Nissan Leaf
Jan 2nd 2016, 8:13 pm
#61
Austin. TX.
Thread Starter
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 5,930
Re: Nissan Leaf
Ok, after hearing all kinds of stuff.....I went online and had a look. I was hoping that someone here would have bought one and could give me real-life feedback.
This is interesting
UPDATED: Should I Buy A Used Nissan Leaf (Or Another Electric Car)? (Page 3)
Basically $10k or less will get me a 4/5 yr old car. That price might well go lower as the Nissan extra guarantee runs out at 5 years for the battery. New battery is $5.5k and will be guaranteed by Nissan for another 5 years..... so buying a new battery as well as the car - $15k max gets a commuting car that is practically free to run.
and considering that there are hundreds of free charging stations in Austin, that my electricity company will pay 50% of the installation costs of a fast charging connection at home, I think it's looking like not a bad option. OH's colleague told me that so many people have electric cars at work now that they can no longer leave their cars charging all day, the cars only need 3/4 hours to charge and so they are asked to swap over the parking/charging places at lunchtime with the other electric cars.
This is interesting
UPDATED: Should I Buy A Used Nissan Leaf (Or Another Electric Car)? (Page 3)
Basically $10k or less will get me a 4/5 yr old car. That price might well go lower as the Nissan extra guarantee runs out at 5 years for the battery. New battery is $5.5k and will be guaranteed by Nissan for another 5 years..... so buying a new battery as well as the car - $15k max gets a commuting car that is practically free to run.
and considering that there are hundreds of free charging stations in Austin, that my electricity company will pay 50% of the installation costs of a fast charging connection at home, I think it's looking like not a bad option. OH's colleague told me that so many people have electric cars at work now that they can no longer leave their cars charging all day, the cars only need 3/4 hours to charge and so they are asked to swap over the parking/charging places at lunchtime with the other electric cars.
Jan 2nd 2016, 9:16 pm
#62
Joined: Dec 2001
Location: Dixie, ex UK
Posts: 52,446
Re: Nissan Leaf
Ok, after hearing all kinds of stuff.....I went online and had a look. I was hoping that someone here would have bought one and could give me real-life feedback.
This is interesting
UPDATED: Should I Buy A Used Nissan Leaf (Or Another Electric Car)? (Page 3)
Basically $10k or less will get me a 4/5 yr old car. That price might well go lower as the Nissan extra guarantee runs out at 5 years for the battery. New battery is $5.5k and will be guaranteed by Nissan for another 5 years..... so buying a new battery as well as the car - $15k max gets a commuting car that is practically free to run.
and considering that there are hundreds of free charging stations in Austin, that my electricity company will pay 50% of the installation costs of a fast charging connection at home, I think it's looking like not a bad option. OH's colleague told me that so many people have electric cars at work now that they can no longer leave their cars charging all day, the cars only need 3/4 hours to charge and so they are asked to swap over the parking/charging places at lunchtime with the other electric cars.
This is interesting
UPDATED: Should I Buy A Used Nissan Leaf (Or Another Electric Car)? (Page 3)
Basically $10k or less will get me a 4/5 yr old car. That price might well go lower as the Nissan extra guarantee runs out at 5 years for the battery. New battery is $5.5k and will be guaranteed by Nissan for another 5 years..... so buying a new battery as well as the car - $15k max gets a commuting car that is practically free to run.
and considering that there are hundreds of free charging stations in Austin, that my electricity company will pay 50% of the installation costs of a fast charging connection at home, I think it's looking like not a bad option. OH's colleague told me that so many people have electric cars at work now that they can no longer leave their cars charging all day, the cars only need 3/4 hours to charge and so they are asked to swap over the parking/charging places at lunchtime with the other electric cars.
Of course the price of gas could go up, but then mileage taxes are coming for electric vehicles, and don't expect to be able to charge for free at work forever either. ..... [ETA] But after just five years you face having to replace the Leaf's batteries again!
Last edited by Pulaski; Jan 2nd 2016 at 9:26 pm.
