Why The Nissan LEAF is Still A Good Buy In 2023*
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 26 ก.ย. 2024
- [Edit: Due to an unexpected power cut while we were trying to remedy and issue with this, we were forced to re-upload this video. We're sorry for the inconvenience.
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We - like many TH-cam channels and news outlets, have discouraged people from buying the Nissan LEAF as a used car, primarily due to concerns over battery degradation and rapid charging capabilities.
But the reality is that for many buyers, the Nissan LEAF is an ideal first (or second) car.
Here’s why we’ve changed our minds.
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Script, Presenter: Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield
Camera, Editor, Coloring: Michael Horton
Art and Animation: Erin Carlie
Audio and Producer: Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield
© Transport Evolved LLC, 2022
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Links:
Should you buy a Used EV with super-high mileage? - • Should You Buy A Used ...
Eight electric cars you can buy without breaking the bank - • Eight Electric Cars Yo...
Should I buy a used Nissan LEAF and replace the battery? - • Should I Buy A Used Ni...
Please note that link backs are not endorsements.
Kyle at Out of Spec Motoring - / outofspecmotoring
Dala’s EV Repair: dalasevrepair.fi
EV Rides LLC, Portland: evridesllc.com
EVs Enhanced - Aotearoa evsenhanced.com/
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We drive a used 2015 leaf for 5 years before upgrading to a 2022 Bolt. The leaf was a reliable daily driver. It was almost 8 years old when we traded it and it had 80% of the original battery health. The only maintenance we did was tires, efforts and replaced the 12 volt battery (not the traction battery). When I looked at the total cost of ownership it was by far the cheapest car I have ever owned. Our base model leaf didn't even have a CHAdeMO port. But that was ok because there wasn't any CHAdeMO chargers within 150 miles of my house. It was a strictly local car. When people asked me what I did if we needed to go out of town, my response was, "I do exactly the same thing I did before I bought the leaf, we took our other (ice) car". If you are a 2 or more car family, adding an EV as a daily driver can be an easy thing to do, if you have a place to charge it at home or the office.
Thank you! We just bought a Bolt EUV, and we can barely afford that! A lot of EV channels act as though everyone gets $7500 credit. That's not true. If you are low income, you don't have that credit coming because you don't pay that much in income tax. A used Leaf may be perfect. (You have just blossomed, Nicki! I'm so happy for you!)
@@garydmercer I'm not sure. It would be worth checking. The rules seem to be a bit muddy.
I'm still driving my 2015 24kwh leaf. It has fully paid for itself in fuel savings and still has more than 80% of its original range after 160k km.
This video is spot on! I live in Florida and I'm still driving my 2013 Leaf S trim, with no fast charge port (it was cheaper without!). I drive about 10-20 miles a day on average, longest drive is 50 miles once a week. I get 60 miles per charge (I charge to 80% most days) or 80 miles with a 100% charge. It's fine! I get where I need to go, I charge it from a regular boring wall plug socket. I intend to change it for something with longer range in a year or two, but I'm in no hurry. Our other car is 2011 Prius and that's what we use for longer trips. I have 10 bars (out of 12) on my battery, and it's a replacment battery that was installed under warranty in 2017.
I wish Nissan would offer me a decent price on a bigger battery though.
My 2018 Nissan Leaf called Harvey Milk was my most beloved vehicle. I took it from Northwest Arkansas to Saint Louis and from there to Kansas City and back home. A 1k+ trip and he did fabulously with his 150 miles range. We found lots of people at the EV stations who asked about him. And I was so happy to talk about my car. After that we decided to do a similar long distance road trip from Northwest Arkansas - Dallas - Austin - San Antonio - Houston - Matamoros, México! - and then back home to Arkansas though Houston.
Texas, Arkansas, and Missouri don't have the best charging infrastructure that California and the East Coast has now. But with good planning and patience, a Leaf can go anywhere reliably. I loved my Harvey Milk and the 20k miles he gave me before he went back to Carvana. I moved to Aotearoa and the amount of leafs here is hilarious - all thanks to Japanese imports. They are all in pretty beautiful colours too. I will always be a defender of the leaf. Thanks Nikki, this video speaks to me and its making me a bit emotional lol. I love the humour about the people in the comments 🤣 🥰
Great name!
