Nissan's 2023 Leaf Is The Pragmatic & Affordable EV Nobody Seems To Want
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 30 พ.ค. 2023
- Often the butt of jokes and the object of Tesla owner's scorn, the Nissan Leaf is actually a solid EV. The price is right, the vehicle is likely sold at a profit, the efficiency numbers are high and the interior is practical and roomy. The trouble is: the Leaf isn't as exciting as a Tesla. If you can look beyond "excitement" however, you'll find a trusty EV that does exactly what it set out to do: provide an electric alternative to an affordable hatchback.
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If you want an EV but don't want to show off, you get a Leaf. Definitely the practical EV for the majority of people that don't do lots of road trips.
This seems like a great commuter choice for most owners in temperate climates. Charge it at home and use the requisite crossover for longer trips. I can't remember the last time I drove more than 100 miles in a day.
Or more than 20 a Day for Me................Paul
I bought a basic leaf in 2018. It is the best commuter car. I will roll over 110k miles this week with marginal battery degradation. I don't care about actively cooled batteries or quick charging. It handles the 75 miles a day plus round the town driving without issue. Complaining about the range misses the obvious design decisions made.
Hello, do you know what the deterioration is on your Leaf. My 24kWh Leaf has lost 15% in 5 years which is about right.
@@GavinScrimgeour My degradation is less than 10%. The older battery packs seem to degrade worse than the 40kwh ones.
@@ebpondel Thanks for getting back to me. It certainly seems the 40kWh packs are far better than the 24kWh and definitly the 30kWh packs.
Not To sure how a 37000 vehicle is cheap
My 2012 LEAF still impresses me 11 years later. I wanted to get a longer range EV but still haven’t found anything that is as practical or nice to drive.
Thanks for re-reviewing the forgotten but very practical Leaf, appreciate it!
This was the best review that I've watched. Thank you.
I'm "new" to the EV world, bought a 2013 Leaf last year and a 2015 Leaf this year (matching set black and white - so cute). We use them for ALL our around-town driving that was killing our fuel budgets. @13:00 is one of the most important reasons I picked the Leafs over others, and will probably pick up a newer leaf when the time comes to upgrade. Virtually no other manufacturers tell you up-front what sort of battery degradation the thing has. It's either advanced diagnostics, or "charge it up and drive till you're dead and find out". On the older leafs, it's right there permanently on the instrument cluster. I can look at pictures of the dash and know instantly if it's a good deal or if the battery needs to be replaced soon. In the new leaf, they buried it in a menu, but at least it's there.
The only reason I may go with a Tesla or something else when upgrading is the Chademo port. Maybe there will be a conversion kit down the road, but those rapid chargers for the few times that you do need to charge while out on the road with Chademo aren't as common. We rented a tesla specifically to try a road trip and it went well, primarily because of the charging network. But, to overcome the vehicle cost is a steep hill to climb.
I added 2 leafs to my driveway and they are paying their entire expense in fuel savings. Can't do that with many other EV's. And they fit my family of 6 great, because all 6 of us are never together, and when we are, it's probably a long road trip and we are taking our gas van or truck. But for all the "junk miles" we rack up for our daily lives, these are excellent.
Excellent review.
I've had a Leaf for 7 years. It goes great. When the first Leafs came out the batteries weren't that good. After they improved the battery I got a 2014. Traveled up and down the west coast. Charged at RV parks when I had to.
The battery has degraded about 25 percent at 121,000 miles, but I can still get 60 miles per charge. Did a fair amount of fast charging.
Today's batteries have been improved even more. I wouldn't hesitate to to buy a Leaf today. I wouldn't hesitate to travel with one especially since they can go a minimum 114 miles.
It's interesting to see you getting 3.9 miles which is what I was getting when I first drove my Leaf. Several sets of tires and resetting the brain I get 4.3. I also over inflate about 3 psi. Learning how to drive an EV is essential for getting the maximum mileage. Its an entirely different experience from ICE in some ways. People with ICE cars hyper mile to get better mileage. It is pretty much the same with EVs.