Jan 2nd 2016, 9:34 pm
#63
Account Closed
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 0
Re: Nissan Leaf
Be careful about overpaying for "free". You could buy a five year old Honda Civic for about the same price ($10k), and the cost of new batteries for the Leaf would pay for 7.5 years of 10,000 mile per year commuting at 30mpg and $2/gal gas.
Of course the price of gas could go up, but then mileage taxes are coming for electric vehicles, and don't expect to be able to charge for free at work forever either. ..... [ETA] But after just five years you face having to replace the Leaf's batteries again!
Of course the price of gas could go up, but then mileage taxes are coming for electric vehicles, and don't expect to be able to charge for free at work forever either. ..... [ETA] But after just five years you face having to replace the Leaf's batteries again!
Having to spend 5k in 5 years for a new battery, I'll pass.
Does extreme temps wear the batteries down quicker? We can be anywhere from -15C to +35C throughout the year and we are in a mild region of Canada.
Jan 2nd 2016, 9:36 pm
#64
Joined: Mar 2009
Location: Google Town
Posts: 7,532
Re: Nissan Leaf
Hubby bought a second hand Volt a couple of months ago, wish we'd done it years ago. He commutes 20 miles each way on the 101, before he got the car he'd leave home at 9.30am and get home around 8pm, so to avoid the HOV times. Now he can use those lanes so works more normal times, as his commute time is around 30 minutes each way even in peak times.
He's getting 150 miles to the gallon, and has used around $35 in gas since the middle of October, covering around 2,100 miles. We changed our electricity plan to the electric car plan they have, and it's costing us around $20 per month in electricity, the car is set to begin charging at 9pm and is complete by 7am.
It's a really nice car, with just about every extra you could ask for. We would never have gone for a purely electric car, but the hybrid is brilliant and the use of HOV lanes and half price tolls are a great benefit in our area of CA.
He's getting 150 miles to the gallon, and has used around $35 in gas since the middle of October, covering around 2,100 miles. We changed our electricity plan to the electric car plan they have, and it's costing us around $20 per month in electricity, the car is set to begin charging at 9pm and is complete by 7am.
It's a really nice car, with just about every extra you could ask for. We would never have gone for a purely electric car, but the hybrid is brilliant and the use of HOV lanes and half price tolls are a great benefit in our area of CA.
Jan 2nd 2016, 10:13 pm
#65
Austin. TX.
Thread Starter
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 5,930
Re: Nissan Leaf
Well that is a pain, 5 years til new battery. When I buy a new or like new car, I wan't 10 years out of it hopefully before a major issue, and generally the new gas cars can make it a decade without major issue.
Having to spend 5k in 5 years for a new battery, I'll pass.
Does extreme temps wear the batteries down quicker? We can be anywhere from -15C to +35C throughout the year and we are in a mild region of Canada.
Having to spend 5k in 5 years for a new battery, I'll pass.
Does extreme temps wear the batteries down quicker? We can be anywhere from -15C to +35C throughout the year and we are in a mild region of Canada.
Volt?? hmmmm
Jan 2nd 2016, 11:02 pm
#66
Joined: Dec 2001
Location: Dixie, ex UK
Posts: 52,446
Re: Nissan Leaf
). And the $5,499 price for a new battery pack requires a $225 installation kit for 2011-2012 models, and then three hours of labour. All-in, including sales tax and labour, you're looking at $6,500, not $5,500.
Last edited by Pulaski; Jan 3rd 2016 at 12:42 am.
Jan 3rd 2016, 12:14 am
#67
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Apr 2012
Location: Apex, NC
Posts: 419
Re: Nissan Leaf
Ok, after hearing all kinds of stuff.....I went online and had a look. I was hoping that someone here would have bought one and could give me real-life feedback.
