Hello all, I've had a few comments and questions asking about my charging setup. Yes, I have a Tesla Wall Charger (received it last Christmas) that I wanted to still keep after deciding to go with the Leaf. So after some research, I purchased the "Tesla Tap" (www.umc-j1772.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=50), which adapts the Tesla plug into a standard J1772 for Level 2 USE ONLY! It does NOT work with Tesla SuperChargers - only Wall Chargers or lower wattage. So far, it's working great and the Tesla Tap is a great quality product. There is another competitive product called "J-Adapter" which looks exactly the same as the Tesla Tap, however I would not recommend that as I've heard of a few issues where moisture can seep into the J-Adapter and short it out. Anyone considering getting this adapter, stick with Tesla Tap. Disclaimer: I am in no way affiliated with that company and get no compensation or anything from them.
I'm sure that your EV costs substantially less to operate per km than a comparable ICE vehicle, but lets try to be a little more honest about the actual cost...6.5 cents per Kwh in Ontario, not bloody likely. You've down played the delivery and "some other fees" to the point of inconsequential, when the reality is that the delivery is more than the cost of the electricity itself. My electricity consumption, in London (1.5 hours down the road), is typically >70% off peak, and when I take the total cost of my bill and divide it by the total usage suddenly that 6.5 cents per Kwh balloons to 18 - 20 cents per Kwh. All that being said, perhaps all the costs beyond Kwh rate are substantially less in the GTA...a sort of thank you from the former Liberal government for being so "progressive".
Excellent video. Prius Hybrid slowed my driving habits and calmed my driving life down. Now I just watch the other people gunning their cars, and then seeing them again at the next red light or traffic jam.
I just received my Leaf yesterday.Thank-you for the this video!! This was very informative. The vehicle is so much fun to drive. The staff at Clarington Nissan were awesome. Have an amazing day
Hi Johnnata, thanks for the comments and for watching my video! Congrats on your new Leaf, you will love it. Keep in touch and let me know your feedback on the Leaf after a couple of months. You can send me an email at evrevolutionshow@gmail.com.
When driving the Leaf in Rush Hour Traffic, while drinking some caffeine infused morning joe, its only eco mode for me from now on! Great tip for blending in with the flow, during the work commute.
Great review of the Gen 2 leaf I own a Gen 1 and love it. I think you can also add to the zero emissions the obvious fact that electric cars do not burn oxygen or use water during any travel. Gasoline and diesel have a considerable water content in both refining and consumption. Last time I looked we may need those two for continued life on earth! Press ECO to live
Cant wait to see how the leaf performs in winter, I know in the toronto area can have crazy cold winters just like here in Saskatchewan. Great video, and keep enjoying your purchase!
Great video Kenneth I drive my Zoe here in the UK mainly in eco mode, and i find it a bit more chilled also I would say in the end it will save wear on the tires too. Also as you will know the power is always there if and when you need it.
David Parr I drive my leaf in eco mode as well. I feel that regular mode is just too twitchy. If you need power, you floor it and its the same... One thing i wish they had was a "coast mode" so you could just have zero regen when letting off the throttle. (Yeah, you can put it in neutral, but you are taking a risk if you suddenly need to accelerate.) You wouldnt believe how far this car will coast in Neutral! I am averaging nearly 4.5 miles per kW and I live in hilly Pennsylvania.
Thanks for your good review, it's helped me to decide on the purchase of the new leaf. Keep doing this kind of videos. You've got a new subscriber. Greetings from Spain
Hola Miguel and muchas gracias and thanks for watching my show! Glad my information is helpful and all the best on your new Leaf! Would love to hear from you after you get your new Leaf and get your feedback!
My neighbour just got a new leaf, it's the nicest looking EV I've seen in real life. Funny how the Tesla model X looks like a Mazda 5 in reality but looks nice in pictures.
Hi Nomad, thanks for your comments and for watching my show! Glad you like the new Leaf, all cars are very subjective and personal choices when it comes to looks and the like. I'm not overly crazy about the looks of the X either, however I love the Tesla technology including superior batteries and BMS as well as the roominess of the X.
Got mine in May of this year and love it. The e-pedal feature, which I didn't know about ahead of time, is just so very useful given some medical issues. I traded in a 29yr old Nissan Axxess, manual transmission and found instead of dealing with just two pedals now, I can drive most of the time and never even have to find the brake pedal. The only thing I was worried about was the lack of rear-side visibility, but the Leaf, once I got more familiar with it, does a good job at compensating and warning me when I'm about to change lanes and missed seeing something in the blind spots.
I always knew that when I replaced that olxl Axxess, it would be a hybrid or an EV and I'd been watching the Leaf as it got better. The only thing I really miss is the cargo room, the Axxess was perfect for fmall loads. I've been looking into a trailer hitch for it and a small cargo trailer, but Nissan doesn't make one and I;m not sure it's even possible. Put anything behind the Leaf that close and I wonder how much it would confuse the rear sensors. Would the Leaf constantly think it was about to be rear ended? Can't seem to get an answer from the dealer.
I also didn't know about the E-Pedal until I purchased the 2018 Leaf. I cannot imagine not having a vehicle without this one foot driving feature. Once you drive an electric vehicle there is no going back. Quickness, smoothness and less maintenance are such benefits. The cost and range will only get better the more car manufacturers that start competing.
I have had mine about 2 weeks longer than you've had yours. I love it! My 50km daily commute (each way) and weekend/evening running about has cost me roughly $40 per month. I too drive in Eco and E-Pedal all the time, and like you, I find it has calmed me down. Even 401 commuting in stop and go (not my normal drive) is far less stressful with E-Pedal. I won't be buying another ICE vehicle for a commuter car. I love not knowing the price of gas, and I have found a renewed sense of driving for pleasure. I can go on a drive in the country and not worry about justifying the price of fuel, or more importantly, the exhaust pollution. And in the heat this summer, I have had no guilt about idling with the A/C on! I should also add that with the Level 2 home charger, I have had zero range anxiety, not even once.
I'm still going strong on my 2011 Leaf. Batteries still fully charge and I've lost about 10% range. In those seven years my maintenance cost total around $500 (replaced accessory battery, key fob battery, flat tire, and yearly battery checks is all that has been done). The only thing I was a stickler about was never to leave the Leaf's batteries fully charged 100% for more than a few hours.
Great video! Glad you are enjoying the Leaf. Good to see that nobody was driving the car while you were in England for Fully Charged Live in early June haha.
Older Leafs made no provision to charge the 12volt battery.If you drive the car daily,it might not be a problem.But I drive twice a week,and have to trickle charge the 12 volt ,and so far that is working. Hope Nissan would address the issue in later models. Many older Leaf owners have swapped the original 12v battery for the Optima AGM 12 v battery.,and if I have any more problems,I will too. thanks for the info.
Hi Ken, I love my 2018 Nissan Leaf!!! I had been following Model3owners back in few years ago. Cancelled M3 order and got Leaf. Love your videos and keep up the good work. Suggestion, I think you should host Toronto Leaf owners club. So we can have similar meet up like the model 3. Thanks!!!!
Hi ken you should calculate the total amount of KW/H used that number and then calculate the real amount using you current rate of electricity I bet it would be a bit higher than what the application says but if it’s close then it amazing then the car pays it’s self compared to a 4 cylinder car imagine a comparaison with a truck or SUV. Anyway thanks for the video.
Thank you for the review. My wife and I are considering replacing our 1999 Subaru Legacy Outback for a Nissan Leaf. To be honest with you, most of what you said here went over my head in understanding what it all means but I can say that you were very informative in the details. Now all we need to do it buy one and then all of that will eventually make more sense. Again, thank you, Keith
Hello Walking Zed's, thanks very much for your comments and best of luck in your EV choice! You won't regret whatever you purchase. The Leaf is a great car if it fits your needs from daily range, space, etc. If you have any further questions, please feel free to email me and I'll try to answer them. Thanks for watching my show and I hope you subscribe to my channel!
One more reason I drive an EV is that I value my time. No need to go to refueling stations all the time when charging at home and the lesser maintenance saves me a monthly trip for servicing, as I drive a lot.
Very good point Mark, also the health concerns around refueling a gas/petrol vehicle: fumes, particulates, etc. Do we really know the long-term effects this has? Like after 50-years of doing this? I believe there is science behind this but not only the time for refueling gas, but the health issues are of concern.
Absolutely right, my ex worked for our state government working on Air Quality as her specialty, and apparently standing by a gas tank is really, really bad for one's health. As I wait for my EV, i always make sure to stand several yards away from my truck as it fuels.
Whenever a gas station is being refueled by a tanker truck the entire area around the gas station is exposed to gas fumes. They tend to do this when the gas station is closed but I have experienced smelling gas fumes during tanker refill and it was not pleasant. I have an Ioniq EV but still own a Mazda 3 and hope to be off of gas in a few years by going fully electric. I hate going to the gas station to refill my Mazda.
Thanks, appreciate you watching and your feedback. Even if my costs are 9-11 cents per kWh (add delivery, monthly electricity fees, etc.), it's still much cheaper than gasoline.
Kenneth, I really like the leaf when we test drove it this past spring. The size and location of the A-pillar was just to large and too far forward. Other than that, I thought it was a great vehicle.
Thanks for feedback. Yes the ergonomics is not for everyone, hence why it is important to test drive and see any vehicle you look at first. Hope you decide on something with a plug anyway.
You will be thankful for that massive structure if you hit a large animal. The Leaf is stout like a tree. Even a 200lb (90kg) buck, hit dead-on at 50mph(80kph), only caused cosmetic damage. The car was still driveable.
great update! open up your manual and read the page "EV-20" that will be the reason i will not get another leaf :/ Im certain it will keep you happy for quite some time but for longevity.... man. be ready to replace that battery in a few years or deal with the lower range. (we replaced our battery last September, the local dealer got us a deal on the battery )
Hi TtHy, thanks for watching and I am aware of the users manual and expressed concerns. I hope the pack will last and time will tell. Nissan claims a chemistry change in this pack that should add to longevity, we will see.
Avoid sustained high battery tempera- tures (caused, for example, by exposure to very high ambient temperatures or ex- tending highway driving with multiple quick charges [if so equipped]) .
TrueDesireHD not to many choices in Europe at the moment for cars that you can actually buy right now. There the leaf the smaller Zoe, a less range and hard to get ionq similar with the e-golf and the expensive and small i3.
Hey TtHy, did you ever make a video about this battery replacement. How did you go about this deal, as I'm looking to get a replacement battery before too long (aren't we all?). I bought my Leaf used, so never experienced a Leaf with it new capability, although there have been few times when I was totally devoid of options.