I knew what I was getting into and I was up for the adventure.
Love our 2018 Leaf. No noticeable battery degradation. 150 mile range is fine for most of our driving, and charging at fine overnight is all we ever do. I test drove the Ariya yesterday, and the biggest advantage is the increased room in the front. Trunk and back seat space is about the same. No e-Pedal was a huge disappointment. We'll probably just upgrade to an SV Leaf for a little more range and still save $15k.
What state are you in? In really interested in the leaf because of the price drop but reading through these comments, I know fully understand why the prices have dropped so much.
You can actually check degradation right on the car's menu.
@@sprockkets How do you do this?
@@renetoy44 I didn't end up buying one but it is in one of the menus somewhere.
I love my 2013 Leaf SV. I got it last month with 42k miles for $2k. It’s so great around town.
I have a 2013 Leaf S.
Saved me SO much money on my commute - monthly payment of $100, and had free charging everywhere, so I was spending the same for the whole package as I used to spend *just on gasoline*.
I upgraded to a Mach-E later, and let my parents borrow my Leaf. They liked it so much that my mom bought a 2021.
P.S. We live in Salt Lake City, and had a historically-snowy winter this year. Front charging port was never a problem. It's my favorite location for a charging port, even in the snow.
i have a leaf since 2020
best car ever.......for my needs that is
This was designed to be a commuter car. If everyone just dc fast charged it would make a EV more expensive then gasoline. For local driving and charging at home the leaf is hard to beat
I had a chance to test drive one of these, honestly I like it a lot more than the Bolt. I prefer the styling of this, the size, the overall feel. But.... no CCS/NACS and an air cooled pack are an immediate non-starter for me, although, depending upon battery degradation, I'd happily pick one of these up as a commuter used in 5 years
Battery degradation was never due to being air cooled, it was due to the chemistry.
@@sprockkets didn't say it was, but it also certainly didn't help. You also got wildly varying range statistics because it uses resistive heater, and the pack is at different temps depending on ambient temperature, and 1dcfc per 24 hours
@@Black-Villain depending on model it has a heat pump. You'll still be able to fast charge more than once just fine, if you have the larger battery. Plus it still charges faster than the bolt anyhow. Not a big hurdle there, but still.
There discontinued it , and are going to replace with a crossover in 2025
Lots to appreciate about what the Leaf offers at the price point.
We road trip our Leafs up to about 600 miles/day. With a little planning, it is very manageable.
Good for you. Do you road trip with 2 or more passengers?
@@peterpanimg we have 3 kids and used to jam them all in the back with our gen 1 Leaf. 2 are in college now, so usually just have 3 or 4 in the car except if visiting one of the colleges. 5 adults in the car is a bit squishy now, so only for short trips.
Definitely manageable but significantly increases the amount of time, not to mention the hassle. Frankly I’d only road trip in a Tesla with their supercharger network. EVGo, Electrify America, etc sometime are touch and go sometimes depending on season and region unfortunately.
@@zetaplus7911 I avoid EA unless it is truly the only option.
I like the LEAFs. I’m on my third one. Had a 24 kWh one for five years (I actually liked the styling), traded it for a 40 kWh one five years later (about six months before the 62 kWh ones started being delivered, but the price difference was significant due to an election result removing ~$14k CAD of incentives if I’d waited), traded that for a 62 kWh one five years after that (just last month) (a used 2020 model because I waited 7 months for the 2023 one I ordered and they still couldn’t give me a delivery date (Canadian production allocations were presumably low due to Nissan wanting to get the customers affected by US sales incentives before they dropped. That and the SL+ being discontinued in the US probably de-prioritized that trim for production in general) and over 7 months the used car market and hence my trade in value dropped a lot - more a third).
