Respect to Robert who has kept using this car for so long despite not needing to. This is the direction we all need to take rather than throwing things away unnecessarily when we see the next new shiny thing. We need to take pride in making things last.
I'll do him one better. I have kept my 2008 Civic since brand new. I've bought another car since but still kept that Civic to lend to friends who wants a car
@@jyrbmI can do you better! I kept a 2001 Civic, until this year. Without buying another. EDIT: without buying another while owning the civic. I sold the civic in Dec 2023 and replaced it with a Bolt. As I’m 59 yo, I fully expect that to be my final car. 5 cars, 2 used 3 new, for a lifetime.
What a fantastic overview. As a mechanic of 30 years , I’ve seen a few changes in the industry , and watched Nissan decline from one of the great manufacturers to producing some absolute rubbish . And then the Leaf came along. What they’ve done here is truly remarkable, a full electric vehicle for the masses that is actually incredibly well built . I’m so happy I bought one, every time I drive I smile . Yes the range is limited but it kicks arse in every other way. Future classic? I hope so .
Looking at vehicle made now, that get heated steering wheel, when the leaf had it 13 years ago... we have to admit it had lots of things before the others, and the Bose audio system is awesome.
Hi, I was in charge of the car first generation Nissan Leaf as chief designer. I just want to say thank you for your love for the car. I already retired Nissan, but still having 2011 Leaf as you do and feel exactly same feeling to it. Thanks again.
I'm getting a 2013 in 2 days. Not gonna lie. Very impressed with what you made. Exceptionally functional little vehicle for commuting and day to day use.
Thank you guys for comments you made. When I saw the video, I remember my experience of attending the meeting of SF Bay LEAF owner's club event in 2012 or 13. I was so impressed from many comments just like you guys sent.
My mom is still dailying our old family minivan, and I'm thinking that once the van dies and we get a replacement, I'll look in to an EV. The problem is that it's a Toyota Sienna, so it may never die.
I ended up replacing my 04 Camry that had over 200K miles with a Nissan Leaf. A day will come where the maintenance of your car is costing you more each month than a monthly payment on a used Leaf would be. (you're already paying more than the monthly cost of a Leaf in fuel alone). Also just a tip since I did the research on this, Nissan changed the battery chemistry starting with the 2015 models that makes the batteries much more reliable over the long term and starting with the 2016 Leaf they bumped the capacity to 30kwh. It might seem like a deal to get one of the earliest Leaf cars but it isn't, go with 2015 or later.
My 13yo Lexus finally died. Sort of. 13 years of absolutely no problems - and then it developed a rainwater leak somewhere. The heat/ AC stopped working, and the car smelled. I finally said goodbye. A $44k car, it was still worth $8k. But in the shape it was in, I sold it for $2k. Worse, now I have to replace it... (but not with a new car. We're both retired and rarely drive, but my wife wants a spare car)
My 9 year old leaf (13 plate), has 110000 miles, 11 bars with soh 81%. Range around 80 miles in summer and 65 in winter. Also replaced the unit head with an android head. Well worth the £7000 I paid for it 5 years ago.
Best explanation of charging issues. We got yelled at by Nissan for too much fast charging on lease return (650 times). Our response was: then why is battery state of health 95%?
It is true that lithium ion batteries in phones are more susceptible to damage from fast charging. It's possible that the tech in the Nissan has somewhat negated this effect, but it's important to avoid fast charging when it's not necessary.
@@chrisbellamy7145 The majority of Japanese Leafs are fast charged quite frequently due to the lack of at-home parking, with some people taking advantage of free public fast charging to power their homes. Their older Leafs are now hovering at around 60-70% SOH. It's the heat that fast charging generates that degrades the battery.
I've always been a petrolhead, and first drive the Leaf through Enterprise Car Club. One of the best cars I've ever driven, solidly built, and quietly confident.
Thank you Robert for providing this long term update. I think it is very important for people to see these kinds of reviews especially for vehicles with such a challenged start. My 2013 Nissan Leaf has been as you stated flawless. I have changed a wiper blade and wiper fluid and that is it. I still have the original tires after 56000 miles and have only recently begun to think about getting a brand new set. It is by far the most reliable vehicle I've ever had. Might 2013 Ford C Max hybrid has been very reliable but has needed work occasionaly, because, you guessed it of the internal combustion engine. Showcasing a car such as this early model is important because we can only go up from here. Stay safe my friend and thank you for the wonderful content over the years and please don't give up any time soon.
hello robert just being cheeky can i buy your old battery off you to enable me to convet my canal boat to electric power even with the depleted capacity it will power my boat for miles and be charged using my panels. its now got a 1956 ruston hornsby diesel a bit smelly and chugs a bit and but never misses a beat well not all the time but it would be great to bring my canal boat into the modern age.
That would be an interesting conversion. Would you fit an inboard electric motor or just hang a couple of electric outboard motors off the back of the boat?
No brainer that canal boats should be converted, all marinas have caravan type power now don't they? And Solar power for the times you are out and about, the problem with Robert's Leaf is the cost to get the battery back from Holland! Much better to look for one locally.
I had suggested a video on re-purposing the batteries for a home storage solution but I like your idea better! Robert already has two powerwalls, so this would maybe be a more useful 2nd life for the pack.
I've had a 2011 Blue Leaf since 2014. Bought it on the back of your (and Ian Sampson's) videos. 3 battery bars lost. 2 things have gone wrong: windscreen washer pump and driver door switch unit. Both replaced on the cheap (not at the dealership!). No other problems, no punctures, no lights gone. What a car!
I owned a '11 Leaf SV for a short while, absolutely loved it - was the reason why I subscribed to FC, actually! I live in AZ, USA, literally the worst place to own a Leaf due to the lack of active cooling (40c+ summers, throw a quick charge or two into the mix throughout the day and the battery is at the top of the temperature range). It's, in my opinion, the biggest problem with the Leaf; the range is second to the lack of active cooling. If Nissan put active cooling into the Leaf, it was a perfect first-gen EV. Still in AZ today, and I contemplate grabbing another, even knowing the battery will degrade at a ridiculous speed here. I really liked that car; yes its a slow EV and yes if I went anywhere beyond 30 miles I'd have to charge somewhere along the way, but I didn't mind. My employer at the time even let me level 1 charge while I was on the clock, with the Leaf evse and a beefy extension cable - so in the evening I had a full battery instead of half (35ish miles one way + second-hand so battery degradation). My first car was a Mercedes C230K. Great car, but painfully expensive to maintain and run. When I got the Leaf, I was worried I'd have buyers remorse - it's not a luxury car or brand, the battery isn't in great shape, it's not athletic - but that never happened. I absolutely loved that car. Range limitations and all. 🔌🚙
That's Cool! I had a Mitsubishi iMiEV without quick charge. I had it three years and eight months. I miss it despite it's limitations. Now I have a Leaf with quick charge. I like it. I want to drive long distance with it. I drive from Marietta, GA to Macon, GA. Good trip.
I bought an EV in 2011 too, but I bought a 2011 Chevrolet Volt. I did years of research before buying the Volt. I lived in Dallas at the time, which is almost as hot as AZ in the summer. The fact that the Volt had a liquid cooled battery and an ICE range extender sold the car for me. And guess what.....I still own my 2011 Volt and it’s still my daily driver. Of course since I am staying at home these days I am not driving it every day. It still has it’s original battery, which will be 10 years old this fall. Thanks
I ran into the same problem living in Tucson. The heat kills the battery and Nissan still can't accept the idea that the Leaf's need an active battery heat management system. The car I own now is in Michigan, and someday I am hoping with the solid state batteries, I will be able to replace the current batteries with ones that have a lot more energy and don't mind the heat.
Not bad its 10 years old and still going and as he said zero repairs. Nissan Leaf on average have a 97% reliability rating. Know any other cars with that reliability?
danwat1234 FYI, the battery heaters do not come into action untill it is Arctic levels of cold! They are to heat the battery cells in these freezing conditions rather than to regulate the temperatures in mild ambient temperatures for best performance. I am told the best temp for the batteries is circa 25 degrees C.
Last month I purchased a 2014 Leaf Tekna for just £4000. Battery is tested at 81-82% which is roughly ~75-80 mile range with 64000 miles on the clock. Previous owner had almost from new, full service history shows biggest work was only front brake pads & discs replaced last year, not a scuff anywhere else. Everything works, no faulty lights, buttons, cameras, etc. It's my first EV and although I admit I wasn't originally looking at the Leaf, I've since fallen in love with it and plan to hold on and cherish it for a long time yet. Still zero tax (for now), I'm lucky to have free charging at my work place, so insurance is really the only running cost. I commute 4 days a week and a couple of social visits, all on a single charge... even with a small battery by modern standards, it's suited for average household daily drives perfectly fine. I can charge on a 3 pin if needed, I roughly worked the cost to be around £12 electric to fully charge during off-peak which isn't a lot compared to a few litres of petrol which probably couldn't give you the same mileage. The Fully Charged Show also definitely helped and educated me with sticking to my guns and making the switch to an EV, despite the doubts of friends and family... most now who want to try it having seen or been in it 🙂
I have my 2011 nissan leaf for about a year now. Thought it would be the perfect way to have cheap transportation as a 19 year old. I absolutely love it. And would also love to see a video after the pandemic about the 40kwh battery 😍.
@@That1ufo That's alright for me then! Not had my second hand leaf that long - but really like driving it - even on the 130 (one way) trip I did recently.
I love your video….I have been driving my 2014 Leaf for 8 yrs now with 112,900 km on it and still in excellent shape and only one bar lost so far…cheers to all Leaf owners!
Only lost 1 bar at nearly 113k miles?! 🤯 Please share your driving/charging habits! What's your average speed? What's the fastest you usually drive? What kind of charging do you normally do? What's the weather like where you live?
Robert, when you make the battery swap video, would you mind talking a bit about insurance implications of it being a non-standard leaf please? I fear they'll either not insure you or charge you the earth just because they can...
Yeah this would be really interesting to see how you get on, like with most car modifications a lot of insurers keep their distance and insurers who are comfortable with modified cars I expect won't touch electric cars yet, which is a shame as this surely is a great business for someone to supply upgraded battery packs given most of the cars simply use 18650 or 21650 cells which means adding capacity to an existing shell would be possible for someone.
Yeah, i have an Opel Ampera with 16kWh battery, and 10.6kWh available. But you can drive a decent ammount on 10kWh. For me 55 to 60kilometer. And it charges up in 5 hours again. I can drive to work and back with it, and for longer trips it does 1 liter 15 kilometers. But the Leaf is a nice second car to have for close by trips.
Leased a 2019 Leaf SL pearl white with 64 kw battery! 250 mile range! Leather interior; received $7500 tax credit off MSRP on purchase on my first EV! Just absolutely like this car! Had charger installed in garage and is simple and convenient to charge! One of the coolest cars I have ever owned!
