reliable as Toyota Hybrid ? The E power system similiar with the hybrid one except no need to charge the battery ( charge by the petrol machine )
Yes, I've heard of the e-Power. Not a plug-in because the gas engine charges the battery from what I understand. Unfortunately, this does not seem very efficient, and defeats one of the main benefits of electric vehicles with a plug. So maybe it performs a bit like a hybrid for increased mpg, but still less efficient than a fully electric or plug-in vehicle with the option to charge your own battery.
I have that same shirt, got it at fully charged live Austin in February. We also have a 2015 Leaf with 11 bars and 62K miles. Same color, great car.
Oh, cool! I wasn't able to attend that event, but I hope you enjoyed it.
Can't you just buy a Bluetooth adapter. It plus right into your cigarette lighter and connects to your phone. It's been all the rage b4 Bluetooth were standard in cars.
Yes, plenty of bluetooth devices out there. I was never that inconvenienced by the lack of bluetooth, but just pointing it out as a missing feature on the base model of first generation Leafs.
Honestly the infotainment system is sort of a null point since anyone that knows what they're doing can just swap those out. Unless these use some sort of proprietary garbage to prevent that.
Imagine that might void the the car's warranty, but it's certainly an option for someone wanting to swap out the unit.
You must be using the DC Fast Charger (DCFC) a lot. No way should you be down a bar at 27k miles. I have all 12 bars at nearly 60k miles with a battery SOH of 89%. What you need to do is download an app called "Leaf Spy" onto your cell phone or iPad and via your OBDII connector use BlueTooth to properly evaluate your battery. It's really quite easy and Leaf Spy will tell you exactly how many DCFC charges your battery has seen. If you bought a used Leaf that was formerly a lease car then it may have seen a lot of DCFC. The early Leaf battery chemistry doesn't like frequent DCFC especially in areas of the country with high ambient temperatures (think Arizona in the Summer). To give us a real update please tell us what part of the country you live in and use Leaf Spy to find out how many times you've used DCFC. Do you wait until you're below 10% charge before recharging? These will help give a true picture of your battery's state. If your car lost a bar before 15k miles then you're likely qualified for a new battery even if you're not the original owner.
MORE INFO: I picked up my used 2015 off lease in late 2016 with 3500 miles on the clock. I live near Wash DC and drive about 35 miles each way to work for about 70 miles per day. Leaf Spy tells me that it had only had 47 QC's (Quick Charges, or DCFC), which in this part of the country aren't as risky because of the mild climate. I've only given it 4 more Quick Charges since I've had it. I don't have to let the battery go below about 60% (about 35 miles traveled) before recharging since I have a Level 2 charger where I work. When I get home I'm down to 60% again where I then wait until evening before charging with my home's Level 2 charger. I'm lucky because I never have to charge in temperatures above about 80F. I believe this makes a big difference even if only using Level 1 and Level 2 charging. Also, one more bit of advice, don't drive above 75 mph for extended periods. It can drive up the battery's internal temperature quite a bit especially if it's hot outside.
I've never use a fast-charger with this car, but it's possible the first owner did. I've heard of LeafSpy, but never tried it. We live in Texas, so it's hot and I'm assuming the previous owner did as well. Range is actually just as good as it's rated for, but yeah the early loss of the capacity bar was concerning. I believe you have to lose 4 or so before it's eligible for a replacement, and that has to be within a certain range of time. I'm not worried about further degradation at this point, but I'll give LeafSpy a try and share what I learn.
@@EVeverything - You'll need an ELM327 compliant Bluetooth OBD2 OBD-II scanner to plug into your OBDII connector. They're available on eBay or Amazon for $10-25. Good luck, I'm very much interested in reading your results.
www.electricvehiclewiki.com/wiki/leaf-spy-pro/
ua-cam.com/video/6yS-5HMYUHc/v-deo.html
Fyi: Maybe it's different in the US but having the rapid Chademo charger port in the EU/UK does not automatically mean you have the 6.6kwh charger, it was always an optional extra, even all the way up to 2017. If you're buying a second hand one, you can check if it has the faster on board Type1 charging unit by checking on the screen in front of the steering wheel, skip through the screens until it gives you estimated charge times, it will either have 1 or 2 estimates, 3.6 or 3.6 and 6.6, if the latter, it has the faster on board charger.
It was my understanding that adding the CHAdeMO option automatically upgraded the onboard charger, but I do not know that for a certainty. Thanks for adding the info about how to check for yourself, bc yes it is easy to find out toggling through the dashboard display.
DuraJim. That is certainly true. My 2017 Leaf has Chademo, but doesn't have the 6.6 kW charger only 3.3 kW.