Being in Canada, where all trims have the cold weather package, with heat pump and heated front and rear seats, as well as active battery heating (which the UK ones don’t), that wasn’t a factor for me in trim levels. I did like the wing mirror turn signals and the subwoofer so went for the SL+ over the SV+
In addition to the pluses you mentioned that worked for my family (Primary ones: price/value for money, buttons and controls we like and were used to, bigger trunk, comfortable, good size, rear wiper, decent lane keeping and one pedal driving (lack of which in the Ariya was one of the reasons we didn’t consider it)), we also view the CHADeMO port as a plus for our use case. It has more options for using the car for home backup power/load shifting at higher draws than anything else in the price range in Canada, or even at significantly higher price ranges. The bigger battery should allow us to load shift substantial parts of our peak TOU electricity. Also markedly increases the number of places we can use this car instead of the hybrid we also have for day trips.
Another factor was that we quite like our dealership as well as trust the company more than a number of the other options.
The backup power system is extremely expensive for the Leaf and not widely adopted…given how price sensitive you claim to be, listing this supposed advantage is disingenuous.
@@smartelectriccar Value for money is relative. And it depends on what the person wants. Put it this way. Compare it to other options:
1) How much would it cost to get a 59 kWh standalone stationary home battery system? That’s on top of an alternate vehicle that you can’t use for V2X. Said alternate vehicle for comparison would have CCS, and probably liquid cooling, but how much of a factor those are for a given buyer will vary. In my case, neither of them add much for how I use the car. To be fair, if you’re using a standalone system, you’re probably going to use more of the battery on a daily basis for load shifting since you’re not needing to keep a reserve for actually driving it, so you can earn more of a return in savings on your electricity bill. It’d probably add a few hundred dollars a year to my Time of Use savings. Both would displace tens of hours of natural gas and noise pollution from combustion on a comparable whole home standby generator in power cuts. How much that’s worth to someone is again, individual.
2) How much would it cost to get a different vehicle you can use for home backup and load shifting? Right now in North America, that pretty much means a Ford F-150 Lighting, which for a lot of people looking at a LEAF, would probably not be a good fit for them anyway. The truck obviously does some additional things you don’t get with the LEAF, as well as having a larger battery pack, but it costs a heck of a lot more, uses a lot more energy to get around, and is impractically large for how I use my car.
Different people have different priorities and different use cases. The V2X consideration was absolutely a real one _for me_ when I got the car. And I was clear about that being the case. It’s an early adopter thing in North America but it exists, and people do it. It helps that I have family who works in the industry, but that wouldn’t stop it from being a factor.
Where in Canada? Shouldn't need to worry about active battery cooling in Vancouver, right? I don't do road trips either, rather fly.
Lack of liquid cooled battery pack was why I chose the Niro EV over this.
When considering the price can I ask why you didn’t go with the Chevy bolt instead? Isn’t the Nero like almost 10 grand more than a Chevy bolt?
@@TristenHernandez I guess that was too small.
Liquid cooling is not so essential in Northern states. That said I assume you live in South.
@@TristenHernandez the Niro feels a decent amount nicer than the Bolt but I don’t think it would be worth the huge jump in price
Drove both the bolt and Niro and the Niro is well worth the money. Drive imo is much better and so is the smart cruise control system and other options. The bolt is good but it wasn’t as nice as the Niro.
Great video. I love how you explore the complexities of EV options in the current market.
Our 3yo Leaf with the nmc532 million mile battery is still running at 110% EPA range. My 12yo Leaf is at 85% range. Best EVs made. Most reliable, safest, longest lasting, most economical. 13 years zero battery fires and only one fatality. Compare that to weekly Tesla fires and weekly fatalities. The Leaf is the best family EV.
Lack of battery fire issues were part of reason we bought our 2022 SV plus. For my 5’2” wife, leaf visibility was much better than the Bolt’s visibility. She also loves the surround camera for in city parking.
Before the Bolt price drop, Leaf S Plus was the value champ. Chademo reliability is still ahead of ccs, but it's new installations are falling behind the rate of expansion for ccs.