It was touched on in an earlier post, I guessing that the apps showing your energy consumption do not take into account the losses associated with the charge/discharge and AC to DC charge efficiencies. If your goal is compare the cost of energy for an EV verses the cost of energy for an ICE, the losses not taken into account are minimal. But, if you want to accurately calculate the true cost to power your EV, you have to take those into account. I wasn’t able to find much reference on the subject, but I have seen estimates 80% of what you consume from the grid is usable for running the car. The only real way, as far as I can figure, to calculate the total Kwh/km consumed from the grid is to put a power meter in front of the wall charger, and record the kwh consumed and km traveled between charges, and use those two numbers to calculate your kwh/km consumption. Interesting side note, those losses when charging your car get turned into heat. So if you are in an area with cold winters, and you charge your car in the garage, it might be beneficial to insulate your garage so that you can retain that wasted energy to warm your garage a little. That may also increase your range in the winter since the batteries would be warmer. Actually, insulating your garage also has the benefit of keeping your garage cooler in the summer. My garage faces south, and on a sunny day, it’s about 40°C in there, while only 25°C outside. If I had an EV parked it there all day, the elevated temperature could shorten the life. The unfortunate reality with current battery technology is that it does not like temperature extremes. Keeping them in the mid temperature range will help their longevity.
Thanks Ken, that was a great overview and your new LEAF is awesome! The colour is very distinctive and it shows the lines nicely. One thing to add is that costs can be even less for those that have access to free public chargers. I have a first gen LEAF (2011 model) that I bought used 3 years ago, and while my range is limited to 100 to 120 kms, there are ChargePoint stations near my home and work, so most times I can drive for free! My commute is around 50 kms return and It's my only car. I was hoping to upgrade to a longer range model or a standard battery 3 but with the loss of the Ontario rebate I'll be waiting for a while, and I will continue to (reluctantly) rent a gas car for occasional longer trips and for vacations. Unfortunately the rental locations do not appear to carry hybrids (a Prius would be great for camping) but hopefully this may change over time.
Thanks James Paul, yes I do love the colour and get many compliments on it. It is not a popular colour and I hear Nissan is discontinuing this colour for MY2019 moving forward.
I noticed that you run on ECO mode and E-pedal. Have you tried running on B mode with no E- pedal? That works well for me because it's a balance between D and ECO mode - it's doesn't have that racy feeling on D mode as when you let go the gas it slows down nicely to regenerate power. This setup works well with my driving.
Love your Videos it was amazing especially since Leafs aren't popular in Northern Ontario its nice to see a youtuber in Ontario Canada actually testing out the leaf. i myself want one, but since i'm in college full time student and can only work part time i cant afford to purchase/lease one. so these videos are Crucial to me as it lets me see actual stats on Canadian roads and what not. Thanks Keep it up!
Hi 1,2,3 thanks for watching and for your comments. Yes Leaf still doing well in Canada, Model 3 is doing better. Once you finish school, good thing is there will be a lot more choice for you to look at!
Thanks for watching. No I really did not, there were one occasion when the Fast Charging would slow a bit due to heat, but that's it. A car wash unfortunately would not cool the pack. Nice idea though.
@@EVRevolution I wonder if it's air cooled hen does it have vents? And if it has vents then it would be a simple matter to engineer a temperature controlled fan and something like that I did back in my first years in tech school. Easy stuff
@Fraiyia Nissan Leaf uses "passive" thermal management for handling heat in their packs. There are no vents, simply that he heat dissipates passively over time. Many have talked about fans and I am not sure if one can be added. However, they did do that for the NV2000 Electric in Europe, so it may be possible for the Leaf. If you have more questions, please reach out to me via my email at EVRevolutionShow@gmail.com and we can set up a time to chat via a zoom call, as I would be happy to answer and address more questions or concerns you have about the Leaf.
have bought one yet. Really close to doing so. My main reason is here in Phoenix AZ, I can use the HOV lanes to get to work. I believe I can cut 30 mins each way from my commute time.
Hi. Thanks for a great video about reality of driving new Nissan Leaf. I like to hear your view point. I'm just curious, I may be wrong that I noticed the charger on the wall was Tesla's with J1772 adaptor?
Good review. I was deciding on replacing my Mercedes Benz C300 with a Leaf, Tesla Model 3 but was also considering a plug in hybrid. I do travel around the GTA and Southern Ontario once in a while for work (though I'm mostly at one location) and while theoretically I can get to and from all the places I normally go to on just one charge I just can't get over the range anxiety in case there is a change of plans and I have to drive elsewhere. I can see the Leaf's strengths but a big part of me is leaning towards the plug in hybrid instead. This will be an interesting set of test drives.
Hi and thanks for watching. That's quite the company you are considering the Leaf with. Please understand the the Leaf is not a premium car model or brand for Nissan. Telsa clearly has eyes on this market and the mid-size is targeted with the Model 3. I would look at your budget, your driving needs and space (like how many people or stuff your regularly have in the vehicle) in order to narrow down some candidates. If budget is not an issue, then the Model 3 or X is my recommendation. The Model 3's Long-Range version has similar range as a ICEV at about 500kms (310 miles). That is more than enough to go a few days in urban driving and easily on long trips, combined with SuperCharging. Plus, Tesla does have one of the best Thermal Management Systems for the battery pack in the market. However, the Leaf is a great value-priced BEV with plenty to offer, at a lower price but with some differences. Since you mentioned a hybrid, they are ok too but if you have the choice for a hybrid or all-electric, I would suggest the all-electric. Zero Emissions is ultimately the best goal to achieve and hybrids are ok but are a stop gap IMO. Good luck and I'd love to hear back from you via email to let me know what you ended up with.
Tesla will be lucky to exist through the year at this point, and literally every Model 3 is being shipped with Warranty service being prescheduled... they're repeating Ford's mistakes from the 70s. If things go south (and their cash crunch isn't getting any better), there will be no Warranty repairs. At all. And you will have spent $50k+ on an as-is car with many issues, vanishing parts, and plummeting resale value. www.bloomberg.com/view/articles/2018-03-22/elon-musk-is-a-modern-henry-ford-that-s-bad If you need to drive long-distance, a plug-in hybrid is pretty much always going to win out. Range shouldn't be an anxiety... for daily commuting, nothing can touch an EV. They're amazing. More than that, and they lose their appeal very fast and become a hassle. If you really want the EV, consider renting a car for those trips? I'm not sure how Canadian taxes work, but in US that kind of thing can be claimed if workplace doesn't foot the bill. You could also consider a 2-car strategy with an ICE or Hybrid and keep it super-low mileage - putting all the daily miles on an EV. Saves you at the pump and on depreciation. But imo, a good PHEV largely accomplishes that in 1 car... Just my opinion.
I have tried so many times to log on to the Nissan connect ev but due to my password being lost I’me unable to re log on even though if I delete the app and reinstall it will not connect again. Could you have any suggestions ken?
Hi Richard, I know you need to set up your account info via the Nissan Connect Website, not initially thru the app. Try resetting your password on the actual website thru a computer browser then see if that will allow the app to connect, once you change your password. Otherwise, you may need to reach out to Nissan Connect support. Good luck!
How do you get to the menu with your drive stats (the one just before you reset one of the counters on video, that only counts to 999)? Can't seem to find anything like that in my US spec Leaf
Hi, you have to go to settings and I believe it's under EV Menus, you need to "unhide" it. Took me awhile to find it too! In EU, their models actually have 2 driving computer screens. In NA, we only have 1 available.
Hi Arnis, thanks for the info. I believe I stated that the 8cents the app calculates is about right, even though I am actually paying 6.5cents. So the monetary calculations may not be 100% accurate but will be pretty close. You've highlighted a 1-2kWh difference which does not amount to a whole lot at 6.5cents per kWh.
Very useful real world review. Thanks for that. My number one reason for getting an electric car would be that I wouldn't ever have to go to those filthy gas stations again.
Hello WS P, thanks for watching and for your feedback. I agree, my number 1 reason was Zero Emissions, with the bonus of not having to go to gas stations again!
@@EVRevolution just got one for my family, waiting for dealer to register. Use to drove very fast trying to fight with time. Now I slowed down and time seems to by on my side. Had 4 days test drive and will never go back to petrol or diesel. Electric cars are for well organized people not for these who go shop every day without knowing what they want.
Thanks Kenneth, good review, however please give us actual temps rather than adjusted for humidity. (The battery doesn’t care about humidity like we humans ;-) We have long hot summers here in Australia, so the 2018 Leaf is not a viable option here without active thermal management. I’m planning on a Model 3 when they eventually get here, but will obviously look at the 2019 Leaf.
Great vlog and it's a beautiful car ! This car is about £30,000 to buy in the UK and for me I have to think with my head . To cover your driving would a 30kwh leaf not cover your transport needs at half the price ? My heart would love one and congrats on your new purchase . Keep the V logs coming ! Cheers
ronald millsopp as long as the battery can be the same size and weight. Otherwise the extra weight could take some of the extra range away. I would be fine with 40kw especially if the price is lower.
Hi Kenneth. Glad you are enjoying the Leaf and good informative video. Maybe I misunderstood but I’m not convinced by the cost estimate in the app. You mentioned it costs the net energy used... ie amount to charge - regen energy recovered. So if you charge 40kW and regen 5kW the cost is 35kW?? But that’s not right. You still paid for 40kW of energy. The 5kW of regen just meant you could drive further. The real cost is what the Tesla charger records, IMHO.
Hi good observation, however I think of it as because of the regen, my battery state when starting a charge is lower then it what it could have been without any regen recoup. I do see your logic and even if that is the case, with a higher per cents number than I am actually paying, it still should be pretty close. Even give or take 10-20%, the dollars are still much lower than petrol (1/8th-1/6th lower?).
EV Revolution Thank you Kenneth and absolutely correct. The cynic in me figured Nissan was playing with the numbers... but regardless, running cost is still well below gas :-)
Nice video! I also have had my Nissan Leaf 2018 about 2 months and I am seeing about the same stats. I noticed the other day that compared to my last car as far as fuel cost goes that I can drive for 3 months on what it was costing me in just 1 month with my ICE car. Only thing different is I am just trickle charging mine until I can get house charger, hope to get that before winter but trickle charging is working fine for me and I drive 72 mile round trip to work!
Glad to hear Steven! Yes I also know someone who drive less mileage than you and will just trickle charge. Will work fine. Btw, I found that trickle charge provides about 1.4 kW.
put nu finish on the paintwork, it lasts 8 months in the baking hot sun, as seen in a dudes test of multiple types of waxes etc, it might last longer, but its cheap and it works. protects the paint really well.
Video, well done with attention to detail, is there anything in the 2018 Leaf users manual that warns of electronic warranty issues, by using an OBD-2 dongle for LeafSpy Pro.
nodr84 Thanks! None that I am aware of but I’ll have to go thru it again at some point. Don’t see how the dongle could impact anything as it is just sending data.
