Leaf hunt

isnottheword

slave1 wrote: »

Is there any free database that can identify whether a Leaf has the 6.6kW charger on board, there's plenty of free ones where I can find the date on the road and the model variant but I can't find anything on fast charge option.
Would save me a lot of time and emails to dealers if I could just do it myself.
Cheers

Afraid not. It's incredibly frustrating - as a lot of dealers don't even know how to check. You'll have to email them if they don't declare it on the ad (its worthwhile to check - as in my case, the car I bought was 6.6kW but the dealer was oblivious to the fact until I established that).

Email them and get them to check the display. If it shows time to charge in both 3 and 6kW, then it has 6.6kW charging.

http://evbitz.uk/EVBitz.uk/T2_T1_Cables_-_1P_files/LEAF%20dual%207kwcahrger.jpg

slave1

isnottheword wrote: »

Afraid not. It's incredibly frustrating - as a lot of dealers don't even know how to check. You'll have to email them if they don't declare it on the ad (its worthwhile to check - as in my case, the car I bought was 6.6kW but the dealer was oblivious to the fact until I established that).

Email them and get them to check the display. If it shows time to charge in both 3 and 6kW, then it has 6.6kW charging.

http://evbitz.uk/EVBitz.uk/T2_T1_Cables_-_1P_files/LEAF%20dual%207kwcahrger.jpg

That's exactly what I'm doing but I don't want to outright tell them they have an unadvertised 6.6kW charger or better/worse still inform them they are selling a 30kWh as a 24kWh!!!

isnottheword

slave1 wrote: »

That's exactly what I'm doing but I don't want to outright tell them they have an unadvertised 6.6kW charger or better/worse still inform them they are selling a 30kWh as a 24kWh!!!

A lot of these guys don't know the significance of the feature you're asking them about. That's the first point. Secondly, they already have advertised the price. Unlike the horse trading in Ireland, there's a much smaller scope for price negotiation in the UK. i.e. advertised prices tend to be closer to what ends up being the actual sales price.

Anyway, if you are insistant on needing a 6.6kW, then you're going to have to come out and ask straight out - and save yourself the time- send them on that screenshot and ask them to check (i.e. presume they dont know). Do the same for whatever other features you have decided as must-have's eg. make sure it's 30kW (if that's what you want), make sure it's not flex/battery lease, etc.

There are some 300 Leafs advertised on autotrader - only a handful will be 6.6kW - and then a smaller scope still when you consider whatever other factors you've decided on. Despite shopping the whole of the UK, it still makes for quite a frustrating vehicle search. You've made that potential pool of cars smaller as you also have decided upon 30kW.

Therefore, there's no other way to go about it - and I don't think you stand to lose much in negotiation this way. Perhaps they could slightly misprice a 6.6kW but not a 30kW (even if they don't know the difference - or that particular sales guy doesn't know the difference).

Gumbo

How can you confirm if a UK car is on Flex or not?

isnottheword

kceire wrote: »

How can you confirm if a UK car is on Flex or not?

Most of them do declare this in the ad. If they don't declare either way, you simply have to ask them. Before purchase (to be 100% sure), I emailed RCI and asked them to check their database and confirm to me that the battery wasn't leased.

slave1

isnottheword wrote: »

Most of them do declare this in the ad. If they don't declare either way, you simply have to ask them. Before purchase (to be 100% sure), I emailed RCI and asked them to check their database and confirm to me that the battery wasn't leased.

Do you mind sharing this email address?

isnottheword

slave1 wrote: »

Do you mind sharing this email address?

No problem. However, I only suggest you do this at the pen-ultimate stage - just to verify that the dealer isn't screwing you about or simply doesn't know any better.

nissanfinance-customerservices@rcibanque.com


Just so that you are aware of it, they were damn slow in giving me a full confirmation that the vehicle was not on their database and not subject to battery rental - it took several email exchanges.

Gumbo

isnottheword wrote: »

No problem. However, I only suggest you do this at the pen-ultimate stage - just to verify that the dealer isn't screwing you about or simply doesn't know any better.

nissanfinance-customerservices@rcibanque.com


Just so that you are aware of it, they were damn slow in giving me a full confirmation that the vehicle was not on their database and not subject to battery rental - it took several email exchanges.

Thanks, may help, especially if its a private sale of a UK car.

isnottheword

kceire wrote: »

Thanks, may help, especially if its a private sale of a UK car.