@@TheGerm24 Same here - I bought a second-hand (ex Japanese dealer display model!) 2014 Leaf as my first EV and I'm loving it, even with the relatively low range. Like Robert, I also have solar panels and here in Australia they're even somewhat useful in winter. It has plenty of cargo space and is way better than all the petrol cars I've ever had.
Most of what we do is within 20 miles radius, so we got one super cheap recently with 9 bars remaining. Love it. It might be degraded, but we use it for most of our driving now. Saved us a fortune already.
Robert I very much and sincerely appreciate the role that you have played in helping to spread the word and reinforce the development of electric cars. Not only were you in the right place at the right time you chose to accept looking further into it. How many people in similar circumstances never did. They were waiting for someone else and still are while the planet's integrity is falling apart and their children's futures are going to be more horrible than it would have otherwise been. Yet and still because of you many other people didn't wait until things were a thousand percent sure and have purchased electric cars. Like myself they probably asked why I did not do it sooner. Ev's are far more sensible than we had been led to believe.
I also owned a 2011 Japan-built Leaf for 3 years but unfortunately my experience of reliability was very different from yours. I lost my first battery health bar at only 17k miles which started to sound those alarm bells in the back of my mind. Then soon afterwards the car would occasionally refuse to start. It would make a single chime when I pressed the start button but then wouldn't go into drive mode. This became more frequent until I just couldn't use the car any more. It was in and out of two local dealers who were absolutely clueless and completely disinterested. It wasn't until I got Nissan UK involved that things started to improve as they couldn't do enough to try to help. They ended up trailering the car to their experts in Sunderland and they gave me a UK built Leaf Tekna to use as a loaner. The improvements between generations were very obvious! Well after a few weeks they managed to fix my car by replacing all the power relays but I never quite trusted the thing again and I was happy to hand it back at the end of the lease. Such a shame really because when it was working I absolutely loved the car.
Bought an ex demo 2014 Leaf, 6 months old for £16,000. Always charged to 100%, still has 12 bars and the same range after 55,000 miles. At one MOT a faulty number plate bulb was spotted! That’s it! Ultra reliable, like a small tank. No rust, excellent paintwork. Only issues are I’d like more regen braking and the steering could have more feel.. At the moment feels like it will last forever...
Maybe a show where you investigate 3rd party companies that will refurb batteries rather than just buying a new one? Leaf Spy (app) can show which individual cells have failed and these companies should be able to replace those alone.
We had that car here in Oregon, USA. Traded in for a 2016 after extending our lease twice. Just bought a 2020 recently and have loved them all! Test drove most other electric only cars in our market and there is just nothing that competes to this car for us. Comfort, dependability, range...it now has it all as far as we are concerned. Thanks for the show!
I wish Nissan kept the air cooled battery for other products it had enough range 200plus miles that would serve 90 percent of the needs of the people without needing to fast charge often,which it's ache elis heel.
go for the new battery it would be a good experiment , i feel that battery upgrades and exchange will be a future common occurance with the developing used car market. Heres a thought for a new busness a specilist battery replacement manufactuer for used electric vechicles. You could produce batterys taking advantage of higher density, and new advances in technology to upgrade exsisting cars . Just as you have to replace glutches , gearboxes, ect in normal cars whynot the same with evs??.
I found a 2012 Leaf by my house in the US for 3 grand. Two(!) White bars left and the two red of course. It has about a 26 mile range. The Car is great other than that. So I agree, I'd like to buy it and try to locate the larger 40KWH battery as an experiment.
I’m in cahoots with a company called EV Parts, who are in the process of type-approving a bolt-in gen1 Leaf battery replacement with their own architecture taking advantage of density and cost improvements. They wouldn’t commit to a price, but were looking around the ‘£8k’ mark, which is eminently reasonable I think.
@@orangeblade2 I am not so sure about that, one of the biggest issues EV's get is the simple fact that repair is a... interesting concept that is almost unheard of. The thing is, people get attached to their vehicles... they like them, and expect them to last at least 5 years or more. ICE, Hybrid, EV, it really makes no difference... so at some point, a replaceable battery does seem like a good idea, because I don't think that you want to point at the consumer after 8 years and say "Go get a new one" when you are looking at a cost that is well above $30k on average. I do think that it will be a tightly controlled thing, you know "Dealer repair shops" or "licensed repair shops" only type deal. Which is annoying, but makes sense.
@@DuvJones looking at the zoe as an example the battery tray is likely compatible from the mark one right through to the current ze50. I'm guessing the batteries aren't even made by Renault, continental I 🤔? Cars these days are consumables infuriatingly. If you take the battery away the other tech in the zoe shell is incredibly cheap, albeit pleasingly designed. Apart from a few over engineered follies (ampera volt) manufacturers aren't interested in their vehicles lasting over ten years. We the consumers are programmed to think of cars with over 100,000 miles on the clock as worthless. I'm thinking maybe a better solution for someone wanting value from an ev is to go down the conversion route. A little like updating an old bicycle frame. Find a chassis with the character, looks, style you want, even the functionality say an estate. Then install a motor and aftermarket batteries. As the tech improves it'll be easier to replace the components yourself.
Hi Robert, I have a 2013 here in Norway, exactly the same exterior color. After watching your video, I am inspired to keep my leaf for as long as i can :) I have done 100,000 KMS, all 12 bars intact and it gives a range of 120km in summer and 100km in winter, without running the heater/AC. I rarely have a use for running the heater and seat warmers are enough to keep me warm throughout the year. It serves all of our daily needs. We bought an Old petrol Passat for the long drives and vacations
I just hit 30k on my 2018 Leaf and took it in for maintenance. Full battery capacity, no perceivable wear except for the wipers and a couple scrapes. I hated driving until I got this car.
But many of the moving parts are sealed and unserviceable, so they won't be able to tell until it does break. Unlike with an engine you can't just use a bore scope to look inside an electric motor.
Problems with batteries could actually be problems with degraded HV circuitry and not the batteries themselves, which also can't be fixed. But I guess it's up to a dealer to diagnose it so they will blame batteries :P
@@BlatentlyFakeName All the studies I've seen show that the problems with the batteries are consistent with the problems inherent to lithium ion batteries. And the newer models are much better in that regard.
I bought an '11 used some years ago. It had many miles on it and I put many more. Today it is driven by a young niece with over 100,000 miles on the clock. The heat in Texas did degrade the battery but a new one was supplied under warranty. the build quality of the car is very high, never had a mechanical problem. A used LEAF with a good battery is one of the best bargains today for a city car.
Update: The 12V battery died and my niece had it towed to the local Nissan dealer for a replacement. When the shop checked the vehicle's serial number they discovered that the main traction battery, now quite degraded, had been recalled for a defect. While they were replacing the 12V battery they gave her a fresh new main battery for free. While I still miss that little car I am glad to see it in a good home being used every day. How on earth Nissan failed to follow up on this success I will never understand. The coming Ariya, now to be 2 years late?, could have been out in 2006-8 with technology that existed at the time, save for the autonomous bits.
Yes desperate to know the costs of the new battery - can't wait to see video. Might make the 1st generation Nissan Leaf a good second hand budget option for those of us without the cash for a Tesla ...
I've had my '15 for three years now, still drive it like I stole it. How _did_ you keep your tires going so long with all that torque? I'm on my third set! At 7:45 , that looks suspiciously like a J1772 connector. Frankly, I'm surprised there are two different standards across The Pond (voltage differences notwithstanding).
I like how it's possible to install a 60 kilowatt hour pack in a first gen leaf. Here in Portland Oregon a dealer is offering a 2013 leaf with a 60 kilowatt hour battery pack for 13 grand, pretty amazing.
Which dealer is that? Our 2013's battery has lost a lot of capacity, would love to see it replaced, but Nissan's price is exorbitant and they're not even offering the 40 kWh battery (they say it's not compatible with the 2013). I'm not far from Portland, would be nice to talk to them about a replacement.
16:11 into the video: 65k miles. Good service. My 2015 Leaf-S went beyond the 100k mark on the odometer early this March. I commute 60-65 miles round trip for my two part-time jobs. My car has also joined your scratched and dented car club. Still, I am proud of its reliability. No body squeaks. My second year in with this car, the 12-volt battery was replaced. Earlier this year, the three windshield wipers were replaced. A few years ago I replaced all four tires due to tread wear. That was around 50-60k miles on the odometer then. This car is owned for keeps. The dealership cautioned about the logged quantity of fast charging, but it still has the full twelve bars. Thanks for the 97% charge tip - do not plug in. I'll remember that.
Almost exactly my story and sentiments, down to the sourcing a 40kwh battery!. Mine, ex UK, has lived in Jamaica, so only has 3 bars left (it's still used all the time). Thanks for telling my story so well!
I bought a 2018 40Kw Leaf and 25,000 miles on, it is a brilliant bullet proof cheap to run car. For a charge at home, run around in the UK’s temperate climate it’s perfect, and you wouldn’t know there is no active battery management. Different if you want to fast charge of course, but lots of EV users hardly ever do.
Our 2011 Nissan Leaf, now 12 years old is still going strong. Not a single issue in all that time. Not one! Just tires replaced every 4 years or so and 1 12v battery and one change of brake pads in the rear. It is now at about 70% capacity in the main battery. Not ideal, but still fine for a days worth of errand running around town. I was a reluctant EV owner… from a long line of performance ICE cars… but found I liked its snappy around town performance, quiet grace, wonky good looks, interior comfort, and good handling.
Like your enthusiasm about the car, I remember being amazed by it when I first came across one on the motorway. One point though, you took ownership of the car in 2011, the video says review after 10 years and at the end of the video you mention the car as being 11 years old. If I check my Macs calendar it says we live in 2020. What gives? Can you also do a vid like this on the BMW i3, my personal favourite and albeit from some cosmetic changes and a huge battery upgrade, it's still essentially the same car as it came out 7 years ago. Cheers
I still am using my nearly 10 yr. old Nissan Leaf (#712) on the original battery pack that has lost some range but is still able to do 70 miles on a charge which is plenty for me. In that time I have spent about $500 in total for maintenance including a flat tire. Can't be beat.
They are really great overall. Good point regarding the battery management. Glad to see you still have yours! My mom actually bought ours from us. So its still in the family AND she has solar. Good deal all around. Please keep up the great work!
Great video, as ever Robert- thank you :) I am thinking of buying an electric car, but with a view to keeping it a LONG time- as you have with this very cool Leaf. Thing is, I live with a chronic health issue- and so a limited income- hence my wanting to keep the car for ages: the economics of an electric car, as well as the ecological side of things, is important to me. My question then, is simply- if you don't mind me asking- how much is the used battery pack that you have sourced? This will really help me to make a decision. Many thanks.
I know I'm late, but I just purchased a 2011 Leaf with a 50% degraded battery for $3500. Clearly the previous owners didn't take care of it. That said, It still goes 40-45 miles no problem, and that's quite enough for in-town travel. It is the smoothest, most well-designed automotive experience I've ever had. The low power numbers may deceive you, this car is responsive and plenty capable of passing with no shifting or whatever. It just goes -right now- at a moment's notice. We're gonna pop a 40 KWH battery in it when funds allow, and it'll become even more useful. Couldn't be happier with my Leaf.