I've had a Leaf for the past 5 or so years, first the 40kWh one and now the 60kWh one. It's a perfectly good car for someone who lives in a temperate climate like the UK, where there aren't any really extreme temperatures. It's comfortable, spacious, range is fine, the boot is relatively huge. Really it's only the CHADEMO charging that is its major issue - if Nissan just updated it with CCS and kept everything else the same it'd be fine, so long as the price was competitive. Maybe the interior is a bit dated, but hey, if that means physical buttons for climate control, I'll take it.
No one understands why Nissan didn't switch to CCS in Europe and North America when it did the facelift 2.zero version. It wouldn't have been a massive change, but it would have kept the car relevant. I simply cannot recommend the LEAF as a new car to anyone, because you want such a vehicle to serve it's owner for, hopefully, over a decade. Even if it gets handed down a few times. But with CCS being the de-facto standard, that will become more and more difficult for anyone that buys it is their only car.
And to think that the L stands for Leading...
CHADEMO is still widely used in Japan. I also believe Nissan greatly underestimated how long it was going to take to bring the new Ariya SUV to market, that is far more advanced (and more expensive!) than the LEAF. I still drive and love my 2012 LEAF, but its poor original traction battery is fading away. I'll keep driving it until it dies or I can figure out what to buy next, maybe a Tesla if serious safety issues like phantom braking are resolved.
@@Hans-gb4mv I think I'm the US, the demise of Chademo is greatly exaggerated. First of all, so long as 150,000 Leafs are on the road, there will be a business incentive to keep it alive UNTIL there is a universal new system that is backwards compatible with both it & CCS. And in the event that competitors try to snuff it out prematurely, this is America, and when things go wrong in America, people get sued.
If the majority of charging is done at home, is Chademo a huge issue?
@@CascadeDuSel Yes, actually, because when you need Chademo charging, you REALLY need it with as little stress as possible, because you're usually in an unfamiliar place and are tired from having just done 150-200 or so miles of driving.
My work buddy's wife leased a Leaf a year ago. Lack of at-home charging hasn't been a problem, they live in a development behind the dealership they got the car from, so a couple times a week she plugs the car in there (free charging for customers) and takes her afternoon walk on either side of dinner by walking home and then back to pick the car up a few hours later.
So smart!
I've got a 30 kWh Leaf. My son asked me whether I would buy a Tesla, and I said no. The Leaf has all the range I need. I love how it drives, its capacity, and its simplicity. My mum has a newer Leaf, and it comes with a bunch of features, such as more cameras and driving modes. The only issue is battery degradation, which is faster than ideal. Awesome cars.
Easy to replace the battery - so many many available!
Thank you for making videos for the rest of us! Thanks!!
When i first began looking at EVs, choices were limited. I was between the Leaf and the Kia Soul EV. Both great cars, but we ultimately chose the Soul because we're tall and it had greater head room than the Leaf. That was the main deciding factor because both cars were fantastic for our driving needs at the time. Loved that Soul and I'd have it back in a heartbeat.
See, it was the same here. Leaf or Soul ev (or Model s) both with the same range. The Leaf fit more and was more spacious so it appealed more for us. Sure, I ended up waiting because in the Canadian winter, neither could appease my range anxiety and take my 125km daily drive without my worrying. Sure, now that I drive the Bolt, I'm not worried anymore that either the Leaf or Soul EV could do it but I didn't know that then.
Another reason people rent cars for trips is they have limited miles on a lease.
I own a 2019 Leaf SV Plus and it fits about 98% of our daily driving needs in San Diego, CA. Before this we had a 2015 Nissan Leaf. The 2019 Leaf allows to get all around San Diego and make trips to Orange County and Los Angeles as needed. We have a house so we can charge it overnight as needed. We do keep a 2015 Honda Pilot that mostly stays parked in our driveway that we use as needed for longer trips.
A perfect second car used for commuting. Had one for coming upto 7 years and as i paid it off 4 years ago ive had free motoring since. Nothing to maintain. 2 tyres and a fluid washer motor are the only items I've had to spend out in that time. 24kwh performs fine but not for travelling beyond daily commute but it's not really intended for that.
I bought a new Leaf+ last year. I live in Seattle and never drive further than Portland or Vancouver which are both withing the range of the Plus. 99% of the time I don't need to use public fast chargers, but there are plenty of Chademo chargers along the I-5 corridor if I needed to (I have only had to fast charge 6 times in the last year.) At the time I bought it, you could no longer get the Tax credit for the Bolt and it had also suffered its first recall pointing out the good design and reliability of the Leaf. It was the perfect car for me and I am still happy I got it.
