Nissan Leaf - what do we think?

[Archie_tect]

We've sold our old Polo and replaced our contracted diesel SEAT Leon estate with a pre-reg e-hybrid Leon estate.

There are some fantastic pre-reg deals if you search for them- we got ours just under 4 months after registration with 2100 miles on it £10,400 cheaper than the cost of ordering a factory build new one. [Pentagon SEAT are running 3 hatchback Leons if you want to check them out on Autotrader.]

Our 'real-world' experience of the plug-in hybrid so far:

It's used just under 3 gallons of petrol to do 350 miles mostly used picking it up from the SEAT garage in Oldham... plugs into a socket in the garage overnight which costs up to £1.80 which gets us over 34 miles [most journeys are less than that so far] before the petrol engine starts to cut in depending on the outside temperature. When it was -1 degC one morning it managed 29 miles.

Once I get the 4G connected to the car it will be possible to programme any longer journeys so that the sat-nav saves electric mode for hold-ups and city centre driving where it's most effective. Looking into an Economy 7 type electric provider when the present provider deal runs out which will make overnight charging cheaper and we can run the heavy electric usage stuff overnight.

Just got approval for workplace charging points with a grant from HMRC so checking out our local registered electrician for cost of installation.

All looks very promising and, being a plug-in hybrid it's a VW DSG automatic which saves my dodgy left knee from all those gear changes on the heavy diesel clutch!

 

[gzoom]

I like the idea of an EV but every time I come across a thread like this it convinces me my decision to wait a few more years is the correct one.
The industry is making great strides but a way to go before I feel confident in spending the money to get one.
Once charging points are more common and evolution of new technology has slowed, then I may take the risk.
I keep cars a long time 10+ years and it's something I'd like to keep doing.

Our current EV is already coming up to 4 years old 40K, I plan to keep it at least 8 years.

This weekend it took 6 of us + 3 bikes to the local park, once lock down ends properly we have a 750 mile road trip planned fully loaded.

The EV technology on the whole is good enough already, its the cost that needs to come down.

 

[cougie uk]

Love our Leaf. Got it in August and took it on holiday the next day. Charging on the motorway was far easier than I'd thought.

What is your usage like ? Daily commute ? Miles per month ? Holiday plans ?

I reckon even on a normal tariff our fuel bills are 1/4 of what they would be in petrol.

I do have a pod point now but pretty sure I could have coped on a normal socket.

If you have off road parking I'd go for it and enjoy cheap motoring. I guess when most cars are EVs then it'll be paying for use of the roads to raise tax so fill your boots whilst you can.

Ours was 2 years old when we got it and we hope to keep it for another 10 or so. Battery life isn't much of an issue. I think the leaf has an 8 year guarantee on the battery.

 

[MontyVeda]

I know you have mentioned range limitations, but I would definitely be looking into would be real world mileage, not the advertising guff and whether that still suites your anticipated journeys. Driven with care, on a pleasant day (say 15C), with no electrics on such as heating and a journey with little stop/start, I can achieve 93% of what VW claim is the battery range. On a mid winter frosty morning, headlights, heating the cabin, heated seats, heated mirrors and glass, that percentage would bomb to around 43%, were I to have all of that equipment on for whole of the battery charge.
You will find some videos on YouTube about real world mileage. Carwow is one which springs to mind I saw about a month ago.

I think that's the only drawback of EV... ICE produce their electricity for heating, lighting, etc. on the fly whereas EV, everything drains the battery.

A friend has the nissan electric van, but he's the sort who's always running late which means he ends up rushing at 70mph instead of driving at 56 to get maximum efficiency, than has to stop and wait half an hour at the rapid charger, before rushing even more. I think you need a certain mindset and i don't think my friend has it

 

[Bazzer]

I think that's the only drawback of EV... ICE produce their electricity for heating, lighting, etc. on the fly whereas EV, everything drains the battery.

A friend has the nissan electric van, but he's the sort who's always running late which means he ends up rushing at 70mph instead of driving at 56 to get maximum efficiency, than has to stop and wait half an hour at the rapid charger, before rushing even more. I think you need a certain mindset and i don't think my friend has it

I think may depend upon the vehicle, but certainly with my PHEV Golf, and it may be the same with @Archie_tect 's Leon, as it has the same parent company, it is possible to have the ICE to travel and the battery running everything else.
I would agree, I think you need a certain mindset to get the best out of them, but to some extent that is the case with an ICE. It is just that the ready availability of petrol and diesel and the speed with which refuelling can take place, hasn't encouraged that mentality.

 

[BrumJim]

I think may depend upon the vehicle, but certainly with my PHEV Golf, and it may be the same with @Archie_tect 's Leon, as it has the same parent company, it is possible to have the ICE to travel and the battery running everything else.
I would agree, I think you need a certain mindset to get the best out of them, but to some extent that is the case with an ICE. It is just that the ready availability of petrol and diesel and the speed with which refuelling can take place, hasn't encouraged that mentality.

Running a Renault Zoe which has a standard 12v car battery. This runs the normal car electrics including lights, radio and fan.

The traction battery runs the motors, but also the heating and ventilation. However the heating is a heat pump rather than resistance heating, and hence much more efficient than using heating elements. Therefore it also has the benefit of pre-conditioning, i.e. I can press a button from my house which will start up the heating/cooling system which will get the interior up to the correct temperature before I get in. For an ICE car you need the engine running for cooling, and running for some time to get space heating.