Got a '13 leaf several months back, it had done over 220k miles (330k km) when i bought it, original battery, vid on channel. Now looking for a 40kwh donor battery too, let me know if you know a good source in EU :) Hope Robert gets his upgrade done soon too! It is even easyer on 13+ leafs, since from that on all the connections are identical, on Roberts '11 car they have to fiddle and change connectors around.
Good to know they'll do that sort of mileage ! I thought our 121k 2014 retired taxi leaf was doing well. It's down to the 50 ish mile range Robert talks about having dropped to 10 bars around last summer at 115k miles.
We love our fugly 2012 3rd hand Leaf. Got a new battery under warranty last year as the car wasn't first sold for many years. I think it's towing close to 30 tonnes of waste bread from local bakeries over a year for our farm. Almost replaced it with a Tesla last year, but decided that it was too much of a financial stretch. Plus Tesla don't supply tow bars in Australia. Look forward to the battery upgrade if you decide to go ahead. Has been asuch a pleasure driving and towing with our Leaf.
To be fair, if I was Ghosn, I would have escaped Japan as well. Their judiciary system is terrible. They force you to confess to things you didn't commit through physical and mental abuse. They took him into custody multiple times but never pressed charges against him because they couldn't prove anything but they kept harassing him and they treated him inhumanely. Japan is dead set on jailing him even if they have to break the law themselves. All he wanted is fair process.
I remember seeing this car at the Winchester Science Festival in 2013, Robert. Glad to see it's still going strong(ish)! I remember having a lovely chat with you there, and you kindly gave me a copy of your book half price because I didn't have enough cash left. You're an absolute gent. Keep up the excellent work!
I would like to see more manufacturers putting frunks in their EV's. Manufacturers like GM and Nissan are still treating their EV's like they're combustion cars, where the engine bay is completely taken up by drive train components. The beauty of EV's is that you don't need access to all of that stuff. All one really needs is access to the coolant and washer fluid reservoirs. The rest can be safely covered up with storage bins to make more efficient use of free space.
Thank you so much, Robert, for the tribute to this automotive masterpiece. It was SO ahead of its time! I owned a LEAF from 2016-2019 until my TESLA Model 3 LR 4WD was delivered and I LOVED IT!!! Sven, Hamburg
Maybe they were outfitted with custom battery packs? That would be much cheaper than an aging ICE vehicle for a taxi service. Apparently, you can get nearly 400 mi of range. That's going to rival contending 4 banger shitboxes (bc of their small tanks).
Hi, had my 2012 Leaf battery swapped to a 40 kwh battery from a crashed 2018 Leaf with 96.5 capacity. Battery shipped from Norway, instructions and software shipped/mailed from Finland, swap and installation done early March locally in Estonia using instructions. Already driven 3000 km on it, extremely happy. Haven't tested yet but more than 200 km (130 miles) with one charge seems likely.
The best car I have ever owned. Mine replaced an f150. I work in the trades and have tortured this little gem. I over load it with building materials and when that's not enough it pulls a trailer. It's cost nothing to maintain and I have 'not' spent $9,000 in fuel. Range is still acceptable and it takes me anywhere I need to go. I love my car. Keep up the good work.
When i first saw this video, it convinced me to make the switch to electric I now drive a 2021 40kw leaf for over a year , and i am not regretting it for one second. Most certainly when i look at the gas prices nowadays. my leaf charges mostly on my own solar pannels , so i am saving a huge amount of money now lol
Thank you for this review. I have a 2017 1st-gen Leaf that I’m fond of. I would like to pay the car off and replace the battery at least one more time when it degrades enough.
I know that most so-called "car people" think that this first generation of Leaf is pig-ugly - me, on the other hand, think it is super-cool looking and beautiful, much more so than the new one with it´s conformative could-be-any-Nissan design. Glad you decided to keep it, this will indeed be a classic.
The LEAF is passively cooled by the ambient air. The heat is conducted away from the battery pack without the need for any fans or liquids. The battery cells are designed to easily tolerate very high temperatures.
I've got a 2015 Leaf, bought it second hand three years ago. It's now done 36,000 miles and still gives me a 90 mile range although real world slightly less than that depending on how I drive it and where. Would never go back to ICE and will probably want to be able to just change the battery when the time comes. If it comes! Absolutely love this car.
Love this video ! Yes please, get a new battery, fix the scratches, do new range tests, and please, let us know about it ! The awesome thing about an old car is that you can tweak it without reducing its value. After a woman backed into my petrol car and I got a Kia Soul loaner when it was repaired, I could see first hand how awesome EVs have become and I now drives a MG ZS EV and is really happy about it even the software could be better.
I bought a 2014 24kWh Leaf last August and we have saved around £1200 in the past 7 months over using our old diesel. It's not exactly cutting edge and the range is a little limited but with proper planning I do 300-400 mile round trips in it. Yes it's not as quick as diving in the diesel and just going there and back non-stop, but it's less than 25% of the cost!
I love my 2015! It's very encouraging to hear how well the old thing has held up for you. And I'm very interested to hear about the battery upgrade when possible.
Nice to see you both together again. About 6 years ago perhaps longer you came to Winchester to do a talk in the leaf for the Cafe Sci. The leaf was parked outside the venue surrounded by cones so you had to walk by it on the way in. I can imagine it was charging but I can't remember the details. Viewers wont be surprised to hear that it was a great evening, Robert is very entertaining. I went with a group in an electric VW golf belonging to a German engineer and enthusiast which was one of a batch of about 1000 early test vehicles. One of the designers long retired maintains stocks of spare parts and advises on restorations. EV enthusiasm is more contagious than the "thing"
Interested to see how the battery upgrade goes. I'm sitting on a 2013 Leaf SL at the moment. It was driven regularly to about 60,000 miles and now gets sporadic use since other EV's have been added to the stable. I've struggled on whether to keep or sell, but I'd love to see a viable upgrade path to make it a good mid range EV.
Nice video. Our 2012 just hit 80k miles, 5 bars on a full charge. We used to charge it no more than 80% but in the most recent 4 years or so, we started doing 100%. It's our daily driver, even during shelter in place. It absolutely needed no maintenance except tire changes every 30k. We didn't purchase warranty and in its first year we have ever claimed several rebates from the federal government, the state, local utility company, and our employers! Worth every penny.
My 24Kwh leaf is 6 years old and it has done 50k miles, but still has 12/12 bars for its battery health and range. The key is to do 80% charge as much as you can, charge at the slowest ‘grannie’ charge rate overnight and don’t accelerate over the top. Therefore this reduces rapid discharge and recharge and keeps the battery protected.
Very interesting and great to hear probably one of the longest term reviews of an EV around. It just shows how reliable this technology is, and the fact that you didn't have to replace the battery 3 times as some would have you believe. Was this not bought with a battery lease? Was there the option to buy outright then? Yes the battery replacement will be very interesting. Whats is the cost? Is any reprogramming needed for the old leaf to accept the "new" 40KWh battery, or is it all handled by the onboard battery management?
There is another video on TH-cam where someone in Australia (I think) swaps out a heavily degraded 24 kWh battery for a nearly new 30 kWh battery (from a write-off). It’s not just a case of removing the old battery, fitting the new one and drive off. You need to fit a special device to translate the control signals from the new battery to the car, so it can calibrate the battery and estimate the range accurately. Also you need another device to pair the “new” battery to the car, otherwise it will not recognise the battery and only run in turtle mode (low speed).
@@davidprescott7463 In my knowledge officially they usually don't upgrade the battery size (even when it makes sense) when they replace it. Was this an original ,,Repair'', or one from a 3rd party workshop?
Hi Robert we have a 2015 techna 24kw that's done 22,000 miles in five years we still get the maximum range and regularly travel from the bottom of Cornwall to Derby and Doncaster, We are over the moon with her. But our curiosity is awakened regarding this up and coming battery swop and we look forward to hearing more when your able to do this, many thanks for sharing and I have subscribed to you. 😊
Would love to know how best to source replacement Leaf batteries. I'm still on 11 bars in my 24kw Leaf, but have no intention of (ever) parting with it........if I can replace the batteries in due course. Any chance of a video on how and where they can be found ?
We bought a 2013 Leaf S used in 2016. Obvious limitations, but it was good enough to convince me that electric cars are the future. We too got it as a second car for the teenagers, but ended up liking it so much that we use it almost exclusively, as long as it's not a road trip. We had some problems with the door handles coming apart, but I fixed them with epoxy glue and now they're fine. Drives beautifully, totally spoiled ICE cars for me. It's not quite as cheap to run for us as it is for Robert, because Missouri requires an "alternative fuels" decal every year as they try to claw back what they would have gotten in gas taxes (and then some). It's what I get for living in a red state.
You don't replace it, you have it refurbished. There is already a video on here of a Leaf having a battery refurb.....it took just a few hours, and the cost was similar to having a new clutch fitted in an i.c. car. God alone knows why so many people seem to think a new battery is needed every few years....
My neighborhood has 3 electric cars now, 2 Tesla's, and a Kia Soul. All 3 work brilliantly! The Soul travels to work and back some 120 miles daily, without recharging. It charges using a plugin in the garage. One of the Tesla's is charged for free, due to a program for early adopters, and it's been on holidays of over 2,000 miles, one way. All of them are amazing vehicles.
15:38 The 2011 Nissan Leaf has all the negative aspects of early electric vehicles manifest in it - as EVs go, it's the absolute worst. It's great! :-)
Robert, Thanks very much. You reminded me why I bought the LEAF. I have not driven it much in recent months as my wife took it over and now we have the virus. I look forward to driving it again soon.
Still love my 2016 30 kWh LEAF...except for the battery. I'm interested in the battery swap review, but ultimately, it will happen again with the same technology. That's really the Achilles' heel of the vehicle.
I am hoping solid state batteries solves this issue. It is one of the reasons I am hanging onto my 2011 Leaf (its being garaged for right now given my line of work takes me off road most of the time).
I'd recommend purchasing a non-white interior Leaf if you want a used one. The initial Japanese imports had a different battery chemistry to all the others making them slightly less long-lasting compared to a more locally produced one.
I'm glad you think that the Leaf will become a 'Classic', I've long thought my 2013 Tekna will be a design Classic, in a similar way to the Citroen 2CV, - so no-one's going to have Posters of it on their wall, but the 'look' is unique, and it works ! And as a Plane Geek, I love the lack of compromises that the designer's made with its Aerodynamics, - love it ! :)
It won't become a classic, it's just another eco mobile. Collectors and car enthusiasts have no interest in the Leaf at all. It's also nowhere near rare enough to hold any value.