We have 2 Leaf Pluses and road trip them often. We had a 2013 Leaf prior and love/ed them all. Our 2019 S+ was only 23K after fed credit. While Bolt is better deal now, Leaf Plus S+ was the best buy for many years.
Chademo support, funny enough, is still expanding, not declining as is often reported.
It’s good to see your coverage of the used market in this enjoyably informative show.
Hmm, that a deliberate mis-edit "You don't have to buy a used EV if everyone is is buying it for you". Funny that. Is that a hint at someone buying one for a giggle?
Love the Leaf though. I've had mine from new for over 2 years as our only family car. It does the same work duty as our old one, probably more actually. I'd never have driven my ICE cars to London and back for fear they wouldn't mechanically last the journey. I've done Fully Charged twice in the Leaf. Loads popping up on the road here, Sunderland must be pumping them out, the main Taxi company in Glasgow has put loads on the roads. I'm just waiting for someone trying to get into my car now thinking I'm there to pick them up!
I'm also very happy with my 2015 -- very solid commuter vehicle.
One other positive point for the LEAF for many U.S. customers: they are assembled here in the United States, unlike the new Nissan Ariya that will be imported from Japan. Sadly, for now, all the highly acclaimed Hyundai/Kia/Genesis EVs are imported from South Korea, but we hope that will change in the next several years.
I so appreciate the thoughtful content TE pits out on the interwebs. Great video! 👏
I entered the EV universe with a second hand -low milage 2017 BMW i3 which I now own for 3.5 years . 114000 Km ( 70,800 miles ) trouble free Km/Miles later I am more than delighted with the quality , comfort and performance of this little jewel .... and the second hand market permitted me to experience an affordable EV .
I drive a 2018 Nissan Leaf. I'm waiting for the delivery of my Ariya. I still love this car for 99% of tasks. I'm looking forward to improved radius and fast charging capabilities. For most people, a Leaf is a great car for affordable, daily driving. I'm happy to hear you acknowledge what a good car this still is for so many.
Well said you nailed it. I own a 24kwh do a 40 mile commute, it does me 95% of the time with out any causing issues to my life.
Two years ago I purchased a low mileage 2017 LEAF. I also retired and stopped commuting. With +/- 100 mile range, yet I plug the car in only ONCE A WEEK (overnight at 110volts no less). It’s a perfect car for my present lifestyle. For my range needs? Easy, I can pop over and rent a car (or truck or suv). QED!
Thanks for the confirmation!
I still really like the original design of a Leaf and I've been looking into used version that still have around 10 of the bars of battery health left. Many of these still have enough city range for the most of us
Make sure you use Leaf Spy to verify the battery SOH. It will be tough finding a 2017 or older Leaf that still has over 75% SOH but they do exist. I recently sold my 2015 after 63,000 miles and it still had 83.5% SOH (lost it's 1st bar at 58,000).
Christian, feel free to Gmail me at Bernard j hughes (without the spaces). I'd be more than happy to help in your search in whatever way I can. Let me second the prior comment about the importance of Leafspy.
In the caribbean where islands are pretty small, meaning less kilometers to drive, the leaf is actually a very cost effective vehicle for those wishing to get into the EV world. So while it might not appeal to most in larger countries, its great to small islands.
Really appreciating this deeper look at a good possible daily use car. Will have to consider one of these next year and the fact there's a robust and active 3rd party/DIY aftermarket movement for them is all the better to my thinking.
Great content! As usual. Just a bit funky editing at the end.
We are cheerfully driving a 2014 Nissan Leaf that we have owned since 2017. This morning at the freezing point it showed me 85 miles on the guess-o-meter. Typical journeys for us are about 40 miles round trip, or less. I am keeping this thing forever. If the battery degrades slowly until it's insufficient, we'll haul it to Quebec, where a battery replacement is available.
Oh, nice! That's a great option!
Happy new year,great informative video,thank you.👍🏻
Exactly correct on the electronics reference, components only for me for a few decades now! Great info on the Leaf, thanks!
Yes. Yes. And yes. I sincerely wish I'd taken the Leaf more seriously when I was shopping. I'm happy with my Bolt, but in hindsight I didn't need a car with so much range and I could have saved myself money getting a 40 kWh car with honestly good (not amazing) fast charging support.
This is a very important perspective -- thanks.
Thank you for this "perspective correction" - no car is perfect; and any electric car is better than an ICE, in terms of conserving our environment.