Thanks, I had heard a rumor (AKA faux news) that at Nissans discretion, they can void honoring the electric component warranty, should they somehow determine that the OBD-2 reader is responsible for the warranty claim. Thanks, and excellent write up on line @ IEVs (real NEWS).
Heatley Noble hi and thanks for watching and for the question. I believe interior space if fairly close between the models especially trunk space. You may wish to search for the specs of both boot sizes to confirm. Leaf won’t work for every use case that’s for sure.
Ah yes. Half of the problem was they made the opening a really awkward size plus I always thought they should have made somewhere for the cables under the hood with the motor. I'll take a look in a showroom.
Do you have a separate electricity meter connected to your charge point? if you do, keep a separated record of your electricity consumption against mileage driven and you find a worse consumption figure.
When I had 30 kWh Leaf I found quite a difference. Also with my current i3. In the UK we must have a separate smart meter on a charge point. I believe it's something to do with the government recording info on electric vehicle usage.
I thought this was funny and people might enjoy this...but you know how they say on these channels that people in apartments will have challenges and probably won't get an EV right now? Well, I was visiting a friend who lives in an apartment complex and I noticed that there were actually electric cars in the parking lot. One guy who actually driving a 2018 Nissan Leaf had an extension cord running from his patio which was directly across the sidewalk from his Leaf which was directly in front. He put a caution cone down in front of it. Yeah...it's a matter of time for management finds out and say no to that but my friend says he mostly does that at night so. Just shows the desperation for change. I made a recommendation on how to get a public charger in the parking lot. 5 electric EV's or more in one complex should initiate change.
My 2 month review is this: I love it and have put 3500 miles on the Leaf. Unfortunately, the Leaf is a deer magnet and so I have also spent 2500 miles and 5 weeks in rental cars. I hit a deer within 2 weeks of owning the leaf. Doe barely faze this car, its built like a tank. That first hit was $5k in damage, but the 2nd hit 3 days after getting the car back from the body shop (to a 5 point buck) took out the front clip. No frame damage but the whole clip is done. The Leaf sure can take a hit, but be forewarned that body parts are very expensive. (ONE headlight is $950) Thankfully, my insurance covers animal hits completely...so that buck that I hit dead center mass while going 50mph (and the $15k or damage he caused) cost me nothing. I bet my insurer HATES the leaf now. But man, I miss my CAR.
Wow thanks for the comments! Glad you are ok and that the Leaf has provided the protection that so many BEVs offer due to increased structural integrity. I'm not surprised at the costs for repairs and good thing for insurance. Hope you get your Leaf back soon and thanks for watching my show!
Hello! I know will be doing the year review soon. How many km/mi have you driven and any battery degraded that has been noticed ? Thanks again in advance.
Thanks for a great review of this car. We’re picking ours up next week and I’ll be doing a comparison test to our current 1st gen LEAF, by driving to Hiroshima and back.
Hello and thanks for watching and for your comments! Fantastic and very happy to see you join the EV Revolution! You will love the car and I'd welcome if you sent me a picture of your drive via the show's email: evrevolutionshow@gmail.com.
Hi Walter, thanks for watching and for the question. Well that really depends on your charging needs and available time. Also, what plugs you have at home. If you have a Wall Plug that will take the Level 2 Connection (that the included charger has built-in), say like a stove receptacle (likely NEMA 14-50R) available, and you have the time to charge for 6-8 hours to full from empty, then you would not have to purchase an additional level 2 charger. Nissan's built in charger tops out at 27.5 amps (6.6kW). This supplied EVSE is rated for up to 30 amps with the Stove receptacle (and available circuit) so it too will provide the full 6.6kW, like any other Level 2 non-Nissan charger. That's one of the benefits that Nissan provides is a charger that is BOTH a Level 1 (normal household 3-pronged North American Plug at 15 amps) with the included adapter, and natively a Level 2. And/or, you can always just use any normal plug (make sure it's on a 15 amp fuse circuit however) and the L1 pull is about 1.4kW. So for a full 40kW charge, at L1 this would take about 26-28 hours (you will never really have the battery at zero kW). In my case since I did not have a stove plug in my Garage, I ended up having professionally installed a Tesla L2 Wall Charger that is connected to a 60 Amp circuit, so I've got lot of headroom in that connection, even with the safety buffer. A Model 3 for example can pull about 44 Amps thru a Tesla Wall Charger. This gives the Model 3 faster charging rate (I believe it's 11kW), however it has a bigger battery so it needs a faster rate. Hope this info helps, and if you have any more questions about this, feel free to email me at evrevolutionshow@gmail.com.
thank you for taking the time to make and post this:-) Does this model have the automatic parking feature? i saw lots of news about that, but i don't see it advertised at all in the available models.
Hi and your welcome - thanks for watching. No, unfortunately the North American version do not offer Park Assist. Too bad, my wife would love that feature!
EV Revolution yeah, it’s probably one of those things that’s neat to use at first or show off but you stop using after a while. You know, like seatbelts. 😂
Sorry, I forgot the short time you have owned it, my excuse: old age, but two more inane questions, 1. do you find the beeps and noises from proximity sensors etc. become annoying? 2. Is there a built-in charger so you can just connect to the mains, or is an external charger essential? I know I need to get a demo model for a couple of days, but we only have one Nissan dealer in the county and it’s not that local, hence the daft questions….
Hi Richard, no problem in asking more questions. I'm glad to help. 1. Nope, they work when they need to and that is good. 2. The Leaf (and all BEVs really) have the actual chargers built in to the vehicle. The external EVSE (Level 2) box we have here handles the communications to the car to manage start/stop charging as well as how much power to feed in. Level 2 on my Leaf is 32a and Level 1 is 15a. In North America, the new Leafs come with a L1/L2 charger depending on which plug you use. For your location, I suspect the L1 charger that comes with the Leaf (either standard or ordered as an option) will fit your wall plug socket as standard, so you can connect to regular household current at a minimum.
My leaf was destroyed when someone ran into me.. i'm still dealing with issues from it.. But I am happy the new models are going strong. sigh.. i miss my leaf.
Hi TriXie, wow very sorry to hear that and hope you are ok! Cars can be replaced but people......I hope the increased safety of the Leaf (and BEVs in general) had some bearing on protecting you from serious injury. Hope you decide to get back into a BEV one day and best of luck in your recovery.
i would prefer Nissan leaf over model 3. the main reason is model 3 is premium car. once it is out of warranty, the maintenance cost of Tesla cars are very high. Tesla is still considered as new brand and there are so many reliability issues with car electronics. if you want simple electric car with out unnecessary tech, Nissan leaf is best option.
Re: Changing Electricity Rate in app: Their UI decision here is strange. Neither tapping edit, nor the pencil beside edit will do anything. Tap on the rate itself and a cursor appears, and the phone's number pad appears (or if you have a phone with a built in keyboard, it will switch it to ALT for numbers), which you can use to erase and replace the rate, then press Enter to register the new number, though apparently, only to the nearest cent, judging from the error message I get when I attempt to enter 0.065, but not 0.06, or 0.12. Note, I've tried this on a Blackberry KeyOne (hence the built in keyboard note) running Android 7.1.1 and a Blackberry Priv running Android 6.x to test it with the on screen keyboard, so it may be different if you're using something else. Thanks for the informative video. Glad the car is working out so well.
seabream thanks for the info yes I get the same experience it will let you select an option to change the rate but not save it. It’s ok works out to be pretty close.
Kenneth Bokor Possible miscommunication; I have no problem saving the edit, so long as it is an even number of cents. I just type the figure, then press enter, it says "please wait" for a few seconds, then updates. As a workaround, if you want a figure for $0.065, you could just enter $0.65 then divide the result by 10, of course. One thing I have noticed about the app is that sometime in the past few months the way it calculates km/kWh has changed, at least for me with my 24 KwH LEAF, in the Electricity Usage Records and the graphs in the Driving Records Monthly and Yearly sections, as well as the graph in Eco Rankings. It is giving me way higher efficiency numbers in the past few months than it did with the previous design, but only in those three sections. The numbers listed for the averages in Driving Records and Eco Rankings above the graphs, and in Eco-Drive Evaluation look like what I get in the car, but the efficiency numbers in the Electricity Usage Records and graphs are far higher. As an example, one day last week, I drove ~75 km, 7.9 km/kWh according to the car. The 5 trips listed in the App's records show: 10.62, 11.26, 9.17, 13.84, 17.06 km/kWh, which cannot result in the average from the car because they're all above what the car shows. I don't know if the sections that are higher are maybe leaving out the accessory loads, or what, but they didn't used to be like that.
Hi there, do you have any recommendations on Winter Tiers for the Leaf? Would Xice Xi3 be a good choice? Some talk about Nokian R2. Which would be your choice? (none of the recommendations online are from a Canadian perspective)!!
Hi Naeim, sorry I don't have any recommendations yet as I am still considering this option. You can check out InsideEVs Leaf Forum as I asked this same question a few weeks back and got some responses. Thanks for watching my show!
No, did you say 8c / KWH. I live in rural Australia and we pay 28c /KWH (Aust $). Yes we did go Solar, 6.3 KW and salt water batteries so when I get an EV I will charge it from solar. But your price, really.
I live in the same area as Ken, and yes, we pay about 6.5c /KWH at night and 13.2c /KWH during peak hours. There is also a delivery charge of about 2c /KWH, and a base monthly fee of about $21.00 even if you use no electricity. All in, my bill comes out to about 20c/KWH, (I don't use a lot of electricity). For me, it's that $21.00 base fee that increases my average cents/KWH cost. If I used more electricity, my average cost /KWH would go down. But the key point to remember, the incremental cost of using 1 additional KWH at off peak times is about 8c/KWH in Ontario, Canada. I'd be paying that $21.00 if I had and EV or not and should not be taken into account when calculating the cost to power the EV. Prices above are in Canadian. I'm curious what the pricing structure is like in Australia. Do you have a base price plus consumption plus delivery costs?
Hi Domenic, I will reply in full in the morning as it is very late. But yes even if I use no power at all. I still pay around $100 / 3 months. Just to be connected to the grid
Thanks Domenic for a great explanation of our fee structure and confirming that the 8cents is about right, give or take a bit. Good point about the base fee as well - yes that is there no matter what you use.
Cheaper and actually available . The model 3 is very quirky with the big tablet screen strange door handles a boot that leaves the rear widow to poor water into the boot. Leaf is just a normal car for normal people. This guy has almost sold me on this car. His driving style sound exactly like mine.