@@tanzanable No it isn't. Beetle for all its faults and the T97 it was based on, it was advanced for its time and reliable. My Wolseley 18/85 is a classic - 3rd UK company fwd car *ever* - ADO9, ADO16 & ADO17 if you're curious. Hydrolastic suspension - setting by computer in the 1960s. You can upgrade to supercharger EFI off the shelf.. The other is a Triumph Vitesse - quite innovative in its own way. These all electric cars are godawful, limited, polluting, dead ends. Not to mention dangerous. Good luck having an accident in the rain, or shorting out the main electrical bus through the body.
@@rosiehawtrey EVs don't pollute! They don't burn fuel and have ZERO emissions. They don't need oil either nor do they need tune-ups. They're much safer than gas cars and rain doesn't affect them if there's an accident. They don't short out either. The gas car is an outdated technology. EVs are the future and will replace gas cars in a few years.
Thanks Robert, nice work. Down here in Victoria, Australia I purchased an imported 2013 Leaf. No conversion on the dash. It was 46,0000 km and is now 63,000 km. Two bars lost but because of you and other social media people, I now slow charge between 4 bars and 9 bars mostly, (20% - 80%). A 32 km trip to my office (then charge using solar) back home (charge off peak). It is very inexpensive an tax deductible. I also use it on weekends and charge halfway to my girls place. Overall I can do 90 - 100 km but I’ve not seen the turtle. More importantly it’s so nice to drive and is fast when you need it. I love it and don’t regret buying it ever. I bought it because you bought one. Mal :)
Super minor nit to pick, but at 3:20, Robert says that the 3 companies producing "from the ground up" EVs were Nissan (Leaf), Renault (Zoe) and Tesla (roadster). Except that at the time, Tesla *didn't* produce the roadster from the ground up. They started with a Lotus Elise. It was the Model S that came shortly after that was their first ground-up EV. Of course, Tesla was starting from 0, so its fair to cut them some slack on their first car - Nissan and Renault had been making cars for decades. Ironic that of the 3, Tesla is the only one that really went "all out" into EVs. Nissan stuck with the one car (though I guess they added a van later) and Renault really just had the Zoe and the Twizy.
I want to reveal all that in the show we are making.... at some point, hopefully this year. But it's just short of £4,000 including fitting etc. The whole process of getting the car there, having the battery changed and driving back, what difference it makes, how much it's cost, how long it takes, what we do with the existing battery... all that will be revealed then.
@@fullychargedshow Cheers Bob. Looking forward to the vid :-) I also have a 1st gen Leaf (2014 24kWh) and, whilst the battery is in decent health, it'll be interesting to see how the car can essentially be evolved into a mid-range EV.
@@fullychargedshow Quite a road trip to Holland for electric motor swap then. Something tells me you saved 50% on a new battery by buying a 98% 40kw one.
fullychargedshow wow I was expecting it to cost a lot more. I wish I'd have known this was possible. I part exchanged my 24kw leaf for a 30kw a year ago. And while the increased range is useful I wish it had a little bit more.
Own AZE0 since 2020 ( 2013 year of production ) from USA imported to Ukraine. Had 83,48% SOH and 17.9-18.1 kwh of remain ( remain always fluctuate within 100-300 watt ). Year passed, I was writing down the stats with leaf spy like 10-20 times per each month and you know what? Currently it says 82,55% SOH and the same kwh Remain. Nothing got broken, it drives me every day without eco mode and always with A/C or Heater ( S version so I don't have heat pump ). Getting 55 - 68 miles range. Without A/C / Heater but still without ECO - 83 miles easy on stock steel wheels. This range is enough for me in my city. Amazing car, I just can't see any alternative for it with this price. Definetely gonna just swap 40kwh battery when time comes. P.s. You are not absolutely right that ZE0 leaf can get ZE1 40kwh batter bolt-on. You'll have to use a can-bridge otherwise it will use 22kwh and then throw you a turtle. Also the sockets are completely different especially that some AZE0/ZE1 has heating system for the battery which starts to work if it gets -10 celsius degree and connected to the charger. If we are speaking about ZE1 40kwh to the AZE0 leaf - then yes, it fits bolt-on. The only thing you'll have to do ( nissan, whyyyy you did that? ) is to programm a swapped battery into your ECU ( BCM or VCM, I am not sure ). Currently it is quite easy since last update of LeafSpy allows to do it like with two clicks and for FREE ( if you bought a programm ofc but it is still illegaly cheap :D + you only need to purchase it once ). P.s.s. Nissan Leaf AZE0 - is the best car if it fits your lifestyle and you have a place where you can charge it at home :)
I bought a used 24Kw 2016 Nissan Leaf just over a month ago, before the lockdown came into operation. I purchased it from the Nissan Dealership in Swansea, then drove it back to our home in Bury, north of Manchester. This is our first EV, and that was an “interesting” journey!! Learnt a lot that day about the UK charging infrastructure. What a great car though. My wife wasn’t convinced when I bought it, but now she loves the simplicity and refinement. Though we’re not driving much at the moment, our other car has remained parked outside the house, the Leaf is the natural choice for all local journeys now. It makes our (less than 3 year old) ICE car seem so clunky and outdated.
I would just like to say that this channel is the reason why I bought my first electric car. It inspired me to look beyond the worries of owning a limited range car. Having bought a BMW i3 rex. I am now confident I made the right choice. I dont think I have needed to use the rex ever so could have saved some money buying just a pure electric i3. Thank you.
Yes its one of the ugliest cars I've ever seen. It's worse than a Gremlin or a Pacer. They redesigned it, so now it looks like a dull car instead of a stupid one.
I have a 2016 leaf 57000 miles still as it was when I bought it , serviced when required by the main dealer . The only problem I have had is the car brakes would lock on in reverse , apparently it’s rust inside the handbrake drum as it uses discs and an internal shoes for the handbrake . I replaced the front discs myself . If I can find out the way to do the software I will change the battery myself as I have a two post ramp . Love this leaf cost me £7 last month in charges and we do around 100 miles a week . They are solid and so comfy to drive . I have 2004 ToyotaAlphard for distance and a 1975 Cadillac 8.2 if I want to feel the nostalgia . Love the channel and your enthusiasm .
We bought a used 2012 Leaf the day after I reserved our Tesla Model 3 on March 31th, 2016. We picked up our Model 3 on June 11, 2018, and my grandson (who lives with us) took over the Leaf. The Leaf now has over 72k miles and has dropped 3 bars but still serves his needs well. We also have replaced the 12v battery, a wheel speed sensor, tires, and after an electrical storm caused the inverter to be damaged, it had to be replaced at Nissan dealer for over $3k. Since that storm, I've installed a whole house surge suppressor in our breaker panel and haven't had a problem since. He did slide into a curb during a snow storm and it cost over $1100 for that repair but such is life. He loves his car and at one time wanted a Model 3 but seems content to keep the Leaf for now. Used Leafs are great buys even with the diminished range as long as you can charge at home/work. Our concern with a battery swap is with the BMS and electronic updated compatibility so look forward to your findings.
I've had one of each. It's an apple and an orange. My 2018 maybe is a little classier and conventional looking but my 2016 which I traded in was cool in a very different way. So, in answer to your post I say YES to both.
Today I bought a 2017 30Kw/hr version with 30,000km (20,000 miles) on it, from a main Nissan dealership here in France. It was €14,000 (£12,000 UK). Display shows 182 km after a charge. I drove it 13km and came back with 173km showing, so I reckon it has a very realistic range of 110 miles. That's perfectly fine for 90% of the driving we do. If It does as well at Robert's then I'll be very happy (we also have a lot of solar panels, so I look forward to "Free petrol")
Really nice to see a long-term EV review. It's reassuring for those of us that haven't made the transition yet. As others have mentioned, I'm keen to see the battery swap.
Respect to Robert who has kept using this car for so long despite not needing to. This is the direction we all need to take rather than throwing things away unnecessarily when we see the next new shiny thing. We need to take pride in making things last.
I'll do him one better. I have kept my 2008 Civic since brand new. I've bought another car since but still kept that Civic to lend to friends who wants a car
@@jyrbmI can do you better! I kept a 2001 Civic, until this year. Without buying another.
EDIT: without buying another while owning the civic. I sold the civic in Dec 2023 and replaced it with a Bolt. As I’m 59 yo, I fully expect that to be my final car. 5 cars, 2 used 3 new, for a lifetime.
I really appreciate you keeping onto this beautiful creation 🤘🤘
What a fantastic overview. As a mechanic of 30 years , I’ve seen a few changes in the industry , and watched Nissan decline from one of the great manufacturers to producing some absolute rubbish . And then the Leaf came along. What they’ve done here is truly remarkable, a full electric vehicle for the masses that is actually incredibly well built . I’m so happy I bought one, every time I drive I smile . Yes the range is limited but it kicks arse in every other way. Future classic? I hope so .
Looking at vehicle made now, that get heated steering wheel, when the leaf had it 13 years ago... we have to admit it had lots of things before the others, and the Bose audio system is awesome.
Well, the Leaf is also rubbish, the early ones are damn near unusable at this point.
👍
@@oddjobsandrandomprojects I did, it being able to make it around the block once doesn't make it a properly usable car.
@@oddjobsandrandomprojects I couldn't even go to the mall here with that range, it's not usable.
Hi, I was in charge of the car first generation Nissan Leaf as chief designer. I just want to say thank you for your love for the car. I already retired Nissan, but still having 2011 Leaf as you do and feel exactly same feeling to it. Thanks again.
Oh hello cheers🎉
You should be proud of the work you did. It is a car loved by many and had a transformative impact on evolution of electric cars!
I'm getting a 2013 in 2 days. Not gonna lie. Very impressed with what you made. Exceptionally functional little vehicle for commuting and day to day use.
me when i lie
Thank you guys for comments you made. When I saw the video, I remember my experience of attending the meeting of SF Bay LEAF owner's club event in 2012 or 13. I was so impressed from many comments just like you guys sent.
My mom is still dailying our old family minivan, and I'm thinking that once the van dies and we get a replacement, I'll look in to an EV.
The problem is that it's a Toyota Sienna, so it may never die.
Damn Toyotas.
Like my 20 year old Tacoma.
I ended up replacing my 04 Camry that had over 200K miles with a Nissan Leaf. A day will come where the maintenance of your car is costing you more each month than a monthly payment on a used Leaf would be. (you're already paying more than the monthly cost of a Leaf in fuel alone).
Also just a tip since I did the research on this, Nissan changed the battery chemistry starting with the 2015 models that makes the batteries much more reliable over the long term and starting with the 2016 Leaf they bumped the capacity to 30kwh. It might seem like a deal to get one of the earliest Leaf cars but it isn't, go with 2015 or later.
My Hilux rusted out in 8 years.
My 13yo Lexus finally died. Sort of. 13 years of absolutely no problems - and then it developed a rainwater leak somewhere. The heat/ AC stopped working, and the car smelled.