Really appreciated this video. The new EV market in my area (MA) has been agonizing, especially following the announcement of the Bolt being discontinued, so I've been tracking the used market fairly closely. I've had my eye on a 2022 standard-range SV as my first EV for a little while now and this is encouraging me in that direction with the higher end of my family's daily driving capping out around 70 miles.
with all the adapters and changes, and mods for the leaf that give it ccs charging, im sure via an adapter at the minimum, charging wont be much of an issue. I regret i sold my leaf, but i did it mid used car boom and made a healthy profit, but i want it back.
I just completed a 1700 mile road trip in my 2022 Nissan LEAF. I did not experience range anxiety at all, but it did require some planning since there aren't yet chargers at every freeway exit... They are still building new Chademo charging stations in the US. A typical Electrify America will have 1 50 kW Chademo (which is almost always available) and a bunch of CCS, EVgo may have a few 100 kW Chademo and even Tesla among the CCS, and Chargepoint seems to have 62.5 kW chargers with both CCS and Chademo cables. Note that the Chademo charge rate is typically limited by the LEAF, but the 62 kWh LEAF fast charges surprisingly rapidly, given Chademo's limitations. My anecdotal evidence is that one should keep an eye on battery temperature when fast charging. Fast charging seems to heat up the battery much more than driving. OTOH the Nissan air cooled battery is very safe, since there are no coolant loops that could leak into the battery pack. BTW - I got the entire $7500 tax credit!
I bought a 2023 40kw sv and I'm pretty happy with it. Range is not a concern of mine and neither is fast charging. It will be charged at home 99.99% of the time. The upgrade paths and aftermarket options along with easy to find parts are why I bought it over the other very limited options. The thing I do not like so far is the ground clearance and the dealership.
Air cooling only is rough, but with the Bolt getting discontinued, this is really the only affordable option remaining. I test drove the Leaf and loved it. Chademo and lack of liquid cooling are the only reasons I didn't choose it over the Bolt.
Air cooling is one less system to maintain. Good car if not used for road trips
@@Milhouse77BS is there much in terms of maintenance for EVs with liquid cooled packs? I feel like most have incredibly long fluid change intervals which really shouldn’t be a concern for most first or second owners.
@@Milhouse77BS Fair enough, and you're probably right. However, living in a very hot climate, I was worried about premature degradation regardless of road trips or fast charging. The first generation Leafs had bad track records for that sort of thing.
also 1/3 less range.
Unless in Phoenix, Leaf does 400 miles in a day with minimal heat concerns. If doing 500-600 miles in a day, you need to plan a bit. The Leaf charges faster than the Bolt on the first charge, it's pretty dead even on the 2nd and may go a bit faster on the 3rd, depending on ambient temps. So think hard about how often you need that many full DC charges.
We live in the Pacnw and love our 2022 Nissan SV plus and our 2023 Subaru Outback Onyx. We feel that we have the best of both worlds with our hybrid fleet. Both together cost less than $65 K. Neither car has a sunroof which we didn’t want. Birds-eye view camera is the best Leaf surprise. We chose the Outback over a Tesla Y for better ground clearance for camping off forest service roads.
We charge our Leaf in our garage via a 220 15-30 dryer outlet about once a week.
Good review, as usual. Great for temperate climates. I like all the buttons versus having to locate a virtual button on the screen. Living in Minnesota, it would work for about 7 or 8 months of the year. Then it might be too cold.
I almost bought one 4 years ago but range and charging didn’t work for me. But it drove great. It’s a good car.
omg i was just about to search for a nissan leaf video and this was in the 2nd row of my page - i just saw a leaf on the street and it was sweet looking!
My wife and I are looking at 2020 Nissan leaf SV with all the extra technology definitely great price
I'm on my 2nd Leaf and they're awesome! My 2017 has a 30 kWh battery. In 5 years ownership it is totally reliable. Distance driving? NO problem! The charging infrastructure now eliminates range anxiety. Plus being ChaDemo I never have a problem finding a charger when driving outside of the city. Remember 90% of EV's are home charged so why worry?
Excellent EV for around town use - commuting and errands - very highly recommend 😊
It’s a lot of car for the money and the range is good enough for most people. It is the best selling EV in Norway for a reason. If you can get one used it’s an even better value.