Spent $60,000 usd on my M3. I would do it again over a Free leaf in a heart beat. 5300 miles in 2 mos averaging 350 miles on a charge based on avg wh/m of 212 30% freeway. Quirky is fair opinion, but not one I would agree with.Why would someone open the Boot with water pouring down the window, also any car with a Trunk will suffer from this, Leafs are a hatchback. Curious to see his opinion after the typical Leaf air cooled battery degradation occurs in 3-4 years also curious what mine will be in the same amount of time. Leaf= great car for daily drivers. Not so for road tripping which is why I bought a 3.
wdbldr67 hi congrats on your model 3 and good for you. Appreciate your opinion but many do not have $60k to spend and as an example a Leaf can fit needs admirably. We know Tesla battery will hold up better than all others on the market, however with pretty well all manufactures offering long battery warranties, any risk is minimal. I’ll take a 30% battery loss over an 8-year warranty at $35k car price. Good thing is more choice for consumers, not to argue which is better than another. All EV choices are good for many reasons.
Chris Hart thanks for the feedback. I’m not trying to sell this car to anyone just pointing out it’s usability for my needs which I think map in to a majority of people who are thinking of an EV for the first time. Good thing is more EV choices on market and more coming which will help consumers to spur adoption.
Hi Josip, I think were I live it is about 400 meters above sea level (from our Lake Ontario). Some of the drives I do around Southern Ontario can see elevation changes of +1000 meters or more. We don't have mountains here, but some significant hills, escarpments and valleys to go up and down on.
Hi , how would the heating system work in a cold climate ? A decent electric heater can easily use 2 to 3 kw, wouldn't that reduce range considerably ?
Hello stecazh, depends on the BEV, however most will have at least a resistive heater - like a portable electric heater variant that will draw power from the battery to heat the car and battery pack. Many offer heat pumps, which are much more energy efficient, however they don't work very well below outside temps of 10 degrees C or less. For winter ranges, depending on severity of the temperatures, its not uncommon to see a 30-50% drop in range due to the cold. This is completely normal. Just part of the perks or owning a BEV. You need to understand your vehicles capabilities and the small tricks to make them a bit more efficient, even in the winter. I love the heater as it's pretty well instant on heat (no waiting for the ICEV engine to warm up), so heating the car interior takes a much shorter time and I find myself turning the heat down to 18.5 degrees or so C as that tends to be warm enough. Plus with seat heaters (which are electric and very energy efficient also), it get's nice and toasty on the inside. The Leaf and others comes with a heated steering wheel as well, which many like. I'm not a big fan of this option, but my wife tends to like it!
Kenneth Bokor did you lease or buy? I drove one on Friday and loved it but lease option was too expensive. It makes more sense to buy but I'm super concerned about the battery chemistry and lack of active cooling. Curious what you did. Thx.
I just drove through 4 European countries in my Leaf. Super car no matter what the haters say. #rapidgate, not a major issue. ProPilot is the best thing after a coffee maker. I wish the seats would be a little more comfortable on longer journeys. Maybe the Nismo Leaf will have Recaro seats? Solid car in all aspects.
Hey Ken, I have a 2018 SV and wondered if you find the storage addition in the trunk was worth the cost. I was recently quoted $259 by a Nissan Dealer but apparently there are none available.
Hello Leslie, thanks for the question and for watching my show! Yes I do find it helpful. I keep the L1/2 charger that comes with the Leaf in it as well as some other odds and ends. That way the stuff is out of the way and does not shuffle around the well area. Also, I like to go biking and sometimes carry a bike(s) and stuff (like Ikea shelves or what not) and the cargo organizer is the same height as the rear seats folded down, so makes for a flat floor - even though there is the gap between the cargo box and the folded rear seats. I have the SL so the Bose Amp is in that space, which I like since it basically conceals it and keeps it somewhat protected. Yes the pricing is a bit steep for a plastic box really, but most dealer installed accessories are so I just had it bundled into my purchase price. Also, you can remove the cargo organizer since it has one bolt holding it onto the car. So if I need the extra space for a bigger load, I have the flexibility to easily remove it.
How do you pay road taxes in Canada? Currently in New Zealand EV's are exempt from what we call road user charges- As some sort of incentive to uptake EV's.
In Canada, many provinces will pay you between 6k and 15k, I believe, when you buy an EV (this is real money, not tax credits). In Montreal, you’ll also be paying much less (up to three times, I believe) for a resident parking permit as an EV owner. Because level 2 chargers are SO numerous it’s also not too hard to find a spot where you can park for free and only pay for charging (around CAD $1 per hour) whereas everyone else is fighting for the remaining spots. The downside is: it looks like the number of EVs and hybrids has shot up over the past year - year and a half, so it’s becoming harder
Hi, the Leaf has both. Uses the heat pump primarily and resistive when it needs to. I believe the AC also uses the heat pump in reverse since it gets cold really fast!
255f145c15w its both. Just like in a house with a heat pump. Heat pump Only good to around 30 degrees F (-2C) then resistance heat kicks on. Also base models still use a heater core with an underhood heat element i believe.
Finally somebody who understands it. Drive with Eco on, accelerate normal instead of shortening the battery to get to 100km/h in just a few seconds. Everybody wants a huge range, but they also wants to reach 100 in 3 seconds. Spoiler: that doesn't go together. Use the car as anormal car and forget about the power. It's useless. Great info in the video, thanks.
I wish people would stop judging EV based on how much less they cost compared to an ICE. That's never been the purpose of an EV. It's about less emissions and less impact on the environment (noise, pollution, toxic waste). Now that EVs are successful we found out they are also cheaper to maintain (not cheaper to buy) and in some aspects can even outperform gas cars. I didn't buy my EV to save money. I felt it was important to make a change for the environment.
Hello David, you took the words right out of my mouth! I've also been looking at BEV ownership in the same way. Sure, you will save on gas/fuel and maintenance, but not enough to really get a full ROI against the higher purchase cost of the BEV (even with incentives). At the end of the day for me as it is for you, the most important aspect (not cost savings, not power/0-60 times/handling, looks, etc.) is Zero Emissions. Here in Ontario, we have the added benefit of Clean Power so even the electricity generated to "fuel" my BEV has lower GHG impact than traditional fossil fuels since it comes from Solar, Wind, Hydro and (a couple) Nuclear sources.
Thanks, Ken -very helpful! I've had a leaf for two months and the cost is about 1 cent/ km as opposed to 20c/km with my previous Audi (!). I've purchased a tesla tap following your lead and it works great! Question: My charger is outside. Do you think that'll present a problem during winter?
Gili Adler Nevo Hi great that you’ve gone Zero Emissions and congrats. Thanks for watching the show. Yes the tesla Tap works great and since it seals bettter to offer protection from the elements, you should have no issues with it outside. You may want to also email the company direct for some winter tips. My use in pretty well indoors only.
Hello all, I've had a few comments and questions asking about my charging setup. Yes, I have a Tesla Wall Charger (received it last Christmas) that I wanted to still keep after deciding to go with the Leaf. So after some research, I purchased the "Tesla Tap" (www.umc-j1772.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=50), which adapts the Tesla plug into a standard J1772 for Level 2 USE ONLY! It does NOT work with Tesla SuperChargers - only Wall Chargers or lower wattage. So far, it's working great and the Tesla Tap is a great quality product. There is another competitive product called "J-Adapter" which looks exactly the same as the Tesla Tap, however I would not recommend that as I've heard of a few issues where moisture can seep into the J-Adapter and short it out. Anyone considering getting this adapter, stick with Tesla Tap. Disclaimer: I am in no way affiliated with that company and get no compensation or anything from them.
I'm sure that your EV costs substantially less to operate per km than a comparable ICE vehicle, but lets try to be a little more honest about the actual cost...6.5 cents per Kwh in Ontario, not bloody likely. You've down played the delivery and "some other fees" to the point of inconsequential, when the reality is that the delivery is more than the cost of the electricity itself. My electricity consumption, in London (1.5 hours down the road), is typically >70% off peak, and when I take the total cost of my bill and divide it by the total usage suddenly that 6.5 cents per Kwh balloons to 18 - 20 cents per Kwh.
All that being said, perhaps all the costs beyond Kwh rate are substantially less in the GTA...a sort of thank you from the former Liberal government for being so "progressive".
Thanks for watching!
@@EVRevolution are tbe seats all leather?
Excellent video. Prius Hybrid slowed my driving habits and calmed my driving life down. Now I just watch the other people gunning their cars, and then seeing them again at the next red light or traffic jam.
tubetop123 ah-ha. Same here. My wife and I just laugh as we get passed over and over by the same cars.
Thanks for watching!
Excellent video Ken. All the important points are covered. Thanks and keep up the good work in educating potential adaptors.
Thanks for watching!
I just received my Leaf yesterday.Thank-you for the this video!! This was very informative. The vehicle is so much fun to drive. The staff at Clarington Nissan were awesome. Have an amazing day
Hi Johnnata, thanks for the comments and for watching my video! Congrats on your new Leaf, you will love it. Keep in touch and let me know your feedback on the Leaf after a couple of months. You can send me an email at evrevolutionshow@gmail.com.
I totally agree with you. Somehow, the Leaf makes my driving more agressive than my petrol car does.
ECO mode is a good way to stay cool.
I think you mean less aggressive?
When driving the Leaf in Rush Hour Traffic, while drinking some caffeine infused morning joe, its only eco mode for me from now on! Great tip for blending in with the flow, during the work commute.
Great video Ken. Love your calm style 👍
Thanks for watching!
Great video, even for me who's getting my Model 3 within a few weeks!!
Thanks, congrats on your Model 3 I am sure you will love it!
Great review of the Gen 2 leaf I own a Gen 1 and love it. I think you can also add to the zero emissions the obvious fact that electric cars do not burn oxygen or use water during any travel. Gasoline and diesel have a considerable water content in both refining and consumption. Last time I looked we may need those two for continued life on earth! Press ECO to live
Thanks for watching!
Cant wait to see how the leaf performs in winter, I know in the toronto area can have crazy cold winters just like here in Saskatchewan. Great video, and keep enjoying your purchase!
Derek Warrack thanks yes will be interesting to see how it performs.
Derek Warrack
It may allow multiple fast charges in one day during winter!
Thanks for watching!
Thank you for your thorough review! I'm glad there a way to display the speed in digital form.
Thanks Roy for watching and appreciate the feedback!
Super video. Thank you for that. Our delivery date is about 10th of july. We can not wait. 🤩
Thanks inlama and congrats on your new EV!
Excellent review and cost analysis. Thank you.
Thanks for watching!
Great video Kenneth
I drive my Zoe here in the UK mainly in eco mode, and i find it a bit more chilled also I would say in the end it will save wear on the tires too.
Also as you will know the power is always there if and when you need it.
David Parr I drive my leaf in eco mode as well. I feel that regular mode is just too twitchy. If you need power, you floor it and its the same...
One thing i wish they had was a "coast mode" so you could just have zero regen when letting off the throttle. (Yeah, you can put it in neutral, but you are taking a risk if you suddenly need to accelerate.) You wouldnt believe how far this car will coast in Neutral!
I am averaging nearly 4.5 miles per kW and I live in hilly Pennsylvania.
