Newbie looking to get advice on a Leaf

Villain

Deleted User wrote: »

I had completely the opposite experience !

They are fine for setup and pairing issues etc but the system in general has been an embarrassing failure.

Ruairi.g

invara wrote: »

I bought a 2011 one this summer and that might be another way to go. It cost about 12k incl installing charger at home. Most days I do 50km, with the odd 70-80 km day. At that price I am less concerned about it being a huge mistake, and can get out of it at any time. The early cars were fully loaded, but had a tighter range. It has lost one bar of the 12 on the lifetime battery gauge, but it works for me. I expect to keep it for 5-6 years, not bother with the ESB public charging stuff, and so it should cost about 2k per annum which would have been 4-5k in an ICE.

Have yet to make carwings work for me, and with the colder days it would be nice to pre-heat.

I was advised not to bother with a nighttime meter, as you can get caught for under-use. In practice topping up takes about 4 hours, because you never arrive home on empty.

Was it a big job to fit your own charger?? Or will the ESB fit it for you. Or will they only fit it if its a brand spanking new car.

Villain

Villain wrote: »

They are fine for setup and pairing issues etc but the system in general has been an embarrassing failure.

Yeah it has been bad, but at least the Leaf manager app and the Japanese servers made a noticeable improvement, to me anyway.

The carwings app is crap !

Ruairi.g

Ruairi.g wrote: »

Was it a big job to fit your own charger?? Or will the ESB fit it for you. Or will they only fit it if its a brand spanking new car.

They will install the free one only with a new car.

If you pay they will also install it for 2nd hand users. Again, they only install the 16 amp but if the leaf has the 3.3 kw charger this doesn't matter.

Ruairi.g

[Deleted User] wrote: »

They will install the free one only with a new car.

If you pay they will also install it for 2nd hand users. Again, they only install the 16 amp but if the leaf has the 3.3 kw charger this doesn't matter.

I see some cars are being sold second hand in the UK have 6.6kw chargers. If a person bought one of these, surely the ESB would have to fit a amp socket!;

Ruairi.g

Ruairi.g wrote: »

I see some cars are being sold second hand in the UK have 6.6kw chargers. If a person bought one of these, surely the ESB would have to fit a amp socket!;

32amp socket, I meant to say!!😊

Ruairi.g

Ruairi.g wrote: »

32amp socket, I meant to say!!😊

No, Absolutely refused me even when I asked to pay the small extra cost difference between the two.

Some people did get the 32 amp but I believe this was a mistake when ordering.

You can try and insist and they just might give in, the more people that want it they can;t ignore forever though they will try to. It's all a bit ridiculous anyway because there is nothing to stop someone installing the 32 amp later.

Ruairi.g

[Deleted User] wrote: »

No, Absolutely refused me even when I asked to pay the small extra cost difference between the two.

Some people did get the 32 amp but I believe this was a mistake when ordering.

You can try and insist and they just might give in, the more people that want it they can;t ignore forever though they will try to. It's all a bit ridiculous anyway because there is nothing to stop someone installing the 32 amp later.

Is it just a matter of changing the mcb??

Ruairi.g

Ruairi.g wrote: »

Is it just a matter of changing the mcb??

For me it is as easy as replacing, the MCB or called the "RCBO" and the Charge point because I pre-wired it with 40 amp cable.

So if planning to get any EV I would highly advise getting the cabling wired for 40 amps and it can support the 6.6 kw or 2 leaf's charging at 16 amps or 3.3 Kw.

Just ask the electrician what cable to run and run it yourself.

Also if you can stretch to a 2014 Leaf it has the better battery. Or perhaps a late 2013. That's a late built not registered leaf.

mr.dunkey

Ruairi.g wrote: »

Is it just a matter of changing the mcb??

Hi Ruairi
For 16 amp charger installed you will run 2.5mm cable with a 16/20 amp RCD.
For 32 amp unit you will need to run 6mm cable and suitable RCD.

mr.dunkey

Fastpud wrote: »

Hey Thanks for all of the replies. Loads of useful info there.

I have couple of more questions on range & charging

1. Do you only get to 80% on the fast chargers? So following a FC my 170Kms range is now 170*.8=136Kms
2. Can you get to Cork from west Dublin eg Clondalkin in one FC charge eg charging at Urlingford(with out needing Valium)
3. How slow is the "Granny Charging Cable" and how much is it to buy.
4. Motorway driving at 100kms, what range should I expect from a full change?

Again thanks.

1. It will fast charge to 80% from there it will slow down, could take about 15 minutes to 80-100%
2. No two stops minimum but motorway hills can and wind can drain range.
3. Granny cable charges about 2kw/hr so full charge 12 hrs which is never really the case, you just top up, Cost about 385 from Irish suppliers theEvCompany.com
4. In my experience all down to weather and roads. In summer on flat road about 110-120klms in winter 100klms. This will vary differently from EV driver depends on your Ev driving style

80-100% would probably take over 40 mins to get to 100%.

