mrken30

Now that you can pickup Leafs for under $7k I have been toying with the idea of getting one for commuting and shopping. One advantage is you can almost always get front row parking, now DEQ testing, no waiting in line for gas. Has anyone else been tempted?

petitefrancaise

Yes..
But the range is too small to have as a main car and i alresdy have a prius.

I'd buy an ebike instead.

scrubbedexpat099

If it would fit in the back of my truck, could be handy.

Nutek

What is the range going to be on a 2013/4 Leaf? Allowing for duty cycles it cant be much more than 60 miles or so can it?

I don't think I have ever seen a single charging station ever, except for pictures on the interweb. Combined, that seems like a really poor combination.

chawkins99

My concern with both EVs and hybrids has always been battery life.

How long do the batteries last and cost of replacement when they are exhausted.

I saw some charging stations at motorway service areas on my last trip to Blighty.

My current daily commute is about 50 miles so an EV would work for my commute but not if I wanted to go any further.

scrubbedexpat091

I would for my commute. 90% of my driving is to and from work which is under 40 miles round trip and work has free charging stations.

Issue is strata doesnt allow charging of electric vehicles on property at home and no public stations close by so I would be wary having to rely on charging just at work.

The other 10% of driving can be done by car share service or transit.

mrken30

There are a lot of charging stations around here. You can plug into 110v outlet
Range can be up to 138 miles.
You can buy a new high capacity battery for around $5500 to give you similar range to the latest Leaf. Still a little less because the new Leaf is light and more aero dynamic.
Battery life reduces to around 80% after 10 years, 200k ish

Nutek

I believe a 2014 Leaf was rated at 84 miles when new. (EPA) I assume we are talking used here, for the price you quoted.

Yes, you can plug into 110, if you have 6 hours to kill.

If I was going this route I would be far more likely to look at something like a (kill me now) Dart.

ChocolateBabz

It's a lovely idea, and the amount of miles I do I could cope with current range and charging obstacles. But what if I did want to drive across country?, I don't want to stop for charging breaks or find myself in the middle of nowhere with no charging options. I don't want to have an emergency at 3.00am and need to go to the ER but oh dear my car isn't charged. Yes I could hire a car for a long trip or take a taxi to the ER but until there is much better infrastructure and the charging speeds are the same as filling up with gas to provide the same range I think I'll pass. I do think it will be the norm in 50 years though.

mrken30

I am thinking of this as an additional car , not a replacement car. Electric scooters cost too much, plus dealing with the heat/cold would be an issue. Not sure if I would need an endorsement on my drivers license.

mrken30

Darts cost quite a bit more than $6k. It's almost pocket money change for a used car in the US.

Nutek

I guess.

There is no way I would spend 7K on a car (or any vehicle) with a 60 mile range.

When do we get to the part where we discuss it's appearance?

mrken30

I have a gorilla mask. Hopefully nobody would see me

Jack8602

The only electric motor I'd consider is a Tesla. However, i don't want to spend $80k on a car.

I've never once waited in line for gas, nor do i consider parking at the front of a store an advantage - I'll stick with gas

WEBlue

We've been spending time in the NYC metropolitan area lately, & we've been absolutely astounded by all the charging stations all of a sudden popping up on the major commuting motorways. ALL the rest stops along the Merritt/Hutch Parkways now have many charging stations.


In fact recently we were hard pressed to find a non-electric parking spot at one highway rest stop so we could use the blurdy toilet. Seemed like at least 80% of the parking was charging slots!