Thanks for watching!
Thanks for your good review, it's helped me to decide on the purchase of the new leaf. Keep doing this kind of videos. You've got a new subscriber.
Greetings from Spain
Hola Miguel and muchas gracias and thanks for watching my show! Glad my information is helpful and all the best on your new Leaf! Would love to hear from you after you get your new Leaf and get your feedback!
My neighbour just got a new leaf, it's the nicest looking EV I've seen in real life. Funny how the Tesla model X looks like a Mazda 5 in reality but looks nice in pictures.
Hi Nomad, thanks for your comments and for watching my show! Glad you like the new Leaf, all cars are very subjective and personal choices when it comes to looks and the like. I'm not overly crazy about the looks of the X either, however I love the Tesla technology including superior batteries and BMS as well as the roominess of the X.
Got mine in May of this year and love it. The e-pedal feature, which I didn't know about ahead of time, is just so very useful given some medical issues. I traded in a 29yr old Nissan Axxess, manual transmission and found instead of dealing with just two pedals now, I can drive most of the time and never even have to find the brake pedal.
The only thing I was worried about was the lack of rear-side visibility, but the Leaf, once I got more familiar with it, does a good job at compensating and warning me when I'm about to change lanes and missed seeing something in the blind spots.
Brian Antoine Thanks Brian for watching and for getting into the EV world! Glad you are enjoying the new Leaf it is a fine car.
I always knew that when I replaced that olxl Axxess, it would be a hybrid or an EV and I'd been watching the Leaf as it got better. The only thing I really miss is the cargo room, the Axxess was perfect for fmall loads. I've been looking into a trailer hitch for it and a small cargo trailer, but Nissan doesn't make one and I;m not sure it's even possible. Put anything behind the Leaf that close and I wonder how much it would confuse the rear sensors. Would the Leaf constantly think it was about to be rear ended? Can't seem to get an answer from the dealer.
I also didn't know about the E-Pedal until I purchased the 2018 Leaf. I cannot imagine not having a vehicle without this one foot driving feature. Once you drive an electric vehicle there is no going back. Quickness, smoothness and less maintenance are such benefits. The cost and range will only get better the more car manufacturers that start competing.
I have had mine about 2 weeks longer than you've had yours. I love it! My 50km daily commute (each way) and weekend/evening running about has cost me roughly $40 per month. I too drive in Eco and E-Pedal all the time, and like you, I find it has calmed me down. Even 401 commuting in stop and go (not my normal drive) is far less stressful with E-Pedal. I won't be buying another ICE vehicle for a commuter car. I love not knowing the price of gas, and I have found a renewed sense of driving for pleasure. I can go on a drive in the country and not worry about justifying the price of fuel, or more importantly, the exhaust pollution. And in the heat this summer, I have had no guilt about idling with the A/C on! I should also add that with the Level 2 home charger, I have had zero range anxiety, not even once.
Thanks Bill great points as well! I call my Leaf the "Zen-mobile" due to the calming effects! :)
That gives a whole new meaning to a Nissan "Z" car, Ken - maybe you should do a commercial for Nissan! 😀
I'm still going strong on my 2011 Leaf. Batteries still fully charge and I've lost about 10% range. In those seven years my maintenance cost total around $500 (replaced accessory battery, key fob battery, flat tire, and yearly battery checks is all that has been done). The only thing I was a stickler about was never to leave the Leaf's batteries fully charged 100% for more than a few hours.
Hi and thanks for the comments and for watching my show! Glad to hear more real-world feedback from owners.
Great video! Glad you are enjoying the Leaf.
Good to see that nobody was driving the car while you were in England for Fully Charged Live in early June haha.
PEIEVGUY thanks! Yes was parked at the airport!
Thanks for watching!
Older Leafs made no provision to charge the 12volt battery.If you drive the car daily,it might not be a problem.But I drive twice a week,and have to trickle charge the 12 volt ,and so far that is working. Hope Nissan would address the issue in later models. Many older Leaf owners have swapped the original 12v battery for the Optima AGM 12 v battery.,and if I have any more problems,I will too. thanks for the info.
Thanks for watching. I've not had an issue other than needing a boost once when I left my hazards and running lights on all day for a show.
Hi Ken, I love my 2018 Nissan Leaf!!!
I had been following Model3owners back in few years ago. Cancelled M3 order and got Leaf. Love your videos and keep up the good work. Suggestion, I think you should host Toronto Leaf owners club. So we can have similar meet up like the model 3. Thanks!!!!
Hello fefe 33, I would love to host a club meeting. Please reach out to me via the channel email for details.
Hi ken you should calculate the total amount of KW/H used that number and then calculate the real amount using you current rate of electricity I bet it would be a bit higher than what the application says but if it’s close then it amazing then the car pays it’s self compared to a 4 cylinder car imagine a comparaison with a truck or SUV. Anyway thanks for the video.
Good advise and thanks!
Wow, a sensible review of a sensible car by a sensible driver on youtube!
Thanks larshelmin, I try my best since I'm a rookie into this EV world as well. This is my first EV.
That's called a real review, thank you.
Thanks for watching!
Thank you for the review.
My wife and I are considering replacing our 1999 Subaru Legacy Outback for a Nissan Leaf. To be honest with you, most of what you said here went over my head in understanding what it all means but I can say that you were very informative in the details. Now all we need to do it buy one and then all of that will eventually make more sense.
Again, thank you,
Keith
Oh, and now to go and watch some more of your videos. :')
Hello Walking Zed's, thanks very much for your comments and best of luck in your EV choice! You won't regret whatever you purchase. The Leaf is a great car if it fits your needs from daily range, space, etc. If you have any further questions, please feel free to email me and I'll try to answer them. Thanks for watching my show and I hope you subscribe to my channel!
One more reason I drive an EV is that I value my time. No need to go to refueling stations all the time when charging at home and the lesser maintenance saves me a monthly trip for servicing, as I drive a lot.
Very good point Mark, also the health concerns around refueling a gas/petrol vehicle: fumes, particulates, etc. Do we really know the long-term effects this has? Like after 50-years of doing this? I believe there is science behind this but not only the time for refueling gas, but the health issues are of concern.
Mark Lawrence you must not go beyond a full charge distance very often because charging away from home takes much more time than filling a gas car.
Absolutely right, my ex worked for our state government working on Air Quality as her specialty, and apparently standing by a gas tank is really, really bad for one's health. As I wait for my EV, i always make sure to stand several yards away from my truck as it fuels.
Whenever a gas station is being refueled by a tanker truck the entire area around the gas station is exposed to gas fumes. They tend to do this when the gas station is closed but I have experienced smelling gas fumes during tanker refill and it was not pleasant. I have an Ioniq EV but still own a Mazda 3 and hope to be off of gas in a few years by going fully electric. I hate going to the gas station to refill my Mazda.
Great video! Very helpful. I'm hoping costs in Portland, Oregon will be similar!
Thanks, appreciate you watching and your feedback. Even if my costs are 9-11 cents per kWh (add delivery, monthly electricity fees, etc.), it's still much cheaper than gasoline.
This channel needs more subs!
Thanks for watching!
Thanks for vid ken, nice to see you doing solo stuff.
Thanks, more solo is in the cards for me!
Great video! Really like the color of your Leaf!
Thank you very much!
Kenneth, I really like the leaf when we test drove it this past spring. The size and location of the A-pillar was just to large and too far forward. Other than that, I thought it was a great vehicle.
Thanks for feedback. Yes the ergonomics is not for everyone, hence why it is important to test drive and see any vehicle you look at first. Hope you decide on something with a plug anyway.
You will be thankful for that massive structure if you hit a large animal. The Leaf is stout like a tree. Even a 200lb (90kg) buck, hit dead-on at 50mph(80kph), only caused cosmetic damage. The car was still driveable.
Comprehensive and smooth....as always .
Thanks for watching!
great update! open up your manual and read the page "EV-20" that will be the reason i will not get another leaf :/ Im certain it will keep you happy for quite some time but for longevity.... man. be ready to replace that battery in a few years or deal with the lower range. (we replaced our battery last September, the local dealer got us a deal on the battery )
Hi TtHy, thanks for watching and I am aware of the users manual and expressed concerns. I hope the pack will last and time will tell. Nissan claims a chemistry change in this pack that should add to longevity, we will see.
Avoid sustained high battery tempera-
tures (caused, for example, by exposure to
very high ambient temperatures or ex-
tending highway driving with multiple
quick charges [if so equipped]) .
Conor Nugent in other words: buy another car
TrueDesireHD not to many choices in Europe at the moment for cars that you can actually buy right now. There the leaf the smaller Zoe, a less range and hard to get ionq similar with the e-golf and the expensive and small i3.
Hey TtHy, did you ever make a video about this battery replacement. How did you go about this deal, as I'm looking to get a replacement battery before too long (aren't we all?). I bought my Leaf used, so never experienced a Leaf with it new capability, although there have been few times when I was totally devoid of options.
It was touched on in an earlier post, I guessing that the apps showing your energy consumption do not take into account the losses associated with the charge/discharge and AC to DC charge efficiencies. If your goal is compare the cost of energy for an EV verses the cost of energy for an ICE, the losses not taken into account are minimal. But, if you want to accurately calculate the true cost to power your EV, you have to take those into account.
I wasn’t able to find much reference on the subject, but I have seen estimates 80% of what you consume from the grid is usable for running the car. The only real way, as far as I can figure, to calculate the total Kwh/km consumed from the grid is to put a power meter in front of the wall charger, and record the kwh consumed and km traveled between charges, and use those two numbers to calculate your kwh/km consumption.
Interesting side note, those losses when charging your car get turned into heat. So if you are in an area with cold winters, and you charge your car in the garage, it might be beneficial to insulate your garage so that you can retain that wasted energy to warm your garage a little. That may also increase your range in the winter since the batteries would be warmer. Actually, insulating your garage also has the benefit of keeping your garage cooler in the summer. My garage faces south, and on a sunny day, it’s about 40°C in there, while only 25°C outside. If I had an EV parked it there all day, the elevated temperature could shorten the life. The unfortunate reality with current battery technology is that it does not like temperature extremes. Keeping them in the mid temperature range will help their longevity.
Thanks for watching!
I got a Nissan LEAF 2017 S. Loving it so far... Will try to get LEAF with 60kwh battery after a year or two...
Hi Andrew, great that you are driving something with a plug! And glad you are loving your Leaf.
Yup, my ideal EV would be a 350-400km range EV, to reduce range anxiety.
That is a sweet spot range.
