Nissan Leaf home trial

AG47

We are very interested in a new Nissan Leaf.

We would like to try the home trail for a few days, has anybody done this recently?

NigeWick

AG47 wrote: »

We are very interested in a new Nissan Leaf.

We would like to try the home trail for a few days, has anybody done this recently?

I got four days out of a dealer last year. It will depend on how many others have asked for a trial.

I got a Leaf 2.ZERO last month. Well put together, really quiet & comfortable, and, driving like an old maid I can get 150 miles out of it on a long trip. That's at about 55-60 mph even on motorways.

If you do buy, look at any regular long trips you'll likely take and see which chargers are en route (check on Zapmap). I was with Ecotricity when I had a 30kWh Leaf as they were most convenient and the company has a half price for customers deal on their motorway chargers. I have moved to Ovo as they have a deal offering two years free subscription to the Polar network as they are now the best option because the 40kWh Leaf offers that greater range. Obviously, if you're just driving locally all the time stick with what is cheapest for you in your circumstances.

marlot

My local dealer offered me a couple of days trial. When he heard that I have a 45 mile cross-country commute to work and I wanted to see if it could reliably get me there and back, the trial never happened.

Maybe it would have been fine, maybe not. I'll probably never know.

NigeWick

marlot wrote: »

My local dealer offered me a couple of days trial. When he heard that I have a 45 mile cross-country commute to work and I wanted to see if it could reliably get me there and back, the trial never happened.

The dealer I went to knew that I was driving 135 miles each way. Even supplied an RFID card to charge with. That was a 30kWh Leaf and in winter it would do a good 90 miles taking it steady with over 110 miles in summer.

I am a bit disappointed with my new 40kWh Leaf as on the motorway, driving like a granny at 55-60 mph, I'm only getting 160 miles on a full charge and I reckon it should be at least 170 - 180. I'm going to whinge at Nissan and see what they say.

Alter_ego

Can anyone give me an idea of the range with headlights, wipers and heater on please.

almillar

Can anyone give me an idea of the range with headlights, wipers and heater on please.

Depends on loads of things, but worrying about this is a non-starter, because it's so small. Headlights certainly use barely anything in the context of an EV, and neither do wipers. That leaves the heating/aircon. I've seen it hit 2kW. It goes through stages of having to heat, then maintain the heat. For context, a 30kWh has enough electric stored to run a house for 2 days, and if you applied 2kW to the motor, the car wouldn't even move.
Lesson - movement is very expensive. You'll save FAR more if you need to by driving economically, than you ever will being efficient with any accessories, never mind safety issues.

michaels

Alter_ego wrote: »

Can anyone give me an idea of the range with headlights, wipers and heater on please.

You should get 100 in most circumstances except going at 80 on the motorway (88 on the speedo)

AnotherJoe

Headlights etc are irrelevant. Even heating. For example in my Kia Soul the range with heating on might show 85, switch heating off it will go to 89 eg about 5%.

Far more significant is winter temperatures. I'm expecting a 25% difference between summer and winter, maybe more. Eg winter 95 and summer coudl be 125. It's already showing 10% more since the cold temps of few weeks back.

So what you need is a car whose winter range suits your driving needs. Take the WLTP and knock 25% off (because WLTP for some crazy reason is done at quite a high temp, 15-20 deg C I forget. )

es5595

I've just returned a Nissan Leaf today at the end of a four day test, and I've got to be honest, its utterly sold it to me.

When I collected it Monday it had a full battery and said 150 miles to empty, but after doing some motorway driving (340 mile round trip) when I next fully charged it it said 168 miles to empty. The propilot on motorways/dual carriageway is amazing and takes a lot of the stress out of driving, and coupled with the Eco feature (just reduces the acceleration a little) it boosted the mlles.

So how did I get a four day test drive? I had a regular test drive, I was interested but said there was no way I could commit until I'd had it longer and seen what charging it was like, mileage, longer distances etc. They needed driving licence, utility bill, DVLA licence code but that was it.

If you're interested in the leaf, I'd have a serious look at trying on for a few days as it will either make or break.

NigeWick

Alter_ego wrote: »

Can anyone give me an idea of the range with headlights, wipers and heater on please.

Which vehicle? I have driven the 30kWh and now own a 40kWh Leaf.

facade

NigeWick wrote: »

That was a 30kWh Leaf and in winter it would do a good 90 miles taking it steady with over 110 miles in summer.

I am a bit disappointed with my new 40kWh Leaf as on the motorway, driving like a granny at 55-60 mph, I'm only getting 160 miles on a full charge and I reckon it should be at least 170 - 180. I'm going to whinge at Nissan and see what they say.

Is it a more efficient shape than the old one?
I'd have thought that if the old 30kWh did 110 miles, the 40kWh should do 33% more- about 146 miles, so the 160 seems fine.