In terms of the mindset, there is very much a change. You can charge your car at home every night as you sleep, so no need to waste all that ICE time sitting in a petrol station. Also on longer journeys you can charge the car as you discharge your bladder and recharge your stomach, again very different to looking after yourself first and the car later, as you don't wan't to eat and drink with the smell of petrol / diesel all around you.

The only way electrics really fail is for very long distance driving, where people drive long stints in shifts, eating on the move, and therefore don't take those breaks. But as you see with the SUV trend, people like to buy cars based on what they think they might do one day, rather than what the car will actually be used for.

 

[Archie_tect]

I think may depend upon the vehicle, but certainly with my PHEV Golf, and it may be the same with @Archie_tect 's Leon, as it has the same parent company, it is possible to have the ICE to travel and the battery running everything else.
I would agree, I think you need a certain mindset to get the best out of them, but to some extent that is the case with an ICE. It is just that the ready availability of petrol and diesel and the speed with which refuelling can take place, hasn't encouraged that mentality.

We don't bother with heated seats [or the really odd heated steering wheel?!], we just wear coats when it's cold and open the windows when the sun's blazing in... might need the AC on when it's mid-summer but we can heat or cool the car while it's plugged in to the electric to avoid wasting the battery.

 

[midlife]

We've sold our old Polo and replaced our contracted diesel SEAT Leon estate with a pre-reg e-hybrid Leon estate.

There are some fantastic pre-reg deals if you search for them- we got ours just under 4 months after registration with 2100 miles on it £10,400 cheaper than the cost of ordering a factory build new one. [Pentagon SEAT are running 3 hatchback Leons if you want to check them out on Autotrader.]

Our 'real-world' experience of the plug-in hybrid so far:

It's used just under 3 gallons of petrol to do 350 miles mostly used picking it up from the SEAT garage in Oldham... plugs into a socket in the garage overnight which costs up to £1.80 which gets us over 34 miles [most journeys are less than that so far] before the petrol engine starts to cut in depending on the outside temperature. When it was -1 degC one morning it managed 29 miles.

Once I get the 4G connected to the car it will be possible to programme any longer journeys so that the sat-nav saves electric mode for hold-ups and city centre driving where it's most effective. Looking into an Economy 7 type electric provider when the present provider deal runs out which will make overnight charging cheaper and we can run the heavy electric usage stuff overnight.

Just got approval for workplace charging points with a grant from HMRC so checking out our local registered electrician for cost of installation.

All looks very promising and, being a plug-in hybrid it's a VW DSG automatic which saves my dodgy left knee from all those gear changes on the heavy diesel clutch!

just out of curiosity how much did you pay after the ten grand was knocked off ?

 

[Archie_tect]

just out of curiosity how much did you pay after the ten grand was knocked off ?

£23,000. a new one of the same spec is £33,600 assuming that you don't add any factory options and get standard paint and wheels! [less the money for the trade-in on our old Polo].

I refuse to spend more on a car than our first house cost in 1984- it's getting close mind now!

I couldn't justify the cost of a new car now- especially not the £35,000-£40,000 for the latest technology family sized EVs.

 

[Gunk]

The motoring equivalent of a Beco washing machine.

 

[TheDoctor]

Love our Leaf. Got it in August and took it on holiday the next day. Charging on the motorway was far easier than I'd thought.

What is your usage like ? Daily commute ? Miles per month ? Holiday plans ?

I reckon even on a normal tariff our fuel bills are 1/4 of what they would be in petrol.

I do have a pod point now but pretty sure I could have coped on a normal socket.

If you have off road parking I'd go for it and enjoy cheap motoring. I guess when most cars are EVs then it'll be paying for use of the roads to raise tax so fill your boots whilst you can.

Ours was 2 years old when we got it and we hope to keep it for another 10 or so. Battery life isn't much of an issue. I think the leaf has an 8 year guarantee on the battery.

We don't have a daily commute any more - my last few jobs have been within cycling / e-bike distance, and we do about 5000 miles a year. Long journeys tend to be by train and maybe a hire car at t'other end - I've not driven to the Alps for about five years, and I don't fancy doing it again. We have off-road parking

 

[cougie uk]

We don't have a daily commute any more - my last few jobs have been within cycling / e-bike distance, and we do about 5000 miles a year. Long journeys tend to be by train and maybe a hire car at t'other end - I've not driven to the Alps for about five years, and I don't fancy doing it again. We have off-road parking

Perfect then. Long distance driving isn't much fun now with the traffic. We prefer the train for long stuff too.

You could even look at a first generation leaf if you don't need much range.

 

[gzoom]

@TheDoctor Go for it, I really do have found memories of our Leaf, I remember been super excited to see 3 EVs within 20 meters of each other!

This is the dashcam footage of the 'current' Leaf that I caught sight off around the Midlands years ago, got me excited at the time!!

Its a real shame Nissan didn't have the finances or guts to bring the IDS concept to life, this was suppose to be the car that replaced the Leaf in 2017/18, I would have bought one!

 

[TheDoctor]

Perfect then. Long distance driving isn't much fun now with the traffic. We prefer the train for long stuff too.

You could even look at a first generation leaf if you don't need much range.

I think we're doing a lease this time.

 

[cougie uk]

@TheDoctor Go for it, I really do have found memories of our Leaf, I remember been super excited to see 3 EVs within 20 meters of each other!

View attachment 584790

This is the dashcam footage of the 'current' Leaf that I caught sight off around the Midlands years ago, got me excited at the time!!

View attachment 584791

Its a real shame Nissan didn't have the finances or guts to bring the IDS concept to life, this was suppose to be the car that replaced the Leaf in 2017/18, I would have bought one!

View attachment 584792

I can see the influences but concept cars are usually a bit OTT.