I finally said goodbye. A $44k car, it was still worth $8k. But in the shape it was in, I sold it for $2k. Worse, now I have to replace it... (but not with a new car. We're both retired and rarely drive, but my wife wants a spare car)
My 9 year old leaf (13 plate), has 110000 miles, 11 bars with soh 81%. Range around 80 miles in summer and 65 in winter. Also replaced the unit head with an android head. Well worth the £7000 I paid for it 5 years ago.
Best explanation of charging issues. We got yelled at by Nissan for too much fast charging on lease return (650 times). Our response was: then why is battery state of health 95%?
hahahaah lol. Nissan itself? Then why they don't start cooling their batteries properly. -_- omg they know the problems. Solve them.
@@HermanWillems cost
It is true that lithium ion batteries in phones are more susceptible to damage from fast charging. It's possible that the tech in the Nissan has somewhat negated this effect, but it's important to avoid fast charging when it's not necessary.
Younes Rabhi Chevy did it with a comparable priced car so at least the 40 and 60 should have got it
@@chrisbellamy7145 The majority of Japanese Leafs are fast charged quite frequently due to the lack of at-home parking, with some people taking advantage of free public fast charging to power their homes. Their older Leafs are now hovering at around 60-70% SOH. It's the heat that fast charging generates that degrades the battery.
I've always been a petrolhead, and first drive the Leaf through Enterprise Car Club. One of the best cars I've ever driven, solidly built, and quietly confident.
Thank you Robert for providing this long term update. I think it is very important for people to see these kinds of reviews especially for vehicles with such a challenged start. My 2013 Nissan Leaf has been as you stated flawless. I have changed a wiper blade and wiper fluid and that is it. I still have the original tires after 56000 miles and have only recently begun to think about getting a brand new set. It is by far the most reliable vehicle I've ever had. Might 2013 Ford C Max hybrid has been very reliable but has needed work occasionaly, because, you guessed it of the internal combustion engine. Showcasing a car such as this early model is important because we can only go up from here. Stay safe my friend and thank you for the wonderful content over the years and please don't give up any time soon.
hello robert just being cheeky can i buy your old battery off you to enable me to convet my canal boat to electric power even with the depleted capacity it will power my boat for miles and be charged using my panels. its now got a 1956 ruston hornsby diesel a bit smelly and chugs a bit and but never misses a beat well not all the time but it would be great to bring my canal boat into the modern age.
That would be an interesting conversion. Would you fit an inboard electric motor or just hang a couple of electric outboard motors off the back of the boat?
I suspect the old battery is retained and good cells repurposed as a way of keeping down the cost.
That would also make a great video on the uses of old car batteries.
No brainer that canal boats should be converted, all marinas have caravan type power now don't they? And Solar power for the times you are out and about, the problem with Robert's Leaf is the cost to get the battery back from Holland! Much better to look for one locally.
I had suggested a video on re-purposing the batteries for a home storage solution but I like your idea better! Robert already has two powerwalls, so this would maybe be a more useful 2nd life for the pack.
I've had a 2011 Blue Leaf since 2014. Bought it on the back of your (and Ian Sampson's) videos. 3 battery bars lost. 2 things have gone wrong: windscreen washer pump and driver door switch unit. Both replaced on the cheap (not at the dealership!). No other problems, no punctures, no lights gone. What a car!
I owned a '11 Leaf SV for a short while, absolutely loved it - was the reason why I subscribed to FC, actually! I live in AZ, USA, literally the worst place to own a Leaf due to the lack of active cooling (40c+ summers, throw a quick charge or two into the mix throughout the day and the battery is at the top of the temperature range). It's, in my opinion, the biggest problem with the Leaf; the range is second to the lack of active cooling. If Nissan put active cooling into the Leaf, it was a perfect first-gen EV.
Still in AZ today, and I contemplate grabbing another, even knowing the battery will degrade at a ridiculous speed here. I really liked that car; yes its a slow EV and yes if I went anywhere beyond 30 miles I'd have to charge somewhere along the way, but I didn't mind. My employer at the time even let me level 1 charge while I was on the clock, with the Leaf evse and a beefy extension cable - so in the evening I had a full battery instead of half (35ish miles one way + second-hand so battery degradation).
My first car was a Mercedes C230K. Great car, but painfully expensive to maintain and run. When I got the Leaf, I was worried I'd have buyers remorse - it's not a luxury car or brand, the battery isn't in great shape, it's not athletic - but that never happened. I absolutely loved that car. Range limitations and all.
🔌🚙
That's Cool! I had a Mitsubishi iMiEV without quick charge. I had it three years and eight months. I miss it despite it's limitations. Now I have a Leaf with quick charge. I like it. I want to drive long distance with it. I drive from Marietta, GA to Macon, GA. Good trip.
A furry? Are you serious? Bet you are subscribed to that nutjob at transport evolved
I bought an EV in 2011 too, but I bought a 2011 Chevrolet Volt. I did years of research before buying the Volt. I lived in Dallas at the time, which is almost as hot as AZ in the summer. The fact that the Volt had a liquid cooled battery and an ICE range extender sold the car for me. And guess what.....I still own my 2011 Volt and it’s still my daily driver. Of course since I am staying at home these days I am not driving it every day. It still has it’s original battery, which will be 10 years old this fall. Thanks
I live in AZ too, but I bought a first gen Volt. No regrets and pack still at (or above) rated capacity.
I ran into the same problem living in Tucson. The heat kills the battery and Nissan still can't accept the idea that the Leaf's need an active battery heat management system. The car I own now is in Michigan, and someday I am hoping with the solid state batteries, I will be able to replace the current batteries with ones that have a lot more energy and don't mind the heat.
Oh my gosh you interviewed Carlos back in the day. So casually. That's huge.
It's a shame they never added active cooling especially for a "world car" when parts of the world are pigging hot.
Or cold
@@MrMarty77 some Leafs do have a heater of some sort 4 the traction battery
Not bad its 10 years old and still going and as he said zero repairs. Nissan Leaf on average have a 97% reliability rating. Know any other cars with that reliability?
danwat1234 FYI, the battery heaters do not come into action untill it is Arctic levels of cold! They are to heat the battery cells in these freezing conditions rather than to regulate the temperatures in mild ambient temperatures for best performance. I am told the best temp for the batteries is circa 25 degrees C.
@@gregandkaruna6674 well, in EV there's not so many parts to brake, so it's not wondering.
Last month I purchased a 2014 Leaf Tekna for just £4000. Battery is tested at 81-82% which is roughly ~75-80 mile range with 64000 miles on the clock. Previous owner had almost from new, full service history shows biggest work was only front brake pads & discs replaced last year, not a scuff anywhere else. Everything works, no faulty lights, buttons, cameras, etc.
It's my first EV and although I admit I wasn't originally looking at the Leaf, I've since fallen in love with it and plan to hold on and cherish it for a long time yet. Still zero tax (for now), I'm lucky to have free charging at my work place, so insurance is really the only running cost. I commute 4 days a week and a couple of social visits, all on a single charge... even with a small battery by modern standards, it's suited for average household daily drives perfectly fine. I can charge on a 3 pin if needed, I roughly worked the cost to be around £12 electric to fully charge during off-peak which isn't a lot compared to a few litres of petrol which probably couldn't give you the same mileage.
The Fully Charged Show also definitely helped and educated me with sticking to my guns and making the switch to an EV, despite the doubts of friends and family... most now who want to try it having seen or been in it 🙂
I have my 2011 nissan leaf for about a year now. Thought it would be the perfect way to have cheap transportation as a 19 year old.
I absolutely love it. And would also love to see a video after the pandemic about the 40kwh battery 😍.
Raf van kerckhoven smart Choice
Nooo, you are too young for leaf :DDD
@@domukas00 how old do you need to be ahah
50! i think
@@That1ufo That's alright for me then! Not had my second hand leaf that long - but really like driving it - even on the 130 (one way) trip I did recently.
I love your video….I have been driving my 2014 Leaf for 8 yrs now with 112,900 km on it and still in excellent shape and only one bar lost so far…cheers to all Leaf owners!
Only lost 1 bar at nearly 113k miles?! 🤯 Please share your driving/charging habits! What's your average speed? What's the fastest you usually drive? What kind of charging do you normally do? What's the weather like where you live?
@BassByTheBay he said kilometers, so that's like 75,000 miles
Robert, when you make the battery swap video, would you mind talking a bit about insurance implications of it being a non-standard leaf please? I fear they'll either not insure you or charge you the earth just because they can...
Yeah this would be really interesting to see how you get on, like with most car modifications a lot of insurers keep their distance and insurers who are comfortable with modified cars I expect won't touch electric cars yet, which is a shame as this surely is a great business for someone to supply upgraded battery packs given most of the cars simply use 18650 or 21650 cells which means adding capacity to an existing shell would be possible for someone.
How much is 40kwh battery
Sounds about right for the industry industry. Spivs.
Why would there be insurance implications? It is not like it would have more HP, accelerate faster and similar. It would just have more range
That would be like charging extra in an ICE car for filling your tank.......hopefully insurance companies would not be that crazy!
I love my leaf. It’s down to 83%. But is great for the shops and short trips. So cheap to run.
Yeah, i have an Opel Ampera with 16kWh battery, and 10.6kWh available. But you can drive a decent ammount on 10kWh. For me 55 to 60kilometer. And it charges up in 5 hours again. I can drive to work and back with it, and for longer trips it does 1 liter 15 kilometers. But the Leaf is a nice second car to have for close by trips.
Leased a 2019 Leaf SL pearl white with 64 kw battery! 250 mile range! Leather interior; received $7500 tax credit off MSRP on purchase on my first EV! Just absolutely like this car! Had charger installed in garage and is simple and convenient to charge! One of the coolest cars I have ever owned!
What about doing uper east for about 4hrs is it great to use
I believe a long run with multiple fat charges improves the state of my 30kwh battery. I'm still 12 bar at 60000 km here in New Zealand.
Love a good fat charge
I’m from nz too and I’m thinking of getting a leaf or Toyota aqua as gas prices are ridiculous rn
I’m really interested in knowing, how much will the battery & swap cost.
If you buy a remanned battery or used battery and put it in yourself, probably $3k-4
Nissan quote £11000 in UK for new battery
Would never have considered having a Leaf until I saw this.
vizionthing - now I am planning on first ever car - a second hand leaf with active cooling of some sorts.
I bought a used one as my first EV. I like it. Not fancy or crazy quick, but nice enough for city driving.
@@TheGerm24 Same here - I bought a second-hand (ex Japanese dealer display model!) 2014 Leaf as my first EV and I'm loving it, even with the relatively low range. Like Robert, I also have solar panels and here in Australia they're even somewhat useful in winter. It has plenty of cargo space and is way better than all the petrol cars I've ever had.
Most of what we do is within 20 miles radius, so we got one super cheap recently with 9 bars remaining. Love it. It might be degraded, but we use it for most of our driving now. Saved us a fortune already.
My wife was terrified when I said we were going electric. She now jealously guards HER Leaf.