Great video, thanks. My wife and I just made the decision to purchase a Leaf it's been a three year quest finding the right EV or hybrid. In the long run is the clear choice for us. We too live in the Northwest and being old have no plans whatever of traveling outside the Puget Sound area.Hope you had good holidays and that is will end up being your best year yet. Jim🥸
As always great videos Transport Evolved crew! I recently traded my used 2015 Nissan Leaf in for a used 2020 Chevrolet Bolt EV Premier. Yes it has 2 recalls outstanding. In the mean time it is driving me around Southern Oregon no problem. The nearest Chevy dealer to me said they would contact me when replacement parts are ready.
Thank you for this! (bit of an editing glitch ~16:25)
I’ve a 2016 Leaf 30kw It hasn’t ever gone wrong, caught fire or won any beauty contests. It’s perfect for my use case. They are only appreciated by those in the know.
I loved my 2012 LEAF. In some ways, it was better than my Model 3. I'd buy another, except… Nissan does need to finally swap its CHAdeMO port for a CCS, and add Thermal Management to its pack. If they'd just make those changes, and keep building and selling them, consumers would gladly buy them.
I drive Lulu all over the place, up and down the Coast from Washington to California, Nevada, Salt Lake and one trip to Michigan. Despite the lack of a CSS port and thermal management, she has 90% of her 40kwh pack and gets me where I'm going 99% of the time 😁
@@joehubris1 Good for you!
I had one of the last 24 kWh. Cheapest car I ever owned. Still got ALL battery bars after 79000 when I sold it.
ChaDemo is popping up almost with every new charging site .. even the HPC - I am actually surprised - but that's a fact and they are rarely blocked.
It is a fine second car still for the low cost and it has ample room.
(Now we have a model 3 and an id.3).
We own a 24kWh Leaf 2014, bought it about 2 years ago, live in Sweden = cold climate, drives about 12,000 km a year, it has 103,000 km on the meter, it has about 91% battery SOH, works great, in Sweden there are more Chademo chargers (607) than Tesla Tesla chargers (338), drives long distanse only a few times a year (5?) and knowing the limits of the car and planning accordingly that is not a problem (but it is slow), did a 5 day 2500 km trip this summer, best car we ever had but also the by far newest and most expensive, but cheap to drive (around home) and service, has bought a 300W inverter but not used it yet (and hopefully never will need it)
Hey thanks for the t-shirt explanation, I am one of those who always wants to know what they say! Congratulations on being able to wear it, I'm resurrecting old clothes too for the same reason. I'm seriously thinking I need to get some alterations done as I begrudge throwing out perfectly serviceable clothing. Wonder if there's a channel that would help me remember how to use my mum's old table sewing machine🤔
Agree about the Leaf as a great used car, we looked at them before we got the Ioniq38kWh. I must admit i was worried about the likely condition of the battery and the Hyundai came along at just right time. It's such a great car that I'm so glad we chose it. Even in that cold snap we had before Christmas the lowest mileage we saw was 3.9 miles per kWh, winter average is about 5.1 and we are low mileage drivers these days so we're getting on fine with it.👍🇬🇧🏳️⚧️🏳️🌈
nearly 800km/500 miles from the time i woke up to the time i went to sleep is my record in a 30kWh Leaf with 11 bars of health. not too shabby and probably more than plenty of cars on the road around me(i am from a small country) have done in a day. yes, there was a 5h brake(one i unfortunatelly couldn't turn into an AC charging oppurunity) in between, it was a drive from and to a concert.
I bought an off lease 2014 Leaf SL six years ago. Had 15,000 miles on the odometer and it was $10,000 and I knew what I was getting, ie 80 mile range…going in. I have saved the purchase price in gas driving it thus far. (My ICE car only gets 20 mpg..ugh)
I have had to replace the 12 V battery (twice!), replaced the tires, did a front brake job and some front end ball joints or control arms that had gotten loose, pretty normal stuff. It took me to work and back just about every day - 35 miles round-trip with no issues.
All in all I have been very happy with it. It just recently lost one bar on the battery health meter which I consider to be pretty good for an EXACTLY 10 year old EV. 74.4k on the odo now.
Bonus- I was able to plug it in at work every day, no fuss no muss. I rarely ran it under 50% and 98% of my charging has been slow roll on 110v.
When the Leaf becomes un-driveable its getting replaced with a prius prime and the old ice car goes too.