I was a mechanic and still do all of my own repairs and a few select customers.
I actually prefer the leaf battery system over other EVs including Tesla.
The leaf is a simpler system and is inherently more reliable.
The Leaf was designed to work on and repair.
Another thing to think about is ask yourself how many leafs have had battery fires vs other manufacturers.
If it was me and I had a choice, I would combine the 2 versions of the leaf.
40 KW battery in the loaded SV model with the bigger motor and the smaller rims with the larger diameter tires.
Heck I would go back to 16 inch rims in steel if they would let you.
I also wish that they went with an 11 Kw AC charger.
Yes, more Leaf videos. How about a full range test?
I am considering moving to a new home which is 60 miles away from my office round trip. My Sorento PHEV with 32 miles EV will no longer be sufficient if I want EV power only. This video caught my attention as a result. $25k after tax credits looks quite tempting for this leaf base model 😊
I use my 2023 Leaf SV Plus only as a commuting and running errands around town. It's perfect and I charge once a week from about 10pm to 5am, on an outdoors 220 outlet. Works for me, it's inexpensive, and I couldn't be happier!
If they put a CCS connector on it, I would buy one.
Thanks for the great video. I have been wavering between a Bolt and a used Leaf plus for a few months now. My dad has a 40 kw 2018 Leaf and he really likes it. My main question is I live in Northern Iowa just below Minnesota so we get cold winters. 90% of our driving would be in town short trips but once or twice a month we would drive about 150 miles round trip and an occasional trip of about 150 miles one way to which we could charge level 2 or Chademo if needed. Would a Leaf plus say 2019 or 2020 be able to do this with conservative highway driving? Thanks for any feedback.
Was driving a 2013 LEAF and was all set to trade up to the ‘22 SL Plus or 23 SV+. $4k dealer markup totally turned me off.
In the end, very happy with a ‘23 Bolt EUV without any markup. Roomier interior space (mostly vertically), large infotainment display with CarPlay, ventilated/cooled front seats, and liquid cooled battery are major pluses. It also cost less than the ‘23 SV+ with similar features. Downsides are narrower interior (side door to side door) and worse seats.
All in all, much happier with the Bolt EUV so would recommend it over the LEAF assuming you can find one without markup.
Nice review. I am considering my first EV currently. So disappointed with GM dropping the Bolt. I think the Japanese philosophy of keeping models for a longer period of time is superior. GM dropped the Volt, now the Bolt. Makes one wonder if they can build an EV for the long haul.
We love ours. My wife preferred it to the other EVs we tried because it was more like a normal car.
So glad you're loving your Leaf! -Travis
Great video
I continue to watch EV vids keeping in mind that I'm only one distracted driver away from needing to replace my enjoyably satisfying Bolt EUV Premiere. So far, I have yet to watch an EV review that would compel me to buy, as a replacement, any car other than the Bolt. My advice to anyone considering an imminant EV purchase, is to place an order for a Bolt while they're still being built. Prior to delivery, if you change your mind, you can cancel and not hurt anyones feelings. Honestly, I can't imagine that happening.😢
I live in UK and bought my Leaf plus in Sept 2021. I love the car for its economy and comfort. I have a hoist in the trunk that lifts my folding wheelchair.. it’s a great car and have fever experienced problems with any aspect of operation.. not a single fault so far.
The rental car company I work for has a handful of Tesla models, and the Bolt. And I absolutely love the Bolt because we've had people drive them and not even known they were an EV, and I think that's just the type of EV America needs. If the Bolt is being discontinued tho (sad), I'm glad to see that the Leaf is becoming... less weird??
That's really strange to me because the Bolt absolutely feels like an EV to drive... Besides the distinctive instant torque, there are also no engine sounds. Your customers must not be paying much attention!
@@flamingspinach It's mostly that everything is in the same place and works the same way in a Bolt as it would in any "normal" car.
Unlike Teslas, which we've had to include instruction pages for.
@@Rioichi4 ah, that makes sense I guess, haha. I think a lot of EVs are less weird to get into than a Tesla though.