Thanks
Didn't you used to have a Chevy Volt, besides the Leaf? Or before you got the Tesla? You have the review video on your channel.
Yes, we had a 2017 Volt for a 39-month lease term. Similar to my Leaf story, the plan to purchase the car after the lease didn't turn out as planned. We ultimately decided to go with a used Tesla Model S to replace the Volt. We are approaching 1-year with the Tesla, so will probably do a video about it soon!
horrible range
These LEAFs are 5-11 years old. New EVs offer 200-300 miles, including the newest version of the LEAF
GREAT NISSAN.
I liked it so much I've bought it twice. Considering a third even now.
You could use an auxiliary cable to play the spotify from your phone through the speakers
Yes, did that for a while. I might have needed a better cable, bc at high volume I could hear a hiss in the audio
Hi, informative video. Question for you as I am looking to try out a 2015 SV Leaf (currently running a BMWi3 2014 first gen 50 mile range); how is the regenerative braking if any? also, how's the feel of the drive eg. sporty? sluggish? etc. Cheers mate
I talk about regen later in the video, but it's not very strong. You have 2 modes, and even the strongest "B" mode really is going to seem measly compared to an i3. It's there, and helps restore battery charge & save your brakes, just not among the strongest regen available. The drive can be torquey (I wouldn't say sporty), but you have to disengage Eco Mode. I wanted max efficiency, so always drove in Eco with max B regen. This is not exciting driving, but was getting over 4 miles/kWh using this method. Car can zip pretty good though if you turn those off, just be ready to sacrifice 10-15 miles of range on an already range-limited EV. Also be aware this is a front-wheel driven car, compared to i3 rear-wheel, so not going to handle the same & shouldn't really be compared too directly. More interior room though than an i3!
If you are concerned about your range on the LEAF. There is a company in Europe called MUXSAN that make any model year of Leaf gain back their original or better range. The LEAF models have not changed the physical footprint of the main battery pack. Just the internals have changed, So a model year 2011 - 2015 LEAF has the same battery pack dimensions. There are video's online that show a 40 kWh pack being inserted into the same pack space of a 24 kWh LEAF... See the James and Kate video on this upgrade. MUXSAN also sell and add on kit including suspension upgrades for increasing the battery range by installing additional batteries in the trunk space ... I have watched multiple video's about this and even seen some people upgrade a 2015 LEAF to a 62 kWh pack giving them over 300 miles of range on a 2015 model year.
Might be something you could check out for yourself IF you are interested in keeping your Nissan Leaf ...
Previously posted on another source.
Sound like triggers broom ( and not many reading this comment will understand what that is )
ua-cam.com/video/LAh8HryVaeY/v-deo.html
It's had 4 new handles and 3 new heads
Not changed brakes fluid? 🤯
Hmmm, you might be right about that. I only owned this particular LEAF for about 2.5 years, and the normal interval for brake fluid checks is around 2 years I think. It's possible that was done during a dealership service visit at some point, but I don't recall. Good thing to point out!
🧐my 2012 play music is Bluetooth 😳
You must have the higher trim SL or SV, which does enable bluetooth audio and has a larger screen interface.
@@EVeverything Yeah true 😎SL I think.
Have you noticed how all EV car owners look like the kid that used to be beaten up in school and have his lunch money taken?
The lowest form of comment, but thanks for your contribution to my channel's analytics. I imagine you as the adult version of Nelson Muntz.
I too have a used 5 year old leaf of the same model, here in the UK with similar mileage and my main battery has no degradation. However, you missed the most important point to watch out for in a leaf of this age which is the regular 12 volt battery that runs all of the cars electronics. If this goes flat or fails to recharge (which after 5 years is common) the car won’t start or even turn on. This has happened to many people during the lockdown periods when the car is not used. It’s an easy fix: replace the regular 12 volt battery and your leaf will provide you with excellent service for many more years.
Yes, I do think my first bar loss was premature. At least I didn't notice any loss in range, so it wasn't as big a deal as I thought it was at first. Never had issues with the 12v, but glad you addressed it in your comment for those who may run into that problem. It seems so strange that electric cars still have these 12v lead acid batteries at all, but I suppose there is some technical reason.
thank you capt obvious
A thought about regen... Make sure that when speaking about regen the car you consider does not have a feature where it also uses the friction brake. If it comes to a complete stop, that is likely the case. The new generation LEAF's E-Pedal combines heavy regen with friction braking where required to come to a complete stop. It does have stronger regen, but there is an element of friction brake in there as well.
Yes, that has been my understanding for some vehicles. Not sure how to know which cars incorporate friction braking during the regen process. Bolt EV, for example, has very strong regen and brings the car to a complete stop.