Just after I saw this video, I decided to buy a 2016 Nissan Leaf, even though I live in Phoenix. The decision is based on the fact my 2013 Ford Focus electric needed a $4000 part that I cannont find and has been on backorder with Ford since September 2022. I received $2000 on the non-working FFE and made a deal of $8000 out the door for the Leaf. I have always know of the Leaf problem in AZ but I also know that there are some people working on the replacement battery, the car came with a J1117 and CHAdeMO, quick charge in CHAdeMO but only 52 miles of range with seems to be true. Also I go to the mountains in New Mexico in the summer so the car will not be used during that time.
I've watched this channel for the past couple of years and appreciate your very well thought out videos. Keep up the good work.
As you know, I am a supporter of The Leaf and Chademo architecture.
I still believe that America is missing the boat on this one.
Vehicle to grid and vehicle to home or load is a huge deal. 🤔
It would help fill in the gaps in our electrical grid infrastructure with the adoption of more renewable energy systems.
The Leaf can do some amazing things that the average person does not realize.
I tried to buy a new Leaf this winter, but there are none to be had right now, and the wait list is over 6 months.
My wife needed a vehicle, and we just could not wait, so now we are the proud owners of A Kia Soul. It works out fine for my wife, and we just take my Ice Silverado for long trips.
I am hoping to get an Electric or at least range extended truck in the near future.
I have reservations on a Canoo and Atlis XT pickup. Still waiting.
I love the original Leaf but in the near future I am going to get a used one to drive back and forth to work again.
I have to drive 75 miles round trip to the nearest town and my old Leaf could not make it but the Chevy Bolt does it no problem.
I actually have a soft spot for my old Leaf and would rather drive it instead. I will have another one again in the future and will upgrade the battery for everyday driving.
Thanks Nikki!
This was spot on.
We have just bought a 2018 Nissan Leaf we are so happy with it.
We live in Sweden and the first trip we took (when we bought the car) was over 400 km, no problem, even if it's not the distance we normally will drive. It's about 50-60 km per day.
And this video confirm the thoughts we have about the car.
Great video and i love the humor in it.😃
Thanks for sticking up a bit for the LEAF. I bought a used 2019 SL Plus a few months ago with only 7K on the odometer and love it. It was to replace a 2008 Versa hatchback which I have always used as my local runabout since I have other vehicles for longer trips anyway. Has worked out perfect for me. I guess maybe I am one of those sub-set buyers you spoke of.
Very interesting alternative perspective.
Really great video to kick off the new year... Super fun and happy, great jokes...
Soooo WELL spoken! Thank you for this REAL world view on EV's
Our pleasure!
Great video with very useful perspective. This is the TE Nikki version that I truly appreciate.
I’m really interested in a vehicle to grid system for my Kia Soul but can’t find much (any) info out there
Nissan should add a bit faster CCS charing to the LEAF, *maybe* active thermal, and sell it another 5 years. It's worth mentioning that the newer larger packs just don't have the degradation problems of earlier cars. Also, Dala has not changed the motor for his hotrodding project - only upgraded the inverter. Even the Ariya uses the same motor(s?) as the LEAF.
Thank you for this video. The leaf is a great little car, especially for 2 car households.
Ps I live in very hot 🔥 Perth Australia and it's fine. It's air-conditioning is so cool.
I noticed your weight loss in this video but wasn’t sure. You confirmed it at the end.
You look great, and congrats!
spot on i have my leaf 3 years now awsome car
Cool video there are also some reliability advantages from having having an air cooled battery, as in the Nissan Leaf. If you live in a temperate zone as in the UK a liquid cooled battery system is not essential, and adds to the complexity and therefore the long term maintenance costs. Much like the old VW Beatle if your performance requirements are not high, a simpler air cooled design may benefit you. Worth thinking about
I would consider a used Leaf Plus once they get to a reasonable price. Perfect for running around the local area. Although by then the used BEV market will be stronger anyway so we'll see what choices there are in a few years.
I love my 2023 Leaf. ❤❤❤. It works as advertised. I am very interested in a vehicle to home option and hope Nissan will make this available in the US soon.
For a subset of our driving the super cheap used 2012 LEAF we bought 2 years ago has allowed us to get 12,000 miles of use from it. Considering we paid $2300 for it and only put tires on it that means for 3 grand we’ve done decent miles and it continues to roll happily down the road, just not very far or very fast. But we live in a suburban house with charging in our garage so it’s easy the charge. The biggest problem is that the LEAF competes for parking spaces near our charger with two other plug in cars in the household and so there’s a bit of a shuffle required. If we could acquire a used pack with less degradation we’d probably try swapping it out locally but the cost is prohibitive to transport the car to Atlanta which is 600 miles away to the south and the home of the nearest LEAF swap specialist.