Thanks Ken, that was a great overview and your new LEAF is awesome! The colour is very distinctive and it shows the lines nicely. One thing to add is that costs can be even less for those that have access to free public chargers. I have a first gen LEAF (2011 model) that I bought used 3 years ago, and while my range is limited to 100 to 120 kms, there are ChargePoint stations near my home and work, so most times I can drive for free! My commute is around 50 kms return and It's my only car. I was hoping to upgrade to a longer range model or a standard battery 3 but with the loss of the Ontario rebate I'll be waiting for a while, and I will continue to (reluctantly) rent a gas car for occasional longer trips and for vacations. Unfortunately the rental locations do not appear to carry hybrids (a Prius would be great for camping) but hopefully this may change over time.
Thanks James Paul, yes I do love the colour and get many compliments on it. It is not a popular colour and I hear Nissan is discontinuing this colour for MY2019 moving forward.
Thank you for this wonderful review! This info is very helpful.
Semper Fi Hello and thanks for watching. Glad it is helpful.
I noticed that you run on ECO mode and E-pedal. Have you tried running on B mode with no E- pedal? That works well for me because it's a balance between D and ECO mode - it's doesn't have that racy feeling on D mode as when you let go the gas it slows down nicely to regenerate power. This setup works well with my driving.
Hi roadboy99, yes I've tried all the options and my setup works best for me. Thanks for the info.
Love your Videos it was amazing especially since Leafs aren't popular in Northern Ontario its nice to see a youtuber in Ontario Canada actually testing out the leaf. i myself want one, but since i'm in college full time student and can only work part time i cant afford to purchase/lease one. so these videos are Crucial to me as it lets me see actual stats on Canadian roads and what not. Thanks Keep it up!
Hi 1,2,3 thanks for watching and for your comments. Yes Leaf still doing well in Canada, Model 3 is doing better. Once you finish school, good thing is there will be a lot more choice for you to look at!
Have you had any battery over heat issues ? I think if the battery is warm you could go to a car wash .
Thanks for watching. No I really did not, there were one occasion when the Fast Charging would slow a bit due to heat, but that's it. A car wash unfortunately would not cool the pack. Nice idea though.
@@EVRevolution I wonder if it's air cooled hen does it have vents? And if it has vents then it would be a simple matter to engineer a temperature controlled fan and something like that I did back in my first years in tech school. Easy stuff
@Fraiyia Nissan Leaf uses "passive" thermal management for handling heat in their packs. There are no vents, simply that he heat dissipates passively over time. Many have talked about fans and I am not sure if one can be added. However, they did do that for the NV2000 Electric in Europe, so it may be possible for the Leaf. If you have more questions, please reach out to me via my email at EVRevolutionShow@gmail.com and we can set up a time to chat via a zoom call, as I would be happy to answer and address more questions or concerns you have about the Leaf.
have bought one yet. Really close to doing so. My main reason is here in Phoenix AZ, I can use the HOV lanes to get to work. I believe I can cut 30 mins each way from my commute time.
Hi Marty, thanks for watching and for comments. And you help lower GHG emissions as a bonus!
Do yourself a favor, go Tesla, you will not regret. Great battery TMS, by the way, Nissan has NONE.
Hi. Thanks for a great video about reality of driving new Nissan Leaf. I like to hear your view point. I'm just curious, I may be wrong that I noticed the charger on the wall was Tesla's with J1772 adaptor?
Kiyoshi hell yes you are correct. Showed my setup in my delivery day video. Tesla wall charger with Tesla Tap adapter.
Thanks for watching!
Leaf is my favourite nowadays, still have my model 3 reservation though.
Raksonevs wait, what? I love the 3 but if I preferred the leaf, I would just do it. If this is your favorite now, why not do it?
Charlie Fox I will wait for the model 3 price first, maybe.
Thanks for watching!
What an excellent summary video. Thank you.
Thanks, appreciate the feedback!
Great reveiw ken !
Jonathan Porterfield thanks oh grand master!
Good review. I was deciding on replacing my Mercedes Benz C300 with a Leaf, Tesla Model 3 but was also considering a plug in hybrid. I do travel around the GTA and Southern Ontario once in a while for work (though I'm mostly at one location) and while theoretically I can get to and from all the places I normally go to on just one charge I just can't get over the range anxiety in case there is a change of plans and I have to drive elsewhere. I can see the Leaf's strengths but a big part of me is leaning towards the plug in hybrid instead. This will be an interesting set of test drives.
Hi and thanks for watching. That's quite the company you are considering the Leaf with. Please understand the the Leaf is not a premium car model or brand for Nissan. Telsa clearly has eyes on this market and the mid-size is targeted with the Model 3.
I would look at your budget, your driving needs and space (like how many people or stuff your regularly have in the vehicle) in order to narrow down some candidates. If budget is not an issue, then the Model 3 or X is my recommendation. The Model 3's Long-Range version has similar range as a ICEV at about 500kms (310 miles). That is more than enough to go a few days in urban driving and easily on long trips, combined with SuperCharging. Plus, Tesla does have one of the best Thermal Management Systems for the battery pack in the market.
However, the Leaf is a great value-priced BEV with plenty to offer, at a lower price but with some differences.
Since you mentioned a hybrid, they are ok too but if you have the choice for a hybrid or all-electric, I would suggest the all-electric. Zero Emissions is ultimately the best goal to achieve and hybrids are ok but are a stop gap IMO.
Good luck and I'd love to hear back from you via email to let me know what you ended up with.
Tesla will be lucky to exist through the year at this point, and literally every Model 3 is being shipped with Warranty service being prescheduled... they're repeating Ford's mistakes from the 70s. If things go south (and their cash crunch isn't getting any better), there will be no Warranty repairs. At all. And you will have spent $50k+ on an as-is car with many issues, vanishing parts, and plummeting resale value.
www.bloomberg.com/view/articles/2018-03-22/elon-musk-is-a-modern-henry-ford-that-s-bad
If you need to drive long-distance, a plug-in hybrid is pretty much always going to win out. Range shouldn't be an anxiety... for daily commuting, nothing can touch an EV. They're amazing. More than that, and they lose their appeal very fast and become a hassle.
If you really want the EV, consider renting a car for those trips? I'm not sure how Canadian taxes work, but in US that kind of thing can be claimed if workplace doesn't foot the bill.
You could also consider a 2-car strategy with an ICE or Hybrid and keep it super-low mileage - putting all the daily miles on an EV. Saves you at the pump and on depreciation. But imo, a good PHEV largely accomplishes that in 1 car...
Just my opinion.
Cool review Ken!
Thanks for watching!
I have tried so many times to log on to the Nissan connect ev but due to my password being lost I’me unable to re log on even though if I delete the app and reinstall it will not connect again. Could you have any suggestions ken?
Hi Richard, I know you need to set up your account info via the Nissan Connect Website, not initially thru the app. Try resetting your password on the actual website thru a computer browser then see if that will allow the app to connect, once you change your password. Otherwise, you may need to reach out to Nissan Connect support. Good luck!
Nice Review of the Nissan leaf. Thanks
Thanks Joseph, really appreciate the feedback.
How do you get to the menu with your drive stats (the one just before you reset one of the counters on video, that only counts to 999)? Can't seem to find anything like that in my US spec Leaf
Hi, you have to go to settings and I believe it's under EV Menus, you need to "unhide" it. Took me awhile to find it too! In EU, their models actually have 2 driving computer screens. In NA, we only have 1 available.
EV Revolution Found it. Under Main Menu Selection, one of the tabs has Drive computer
Great that's where it is, glad you found it!
Calculation is incorrect. 10kWh that vehicles counts actually is 11-12kWh of energy at the METER. Depending on charging speed and battery temp.
Hi Arnis, thanks for the info. I believe I stated that the 8cents the app calculates is about right, even though I am actually paying 6.5cents. So the monetary calculations may not be 100% accurate but will be pretty close. You've highlighted a 1-2kWh difference which does not amount to a whole lot at 6.5cents per kWh.
Very useful real world review. Thanks for that. My number one reason for getting an electric car would be that I wouldn't ever have to go to those filthy gas stations again.
Hello WS P, thanks for watching and for your feedback. I agree, my number 1 reason was Zero Emissions, with the bonus of not having to go to gas stations again!
Well said car to slow down and enjoy the ride, highly agree.
Thanks Marcin for watching and appreciate the feedback!
@@EVRevolution just got one for my family, waiting for dealer to register. Use to drove very fast trying to fight with time. Now I slowed down and time seems to by on my side. Had 4 days test drive and will never go back to petrol or diesel. Electric cars are for well organized people not for these who go shop every day without knowing what they want.
Thanks Kenneth, good review, however please give us actual temps rather than adjusted for humidity. (The battery doesn’t care about humidity like we humans ;-)
We have long hot summers here in Australia, so the 2018 Leaf is not a viable option here without active thermal management.
I’m planning on a Model 3 when they eventually get here, but will obviously look at the 2019 Leaf.
FutureSystem738 sure. Actual shave ranges from mid-high 20’s to mid-high 30’s C
Thanks, and Cheers.
Thanks for watching!
Thanks for watching!
Great vlog and it's a beautiful car ! This car is about £30,000 to buy in the UK and for me I have to think with my head . To cover your driving would a 30kwh leaf not cover your transport needs at half the price ? My heart would love one and congrats on your new purchase . Keep the V logs coming ! Cheers
Can you get a 30kw leaf for 1/2 the price of a 40kw leaf. That's a lot of money to gain 10kw.
Chris Hart I agree , best to wait for the 60kwh
ronald millsopp as long as the battery can be the same size and weight. Otherwise the extra weight could take some of the extra range away. I would be fine with 40kw especially if the price is lower.
Chris Hart cost is a big factor .
Thanks for watching!
Hi Kenneth. Glad you are enjoying the Leaf and good informative video. Maybe I misunderstood but I’m not convinced by the cost estimate in the app. You mentioned it costs the net energy used... ie amount to charge - regen energy recovered. So if you charge 40kW and regen 5kW the cost is 35kW?? But that’s not right. You still paid for 40kW of energy. The 5kW of regen just meant you could drive further. The real cost is what the Tesla charger records, IMHO.
Hi good observation, however I think of it as because of the regen, my battery state when starting a charge is lower then it what it could have been without any regen recoup. I do see your logic and even if that is the case, with a higher per cents number than I am actually paying, it still should be pretty close. Even give or take 10-20%, the dollars are still much lower than petrol (1/8th-1/6th lower?).
EV Revolution Thank you Kenneth and absolutely correct. The cynic in me figured Nissan was playing with the numbers... but regardless, running cost is still well below gas :-)
Nice video! I also have had my Nissan Leaf 2018 about 2 months and I am seeing about the same stats. I noticed the other day that compared to my last car as far as fuel cost goes that I can drive for 3 months on what it was costing me in just 1 month with my ICE car. Only thing different is I am just trickle charging mine until I can get house charger, hope to get that before winter but trickle charging is working fine for me and I drive 72 mile round trip to work!
