Nissan Leaf

[PeterW]

Nissan to Begin Firming Up Leaf Reservation List - Wheels Blog - NYTimes.com

 

[PaulM]

Highway range

Anyone want to fathom a guess as to the Leaf's actual highway range? In order for the car to be practical for me, I would need a real world range of 105 KMs doing about 105 (so 65 miles doing 65mph). The Mini-e is rated by the EPA at 36 kWh/100 miles so 65 miles would require 23.4 KWh. The Leaf's battery pack is supposed to have a capacity of 24 kWh so it should just make it. It wouldn't leave any room for variables such as temperature, hills, etc. On the other hand, the Leaf is apparently more aerodynamic. So will it do or will I need to wait (and save up) for the Model S?

Mini-e EPA ratting:
Confusion Over MPG Ratings for Electric Cars | Hybrid Cars

 

[PaulM]

I guess my question is kinda moot. Canadian availability isn't until 2012 and by that time highway range should be well known. I really need an electric car as my current car is 14 years old and I don't want to replace it with anything other than electric. (I pay only 4.33 cents per KWh)

 

[vfx]

Since Leaf is a proper noun,...

Actually:

Leading
Environmentally-friendly
Affordable
Family car

 

[SByer]

It's actually an interesting question, because the Mini's Wh/mi is pretty bad. Heck, I'm at <270Wh/mi with my asymmetric hypermileng (I draft, am easy on the speed - as if I had a choice with the <50mph timid people in the commute lane - but boy do I sure stomp it at stop lights or going around curves when I can). I imagine the Leaf will actually be less than that since it's designed to be an EV, and the Mini really isn't.

But nothing substitute for real-world numbers. We'll just have to wait...

 

[Iz]

Nissan to Begin Firming Up Leaf Reservation List - Wheels Blog - NYTimes.com

More than 115,000 Americans have gone on the Internet and registered their interest in the 2011 Nissan Leaf battery electric car

That is a fairly significant number. It will be interesting to see how many actually leave deposits and then how many purchase the vehicle.

 

[stopcrazypp]

After 3 weeks, are already 3,754 preorders for the Leaf in Japan out of the 6,000 they want to make for the year. 64% of orders were by individuals.

Preorders pour in for Nissan's Leaf | The Japan Times Online

I wonder how it will do in the US.

 

[Alfred]

Introduction of Leaf delayed in Germany

Apparently to October 2011: Elektroauto Leaf: Nissans Stromer startet später in Deutschland | FTD.de

 

[johnr]

We have numbers

So far, in the 3 days since April 20, 6,635 people in the US have reserved a Leaf - according to this article by Wired: Strong Initial Demand For Nissan’s Electric Leaf | Autopia | Wired.com Not sure how accurate this figure is, since they're the only ones I found reporting it.

 

[vfx]

So far, in the 3 days since April 20, 6,635 people in the US have reserved a Leaf - according to this article by Wired: Strong Initial Demand For Nissan’s Electric Leaf | Autopia | Wired.com Not sure how accurate this figure is, since they're the only ones I found reporting it.

And by the way. Nissan insists the plural of Leaf, at least as far as the car goes, is Leafs.

We will see...

 

[doug]

We will see...

They're right, and that doesn't change even if it's an acronym as you posted above.

 

[vfx]

They're right, and that doesn't change even if it's an acronym as you posted above.

The public has a way of doing what they want.

As I said,

we will see...

 

[tomsax]

So far, in the 3 days since April 20, 6,635 people in the US have reserved a Leaf - according to this article by Wired: Strong Initial Demand For Nissan’s Electric Leaf | Autopia | Wired.com Not sure how accurate this figure is, since they're the only ones I found reporting it.

The official Leaf page on Facebook quoted that same number, and linked to the Wired article.

 

[vfx]

Half million $ in three day ain't bad.

 

[tomsax]

Half million $ in three day ain't bad.

Isn't it more like $200 million?

It's definitely more than triple the current number of Roadsters and RAV4-EVs on the road. I'm sure some of these $99 reservations will drop out, but the number of commitments by production start will certainly be enough to make us current EV drivers a quaint minority.

edit: I'm dumb. You're obviously doing the math for the reservation deposits. I was thinking the MSRP of the reserved cars. Yours is the more meaningful number at this point.

 

[doug]

The 2011 models will limit 240V Level 2 charging to 15A. That will be increased to 30A in later models.

Why not 70A? Does that mean that public charging stations that go in with the Leaf in mind will be limited to 30A? My concern is that this will prove to be short sighted as battery capacities increase in the future.

 

[tomsax]

Why not 70A? Does that mean that public charging stations that go in with the Leaf in mind will be limited to 30A? My concern is that this will prove to be short sighted as battery capacities increase in the future.

From what I've heard, Tesla is the only automaker that pushed for Level 2 higher than 30A. Although the standard goes up to 70A (maybe even a bit higher), no one is building chargers above 30A.

It's more expensive to deploy 70A, both for the connector unit and the required feed to the box. So basically, no one I've talked to who's working on installing chargers with the Leaf grant money is even considering 70A.

I agree it's short-sighted, at least from the Roadster-owner perspective. Maybe Level 3 is the answer, but I think there's value in 70A level 2, much cheaper than Level 3 but a lot faster than 30A level 2. 30A is pretty reasonable for 100 mile EVs, but I'm sure Tesla isn't the only automaker that will be producing longer range vehicles during the lifetime of the chargers that are going to get installed this year.

I've been expressing this idea to everyone who talks about charging infrastructure at SEVA, local government, etc., meetings.

 

[vfx]

Why not 70A? Does that mean that public charging stations that go in with the Leaf in mind will be limited to 30A? My concern is that this will prove to be short sighted as battery capacities increase in the future.

The RV community has been up in arms about this for a while now. Very angry about Nissan short sheeting the new EV owners giving them less juice than the old paradigm.

 

[vfx]

Isn't it more like $200 million?

It's definitely more than triple the current number of Roadsters and RAV4-EVs on the road. I'm sure some of these $99 reservations will drop out, but the number of commitments by production start will certainly be enough to make us current EV drivers a quaint minority.

edit: I'm dumb. You're obviously doing the math for the reservation deposits. I was thinking the MSRP of the reserved cars. Yours is the more meaningful number at this point.

I'm pretty bad at math so you had me going there.

Yeah, I was looking at the "free" money for months or years like Fisker and Tesla get to spend or garner interest on.

 

[stopcrazypp]

Why not 70A? Does that mean that public charging stations that go in with the Leaf in mind will be limited to 30A? My concern is that this will prove to be short sighted as battery capacities increase in the future.

I think the DC Level 3 charging probably plays a part in the decision.