I would only recommend a Leaf in a cold climate. In an area like mine where it gets very hot in the summer I would not.
Usually only watch TEN
good video
Happy new year
Have both the 2019 & 2012 Leafs.
Both purchased for towing produce for and from our farm. Its replaced a thirsty Landcruiser.
The newer 40kWh Leaf as taken us for longer trips when parents needed more support 400km away.
I prefer the feel of driving the 2012, but like the adaptive cruise, and less regular charging of the 2019. Battery in the 2012 was replaced under warranty, and is still at 80% soh.
I still prefer to take a train into the city, even though it cost more and takes longer when there isn't gridlock. It's almost like some form of autonomous electric mass transit.
I’ve owned my 2018 LEAF for two years now, and I love it. I’ve never rapid charged it; Leafspy reports a single rapid charge in its lifetime and excellent battery health. I drive 4 miles to work, I’ve never had a range issue on longer drives. I am even considering adding a Comma AI 3.
what is its SOH? do you charge to 100%?
Your description of the "average driver" described me perfectly and yes I'm a sucker that bought a 2023 nissan leaf and I love it I've owned it since last October and the first time I've ever HAD (level 3 charge because if i didnt the car would die before i got to my destination) to "fast" charge was when I drove 148 miles to see my grandparents on Christmas which was just under my base model leafs 151 Mike range. I drive 40 miles a day for work and I charge once everyday at home. Even In the extreme (southern us) cold it did just fine. That's all I need or want it for a cheap reliable commuter car
Hi Nikki,
Great content. I got the impression that you were quite focused on the potential backlash of comments and I would like you to know that there’s many people who are happy to deal with keyboard worriers and appreciate your content. I wish that the support system was prominent enough that you didn’t feel like you needed to add the comments in the video. You have built a lot strong reputation over the years with high credibility :)
Good luck and I love the videos your team produces!
Go team Leaf 🍃, I love my 2015
Only problem I have is the lack of chargers in my area. North of Tampa Bay is a charging desert 🏜 I'm hopping more will come out .
Yesterday I was watching Watch JR Go and he had purchased a about 96 97 Electric Geo Metro. The Lead-acid batteries had just been replaced and my understanding was it got 30 miles per charge. Can't wait to see what needs to be done to it. I also wondered if the 12 volt batteries were replaced with a more modern type how much more miles you would get with the less weight and more charge usage.
At least in Australia, renting a house is very normal. Most rentals are actually houses of some kind, most with off street parking and while getting an EV charger installed is often off the cards, running a heavy extension cord will get you 2.4 or 3.6kW of AC charging.
I also want to see more people doing the 'hot hatch' performance upgrades with the Leaf.. A replacement controller board in the inverter will get a lot more power and eventually replacement battery packs that are liquid cooled will make these things an awesome small and fun machine.
Can’t wait to get rid of our 2015. It’s been solidly reliable but at 79% SOH winter range is abysmal, even in the south with a very short daily commute.
Also, beware, if you spend $10k on a used battery installation and the car gets totaled, insurance may only reimburse you for the value of the car based on its actual cash value.
Yes my baby leaf is loved again 💕 mine is imported from Japan & it's been chipped by NISMO 0 to 100 in 9 seconds & liquid cooled. 2015
👀👀... Wh-h... How?!
@@toyotaprius79 I bought it 2 years ago with 48k & one bar missing. It lost my one bar at 62k after I was hammering free fast charging up to 3 times a day. I only home granny lead charge at home from solar now. They started charging & removed chademo. It has coolant & a pump running when charging
@@waynelevett3632 That coolant loop is for the onboard charger, not the battery.
Thanks a lot for this good video. I bought a new Leaf 2020 .I love it . What do you think about the new Arita ?
Ty for the video I have a 2015 s trim leaf purchased 6/2022 with a soh 85.5 %and I do live in fla, so with the heat. I have only lost 2.43% of battery capacity and I am expecting to have soh of 81% by 6/2023. As others have said. Evs are just appliances and you replace when no longer usable for the owner. Keep the faith for affordable ev motoring :)
Thanks!