Robert I very much and sincerely appreciate the role that you have played in helping to spread the word and reinforce the development of electric cars. Not only were you in the right place at the right time you chose to accept looking further into it. How many people in similar circumstances never did. They were waiting for someone else and still are while the planet's integrity is falling apart and their children's futures are going to be more horrible than it would have otherwise been. Yet and still because of you many other people didn't wait until things were a thousand percent sure and have purchased electric cars. Like myself they probably asked why I did not do it sooner. Ev's are far more sensible than we had been led to believe.
I also owned a 2011 Japan-built Leaf for 3 years but unfortunately my experience of reliability was very different from yours. I lost my first battery health bar at only 17k miles which started to sound those alarm bells in the back of my mind. Then soon afterwards the car would occasionally refuse to start. It would make a single chime when I pressed the start button but then wouldn't go into drive mode. This became more frequent until I just couldn't use the car any more. It was in and out of two local dealers who were absolutely clueless and completely disinterested. It wasn't until I got Nissan UK involved that things started to improve as they couldn't do enough to try to help. They ended up trailering the car to their experts in Sunderland and they gave me a UK built Leaf Tekna to use as a loaner. The improvements between generations were very obvious! Well after a few weeks they managed to fix my car by replacing all the power relays but I never quite trusted the thing again and I was happy to hand it back at the end of the lease. Such a shame really because when it was working I absolutely loved the car.
You probably just needed a new 12V battery lol.
Bought an ex demo 2014 Leaf, 6 months old for £16,000. Always charged to 100%, still has 12 bars and the same range after 55,000 miles. At one MOT a faulty number plate bulb was spotted! That’s it! Ultra reliable, like a small tank. No rust, excellent paintwork. Only issues are I’d like more regen braking and the steering could have more feel.. At the moment feels like it will last forever...
Maybe a show where you investigate 3rd party companies that will refurb batteries rather than just buying a new one? Leaf Spy (app) can show which individual cells have failed and these companies should be able to replace those alone.
bitman do you like that app. LeafSpy.
We had that car here in Oregon, USA. Traded in for a 2016 after extending our lease twice. Just bought a 2020 recently and have loved them all! Test drove most other electric only cars in our market and there is just nothing that competes to this car for us. Comfort, dependability, range...it now has it all as far as we are concerned. Thanks for the show!
I wish Nissan kept the air cooled battery for other products it had enough range 200plus miles that would serve 90 percent of the needs of the people without needing to fast charge often,which it's ache elis heel.
go for the new battery it would be a good experiment , i feel that battery upgrades and exchange will be a future common occurance with the developing used car market. Heres a thought for a new busness a specilist battery replacement manufactuer for used electric vechicles. You could produce batterys taking advantage of higher density, and new advances in technology to upgrade exsisting cars . Just as you have to replace glutches , gearboxes, ect in normal cars whynot the same with evs??.
I found a 2012 Leaf by my house in the US for 3 grand. Two(!) White bars left and the two red of course. It has about a 26 mile range. The Car is great other than that. So I agree, I'd like to buy it and try to locate the larger 40KWH battery as an experiment.
I’m in cahoots with a company called EV Parts, who are in the process of type-approving a bolt-in gen1 Leaf battery replacement with their own architecture taking advantage of density and cost improvements. They wouldn’t commit to a price, but were looking around the ‘£8k’ mark, which is eminently reasonable I think.
With the zoe it's almost a drive thru service its so easy. Manufacturers may resist this though as it devalues the newer models.
@@orangeblade2
I am not so sure about that, one of the biggest issues EV's get is the simple fact that repair is a... interesting concept that is almost unheard of.
The thing is, people get attached to their vehicles... they like them, and expect them to last at least 5 years or more. ICE, Hybrid, EV, it really makes no difference... so at some point, a replaceable battery does seem like a good idea, because I don't think that you want to point at the consumer after 8 years and say "Go get a new one" when you are looking at a cost that is well above $30k on average.
I do think that it will be a tightly controlled thing, you know "Dealer repair shops" or "licensed repair shops" only type deal. Which is annoying, but makes sense.
@@DuvJones looking at the zoe as an example the battery tray is likely compatible from the mark one right through to the current ze50.
I'm guessing the batteries aren't even made by Renault, continental I 🤔? Cars these days are consumables infuriatingly. If you take the battery away the other tech in the zoe shell is incredibly cheap, albeit pleasingly designed. Apart from a few over engineered follies (ampera volt) manufacturers aren't interested in their vehicles lasting over ten years. We the consumers are programmed to think of cars with over 100,000 miles on the clock as worthless. I'm thinking maybe a better solution for someone wanting value from an ev is to go down the conversion route. A little like updating an old bicycle frame. Find a chassis with the character, looks, style you want, even the functionality say an estate. Then install a motor and aftermarket batteries. As the tech improves it'll be easier to replace the components yourself.
Hi Robert,
I have a 2013 here in Norway, exactly the same exterior color. After watching your video, I am inspired to keep my leaf for as long as i can :)
I have done 100,000 KMS, all 12 bars intact and it gives a range of 120km in summer and 100km in winter, without running the heater/AC. I rarely have a use for running the heater and seat warmers are enough to keep me warm throughout the year. It serves all of our daily needs. We bought an Old petrol Passat for the long drives and vacations
You are lucky, but it is Norway and I don't expect you get 35C temps for days on end. In Tucson, that is another matter...
I just hit 30k on my 2018 Leaf and took it in for maintenance.
Full battery capacity, no perceivable wear except for the wipers and a couple scrapes.
I hated driving until I got this car.
It all depends on where you live. UK - not a problem, the temp rarely get’s above 35C. Sydney, Australia - forgetaboutit.
But many of the moving parts are sealed and unserviceable, so they won't be able to tell until it does break. Unlike with an engine you can't just use a bore scope to look inside an electric motor.
@@BlatentlyFakeName There hasn't really been any reports of problems with the electric motors with the Leaf. All the issues are with the batteries.
Problems with batteries could actually be problems with degraded HV circuitry and not the batteries themselves, which also can't be fixed. But I guess it's up to a dealer to diagnose it so they will blame batteries :P
@@BlatentlyFakeName All the studies I've seen show that the problems with the batteries are consistent with the problems inherent to lithium ion batteries. And the newer models are much better in that regard.
I bought an '11 used some years ago. It had many miles on it and I put many more. Today it is driven by a young niece with over 100,000 miles on the clock. The heat in Texas did degrade the battery but a new one was supplied under warranty. the build quality of the car is very high, never had a mechanical problem. A used LEAF with a good battery is one of the best bargains today for a city car.
Update: The 12V battery died and my niece had it towed to the local Nissan dealer for a replacement. When the shop checked the vehicle's serial number they discovered that the main traction battery, now quite degraded, had been recalled for a defect. While they were replacing the 12V battery they gave her a fresh new main battery for free.
While I still miss that little car I am glad to see it in a good home being used every day. How on earth Nissan failed to follow up on this success I will never understand. The coming Ariya, now to be 2 years late?, could have been out in 2006-8 with technology that existed at the time, save for the autonomous bits.
Would love to see a review when you get a new battery fitted. Also how much it costs.
Yes desperate to know the costs of the new battery - can't wait to see video. Might make the 1st generation Nissan Leaf a good second hand budget option for those of us without the cash for a Tesla ...
He saved thousands on the cost of fuel but fails to mention HOW MUCH the replacement battery will cost - surely a major part of the equation??
Raymond Ashby How much is the battery then?
Try to search it on Google. Its around 2-4k usd
@@raymondo162 You need not replace it, you simply have it refurbished, as you would an i.c. engine.......
I've had my '15 for three years now, still drive it like I stole it. How _did_ you keep your tires going so long with all that torque? I'm on my third set! At 7:45 , that looks suspiciously like a J1772 connector. Frankly, I'm surprised there are two different standards across The Pond (voltage differences notwithstanding).
I like how it's possible to install a 60 kilowatt hour pack in a first gen leaf. Here in Portland Oregon a dealer is offering a 2013 leaf with a 60 kilowatt hour battery pack for 13 grand, pretty amazing.
Which dealer is that? Our 2013's battery has lost a lot of capacity, would love to see it replaced, but Nissan's price is exorbitant and they're not even offering the 40 kWh battery (they say it's not compatible with the 2013). I'm not far from Portland, would be nice to talk to them about a replacement.
16:11 into the video: 65k miles. Good service. My 2015 Leaf-S went beyond the 100k mark on the odometer early this March. I commute 60-65 miles round trip for my two part-time jobs. My car has also joined your scratched and dented car club. Still, I am proud of its reliability. No body squeaks. My second year in with this car, the 12-volt battery was replaced. Earlier this year, the three windshield wipers were replaced. A few years ago I replaced all four tires due to tread wear. That was around 50-60k miles on the odometer then. This car is owned for keeps. The dealership cautioned about the logged quantity of fast charging, but it still has the full twelve bars. Thanks for the 97% charge tip - do not plug in. I'll remember that.
Almost exactly my story and sentiments, down to the sourcing a 40kwh battery!. Mine, ex UK, has lived in Jamaica, so only has 3 bars left (it's still used all the time). Thanks for telling my story so well!
I bought a 2018 40Kw Leaf and 25,000 miles on, it is a brilliant bullet proof cheap to run car. For a charge at home, run around in the UK’s temperate climate it’s perfect, and you wouldn’t know there is no active battery management. Different if you want to fast charge of course, but lots of EV users hardly ever do.
Bought a 2nd hand 24kwh leaf 3 years ago because of this channel & still love driving it. Cheers Bobby 👍
Our 2011 Nissan Leaf, now 12 years old is still going strong. Not a single issue in all that time. Not one! Just tires replaced every 4 years or so and 1 12v battery and one change of brake pads in the rear. It is now at about 70% capacity in the main battery. Not ideal, but still fine for a days worth of errand running around town. I was a reluctant EV owner… from a long line of performance ICE cars… but found I liked its snappy around town performance, quiet grace, wonky good looks, interior comfort, and good handling.
Like your enthusiasm about the car, I remember being amazed by it when I first came across one on the motorway. One point though, you took ownership of the car in 2011, the video says review after 10 years and at the end of the video you mention the car as being 11 years old. If I check my Macs calendar it says we live in 2020. What gives?
Can you also do a vid like this on the BMW i3, my personal favourite and albeit from some cosmetic changes and a huge battery upgrade, it's still essentially the same car as it came out 7 years ago.
Cheers
I also love the i3! The original ones are not cheap on the used market, but I heard they can also get the battery upgrade for some countries.
He explains all that in the video if you listen carefully - it was on loan as a press car originally etc.
I still am using my nearly 10 yr. old Nissan Leaf (#712) on the original battery pack that has lost some range but is still able to do 70 miles on a charge which is plenty for me. In that time I have spent about $500 in total for maintenance including a flat tire. Can't be beat.
They are really great overall. Good point regarding the battery management. Glad to see you still have yours! My mom actually bought ours from us. So its still in the family AND she has solar. Good deal all around. Please keep up the great work!