I wouldn't treat a private sale any different than through a dealership ;-)

Gumbo

isnottheword wrote: »

I wouldn't treat a private sale any different than through a dealership ;-)

Just to make sure the guy selling didn't get a Flex by mistake (or on purpose) and then trying to pass the car on, as the Flex models are good few k cheaper in the UK.

isnottheword

kceire wrote: »

Just to make sure the guy selling didn't get a Flex by mistake (or on purpose) and then trying to pass the car on, as the Flex models are good few k cheaper in the UK.

Of course - but don't assume that dealerships are always straight either.

Outside of this check (and I'm open to correction here), it should state 'flex' in the vehicle ownership document.

Gumbo

isnottheword wrote: »

Of course - but don't assume that dealerships are always straight either.

Outside of this check (and I'm open to correction here), it should state 'flex' in the vehicle ownership document.

That's what I thought too. Thanks.

slave1

Saw my first Leaf in the flesh today, parked front to front and hopped out to have a look, the back window gone and inside was like a pigsty, the owner came back so I just stood around to hear the silent operation and the noise coming out of her as she reversed was unreal, a real loud shriek.
I have to assume it was in a tip or something, did not put me off but I had a good laugh all the same

unkel

Also if you put the UK reg in cartell.ie, it usually states if it is a flex or not. Helpful first check that is!

slave1

Quick question, a 3.3kWh Leaf, will it get a 80% charge off the Public CHAdeMO in half an hour?
I've pretty much made my mind made up on a 6.6kWh but spent all day sending speculative emails and have a good price on a UK 30kWh but it's 3.3kWh....

isnottheword

slave1 wrote: »

the back window gone

As in broken 'gone'?

slave1 wrote: »

inside was like a pigsty

Not really a reflection on the car...although the fabric is very hard to keep clean.

slave1 wrote: »

the noise coming out of her as she reversed was unreal, a real loud shriek.

That's common enough if it was a screeching type sound? I believe it's to do with the brakes not being used too much (albeit i'm open to correction). Mine does it when it's parked up for a long while (I have to park at home on a slight slope...might also have something to do with it). Doesn't sound very gracious but at the same time, I don't give a fiddlers if it doesn't have any other implications.
Motivation in buying the Leaf was to save cash - it wasn't going to function as a penile extension or babe magnet :-)

isnottheword

slave1 wrote: »

Quick question, a 3.3kWh Leaf, will it get a 80% charge off the Public CHAdeMO in half an hour?
I've pretty much made my mind made up on a 6.6kWh but spent all day sending speculative emails and have a good price on a UK 30kWh but it's 3.3kWh....

30 to 80% in about 25 mins for me. There is a slight variance between the various FCPs. One thing to bear in mind....the Visia model did not always necessarily come with rapid (fast) charging. Unsure if this is still the case or not? (ridiculous if it is).

Gumbo

unkel wrote: »

Also if you put the UK reg in cartell.ie, it usually states if it is a flex or not. Helpful first check that is!

Cheers, just tried it there on 2 cars.
One I knew wasn't on flex and one I knew was on Flex.

The result comes up with the make, model and the words flex after the model, so that's a handy little check.

slave1

Thoughts on a 30kWh Acenta, low mileage, Nissan dealer, 3.3kw, no cold pack....£13.5k

unkel

2016 so and from dealer? Pretty good price if you don't mind the 3.3kW. I know people here advise it but if I could get the car for £500 less without the 6.6kW charger, I would. You might lose a few cents here and there by not being able to fully charge at night rate, particularly if you have leave (Leaf? ) the house very early in the morning, but I can't see that adding up to more than maybe €10 or €20 per year

Cold pack wouldn't bother me too much either. Negotiate hard using the opposite arguments of the one I'm using here and you could have found yourself an EV bargain. Keep us posted!

KCross

unkel wrote: »

2016 so and from dealer? Pretty good price if you don't mind the 3.3kW. I know people here advise it but if I could get the car for £500 less without the 6.6kW charger, I would. You might lose a few cents here and there by not being able to fully charge at night rate, particularly if you have leave (Leaf? ) the house very early in the morning, but I can't see that adding up to more than maybe €10 or €20 per year

Cold pack wouldn't bother me too much either. Negotiate hard using the opposite arguments of the one I'm using here and you could have found yourself an EV bargain. Keep us posted!

The 6.6kW isn't to save money on cheap electricity. It's to allow you charge quicker particularly if it's at home and you are waiting for it. This happens us every week.