You are totally right, save that $$$. I did trade my small battery leaf for a bolt just because I live in a northern state and I drive a little over 100 miles a day
P.S. thanks for the swag Alex, very nice of you
I have a 2021 Ioniq EV. I think it was a serious mistake for Hyundai to discontinue it. I love my little EV. 38kwh/170 mi is more than enough for my weekly driving. The DCFC is slow but it's not an issue most of the time, even on some longer trips.
I loved my Ioniq, I had the hybrid but would love to buy an electric one now. an updated version of that car would be perfect. we need less SUV's and more normal hatchbacks.
I bought a 22 SV plus two months ago with 12k in depreciation and love it. Realistic range is ~190 mixed highway and city. It will pay for itself in ~ten years.
If you can charge at home this is a very good medium/long commuter car. If you unfortunately have a 50/60 mile each way trip this car will save you big money each year V’s a gas car without needing to spend a fortune to buy/lease it.
If you’re thinking about the cost of gas, it depends on the cost of electricity. Some regions are quite expensive. If your electricity costs are north of $0.45/kWh, then it’s roughly the same as driving ICE @ $3/gal and 25mpg. YMMV depending on efficiency of the electric car and cost of electricity vs mpg and cost of gas of the ICE.
I love my 23 leaf sv plus. I'd buy it again. I also got the full fed and state rebates
I mean for long distance travels having a snack and going to the loo stretching your legs takes around 30 minutes so charging not a big deal,in the uk for second hand leaf model 40 kwh 2019 average 50.000 miles you can purchase for around £10.000
Okay, for all those who are declaring that they won’t buy a LEAF because of the air-cooled battery; be realistic. Unless you live significantly south of the KY/TN border, you’re not likely to see high enough temps that a liquid cooling system would actually do much more than add cost and complexity. For the vast majority of people (over %85) north of that line, battery temps wouldn’t get high enough consistently to justify the liquid cooling system; even during the summer. Yes, there can always be outliers, but from personal experience with my ‘16 LEAF those tend to be much fewer and further between than most people seem to think.
I live in Tucson Arizona, so battery cooling is critical for all the millions of people that live in the South West. Where I live we get 3 to 4 days in a row of temps over 120 degree's several times a year. How many millions people does it take before our needs are also addressed? I just had a Tesla loaner, due to an accident of my car, and the range of it was only about 1/3 what it should have been. I figure that the heat out here shortened that batteries life.
Hey Alex, when are we going to get a long term ownership update video on the EV6 like the ones you did for the Mach E?
I bought my 2018 ZE1 December 2021. Yes it is simple. I am believe the simple done well is sometimes better than complex done not so well. My 110Kw motor, 40 kwhr now 61,000kms dark blue leaf often gets 6 to 7 kms per kwhr. It has Nissan's "Active Chassis", now new Bridgestone tyres. I use it as a small "Station Wagon". I am amazed how much i can fit into it !!
So glad you're loving it! Keep putting those kms on! -Travis
We have a 2015 Nissan Rogue that has been just an incredible vehicle, but it is going on 8 years old. Both of our vehicles are ICE (Rogue and a Frontier), and we have modified our home to support the migration to EV. We checked out the Ariya, but found the interior to be... tight (we're both 6'3"). I've always liked the Leaf - when we sat in one, comfortable, but not overwhelming. Waiting to see what Nissan comes out with in 2024.
Excellent review. I have the 2022 version and love it. I purchased it for around town use. The initial cost was higher than a comparable gas powered car, but over the time of use, the user cost is much lower than a gas powered car. I was a bit concerned about battery temperature at first since I live in the AZ desert, but I was surprised at how well the battery stood up to 110 + degrees. I’m confident that I will get many years of low cost driving out of my Leaf. My only complaint is the overly obnoxious sound it generates in reverse. It sounds louder than a Cobra 427. I could pull the plug on it, so to speak, but I’m concerned about breaking the law in this regard. Can you tell me if it’s OK, then I will pull the plug! Much thanks.