I'm watching this as a Leaf owner from hot and humid Sri-Lanka, thanks Robert, great show! Stay safe and I hope the new battery works out superbly!
Great video, as ever Robert- thank you :) I am thinking of buying an electric car, but with a view to keeping it a LONG time- as you have with this very cool Leaf. Thing is, I live with a chronic health issue- and so a limited income- hence my wanting to keep the car for ages: the economics of an electric car, as well as the ecological side of things, is important to me. My question then, is simply- if you don't mind me asking- how much is the used battery pack that you have sourced? This will really help me to make a decision. Many thanks.
I know I'm late, but I just purchased a 2011 Leaf with a 50% degraded battery for $3500. Clearly the previous owners didn't take care of it. That said, It still goes 40-45 miles no problem, and that's quite enough for in-town travel. It is the smoothest, most well-designed automotive experience I've ever had. The low power numbers may deceive you, this car is responsive and plenty capable of passing with no shifting or whatever. It just goes -right now- at a moment's notice. We're gonna pop a 40 KWH battery in it when funds allow, and it'll become even more useful. Couldn't be happier with my Leaf.
Got a '13 leaf several months back, it had done over 220k miles (330k km) when i bought it, original battery, vid on channel. Now looking for a 40kwh donor battery too, let me know if you know a good source in EU :) Hope Robert gets his upgrade done soon too! It is even easyer on 13+ leafs, since from that on all the connections are identical, on Roberts '11 car they have to fiddle and change connectors around.
Good to know they'll do that sort of mileage ! I thought our 121k 2014 retired taxi leaf was doing well.
It's down to the 50 ish mile range Robert talks about having dropped to 10 bars around last summer at 115k miles.
We love our fugly 2012 3rd hand Leaf.
Got a new battery under warranty last year as the car wasn't first sold for many years.
I think it's towing close to 30 tonnes of waste bread from local bakeries over a year for our farm.
Almost replaced it with a Tesla last year, but decided that it was too much of a financial stretch. Plus Tesla don't supply tow bars in Australia.
Look forward to the battery upgrade if you decide to go ahead.
Has been asuch a pleasure driving and towing with our Leaf.
To be fair, if I was Ghosn, I would have escaped Japan as well. Their judiciary system is terrible. They force you to confess to things you didn't commit through physical and mental abuse. They took him into custody multiple times but never pressed charges against him because they couldn't prove anything but they kept harassing him and they treated him inhumanely. Japan is dead set on jailing him even if they have to break the law themselves. All he wanted is fair process.
Keep up the great work and the attitude ! We all need your smiles. Thank you Robert.
I’d love to see the bigger battery replacement and then compare it to the new shape 40kW model
I remember seeing this car at the Winchester Science Festival in 2013, Robert. Glad to see it's still going strong(ish)! I remember having a lovely chat with you there, and you kindly gave me a copy of your book half price because I didn't have enough cash left. You're an absolute gent. Keep up the excellent work!
I would like to see more manufacturers putting frunks in their EV's. Manufacturers like GM and Nissan are still treating their EV's like they're combustion cars, where the engine bay is completely taken up by drive train components. The beauty of EV's is that you don't need access to all of that stuff. All one really needs is access to the coolant and washer fluid reservoirs. The rest can be safely covered up with storage bins to make more efficient use of free space.
It's cost dude, it's easier to stick all the drive train components under the hood than hide them all and put in a frunk
Thank you so much, Robert, for the tribute to this automotive masterpiece. It was SO ahead of its time! I owned a LEAF from 2016-2019 until my TESLA Model 3 LR 4WD was delivered and I LOVED IT!!! Sven, Hamburg
here in america, i've seen alot of leaf taxis. i live in the middle of nowhere in indiana about 5 minutes from a cornfield.
Maybe they were outfitted with custom battery packs? That would be much cheaper than an aging ICE vehicle for a taxi service. Apparently, you can get nearly 400 mi of range. That's going to rival contending 4 banger shitboxes (bc of their small tanks).
@@TheGuruStud i don't know, but for just moving people around small towns i don't think they would need them.
Hi, had my 2012 Leaf battery swapped to a 40 kwh battery from a crashed 2018 Leaf with 96.5 capacity. Battery shipped from Norway, instructions and software shipped/mailed from Finland, swap and installation done early March locally in Estonia using instructions. Already driven 3000 km on it, extremely happy. Haven't tested yet but more than 200 km (130 miles) with one charge seems likely.
Lucky for Ghosn that he got out when he did, now would be impossible.
The best car I have ever owned. Mine replaced an f150. I work in the trades and have tortured this little gem. I over load it with building materials and when that's not enough it pulls a trailer. It's cost nothing to maintain and I have 'not' spent $9,000 in fuel. Range is still acceptable and it takes me anywhere I need to go. I love my car.
Keep up the good work.
Can I ask roughly how much the new battery you mentioned would cost? Cheap to install too??
When i first saw this video, it convinced me to make the switch to electric
I now drive a 2021 40kw leaf for over a year , and i am not regretting it for one second.
Most certainly when i look at the gas prices nowadays.
my leaf charges mostly on my own solar pannels , so i am saving a huge amount of money now
lol
Thank you for this review. I have a 2017 1st-gen Leaf that I’m fond of. I would like to pay the car off and replace the battery at least one more time when it degrades enough.
I know that most so-called "car people" think that this first generation of Leaf is pig-ugly - me, on the other hand, think it is super-cool looking and beautiful, much more so than the new one with it´s conformative could-be-any-Nissan design. Glad you decided to keep it, this will indeed be a classic.
3:57: False, Nissan Leaf is not air cooled, it's passively cooled. Big difference..
MiEV is air cooled..
The LEAF is passively cooled by the ambient air. The heat is conducted away from the battery pack without the need for any fans or liquids. The battery cells are designed to easily tolerate very high temperatures.
I've got a 2015 Leaf, bought it second hand three years ago. It's now done 36,000 miles and still gives me a 90 mile range although real world slightly less than that depending on how I drive it and where. Would never go back to ICE and will probably want to be able to just change the battery when the time comes. If it comes! Absolutely love this car.
Love this video ! Yes please, get a new battery, fix the scratches, do new range tests, and please, let us know about it ! The awesome thing about an old car is that you can tweak it without reducing its value.
After a woman backed into my petrol car and I got a Kia Soul loaner when it was repaired, I could see first hand how awesome EVs have become and I now drives a MG ZS EV and is really happy about it even the software could be better.
I bought a 2014 24kWh Leaf last August and we have saved around £1200 in the past 7 months over using our old diesel. It's not exactly cutting edge and the range is a little limited but with proper planning I do 300-400 mile round trips in it. Yes it's not as quick as diving in the diesel and just going there and back non-stop, but it's less than 25% of the cost!
I love my 2015! It's very encouraging to hear how well the old thing has held up for you. And I'm very interested to hear about the battery upgrade when possible.
Nice to see you both together again. About 6 years ago perhaps longer you came to Winchester to do a talk in the leaf for the Cafe Sci. The leaf was parked outside the venue surrounded by cones so you had to walk by it on the way in. I can imagine it was charging but I can't remember the details. Viewers wont be surprised to hear that it was a great evening, Robert is very entertaining.
I went with a group in an electric VW golf belonging to a German engineer and enthusiast which was one of a batch of about 1000 early test vehicles. One of the designers long retired maintains stocks of spare parts and advises on restorations.
EV enthusiasm is more contagious than the "thing"
Interested to see how the battery upgrade goes. I'm sitting on a 2013 Leaf SL at the moment. It was driven regularly to about 60,000 miles and now gets sporadic use since other EV's have been added to the stable. I've struggled on whether to keep or sell, but I'd love to see a viable upgrade path to make it a good mid range EV.
Nice video. Our 2012 just hit 80k miles, 5 bars on a full charge. We used to charge it no more than 80% but in the most recent 4 years or so, we started doing 100%. It's our daily driver, even during shelter in place. It absolutely needed no maintenance except tire changes every 30k. We didn't purchase warranty and in its first year we have ever claimed several rebates from the federal government, the state, local utility company, and our employers! Worth every penny.
Very interesting video, thanks. I'm dying to know how much the new/reconditioned battery is going to cost and how it was sourced.
My 24Kwh leaf is 6 years old and it has done 50k miles, but still has 12/12 bars for its battery health and range. The key is to do 80% charge as much as you can, charge at the slowest ‘grannie’ charge rate overnight and don’t accelerate over the top. Therefore this reduces rapid discharge and recharge and keeps the battery protected.
Very interesting and great to hear probably one of the longest term reviews of an EV around. It just shows how reliable this technology is, and the fact that you didn't have to replace the battery 3 times as some would have you believe. Was this not bought with a battery lease? Was there the option to buy outright then?
Yes the battery replacement will be very interesting. Whats is the cost? Is any reprogramming needed for the old leaf to accept the "new" 40KWh battery, or is it all handled by the onboard battery management?
For a production car sure.. But do check out etischer's electric Passat ;)
There is another video on TH-cam where someone in Australia (I think) swaps out a heavily degraded 24 kWh battery for a nearly new 30 kWh battery (from a write-off). It’s not just a case of removing the old battery, fitting the new one and drive off. You need to fit a special device to translate the control signals from the new battery to the car, so it can calibrate the battery and estimate the range accurately. Also you need another device to pair the “new” battery to the car, otherwise it will not recognise the battery and only run in turtle mode (low speed).
@@davidprescott7463 In my knowledge officially they usually don't upgrade the battery size (even when it makes sense) when they replace it. Was this an original ,,Repair'', or one from a 3rd party workshop?
Hi Robert we have a 2015 techna 24kw that's done 22,000 miles in five years we still get the maximum range and regularly travel from the bottom of Cornwall to Derby and Doncaster, We are over the moon with her. But our curiosity is awakened regarding this up and coming battery swop and we look forward to hearing more when your able to do this, many thanks for sharing and I have subscribed to you. 😊
Would love to know how best to source replacement Leaf batteries. I'm still on 11 bars in my 24kw Leaf, but have no intention of (ever) parting with it........if I can replace the batteries in due course.
Any chance of a video on how and where they can be found ?
We bought a 2013 Leaf S used in 2016. Obvious limitations, but it was good enough to convince me that electric cars are the future.
We too got it as a second car for the teenagers, but ended up liking it so much that we use it almost exclusively, as long as it's not a road trip. We had some problems with the door handles coming apart, but I fixed them with epoxy glue and now they're fine. Drives beautifully, totally spoiled ICE cars for me.
It's not quite as cheap to run for us as it is for Robert, because Missouri requires an "alternative fuels" decal every year as they try to claw back what they would have gotten in gas taxes (and then some). It's what I get for living in a red state.
Look forward to the details what the total cost of replacing the battery will be.
You don't replace it, you have it refurbished. There is already a video on here of a Leaf having a battery refurb.....it took just a few hours, and the cost was similar to having a new clutch fitted in an i.c. car. God alone knows why so many people seem to think a new battery is needed every few years....
@@Brian-om2hh Whether you replace only single cells or several cells?