Glad to hear Steven! Yes I also know someone who drive less mileage than you and will just trickle charge. Will work fine. Btw, I found that trickle charge provides about 1.4 kW.
Thanks for watching!
put nu finish on the paintwork, it lasts 8 months in the baking hot sun, as seen in a dudes test of multiple types of waxes etc, it might last longer, but its cheap and it works. protects the paint really well.
pauljosse Hi thanks for the advise and for watching my show!
Video, well done with attention to detail, is there anything in the 2018 Leaf users manual that warns of electronic warranty issues, by using an OBD-2 dongle for LeafSpy Pro.
nodr84 Thanks! None that I am aware of but I’ll have to go thru it again at some point. Don’t see how the dongle could impact anything as it is just sending data.
Thanks, I had heard a rumor (AKA faux news) that at Nissans discretion, they can void honoring the electric component warranty, should they somehow determine that the OBD-2 reader is responsible for the warranty claim. Thanks, and excellent write up on line @ IEVs (real NEWS).
Did you have the old leaf? My boot(trunk) space in the old leaf isn't sufficient for a 4 person family and was wondering if they have improved this?
Heatley Noble hi and thanks for watching and for the question. I believe interior space if fairly close between the models especially trunk space. You may wish to search for the specs of both boot sizes to confirm. Leaf won’t work for every use case that’s for sure.
Ah yes. Half of the problem was they made the opening a really awkward size plus I always thought they should have made somewhere for the cables under the hood with the motor. I'll take a look in a showroom.
Do you have a separate electricity meter connected to your charge point? if you do, keep a separated record of your electricity consumption against mileage driven and you find a worse consumption figure.
Hi chris, thanks for watching and for your comment. No I don't, so the App is the closest thing I can do to at least get an approximation.
When I had 30 kWh Leaf I found quite a difference. Also with my current i3. In the UK we must have a separate smart meter on a charge point. I believe it's something to do with the government recording info on electric vehicle usage.
I thought this was funny and people might enjoy this...but you know how they say on these channels that people in apartments will have challenges and probably won't get an EV right now? Well, I was visiting a friend who lives in an apartment complex and I noticed that there were actually electric cars in the parking lot. One guy who actually driving a 2018 Nissan Leaf had an extension cord running from his patio which was directly across the sidewalk from his Leaf which was directly in front. He put a caution cone down in front of it. Yeah...it's a matter of time for management finds out and say no to that but my friend says he mostly does that at night so. Just shows the desperation for change. I made a recommendation on how to get a public charger in the parking lot. 5 electric EV's or more in one complex should initiate change.
Thanks for watching!
My 2 month review is this:
I love it and have put 3500 miles on the Leaf.
Unfortunately, the Leaf is a deer magnet and so I have also spent 2500 miles and 5 weeks in rental cars. I hit a deer within 2 weeks of owning the leaf. Doe barely faze this car, its built like a tank. That first hit was $5k in damage, but the 2nd hit 3 days after getting the car back from the body shop (to a 5 point buck) took out the front clip. No frame damage but the whole clip is done.
The Leaf sure can take a hit, but be forewarned that body parts are very expensive. (ONE headlight is $950) Thankfully, my insurance covers animal hits completely...so that buck that I hit dead center mass while going 50mph (and the $15k or damage he caused) cost me nothing. I bet my insurer HATES the leaf now. But man, I miss my CAR.
Wow thanks for the comments! Glad you are ok and that the Leaf has provided the protection that so many BEVs offer due to increased structural integrity. I'm not surprised at the costs for repairs and good thing for insurance. Hope you get your Leaf back soon and thanks for watching my show!
EV Revolution Thanks! I hope you have better luck with your Leaf. Hey, maybe thats why deer like it so much...its.a LEAF. Deer love eating leaves.
this was a wonderful review - thank you. really makes me want to get an electric car!
Mark Levenson Thanks, and hope an EV can work for you.
Thanks a lot for a great video and useful info!
Glad it was helpful and thanks for watching!
Hello! I know will be doing the year review soon. How many km/mi have you driven and any battery degraded that has been noticed ? Thanks again in advance.
Hello, yes I'll do a 1-year at the end of May timeframe. So far, almost 23,000 kms and about 5% degradation.
Very informative, real world assessment of this car. Thank you!
Thanks John, appreciate the feedback!
Thanks for a great review of this car. We’re picking ours up next week and I’ll be doing a comparison test to our current 1st gen LEAF, by driving to Hiroshima and back.
Hello and thanks for watching and for your comments! Fantastic and very happy to see you join the EV Revolution! You will love the car and I'd welcome if you sent me a picture of your drive via the show's email: evrevolutionshow@gmail.com.
Nice video and thanks for using the metric system and not the impracticable imperial..
Hi split thanks for watching and for the feedback.
Interesting numbers. Thanks.
Thanks for watching!
My only question is with regards to the included level 1/2 charger. Would you recommend using that instead of buying a level 2 charger.
Hi Walter, thanks for watching and for the question. Well that really depends on your charging needs and available time. Also, what plugs you have at home.
If you have a Wall Plug that will take the Level 2 Connection (that the included charger has built-in), say like a stove receptacle (likely NEMA 14-50R) available, and you have the time to charge for 6-8 hours to full from empty, then you would not have to purchase an additional level 2 charger. Nissan's built in charger tops out at 27.5 amps (6.6kW). This supplied EVSE is rated for up to 30 amps with the Stove receptacle (and available circuit) so it too will provide the full 6.6kW, like any other Level 2 non-Nissan charger.
That's one of the benefits that Nissan provides is a charger that is BOTH a Level 1 (normal household 3-pronged North American Plug at 15 amps) with the included adapter, and natively a Level 2. And/or, you can always just use any normal plug (make sure it's on a 15 amp fuse circuit however) and the L1 pull is about 1.4kW. So for a full 40kW charge, at L1 this would take about 26-28 hours (you will never really have the battery at zero kW).
In my case since I did not have a stove plug in my Garage, I ended up having professionally installed a Tesla L2 Wall Charger that is connected to a 60 Amp circuit, so I've got lot of headroom in that connection, even with the safety buffer.
A Model 3 for example can pull about 44 Amps thru a Tesla Wall Charger. This gives the Model 3 faster charging rate (I believe it's 11kW), however it has a bigger battery so it needs a faster rate.
Hope this info helps, and if you have any more questions about this, feel free to email me at evrevolutionshow@gmail.com.
thank you for taking the time to make and post this:-) Does this model have the automatic parking feature? i saw lots of news about that, but i don't see it advertised at all in the available models.
Hi and your welcome - thanks for watching. No, unfortunately the North American version do not offer Park Assist. Too bad, my wife would love that feature!
EV Revolution yeah, it’s probably one of those things that’s neat to use at first or show off but you stop using after a while. You know, like seatbelts. 😂
Also, I noticed that you have a Tesla WC. Did you get that prior to you deciding on buying a leaf? Nice to have the adapter!
K K yes received it last year the wall adapter.
It seems like you removed the Tesla end and somehow spliced in a Nissan compatible connector - or is it some sort of adapter cable?
Thanks for watching!
Good job 😀, nice rewiev.
Thanks!
Sorry, I forgot the short time you have owned it, my excuse: old age, but two more inane questions, 1. do you find the beeps and noises from proximity sensors etc. become annoying? 2. Is there a built-in charger so you can just connect to the mains, or is an external charger essential? I know I need to get a demo model for a couple of days, but we only have one Nissan dealer in the county and it’s not that local, hence the daft questions….
Hi Richard, no problem in asking more questions. I'm glad to help. 1. Nope, they work when they need to and that is good. 2. The Leaf (and all BEVs really) have the actual chargers built in to the vehicle. The external EVSE (Level 2) box we have here handles the communications to the car to manage start/stop charging as well as how much power to feed in. Level 2 on my Leaf is 32a and Level 1 is 15a. In North America, the new Leafs come with a L1/L2 charger depending on which plug you use. For your location, I suspect the L1 charger that comes with the Leaf (either standard or ordered as an option) will fit your wall plug socket as standard, so you can connect to regular household current at a minimum.
The calculation is wrong, the amount to pay for electricity is not only the KWh rate, "delivery" fees, doubled the amount you said in video.
Thanks mig21m1 for watching and appreciate the feedback! I don't think it would be doubled, but maybe a bit more. Still much cheaper than gas/petrol.
Thanks a lot for the comprehensive review. Very helpful. Can you please comment on the recommended charger. Thanks
Hi read my pinned comment on this thanks!
Nice guy... Seems to know what he needed before he purchased and the Leaf is not disappointing.
Thanks Joe for watching and for comments. Yup so far so good.
My leaf was destroyed when someone ran into me.. i'm still dealing with issues from it.. But I am happy the new models are going strong. sigh.. i miss my leaf.
Hi TriXie, wow very sorry to hear that and hope you are ok! Cars can be replaced but people......I hope the increased safety of the Leaf (and BEVs in general) had some bearing on protecting you from serious injury. Hope you decide to get back into a BEV one day and best of luck in your recovery.
Your review helps me a lot to do my homework. ! !
Hi Roxie, great glad I can be of help. Good luck on your homework and thanks for watching!
i would prefer Nissan leaf over model 3. the main reason is model 3 is premium car. once it is out of warranty, the maintenance cost of Tesla cars are very high. Tesla is still considered as new brand and there are so many reliability issues with car electronics. if you want simple electric car with out unnecessary tech, Nissan leaf is best option.
Hi F1, both are great BEVs for different reasons and budgets. Thanks for your comments and for watching!
Re: Changing Electricity Rate in app: Their UI decision here is strange. Neither tapping edit, nor the pencil beside edit will do anything. Tap on the rate itself and a cursor appears, and the phone's number pad appears (or if you have a phone with a built in keyboard, it will switch it to ALT for numbers), which you can use to erase and replace the rate, then press Enter to register the new number, though apparently, only to the nearest cent, judging from the error message I get when I attempt to enter 0.065, but not 0.06, or 0.12. Note, I've tried this on a Blackberry KeyOne (hence the built in keyboard note) running Android 7.1.1 and a Blackberry Priv running Android 6.x to test it with the on screen keyboard, so it may be different if you're using something else.
Thanks for the informative video. Glad the car is working out so well.
seabream thanks for the info yes I get the same experience it will let you select an option to change the rate but not save it. It’s ok works out to be pretty close.
Kenneth Bokor Possible miscommunication; I have no problem saving the edit, so long as it is an even number of cents. I just type the figure, then press enter, it says "please wait" for a few seconds, then updates. As a workaround, if you want a figure for $0.065, you could just enter $0.65 then divide the result by 10, of course.