If you don't need it, then fine, don't pay for it.

unkel

KCross wrote: »

The 6.6kW isn't to save money on cheap electricity. It's to allow you charge quicker particularly if it's at home and you are waiting for it.

Of course. And it could get you out of trouble quicker if you can't find a fast charger.

But the overwhelming majority of people have the car on the drive for 9+ hours every night and even the 30kWh Leaf could comfortably charge from empty to full on a 3.3kW charger in that time

Me, I'd take the discount, squeeze the argument when buying and live with the 3.3kW charger

peposhi

unkel wrote: »

Of course. And it could get you out of trouble quicker if you can't find a fast charger.

But the overwhelming majority of people have the car on the drive for 9+ hours every night and even the 30kWh Leaf could comfortably charge from empty to full on a 3.3kW charger in that time

Me, I'd take the discount, squeeze the argument when buying and live with the 3.3kW charger

Your EV is sorted, you have the 7kW charger as a standard spec. Leaf drivers are the one that potentially struggle...

KCross

unkel wrote: »

Of course. And it could get you out of trouble quicker if you can't find a fast charger.

But the overwhelming majority of people have the car on the drive for 9+ hours every night and even the 30kWh Leaf could comfortably charge from empty to full on a 3.3kW charger in that time

Me, I'd take the discount, squeeze the argument when buying and live with the 3.3kW charger

Sure, the overnight charge isn't an issue at all. I managed on a granny cable for a few months!

It's when you are low on charge and want to go out again that day.

It's hard to put a value on it though. If you find you have to take the diesel because the car is low on charge I'd consider that a fail. It does very much depend on your usage.

unkel

peposhi wrote: »

Your EV is sorted, you have the 7kW charger as a standard spec. Leaf drivers are the one that potentially struggle...

I would have gladly taken a 3.3kW charger for another €900 off the price of the car

Calahonda52

slave1 wrote: »

Thoughts on a 30kWh Acenta, low mileage, Nissan dealer, 3.3kw, no cold pack....£13.5k

test drove a second Leaf earlier this week and IMO the cold pack is a good option to have, quite simply it allows you to "keep" warm" and not run the heating, not because of the increased power consumption but I just prefer cool air, especially at the slower speeds in an EV as it keeps me awake longer:).

The 3.3 will get you by but a lot of this stuff is in the head: 6 months down the road you are on a slow charge and kicking yourself mentally that you compromised.
However at that price.... the difference will buy a lot of prozac:D

slave1

Calahonda52 wrote: »

test drove a second Leaf earlier this week and IMO the cold pack is a good option to have, quite simply it allows you to "keep" warm" and not run the heating, not because of the increased power consumption but I just prefer cool air, especially at the slower speeds in an EV as it keeps me awake longer:).

The 3.3 will get you by but a lot of this stuff is in the head: 6 months down the road you are on a slow charge and kicking yourself mentally that you compromised.
However at that price.... the difference will buy a lot of prozac:D

We've discounted the cold pack, few reasons, I have heated seats in my CRV and on the very cold mornings/drive home it's nice on the back but not on the base of the seat so rarely use it, secondly, with the timer Air Con the car should always be preheated so the need for heated seats are less, thirdly, the kids would be using theirs the whole time, they do on holidays in Florida!! so even if we got the cold pack I'd be searching out the fuse for the rear seats and taking it out.

Re the 3.3, although I've a 6.6 charger in the post it was really a future proof, we plan on well north of 90% home charging, we already have night rate, if we do need to public charge there's always the CHAdeMO for speed but as I said before if she needs a long run I can take the Leaf that day and the ICE will serve that day's need.

I got a video of the car last night and she looks great, I've bumped a load of questions off to the dealer and will give them a buzz mid morning, given it's very low mileage (will be a separate challenge to be discussed later) and Nissan Cared4 I doubt I will get an inspection, it really appears as new so here's hoping we have a good result today.

slave1

Spoke to garage, they say it's a 6.6kw but their ad didn't so asked to see a photo of the 'time to charge' readout from the car and a photo of the public charge cable also.

How can I tell from a photo of the cable whether it's 6.6 or 3.3?

isnottheword

slave1 wrote: »

Spoke to garage, they say it's a 6.6kw but their ad didn't so asked to see a photo of the 'time to charge' readout from the car and a photo of the public charge cable also.

How can I tell from a photo of the cable whether it's 6.6 or 3.3?

Should show 32amp on the sticker - as per photo.

slave1

That's really helpful, thanks, I know reading back on comments helps but nothing beats photos...