I have fast charge data from 30 odd % to 90 I'll see if I can upload it later but the 30 Kwh charges faster, 80-100 don;t know but 100 % will always take much, much longer and you'd be better off charging to 80% and then driving to another fast charger or standard charge point, it;s a lot of time wasted 80% +.

Fastpud

my big problem is that the main run I will be doing down the country is 40+kms from last fastcharger, so there and back to charger is 80kms+ Does not leave much for any other driving. Granny cable and understanding accommodation is my only hope

Thanks for all the help.

Fastpud

Mr Dunkey,

"4. In my experience all down to weather and roads. In summer on flat road about 110-120klms in winter 100klms. This will vary differently from EV driver depends on your Ev driving style"

I assume this is on the 24KW battery?

mr.dunkey

Fastpud wrote: »

Mr Dunkey,

"4. In my experience all down to weather and roads. In summer on flat road about 110-120klms in winter 100klms. This will vary differently from EV driver depends on your Ev driving style"

I assume this is on the 24KW battery?

Sorry it is, No one here has driven the 30 kw yet so all we do can is guess. If the 24kw figures can guide you better , they are tried and tested. THE 30 KW battery chemistry is supposed to be improved so the rnge might be a good 160-18- klms.

Fastpud

Fastpud wrote: »

my big problem is that the main run I will be doing down the country is 40+kms from last fastcharger, so there and back to charger is 80kms+ Does not leave much for any other driving. Granny cable and understanding accommodation is my only hope

Thanks for all the help.

Should be no problem with the 30 Kwh, 80 Kms should leave you another 50-60 Kms.

Granny cable always helps and a good extension lead but make sure and stick a water proof socket on the end and never leave the socket end of the extension lead exposed.

The Granny cable can be got here for a fraction of the price Nissan charge or even their genuine one can be got on the site, but it's big.

http://theevcompany.com/product/portable-charger-evse-type-1/

Fastpud

Just to say a big thanks to all who took the time to answer all my questions - it really helped, so much so that I have just ordered a SV for January. Yeah!

Again thanks.

Fastpud

Fastpud wrote: »

Just to say a big thanks to all who took the time to answer all my questions - it really helped, so much so that I have just ordered a SV for January. Yeah!

Again thanks.

You're welcome and congrats !

30 kwh 6.6 kw charger ?

Fastpud

30kw but couldn't stretch to 6.6kw charger

Do the ESB install the charger before the car is delivered or is that a post delivery item.

They aim to have it installed before the car is delivered but it doesn't always work out that way.

william o t

Hi folks. Also a newbie looking at the leaf. I would really appreciate some expert advice on a new 2016 leaf xe.

We have sold our own car and have a car to scrap so can just about make the price of a boggo basic xe.

Realistically is the xe worth considering as a daily driver for a 50-60 mile round trip on mainly. Mostly just one person but sometimes 2 adults and 2 kids.

Would using the heater on the xe make this range unachievable? Apart for the heater is there anything else absolutely essential missing in the xe. I can live without the remote carwings stuff apps etc.

Many thanks guys

If you can live without the extras then the only vital thing is the fast charge port, though I think the XE trim comes with this now but double check, without it the car is useless.

60 miles will get you pretty low in winter at 60 mph, at lower speeds it would be do-a-ble, if you can top up at a slow/fast charge point for 10 mins then this should get you home with some to spare, always top up when you can even for 5 mins rather than run the battery very low.

You could do 65-70 miles on a complete charge but you should be plugged in by this time. Again, top up makes a huge difference.

william o t

Really appreciate you taking the time to reply.

My main worry with buying the xe is if the heater would be too heavy on the range.

My 30 mile each way journey to work is 95% motorway with a bit of city driving.
So you reckon I should be just about ok range wise in winter using a bit of heater?
I aim to charge the car every night at home and maybe use the public charge points for longer spins.

I usually cruise at 110kph on the motorway in my current ice car.

At the moment I have to service my 1.6tdci focus every 10,000kms with fully synthetic oil to avoid turbo issues with these cars at a cost of around €200 each time. Is the service interval on the leaf less and usually how much is a service?

I am completely sold on the leaf just need it to be a viable daily car for commuting. Every time I now fill up my diesel focus I see it as almost money down the drain that I could be saving with a leaf. €50 fill today could have bought me a new pair of runners or groceries.....enviously watching all leaf drivers lately while out

william o t

william o t wrote: »

Really appreciate you taking the time to reply.

My main worry with buying the xe is if the heater would be too heavy on the range.

My 30 mile each way journey to work is 95% motorway with a bit of city driving.
So you reckon I should be just about ok range wise in winter using a bit of heater?
I aim to charge the car every night at home and maybe use the public charge points for longer spins.

I usually cruise at 110kph on the motorway in my current ice car.

At the moment I have to service my 1.6tdci focus every 10,000kms with fully synthetic oil to avoid turbo issues with these cars at a cost of around €200 each time. Is the service interval on the leaf less and usually how much is a service?