This is interesting
UPDATED: Should I Buy A Used Nissan Leaf (Or Another Electric Car)? (Page 3)
Basically $10k or less will get me a 4/5 yr old car. That price might well go lower as the Nissan extra guarantee runs out at 5 years for the battery. New battery is $5.5k and will be guaranteed by Nissan for another 5 years..... so buying a new battery as well as the car - $15k max gets a commuting car that is practically free to run.
and considering that there are hundreds of free charging stations in Austin, that my electricity company will pay 50% of the installation costs of a fast charging connection at home, I think it's looking like not a bad option. OH's colleague told me that so many people have electric cars at work now that they can no longer leave their cars charging all day, the cars only need 3/4 hours to charge and so they are asked to swap over the parking/charging places at lunchtime with the other electric cars.
This is interesting
UPDATED: Should I Buy A Used Nissan Leaf (Or Another Electric Car)? (Page 3)
Basically $10k or less will get me a 4/5 yr old car. That price might well go lower as the Nissan extra guarantee runs out at 5 years for the battery. New battery is $5.5k and will be guaranteed by Nissan for another 5 years..... so buying a new battery as well as the car - $15k max gets a commuting car that is practically free to run.
and considering that there are hundreds of free charging stations in Austin, that my electricity company will pay 50% of the installation costs of a fast charging connection at home, I think it's looking like not a bad option. OH's colleague told me that so many people have electric cars at work now that they can no longer leave their cars charging all day, the cars only need 3/4 hours to charge and so they are asked to swap over the parking/charging places at lunchtime with the other electric cars.
Nissan Leaf Maintenance Review - Consumer Reports
Didn't you own a Honda Fit a about a year ago? That would have been pretty cheap to run too.
Jan 3rd 2016, 12:23 am
#68
Austin. TX.
Thread Starter
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 5,930
Re: Nissan Leaf
Yes, we had a honda fit which we traded in for a bigger car for family trips - a toyota 4runner which has been fab.
OH got a ford fiesta through IAS when we arrived 2.5 yrs ago and so we're looking at a replacement car for him and his daily commute now.
OH got a ford fiesta through IAS when we arrived 2.5 yrs ago and so we're looking at a replacement car for him and his daily commute now.
Jan 3rd 2016, 1:10 am
#71
I still dont believe it..
Joined: Oct 2013
Location: 12 degrees north
Posts: 2,777
Re: Nissan Leaf
Sheesh, those are high costs of ownership compared with something like a vw polo tdi 1.2, nissan note 1.2 or im sure several other similar cars. Why would you want such an environmental disaster wagon, and pay extra for it? NB is there an environmental levy in returning those lithium filled batteries? If not there probably will be soon...
Jan 3rd 2016, 1:14 am
#72
Joined: Dec 2001
Location: Dixie, ex UK
Posts: 52,446
Re: Nissan Leaf
)
Jan 3rd 2016, 1:14 am
#73
I still dont believe it..
Joined: Oct 2013
Location: 12 degrees north
Posts: 2,777
Re: Nissan Leaf
Even in London, the most polluted and slow city, the only hybrids you see are taxi's, the few true electrics are never purchased except at huge government subsidy, and most people just dont want them. Think of how battery tech moves foreward, maybe one day, but right now, what you buy is next years iphone 4, and we know what they are worth.
Jan 3rd 2016, 1:23 am
#74
Joined: Dec 2001
Location: Dixie, ex UK
Posts: 52,446
Re: Nissan Leaf
Even in London, the most polluted and slow city, the only hybrids you see are taxi's, the few true electrics are never purchased except at huge government subsidy, and most people just dont want them. Think of how battery tech moves foreward, maybe one day, but right now, what you buy is next years iphone 4, and we know what they are worth.
) and the process of mining and purifying the chemicals to make batteries would rightly be outlawed if environmental issues were important.The leap forward in eco-friendly motoring will come when renewable petrol/diesel or petrol/diesel substitute developed, and then all the fancy electric and hybrid vehicles will instantly become obsolete.
Last edited by Pulaski; Jan 3rd 2016 at 1:39 am.
Jan 3rd 2016, 3:13 am
#75
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Jul 2008
Location: Portlandia Metro
Posts: 7,425
Re: Nissan Leaf
They were giving that incentive around here last year but now they charge for electric