We have a 2012 LEAF that we bought with a failed onboard charger. We got it dirt cheap and replaced the OBC ourselves. Yeah, it's range is limited. It still fits our fleet as the local grocery store runner that my Partner uses while our Chevy Bolt deals with daily commutes and yes, long distance trips. I would never recommend a new one outright. If I hear of someone talking about them, I will tell them that the car is a regional car only, and to ensure that this limitation is something they can live with. If Nissan would simply invest in an update to the LEAF as a MCE, and ditch the obsolete CHAdeMO port and add active thermal management on the LEAF, they would have an awesome entry level EV. I legit loved our 2019 SL+, but those two issues after a horrible summer road trip in it, resulted in it quickly being traded in for our Bolt.
crazy too as im pretty sure the van variant on the same running gear; the ENV200 had some sort of battery conditioning from memory. Why that couldn't be ported over to the Leaf design I'll never know.
I have had my 40kwh teckna for 4 years now, and it never fails to put a smile on my face. I think the combination of ease of driving and the ability to get more range by slower, careful driving is well....fun! It has its faults, driving position, non adjustable steering, and long journey times when rapid charging over 150 miles...oh and the stiction of the brakes when pulling away...but one pedal driving makes everything else a mute point. I will drive it till it dies.
I honestly have a challenge with the “average of” per day. We don't drive every day, and often the trips we take are two to three times the year divided into a daily average.
I need to go once a quarter to Quebec, a 700km trip from where I live in Ontario. That's not possible without an extra hour or two of charging. While I may not be the average driver, I'm not abnormal. Ask them how many 300km+ trips they take a year. That's when you learn the pain point of EV ownership. It's possible, but it's a pain and, for some, scary to be vulnerable at a remote charging station in the middle of nowhere or at a closed strip plaza.
I owned a Leaf and drove home 25km at -27°C which was only possible without heat. That's when I gave up on the Leaf and bought a Kia Soul EV but that wasn't a big enough range difference and degradation dropped 20% of capacity in under 65K km.
If you're going to get an EV make sure at an 80% charge it can go well past your average long drive. That will compensate for eventual degradation and cold weather driving.
On my third Leaf which is a 2023 Plus. Why? Bullet proof, highly maintenance free. Fun to drive. Estimator has been 284 to 240 so estimate about 230 miles range actual. In summary I love my 2023 Nissan Leaf!!!!
As of now, the Leaf is the cheapest EV hatch back available to me. Sadly I live in one of those places with 40oC summers. I also have friends that had a leaf and complained about its hot day performance and forked out the money for the Tesla. Luckily for me at some point this year the Chinese hatchbacks (MG M4 and BYD Dolphin) will arrive with prices under that of the Leaf.
Whoa, cool. Is that in the UK?
Yes! I agree completely! I bought a 2013 Renault Kangoo van for all these reasons. We also have a Tesla but the van, which only has a range of 65 miles in the summer and 45 in the winter, is perfect for taking the dogs to the park or forest (a 30 mile round trip). Or to the DIY store or to pick up shopping. It was instrumental in my wife deciding to get an MG ZS EV for herself when she found she was taking the van in preference to her old Audi A3.
These old cars have loads of service to give and ours now gets more use than our “main” cars. Will it take us to Europe for our holidays? Nope! But it definitely has its place in our lives.
I don't have access to charging at home or work. I also required a large (interior) due to being tall and spouse who is taller with extremely long legs. We went for a Bolt EUV. I normally use a free L2 charger about 2.5 km from work once a week and bus to and from there (or in warmer weather use my electric scooter) I also have dozens of 50KW dcfast chargers in the areas along my commute which is approximately 20KM each way. If I was willing to give myself a bit of range anxiety I could go 2 weeks between charges and still be fine.
the Leaf would have been on my shortlist except for:
1) legroom
2) can't charge at home
3) lack of chademo chargers in the area where I live
As a member of one particular "subset" of the motoring public, the 59.2 % of households (2020 figure) that have two or more vehicles, I can attest that the Leaf is the perfect 2nd car, no actually primary vehicle. Nearly all the "short" trips under 150 miles, so 90 to 95% of the usage, are in the Leaf. It is always charged at home. The occasional 450 mile trips in the gas guzzler are just fine, having previously saved a 100x the fuel costs, and no stopping for charging. Plus, check out the Consumer Report reliability rating, bets the Tesla hands down. On our 3rd Leaf having had a 2013, a 2016 and our current 2019 SL ePlus. Not perfect in every way, but worth every penny.
Oy, Nicki; what’s with that audio just before the end of the video? Sounds like someone got a little trigger happy with the “wrap up” audio track. That aside, very good video. My ‘16 LEAF just got its first gear oil change (50k miles), and it was pretty badly needed. See @Dala’s video for details, etc.