One thing I have noticed about the app is that sometime in the past few months the way it calculates km/kWh has changed, at least for me with my 24 KwH LEAF, in the Electricity Usage Records and the graphs in the Driving Records Monthly and Yearly sections, as well as the graph in Eco Rankings. It is giving me way higher efficiency numbers in the past few months than it did with the previous design, but only in those three sections. The numbers listed for the averages in Driving Records and Eco Rankings above the graphs, and in Eco-Drive Evaluation look like what I get in the car, but the efficiency numbers in the Electricity Usage Records and graphs are far higher. As an example, one day last week, I drove ~75 km, 7.9 km/kWh according to the car. The 5 trips listed in the App's records show: 10.62, 11.26, 9.17, 13.84, 17.06 km/kWh, which cannot result in the average from the car because they're all above what the car shows. I don't know if the sections that are higher are maybe leaving out the accessory loads, or what, but they didn't used to be like that.
Thanks for watching!
Thanks for watching!
Hi there, do you have any recommendations on Winter Tiers for the Leaf? Would Xice Xi3 be a good choice? Some talk about Nokian R2. Which would be your choice? (none of the recommendations online are from a Canadian perspective)!!
Hi Naeim, sorry I don't have any recommendations yet as I am still considering this option. You can check out InsideEVs Leaf Forum as I asked this same question a few weeks back and got some responses. Thanks for watching my show!
Tesla should give owners more data like this. Good video, Kenneth.
Thanks for watching!
No, did you say 8c / KWH. I live in rural Australia and we pay 28c /KWH (Aust $). Yes we did go Solar, 6.3 KW and salt water batteries so when I get an EV I will charge it from solar. But your price, really.
I live in the same area as Ken, and yes, we pay about 6.5c /KWH at night and 13.2c /KWH during peak hours. There is also a delivery charge of about 2c /KWH, and a base monthly fee of about $21.00 even if you use no electricity. All in, my bill comes out to about 20c/KWH, (I don't use a lot of electricity). For me, it's that $21.00 base fee that increases my average cents/KWH cost. If I used more electricity, my average cost /KWH would go down.
But the key point to remember, the incremental cost of using 1 additional KWH at off peak times is about 8c/KWH in Ontario, Canada. I'd be paying that $21.00 if I had and EV or not and should not be taken into account when calculating the cost to power the EV. Prices above are in Canadian.
I'm curious what the pricing structure is like in Australia. Do you have a base price plus consumption plus delivery costs?
Hi Domenic, I will reply in full in the morning as it is very late. But yes even if I use no power at all. I still pay around $100 / 3 months. Just to be connected to the grid
Thanks Domenic for a great explanation of our fee structure and confirming that the 8cents is about right, give or take a bit. Good point about the base fee as well - yes that is there no matter what you use.
ElectraRC he’s talking off-peak or Controlled Load 1 Rates typically for Hot Water heating at night in Australia 🇦🇺
why did you go for the Leaf over the Tesla 3
Hi pure economics, thanks for watching!
Cheaper and actually available . The model 3 is very quirky with the big tablet screen strange door handles a boot that leaves the rear widow to poor water into the boot. Leaf is just a normal car for normal people. This guy has almost sold me on this car. His driving style sound exactly like mine.
Spent $60,000 usd on my M3. I would do it again over a Free leaf in a heart beat. 5300 miles in 2 mos averaging 350 miles on a charge based on avg wh/m of 212 30% freeway. Quirky is fair opinion, but not one I would agree with.Why would someone open the Boot with water pouring down the window, also any car with a Trunk will suffer from this, Leafs are a hatchback. Curious to see his opinion after the typical Leaf air cooled battery degradation occurs in 3-4 years also curious what mine will be in the same amount of time. Leaf= great car for daily drivers. Not so for road tripping which is why I bought a 3.
wdbldr67 hi congrats on your model 3 and good for you. Appreciate your opinion but many do not have $60k to spend and as an example a Leaf can fit needs admirably. We know Tesla battery will hold up better than all others on the market, however with pretty well all manufactures offering long battery warranties, any risk is minimal. I’ll take a 30% battery loss over an 8-year warranty at $35k car price. Good thing is more choice for consumers, not to argue which is better than another. All EV choices are good for many reasons.
Chris Hart thanks for the feedback. I’m not trying to sell this car to anyone just pointing out it’s usability for my needs which I think map in to a majority of people who are thinking of an EV for the first time. Good thing is more EV choices on market and more coming which will help consumers to spur adoption.
Thanks for a terrific 2018 Leaf
nodr84 Thanks!
Do you have a higher altitude difference of 200 meters when you driving?
Hi Josip, I think were I live it is about 400 meters above sea level (from our Lake Ontario). Some of the drives I do around Southern Ontario can see elevation changes of +1000 meters or more. We don't have mountains here, but some significant hills, escarpments and valleys to go up and down on.
EV Revolution Then your power consumption is great. Thanks on answer.
Nice car color, wish my model 3 came in green.
*apply water on burnt area*
Thanks for watching!
Thanks for watching!
Hi , how would the heating system work in a cold climate ? A decent electric heater can easily use 2 to 3 kw, wouldn't that reduce range considerably ?
Hello stecazh, depends on the BEV, however most will have at least a resistive heater - like a portable electric heater variant that will draw power from the battery to heat the car and battery pack. Many offer heat pumps, which are much more energy efficient, however they don't work very well below outside temps of 10 degrees C or less.
For winter ranges, depending on severity of the temperatures, its not uncommon to see a 30-50% drop in range due to the cold. This is completely normal. Just part of the perks or owning a BEV. You need to understand your vehicles capabilities and the small tricks to make them a bit more efficient, even in the winter. I love the heater as it's pretty well instant on heat (no waiting for the ICEV engine to warm up), so heating the car interior takes a much shorter time and I find myself turning the heat down to 18.5 degrees or so C as that tends to be warm enough. Plus with seat heaters (which are electric and very energy efficient also), it get's nice and toasty on the inside. The Leaf and others comes with a heated steering wheel as well, which many like. I'm not a big fan of this option, but my wife tends to like it!
Good video, thanks for putting the time and effort into doing it!!
Hi Eamonn, thanks for watching and for the feedback. I hope you will subscribe to my channel and check out my other videos.
suggest to betary charge by solarpenal
Hi guru, that is a great goal if one can achieve it!
Kenneth Bokor did you lease or buy? I drove one on Friday and loved it but lease option was too expensive. It makes more sense to buy but I'm super concerned about the battery chemistry and lack of active cooling. Curious what you did. Thx.
Chadwick Wood I purchased as I tend to keep my cars for a long time.
Thanks for watching!
Thanks for watching!
I just drove through 4 European countries in my Leaf. Super car no matter what the haters say. #rapidgate, not a major issue. ProPilot is the best thing after a coffee maker. I wish the seats would be a little more comfortable on longer journeys. Maybe the Nismo Leaf will have Recaro seats? Solid car in all aspects.
Thanks for watching!
Hey Ken, I have a 2018 SV and wondered if you find the storage addition in the trunk was worth the cost. I was recently quoted $259 by a Nissan Dealer but apparently there are none available.
Hello Leslie, thanks for the question and for watching my show! Yes I do find it helpful. I keep the L1/2 charger that comes with the Leaf in it as well as some other odds and ends. That way the stuff is out of the way and does not shuffle around the well area. Also, I like to go biking and sometimes carry a bike(s) and stuff (like Ikea shelves or what not) and the cargo organizer is the same height as the rear seats folded down, so makes for a flat floor - even though there is the gap between the cargo box and the folded rear seats. I have the SL so the Bose Amp is in that space, which I like since it basically conceals it and keeps it somewhat protected. Yes the pricing is a bit steep for a plastic box really, but most dealer installed accessories are so I just had it bundled into my purchase price. Also, you can remove the cargo organizer since it has one bolt holding it onto the car. So if I need the extra space for a bigger load, I have the flexibility to easily remove it.
Leslie Weir I was quoted around 750/month for a 4 year lease. Or $600 US.
How do you pay road taxes in Canada?
Currently in New Zealand EV's are exempt from what we call road user charges- As some sort of incentive to uptake EV's.
phil king Hello Phil, thru our Municipal and Provincial taxes. Also some infrastructure downloading from our Federal Government.
In Canada, many provinces will pay you between 6k and 15k, I believe, when you buy an EV (this is real money, not tax credits). In Montreal, you’ll also be paying much less (up to three times, I believe) for a resident parking permit as an EV owner. Because level 2 chargers are SO numerous it’s also not too hard to find a spot where you can park for free and only pay for charging (around CAD $1 per hour) whereas everyone else is fighting for the remaining spots. The downside is: it looks like the number of EVs and hybrids has shot up over the past year - year and a half, so it’s becoming harder
Ken, are you aware if the heater is a heat pump or resistive element?
Hi, the Leaf has both. Uses the heat pump primarily and resistive when it needs to. I believe the AC also uses the heat pump in reverse since it gets cold really fast!
Smart engineering!
255f145c15w its both. Just like in a house with a heat pump. Heat pump Only good to around 30 degrees F (-2C) then resistance heat kicks on.
Also base models still use a heater core with an underhood heat element i believe.
Thanks for the additional details!
Finally somebody who understands it. Drive with Eco on, accelerate normal instead of shortening the battery to get to 100km/h in just a few seconds. Everybody wants a huge range, but they also wants to reach 100 in 3 seconds. Spoiler: that doesn't go together. Use the car as anormal car and forget about the power. It's useless. Great info in the video, thanks.
Thanks for watching. I totally agree and to this date, still run it 100% of the time on Eco.
I wish people would stop judging EV based on how much less they cost compared to an ICE. That's never been the purpose of an EV. It's about less emissions and less impact on the environment (noise, pollution, toxic waste). Now that EVs are successful we found out they are also cheaper to maintain (not cheaper to buy) and in some aspects can even outperform gas cars. I didn't buy my EV to save money. I felt it was important to make a change for the environment.
Hello David, you took the words right out of my mouth! I've also been looking at BEV ownership in the same way.
Sure, you will save on gas/fuel and maintenance, but not enough to really get a full ROI against the higher purchase cost of the BEV (even with incentives).
At the end of the day for me as it is for you, the most important aspect (not cost savings, not power/0-60 times/handling, looks, etc.) is Zero Emissions. Here in Ontario, we have the added benefit of Clean Power so even the electricity generated to "fuel" my BEV has lower GHG impact than traditional fossil fuels since it comes from Solar, Wind, Hydro and (a couple) Nuclear sources.
Thanks, Ken -very helpful! I've had a leaf for two months and the cost is about 1 cent/ km as opposed to 20c/km with my previous Audi (!). I've purchased a tesla tap following your lead and it works great! Question: My charger is outside. Do you think that'll present a problem during winter?
Gili Adler Nevo Hi great that you’ve gone Zero Emissions and congrats. Thanks for watching the show. Yes the tesla Tap works great and since it seals bettter to offer protection from the elements, you should have no issues with it outside. You may want to also email the company direct for some winter tips. My use in pretty well indoors only.