Day with the Nissan Leaf

[mike22861]

Well I got it from work with 70% charge giving me a range of 78 miles
Its very easy to drive keyless entry just put yfoot on the brake and press ON
then it's like a normal car except the very strange fact that there is no engine noise.
To drive away, select D on the gear lever then push it again for ECO mode and away you go.
It's just like driving an average family car except no engine noise and you only have a gallon of fuel in, that is the bit that takes most getting used to. You are going to be driving a car that compared to engined cars will never have more than quarter of a tank of fuel.
By the time I got home and played with everything i had 68 miles left.
Jennie,John and the children met and the 5 of us set off to the Metro Center a Journey of 15 miles each way, you soon learn to use the economy driving meter lots and use lots of regen braking, never use the standard brakes that is just wasting energy, anyway we arrived at the metro center in average traffic having used 6 miles of range .It is a very easy car to drive.
The journey home was not so efficient we left in teatime traffic crawling along heater on lights on wipers on . This severely affects the range but the car makes the driving very easy no gears no clutch auto handbrake but the 15 mile journey cost 24 miles of range .John found the status indicators on the on board display that gives you lots of information about what power you are using for traction, heating and other that becomes a fascinating game after a while maximising economy.
While im typing this the car is charging I will drive about some more later. We could have charged the car for free in 30 mins at the metro center but Brandon wanted to see the buses and trains at the coach park where there isnt a charger.
More report Later

[Defender110]

Thank you , keep up the reports i'll be reading with interest.

[mds141]

Does the range improve after a 'running period'?

[Mickey taker]

I would find all this meter watching to maximize economy a major distraction to safe driving, especially at night.
what's the auto handbrake all about ?, it worries me the car is taking over from learnt driving skills ,
It may seem I'm being cynical but am genuinely intetested

[mike22861]

Auto handbrake is excellent you just push a button and the handbrakes is on then if the car is in Drive press the throttle and the handbrake is off, makes hill starts very easy.
Sadly I only had the car for a day and was just getting used to driving it.Now I have to wait for my home charger to be fitted to get my Leaf.

Last night I went out in it fully charged to run around until it was flat i went to Newcastle, Sunderlandand Durham and a few villages around Durham.
You do need to keep a very careful eye on the power consumption and not accelerate hard and use the regenerative braking as much as possible. On the run from Sunderland to durham which includes a long downhill section I managed to add 15 miles to my range. You do have to learn how to drive it to get the best out of it but if you just want a short distance commuter car it is very good for longer journeys careful planning is needed along with wooly jumper and gloves as the Heater uses significant power.

Overall during the 200 miles I did in the day the car averaged 0.3Kwh per mile or 60Kwh for the 200 miles if id had charged it all up at home on standard charge tariff that wouold have cost me £6.24 but the charge point at Metro Center is free and I can use a night rate when I get the charger fitted which would drop the price to £1.16 per 100m

[Tim Leech]

£1.16 per 100 miles is good value I grant you, as compared to £13.00 for 2 gallons of diesel which is probably 100 miles.

But as its £23490 to buy one not many forum members will be raising their hand just yet!

Thats equivilent to a Golf 2.0 GT TDi 150 which does 60mpg.

[MULLEY]

£1.16 per 100miles, now that is cheap , even in the BX that would have cost me £12.29 assuming 53mpg @ £1.429 p/l

[Tim Leech]

£1.16 per 100miles, now that is cheap , even in the BX that would have cost me £12.29 assuming 53mpg @ £1.429 p/l

How much was your BX though mulley....

[Mickey taker]

Saw an advert for the leaf earlier, looks nice enough

[mike22861]

All i can say is car wise it is a nice car, well appointed drives well if you can manage with not doing more than 70 miles a day without charging it, it is cheap motoring and fairly innovative. The range is a major drawback if you had it as a main car but for me commuting around Tyneside its idea

[Defender110]

Unfortunately it will never be cheep motoring whilst they have vehicle purchase price so high and I would imagine the depreciation is going to be sky high too because of the uncertainty of the battery life will put people off buying second hand IMHO.

[mike22861]

It would be ideal with PV and wind you would need at least 3Kw to charge it in a reasonable time ie overnigh,t I am looking for such a wind turbine or build one,that would then be very cheap motoring.

[Mike E (uk)]

These are obviously very cheap per mile at the moment, but if they become very popular the government will make you pay per mile.

The tax revenue from car fuel is huge, and this money will have to be found elsewhere.

[Thread Bear]

These are obviously very cheap per mile at the moment, but if they become very popular the government will make you pay per mile.

The tax revenue from car fuel is huge, and this money will have to be found elsewhere.

Could not unemployed people be employed to pedal for their benefits. Help keep them fit and healthy for their next job (?) and save a fortune in Hamsters, sorry power generation. That would bring tax down for the hard pressed commuting worker, who might be tempted to feed them titbits while on charge to speed up the process. Suddenly unemployment blackspots would be unemployment brightspots with extra lighting and stuff. Blackburn could become Leanburn, Glasgow, Gasglow and so forth. Pleb-o-pedal, green power for all.

[Kitch]

These are obviously very cheap per mile at the moment, but if they become very popular the government will make you pay per mile.

The tax revenue from car fuel is huge, and this money will have to be found elsewhere.

Could not unemployed people be employed to pedal for their benefits. Help keep them fit and healthy for their next job (?) and save a fortune in Hamsters, sorry power generation. That would bring tax down for the hard pressed commuting worker, who might be tempted to feed them titbits while on charge to speed up the process. Suddenly unemployment blackspots would be unemployment brightspots with extra lighting and stuff. Blackburn could become Leanburn, Glasgow, Gasglow and so forth. Pleb-o-pedal, green power for all.

They'd be signed off sick within a few weeks, given a blue parking permit and end up being given one on motability! And then the circle starts again.