My neighborhood has 3 electric cars now, 2 Tesla's, and a Kia Soul. All 3 work brilliantly! The Soul travels to work and back some 120 miles daily, without recharging. It charges using a plugin in the garage. One of the Tesla's is charged for free, due to a program for early adopters, and it's been on holidays of over 2,000 miles, one way. All of them are amazing vehicles.
15:38 The 2011 Nissan Leaf has all the negative aspects of early electric vehicles manifest in it - as EVs go, it's the absolute worst. It's great! :-)
Robert, Thanks very much. You reminded me why I bought the LEAF. I have not driven it much in recent months as my wife took it over and now we have the virus. I look forward to driving it again soon.
First I've heard that a 40kwh battery can fit straight into a gen1 leaf..?
I've watched a video of another guy adding a 40kw battery to his Leaf, but I don't know the year of his car.
Excellent and thorough review, thank you!
Still love my 2016 30 kWh LEAF...except for the battery. I'm interested in the battery swap review, but ultimately, it will happen again with the same technology. That's really the Achilles' heel of the vehicle.
I am hoping solid state batteries solves this issue. It is one of the reasons I am hanging onto my 2011 Leaf (its being garaged for right now given my line of work takes me off road most of the time).
Solid state batteries will probably cost more than a new car when they first come out!
I'd recommend purchasing a non-white interior Leaf if you want a used one. The initial Japanese imports had a different battery chemistry to all the others making them slightly less long-lasting compared to a more locally produced one.
I'm glad you think that the Leaf will become a 'Classic', I've long thought my 2013 Tekna will be a design Classic, in a similar way to the Citroen 2CV, - so no-one's going to have Posters of it on their wall, but the 'look' is unique, and it works !
And as a Plane Geek, I love the lack of compromises that the designer's made with its Aerodynamics, - love it ! :)
It won't become a classic, it's just another eco mobile. Collectors and car enthusiasts have no interest in the Leaf at all. It's also nowhere near rare enough to hold any value.
@@BlatentlyFakeName - It's a classic in the same way that the VW Beetle is a classic.
It really isn't lol. It's no more a classic than a Vauxhall Corsa is is.
@@tanzanable No it isn't. Beetle for all its faults and the T97 it was based on, it was advanced for its time and reliable. My Wolseley 18/85 is a classic - 3rd UK company fwd car *ever* - ADO9, ADO16 & ADO17 if you're curious. Hydrolastic suspension - setting by computer in the 1960s. You can upgrade to supercharger EFI off the shelf..
The other is a Triumph Vitesse - quite innovative in its own way.
These all electric cars are godawful, limited, polluting, dead ends. Not to mention dangerous. Good luck having an accident in the rain, or shorting out the main electrical bus through the body.
@@rosiehawtrey EVs don't pollute! They don't burn fuel and have ZERO emissions. They don't need oil either nor do they need tune-ups. They're much safer than gas cars and rain doesn't affect them if there's an accident. They don't short out either. The gas car is an outdated technology. EVs are the future and will replace gas cars in a few years.
Thanks Robert, nice work. Down here in Victoria, Australia I purchased an imported 2013 Leaf. No conversion on the dash. It was 46,0000 km and is now 63,000 km. Two bars lost but because of you and other social media people, I now slow charge between 4 bars and 9 bars mostly, (20% - 80%). A 32 km trip to my office (then charge using solar) back home (charge off peak). It is very inexpensive an tax deductible. I also use it on weekends and charge halfway to my girls place. Overall I can do 90 - 100 km but I’ve not seen the turtle. More importantly it’s so nice to drive and is fast when you need it. I love it and don’t regret buying it ever. I bought it because you bought one. Mal :)
Hi Robert, How much roughly are you expecting to pay for the battery?
TIA.
Super minor nit to pick, but at 3:20, Robert says that the 3 companies producing "from the ground up" EVs were Nissan (Leaf), Renault (Zoe) and Tesla (roadster). Except that at the time, Tesla *didn't* produce the roadster from the ground up. They started with a Lotus Elise. It was the Model S that came shortly after that was their first ground-up EV. Of course, Tesla was starting from 0, so its fair to cut them some slack on their first car - Nissan and Renault had been making cars for decades.
Ironic that of the 3, Tesla is the only one that really went "all out" into EVs. Nissan stuck with the one car (though I guess they added a van later) and Renault really just had the Zoe and the Twizy.
How much are you paying for the new battery Bob?
I want to reveal all that in the show we are making.... at some point, hopefully this year. But it's just short of £4,000 including fitting etc.
The whole process of getting the car there, having the battery changed and driving back, what difference it makes, how much it's cost, how long it takes, what we do with the existing battery... all that will be revealed then.
@@fullychargedshow Cheers Bob. Looking forward to the vid :-) I also have a 1st gen Leaf (2014 24kWh) and, whilst the battery is in decent health, it'll be interesting to see how the car can essentially be evolved into a mid-range EV.
@@fullychargedshow Quite a road trip to Holland for electric motor swap then. Something tells me you saved 50% on a new battery by buying a 98% 40kw one.
fullychargedshow wow I was expecting it to cost a lot more.
I wish I'd have known this was possible. I part exchanged my 24kw leaf for a 30kw a year ago. And while the increased range is useful I wish it had a little bit more.
May make people wonder to buy an older car, and just upgrade the battery
Own AZE0 since 2020 ( 2013 year of production ) from USA imported to Ukraine. Had 83,48% SOH and 17.9-18.1 kwh of remain ( remain always fluctuate within 100-300 watt ). Year passed, I was writing down the stats with leaf spy like 10-20 times per each month and you know what? Currently it says 82,55% SOH and the same kwh Remain. Nothing got broken, it drives me every day without eco mode and always with A/C or Heater ( S version so I don't have heat pump ). Getting 55 - 68 miles range. Without A/C / Heater but still without ECO - 83 miles easy on stock steel wheels. This range is enough for me in my city.
Amazing car, I just can't see any alternative for it with this price. Definetely gonna just swap 40kwh battery when time comes.
P.s. You are not absolutely right that ZE0 leaf can get ZE1 40kwh batter bolt-on. You'll have to use a can-bridge otherwise it will use 22kwh and then throw you a turtle. Also the sockets are completely different especially that some AZE0/ZE1 has heating system for the battery which starts to work if it gets -10 celsius degree and connected to the charger. If we are speaking about ZE1 40kwh to the AZE0 leaf - then yes, it fits bolt-on. The only thing you'll have to do ( nissan, whyyyy you did that? ) is to programm a swapped battery into your ECU ( BCM or VCM, I am not sure ). Currently it is quite easy since last update of LeafSpy allows to do it like with two clicks and for FREE ( if you bought a programm ofc but it is still illegaly cheap :D + you only need to purchase it once ).
P.s.s. Nissan Leaf AZE0 - is the best car if it fits your lifestyle and you have a place where you can charge it at home :)
I bought this car back in 2011 and I've had it eleven years ! Erm what year is this ?
Not even 10 !
Kryten can time travel as well :)
I bought a used 24Kw 2016 Nissan Leaf just over a month ago, before the lockdown came into operation. I purchased it from the Nissan Dealership in Swansea, then drove it back to our home in Bury, north of Manchester.
This is our first EV, and that was an “interesting” journey!! Learnt a lot that day about the UK charging infrastructure.
What a great car though.
My wife wasn’t convinced when I bought it, but now she loves the simplicity and refinement.
Though we’re not driving much at the moment, our other car has remained parked outside the house, the Leaf is the natural choice for all local journeys now. It makes our (less than 3 year old) ICE car seem so clunky and outdated.
More places in more countries should offer old leaf pack swap 😎
I would just like to say that this channel is the reason why I bought my first electric car. It inspired me to look beyond the worries of owning a limited range car. Having bought a BMW i3 rex. I am now confident I made the right choice. I dont think I have needed to use the rex ever so could have saved some money buying just a pure electric i3. Thank you.
The only real deal breaker for me is the looks - it's HIDEOUS.
yes, and I've grown to endure it! sometimes you just have to laugh.
Yes its one of the ugliest cars I've ever seen. It's worse than a Gremlin or a Pacer. They redesigned it, so now it looks like a dull car instead of a stupid one.
And air cooled battery
I love it! It's cute and has character.
It’s a Nissan, end of!
I have a 2016 leaf 57000 miles still as it was when I bought it , serviced when required by the main dealer . The only problem I have had is the car brakes would lock on in reverse , apparently it’s rust inside the handbrake drum as it uses discs and an internal shoes for the handbrake . I replaced the front discs myself . If I can find out the way to do the software I will change the battery myself as I have a two post ramp . Love this leaf cost me £7 last month in charges and we do around 100 miles a week . They are solid and so comfy to drive . I have 2004 ToyotaAlphard for distance and a 1975 Cadillac 8.2 if I want to feel the nostalgia . Love the channel and your enthusiasm .
Even the Tesla roadster was a converted ice chassis from lotus.
We bought a used 2012 Leaf the day after I reserved our Tesla Model 3 on March 31th, 2016. We picked up our Model 3 on June 11, 2018, and my grandson (who lives with us) took over the Leaf. The Leaf now has over 72k miles and has dropped 3 bars but still serves his needs well. We also have replaced the 12v battery, a wheel speed sensor, tires, and after an electrical storm caused the inverter to be damaged, it had to be replaced at Nissan dealer for over $3k. Since that storm, I've installed a whole house surge suppressor in our breaker panel and haven't had a problem since. He did slide into a curb during a snow storm and it cost over $1100 for that repair but such is life. He loves his car and at one time wanted a Model 3 but seems content to keep the Leaf for now. Used Leafs are great buys even with the diminished range as long as you can charge at home/work. Our concern with a battery swap is with the BMS and electronic updated compatibility so look forward to your findings.
Who else prefers the look of the original LEAF vs the new LEAF?
I've had one of each. It's an apple and an orange. My 2018 maybe is a little classier and conventional looking but my 2016 which I traded in was cool in a very different way.
So, in answer to your post I say YES to both.
I love the original, that backside , those eyes....the new ones look like every other Japanese car.....
@@theta2170 bit strong there not that bad
I prefer the dash of the older LEAF with its cowled speedometer, the next best thing to a head-up display
The new LEAF does look a little boring, prefer the original.
Today I bought a 2017 30Kw/hr version with 30,000km (20,000 miles) on it, from a main Nissan dealership here in France. It was €14,000 (£12,000 UK).
Display shows 182 km after a charge. I drove it 13km and came back with 173km showing, so I reckon it has a very realistic range of 110 miles.
That's perfectly fine for 90% of the driving we do. If It does as well at Robert's then I'll be very happy (we also have a lot of solar panels, so I look forward to "Free petrol")
"for the ignition system" 8:15 lol
bitman “electrons starting to move in a completed circuit” system
Really nice to see a long-term EV review. It's reassuring for those of us that haven't made the transition yet. As others have mentioned, I'm keen to see the battery swap.