Cool points for the cat
Air cooled is not a problem for me, as most of these will last 150-200k miles with minimal degradation, and after that the useful lifespan of the car is at an end anyway. This is a practical car, for those that actually care about the environment, not for those that pretend to with their $100k+ Teslas and Porsches.
The Leaf SV Plus is a steal used, under $20K for a 2020-2022. Great car for a daily driver, I have over 65K miles on mine.
Just purchased a used 2020 Nissan leaf plus 62kw battery started with an Internet price of $23,000 ended up Being $28,000. My second leaf is still own a 2014 Nissan Leaf 24kw 21:19 battery. Enjoy driving a both because 2020 is my favorite now.🎉
Going to have a long-term update on the EV6 soon?
The Leaf has a bad rap regarding the air cooled battery, and the Chademo connector. I could have traded in my 2011 Leaf in on a 2022, but passed and went for a Hybrid Energi Fusion. My 11 had less than 46% battery health, so I was limited to about 40 miles, max. My 2011 was very dependable and I only had 2 maintenance items. A new 12 battery, and a tire. At trade-in it was due for a new set of tires. My car mission changed and that was another reason to go with the hybrid.
Does it have remote start ?
Please do a 70mph range test with the Leaf Plus.
The Leaf does not appear on the IRS list for receiving a tax credit as of June 3, 2023.
When. did you record this? There's no federal tax credit for it.
Good video, and thanks for not featuring any profanity outtakes. Where's the off-the-grid life video sequel to Bolt EV EUV? Perhaps, you make one with Leaf if you're not going to make a sequel Bolt? None of the larger and more expensive EVs work because as you said: their batteries are too large and inefficient. We need to impress that efficient and affordable EVs are the path to mass adoption, NOT giant and expensive EVs.
Pretty awesome for its use case
Hatchbacks are great for most use cases! -Travis
Alex, In summation, bolt from the Chevy and turn over a new Leaf? 🤔🤣
You didn't mention this but what impresses me about this car is the........... VISIBILITY.
IT HAS AS MUCH VISIBILITY AS A CAR FROM THE 2000'S.
THAT'S SPECIAL, TO ME.
It’s all right but it ain’t an F-16 like you’re implying. The mirrors are window mounted instead of door mounted which leads to an annoying blind spot on the driver’s side. The quarter window up front isn’t much help because of how chonky the a-pillar is.
Can you explain to me why you said that using heated seats improve power consumption as you stated at 6:08? Do you mean that one would use heated seats instead of heater?
That's a great question and I'm happy to clarify! Yes, the idea here is that using the heated seats will help power consumption by heating you directly vs the climate control trying to heat the whole cabin. This only works if you turn down the cabin temperature as well. If you normally have the cabin set to 70 degrees you could instead turn the temperature down to 68 and turn on the heated seats. -Travis
I thought your 🐈 meowing was my 🐈⬛ meowing ... 😹😹😹
You need to use a camera stabilizer. That "walk-around" footage is so shaky.
Have you heard anything from Nissan about the possible future Maxima EV
I had a used 2013 Leaf before I got my 2021 Bolt. The Bolt is so much better, shame they are discontinuing it.
Once rapidgate begins, 45 minutes additional is a pipe dream.
This would be great choice with modernized interiors and CCS.
my tesla model 3 has a 58kwh and can go 272 miles, this can only go 212 miles with a slightly bigger battery?
Greetings from Germany. Converting your mileage to metric results in a consumption rate of 13.4kWh/100km.
Driving on the Autobahn at 63mph with my 40kWh Leaf (16" rims) returns a consumption of about 12.7kWh/100km.
Real world numbers for the Leaf+ at the same speed are 14kWh/100km.
The Leaf+ battery has a net capacity of 56kWh. That will allow a range of 400km. 250 miles.
My interest in the Nissan Leaf, mainly the SV Plus, is the vehicle is it is bidirectional capabilities. We have Enphase solar and battery back-up. With the new Enphase bidirectional charging system the 62 Kw Leaf battery can be drawn upon to increase our 10 Kw Enphase batteries. I can buy a used Leaf SV Plus for 20k. To provide that much additional battery back-up with more Enphase batteries would cost about $45,000, just for the batteries. I can vastly increase my back-up power supply and have an EV to do daily driving with a minimum cost.