I am completely sold on the leaf just need it to be a viable daily car for commuting. Every time I now fill up my diesel focus I see it as almost money down the drain that I could be saving with a leaf. €50 fill today could have bought me a new pair of runners or groceries.....enviously watching all leaf drivers lately while out

You're welcome.

You won' make it at 110 kph a full 60 miles in the height of winter, that's about 100 kph, it will be tight , even at 100 Kph it will be tight enough in the current leaf with heat pump in below 5 Deg C at a continuous 100 Kph.

The Heat pump is efficient however it's looses it's efficiency at lower temps due to there being less heat in the air to add to the heating, but above 5 degrees C it makes a difference. The heat pump works in reverse of AC, ac sucks the heat out of the car and back outside via the radiator, for heating it sucks any heat in the air outside and converts it to heat for inside.

In summer at 20 deg C you could get 140 Kms 80-100 Kph.

The heat pump heats up a good bit faster than without heat pump when not pre heating, pre heating does take a lot energy so on your return trip you'll most likely have to sacrifice pre heating and only turn on the heat when you get in the car, or maybe set it for 5 mins before you get in to save a bit of time.

As I said above, when pre heating the leaf does not use the heat pump because it's only activated when the car is turned on, preheating does consume a few % of the battery so the difference is only noticed between the heat pump and non heat pump version of the car when you're actually driving.

Always pre heat when plugged in if possible. If you're fast charging you can use the heat while charging.

My consumption figures for my 135 commute can vary anything from 15 Kwh/100 Kms to 19.

This means I would consume 19 Kwh out of 21-22 available, this is far too tight for comfort. I do have a heavy foot and drive pretty hard but I got the work charge point so range isn't an issue for me. With the work charge point I would have a range of 220 Kms per day.

You can always use the fast chargers, you'd be surprised the charge you can get in 5-10 mins, it's far better than getting home with a near empty battery every day.

Check out some 2nd hand SV leafs, you might pick one up at a decent price. They changed the battery in July 2013 to last a lot longer. So 132 + reg should ensure you got this battery. Usually they got the dark interior compared to the bright interior in the original Leaf. Also the Climate control in the Original leaf had no AC Heat button like the current Gen.

You may be able to trade in a year or two for the 30 Kw SV leaf, this will guarantee you get home with about 50-60 Kms more range left.

Fastpud

Have you looked at a PCP for the leaf. The savings on diesel each month it would offset some of the monthly repayments allowing you to go for a higher spec and include the 30kw battery which seema to be the right option for your commute..

Padraig Mor

I'd suggest contacting your local dealer to see if they have an XE you can take for a 24 hour - or more - test drive. With current temperatures, now's the time to do it!

steelboots

Reading the above ranges etc I'm getting nervous. I have a 24kw Leaf and my round trip is 56 miles (90km). It's 12 miles of back road and the rest motorway. I'm not a particularly fast driver, I suppose it's all about speed, in the depts of winter will I be in trouble ?

steelboots

steelboots wrote: »

Reading the above ranges etc I'm getting nervous. I have a 24kw Leaf and my round trip is 56 miles (90km). It's 12 miles of back road and the rest motorway. I'm not a particularly fast driver, I suppose it's all about speed, in the depts of winter will I be in trouble ?

You'll be fine under the above scenario.

Anyway, if you find yourself running low are there any fast chargers on your route ?

Check the charge point map below and select only the ChaDeMo chargers to see if there are any on route.

Remember better to top up than run the battery low , this will help to maximise battery life also if you intend to keep it.

You might also get a deal on PCP on a 132-141 Leaf SV or SVE that could be cheaper than paying for a bank loan, especially if you don't intend to keep it.

As Padraig said, get a two day test drive, this time of year is Ideal because it will give you a good idea what to expect.

https://www.esb.ie/electric-cars/electric-car-charging/electric-car-charge-point-map.jsp

It's not all about speed, the colder battery can't take as much energy, cold air is denser taking more energy to cut through it.

Add strong headwinds , surface water.

If an ice car had the same amount of fuel it wouldn't get more than about 30-35 kms.

steelboots

[Deleted User] wrote: »

You'll be fine under the above scenario.

Anyway, if you find yourself running low are there any fast chargers on your route ?

Check the charge point map below and select only the ChaDeMo chargers to see if there are any on route.

Remember better to top up than run the battery low , this will help to maximise battery life also if you intend to keep it.

You might also get a deal on PCP on a 132-141 Leaf SV or SVE that could be cheaper than paying for a bank loan, especially if you don't intend to keep it.

As Padraig said, get a two day test drive, this time of year is Ideal because it will give you a good idea what to expect.

https://www.esb.ie/electric-cars/electric-car-charging/electric-car-charge-point-map.jsp

There is a fast charger near work, but hopefully I won't need to use it. There supposed to be putting green a charging point in work, but no sign yet.