I was looking for a place to charge my Model S in the St. Augustine/Jacksonville area and stumbled onto the Coggin Nissan dealership. They have a charger and the salesmen were extremely helpful in setting up the charging for Model S. The car was surrounded by not only their salesmen but also by customers who were at the show room. Model S is a crowd pleaser! They encouraged me to use their showroom facilities (that had a movie theater/coffee/popcorn machines etc) and they even showed me the Leaf for comparison!
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Gizmotoy
Active Member
It's a smart move on their part. A Model S owner is both familiar with EVs and able to afford/have interest in a Leaf. Given the relative success, I wouldn't be surprised if they eventually make a larger EV. Car companies need to play the long game. Treat potential future customers kindly. A lot of them forget that.
I'm going to date myself, but I remember visiting a Lexus dealership when the IS300 had just come out in the US because they had a yellow one out front. I was 16 or something at the time and obviously not in the market, and told them so, but it wasn't busy so we just talked a bit about the car. They offered a test drive just for fun, which I enjoyed a lot. If Lexus hadn't lost their way in the intervening years, maybe I would have purchased one due to the goodwill from that encounter. And maybe I still will, eventually.
Nissan needs to do the same. I'm occasionally surprised when I hear Nissan dealers denying access to their unused chargers. You're essentially stuck there for some period of time, and they have a golden opportunity to woo potential future customers. Why say no to that and make an enemy?
dflye
S Sig Perf 414, VIN 814
I've charged at multiple Nissan dealerships around NC, and they have always been very accommodating. When visiting during regular business hours, a Model S does indeed draw a crowd of Nissan staff as well as a few customers.
There are tons of Leaf owners in my area, and they make perfect sense for a daily driver with a commute of about 50 or so miles (to leave enough buffer to run an errand or two on the way to/from work before having to charge), although having another longer range car or a comprehensive public transportation network available as a backup would be necessary for most folks.
There are tons of Leaf owners in my area, and they make perfect sense for a daily driver with a commute of about 50 or so miles (to leave enough buffer to run an errand or two on the way to/from work before having to charge), although having another longer range car or a comprehensive public transportation network available as a backup would be necessary for most folks.
Gizmotoy
Active Member
I thought the Leaf was a fantastic little car. If it was just my wife and I, we may have been more serious about one, but the potential for kids is on the horizon. While the hatchback helps with cargo space, we were still pretty worried about it being too small for baby stuff. The Model S was a better choice, with the added advantage that we can use it on trips instead of just for our commute. And it's fast. And gorgeous... though those comparisons are not really fair given the price differential.
I do wish the Tesla had copied the Leaf's extremely cool all-around parking camera system. With the Model S as large as it is it could seriously benefit. It uses four cameras and some video perspective transforms to give you a "top-down" view of your car going into the parking spot.
http://www.nissan-global.com/EN/TECHNOLOGY/OVERVIEW/avm.html
I do wish the Tesla had copied the Leaf's extremely cool all-around parking camera system. With the Model S as large as it is it could seriously benefit. It uses four cameras and some video perspective transforms to give you a "top-down" view of your car going into the parking spot.
http://www.nissan-global.com/EN/TECHNOLOGY/OVERVIEW/avm.html
DIL
Member
+1 It's amazing that you can have your cake and eat it too: MS is practical AND fun, particularly for a family with small children (like us).
FWIW, I work across the street from the Nissan Silicon Valley Research Center, and they seem to be pretty cool about letting others use their bank of chargers. Sweet!
dhrivnak
Active Member
I found Nissan dealers to be very helpful and accommodating. I always ask and they have always been very helpful.
ggulik
Member
I have a Nissan LEAF in addition to the Model S. I actually ordered the Model S then decided to pick up the LEAF while waiting. They are both great cars but have different pros and cons. I live in the city so the LEAF is an absolutely ideal city car especially with the surround cameras. That makes parallel parking a breeze. We find we prefer the LEAF for short trips or when I would have to leave the car parked on the street so I don't have to worry about dings...as much. Another plus is the LEAF comes with a heated steering wheel AND rear heated seats!!! My kids love it!
As far as space, I love that you can actually fit three people in the back seat, unlike the Chevy Volt. The trunk in the LEAF is adequate, not huge, but then again I wouldn't dream of a road trip in the LEAF. Plenty large enough for groceries.
Speaking of Nissan dealers.... a few weeks ago the dealer I bought my LEAF at had a LEAF owner/prospect party where they had recent LEAF owners mingle with prospective LEAF owners. I of course drove the Model S. My salesman immediately insisted I park it right in front of the door and just about everyone came out to check out the Model S. I thought I might get at least a dirty look by bringing the wrong car to the event but go the opposite.
Honestly, they are both very good cars and basically the only two legitimate 100% electrics on the market right now.
I agree that it would be in Nissan's best interests to produce a higher end version both in luxury and range but I don't get the sense that's going to happen any time soon. I suspect Tesla is more likely to creep towards the lower end before Nissan creeps higher, but that's just my gut.
As far as space, I love that you can actually fit three people in the back seat, unlike the Chevy Volt. The trunk in the LEAF is adequate, not huge, but then again I wouldn't dream of a road trip in the LEAF. Plenty large enough for groceries.
Speaking of Nissan dealers.... a few weeks ago the dealer I bought my LEAF at had a LEAF owner/prospect party where they had recent LEAF owners mingle with prospective LEAF owners. I of course drove the Model S. My salesman immediately insisted I park it right in front of the door and just about everyone came out to check out the Model S. I thought I might get at least a dirty look by bringing the wrong car to the event but go the opposite.
Honestly, they are both very good cars and basically the only two legitimate 100% electrics on the market right now.
I agree that it would be in Nissan's best interests to produce a higher end version both in luxury and range but I don't get the sense that's going to happen any time soon. I suspect Tesla is more likely to creep towards the lower end before Nissan creeps higher, but that's just my gut.
Gizmotoy
Active Member
It's funny talking with all the other Bay Area folks on here. I live just on the other side of Moffett.
I didn't actually realize (but should have guessed) Nissan had a research division here. Explains the number of CHAdeMOs popping up...
Given the pricing of the two cars, at this point I think Nissan is pretty safe in feeling that the prospective Leaf buyers that were showing up weren't going to suddenly go "Hey, I like that better. I'm going to spend 2x and get that instead." There's enough room for them to coexist without competing... for now.
CantaMia Ron
Member
I agree. The salesmen were proud of Leaf but were in awe over the Model S for its long haul capability and overall luxurious big car look. The front trunk is a hot item. Leaf is a beautiful small car with full of nice features. If it has longer range, it would give tesla a run for its money.