The Leaf is also a pretty good car for the money.
It's great when you can make the absolute most of something! -Travis
Just a heads up, the Leaf doesn’t qualify for any of the federal tax credit anymore. I’m assuming you filmed this quite a while ago given your “after March” estimate at the start.
Also FWIW Nissan now advertises the Plus model as having a 60kWh pack instead of a 62kWh pack. There’s been a slight reduction in range this year but an increase in efficiency. They haven’t talked very much about it which is odd.
You're right, no more tax credit for the Leaf since 4/18/23. It's not as competitive against the Bolt. But good luck finding a Bolt in stock.
@8:59 cat meow.
Wish they would stretch it out to make is more of a station wagon like the Subaru Outback.
Thank you for your position on the Leaf. We had a 2018 until recently and loved it except tor 2 concerns that I was surprised you didn't mention. The thickness of the A pillar and the hard edge of the console that hurt our knees. Driving it was a pleasure and we had no problems while we had it. My wife had a few close calls because she couldn't see around that A pillar. We look for cars with thinner ones now and she is currently enjoying her Ariya Premier.
Re-upload? Or was this forgotten in the drafts for a few months?
I do see the merits of Leaf, but a buyer like me will not go for it due to compromised seat comfort for passengers. I own a Hyundai Sonata Hybrid from 2013 which is a great vehicle, yet I am hoping to change when feasible, just because of the seat comfort.
For the Leaf, the front passenger seat is not adjustable/comfortable, and additionally I could see the lack of under thigh support in the back, possibly a lower seat bench. That is very similar to my car, and has made my passengers uncomfortable. None of occupants I have had were 6ft, so for me, a higher bench in the back would have been preferred, both for the Leaf as well as my Sonata.
Is air cooled battery going to be a problem in Dallas summers?
I use my 2018 sv leaf to do food delivery best investment in my lifetime.
It's a great dollar-per-mile machine! -Travis
Wow wow
They are good cars. Owned two.
Issue is…ours was totaled this summer and a new model 3 with federal credit was literally cheaper than a new leaf, so guess what we replaced it with.
I will say the winter range on them is awful, and the cold temps now are already hinting the Tesla will suffer much less range loss due to battery preheating in the morning (which leaf lacks).
The Leaf needs a significant update to stay competitive. It's been a big part of the EV story and I would hate to see it fizzle out at the bottom of the pack and disappear. -Travis
Personally they should bring back the 2012 early designs. Looks cooler. Hopefully battery swaps will be cheaper soon 😢
A very good $8k third car.
There is an argument to be made for the S trim line, but I honestly think the bigger battery is ridiculous. With very limited fast-charging ability, road trips aren't really possible. The price of the larger battery model is basically the same as the base ID.4 which is also eligible for at least $3,750 of the federal tax credit. I definitely understand the need for less expensive EVs. Thankfully, they are coming. The Chevy Equinox EV is supposed to start at $35k and be eligible for the full $7,500 credit. The Leaf has served its purpose and was a pioneer in its time, but there are better options today.
EV community loves to roast on this car. I don't own this one or will never buy, but I like how Alex reviews and evaluates from different perspectives.
EV minimalism is the best way to put it...
The lack of CCS charging standard was definitely a missed opportunity for the Leaf, but with the battery pack being so small, L2 charging is sufficient for daily commute. Definitely not taking this car for a roadtrip
Rental cars can make great road trip machines, get something that fits the moment and use the "around town" EV for everything else. -Travis
Own a 2012 leaf for know 2 years, kill me i want a newer one or just out. Sv plus's are nice though
The charger standard is a deal breaker for me unfortunately
GM and Nissan should just put better battery packs in the Leaf and Bolt that would keep the costs down.Instead off completely new models.
if it was liquid cooled, than it would've been worth considering in my book.