And on the point of daily commuting, I did a little thought experiment with some anti-EV temporary workers at my job this past harvest; how far would they be willing to drive for a 4-hour shift, with a max wage of $20/hour? Most answered an hour and a half. So okay, on I65 around Lafayette Indiana, that’s about 240 miles round trip at the local cruising speed of 90 mph, and assuming that your driveway is directly off the entrance ramp to the interstate. Watching them try to backpedal away from that scenario was hilarious. When I made them give actual distance examples, only one guy came close to the 75 mile one-way (mixed driving) commute that a 90 minute drive would create. I then asked if he’d be driving an prius, rather than the brand-new Camaro that he was using as his daily driver; “hell no”. And when I pointed out how that would be No-Less-Than 3 gallons of gas in a prius, and over 7 gallons of gas for his actual daily driver, he started to realize that he was screwed; this was back when gas was barely 3/gallon, so “it’s not that much to drive a (insert gas guzzler vehicle model here)” was a common refrain. Needless to say that nobody talks about gas vs electric when I’m within earshot.
Just curious.....as the name of this channel insinuates, are eBikes, eScooters, hydrogen vehicles/energy ecosystem, and electric autocycles going to be covered more extensively as time goes by?
Maybe it's only me but I wish your videos toned down on the sarcasm and sticked to journalism
Yes and anyone interested I’m selling my Jolly EV 2016 Leaf with 60000 miles. Well hopefully MG are buying it in part ex for what the Leaf now should be a 2023 MG4 Trophy same Grey colours and size but 250 real world miles.
Thank you
we were explicitly looking for a ze0 leaf with 30kWh battery and finally bought one last week. there were no other models in our short list except maybe a ze1 leaf but they are still too expensive as used cars, considering the fact that they almost cost the same as a new mg5.
No, we never would have wanted anything else but a ze0 leaf. And we're consider the missing thermal management an advantage, since it keeps the annual inspection costs low.
My partner recently bought a 2022 Prius Prime, 25miles on a full charge. I own a 2023 Chevy Bolt EUV and tried to suggest she buy a Nissan Leaf at the same price with 125miles of charge. Nope. She was dead set on the Prius. To me, the Prius has not evolved, even the newest version only gets 35miles per charge.
You look nice, Nikki. Yeah, the Leaf is a good daily car to drive. I love charging it for free on the Volta charger at my Publix supermarket and free in the wall at Atlantic Station while I watch a movie at Regal Cinemas. Free charging is the best! I like the smaller size of the Leaf, because it can fit in my more places.
4:20 I’m confused. I thought Leafs had switched to use CCS. Is it J1772 for Level 2 charging and CHAdeMO for DC fast charging, or what?
Great vid :)
I have a 62kw leaf and I charge it once per week overnight at home, from an ordinary 13amp socket [UK]
We got a new Leaf 40kWh as our second car (beside a Model 3). It cost us just below 18000 Euro which is about 40% of the id.3 while having at least the same room.
A real steel in my opinion.
Of course the Chademo is outdated but there are still by far enough installed and we are charging it anyway at home.
And it still drives great even though it surely doesn't feel as prefectly engineered as some other newer (and way more costly) competitors.
18000 new or used?
All correct.
I managed to retain 83.5% SOH after 63,000 miles in my 2015 Leaf. But there are things I could have done to have preserved the SOH even more had I known. I knew not to frequently use HVDC charging (CHAdeMO), and especially when the battery temperature was elevated. I knew that extended periods of high-speed driving (above 80 mph) elevated battery temperature and I knew that HVDC charging in between periods of high-speed driving (rapid-gate) was detrimental to the battery. What I didn't know was that charging to 100% every night then leaving the car sit overnight (nearly 12 hours) at 100% could slowly accumulate damage. Or that charging to 100% and allowing the vehicle to sit over the entire weekend every weekend was also accumulating damage. Even though 100% is only indicated it's apparently still high enough that the car shouldn't be allowed to sit for extended periods. I've also learned after reading a recent cold weather study on the Leaf (performed by the Alaska Center for Energy and Power), that NMC battery chemistry should only be charged with Level 1 at any temperature below 49F to prevent a condition known as "lithium plating". The study is titled "Cold Weather Issues for Electric Vehicles (EVs) in Alaska" and can be found via Google. Lots of other great information about EV batteries and making them last longer.
well some people don't have 50K-65K lying around in the bank for a Tesla, so Leaf is a cheap alternative
Never, and I mean never buy this car new. The price drops like a lead weight used! I bought one 4 years old for $10k. It was $42k new.