Feasability of going from gas to only electric

[freebeard]

If it has an OBDII port you should be able do an end run around their 2G system by spoofing specifically crafted CAN Bus packets. EVTV have Arcuino boards that let you read and write CAN Bus.

[sendler]

Originally Posted by Isaac Zackary

I ended up just unplugging the car and then turning it on and the defroster. I waisted 10% of my battery just to get the windshield defrosted.

I wonder if there's a mod to get around this.

Suggestions???

Ask on the Leaf forum?
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My Nissan Leaf Forum - Index page
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[oil pan 4]

I just put a space heater in my car, leave it on and plugged into a receptacle that has an indoor switch. Leave the switch off until needed. It could be out on a timer.
It works.

[Isaac Zackary]

Looks like it's $199 to get the TCU upgraded to AT&T's 3G network. I've been doing the space heater thing instead. It is somewhat more of a pain in the sense that now I have to shovel snow around two cords instead of one. It also doesn't quite aim right at the windshield to defrost it.

[NeilBlanchard]

Originally Posted by Isaac Zackary

If there's one thing I think Nissan did wrong on the Leaf it's the preheating/cooling system.

The idea is great. Heat or cool your car using the charging power before you unplug it and go somewhere. That way you can have a comfy ride and not have to use the heater or A/C using battery power, or at least not as much.

But Nissan only made two ways of using this technique, and neither are conventional. Normally you'd either get in the car and start it, then lock the doors and go back into your house, or use a remote start. But the Leaf doesn't use either. One way in the Leaf is to set a climate control timer. But that's only good for once per day, and at a specific moment, unless you like going out to the car every odd time you want to go somewhere and spending ten minutes in sub-zero weather to program the timer so that it will heat up on charger power. The other method is by means of the NissanConnect (formerly CarWings) website or app which then uses AT&T 2G towers to communicate with the Nissan Leaf and turn on the climate control. This used to work on my Leaf if I had cellphone service, until January 1st of this year when AT&T eliminated it's 2G service.

If I get into the Leaf and try to start it with the car plugged in so that I can turn on the heater, it doesn't work. The heater won't turn on. It just blows cold air. Last Saturday it was -28°F/-33°C when I got up. I ended up just unplugging the car and then turning it on and the defroster. I waisted 10% of my battery just to get the windshield defrosted.

I wonder if there's a mod to get around this.

Suggestions???

This is a major flaw, to be sure. I have not figured a work around, either.

[Isaac Zackary]

Originally Posted by NeilBlanchard

This is a major flaw, to be sure. I have not figured a work around, either.

It looks like if the Leaf is charging the heat pump heater will operate if you turn on the car with it still charging. It seems that the resistance heater won't work like that though.

[Isaac Zackary]

I'm rethinking this again. (This is only the 1,759,073rd time I've rethought this!)

Any ideas on how much more range I'd get if I had a tiny Honda PCX150 pushing the Leaf at 55 mph? That's about 10hp taken off the Leaf I would guess.

[Stubby79]

Originally Posted by Isaac Zackary

I'm rethinking this again. (This is only the 1,759,073rd time I've rethought this!)

Any ideas on how much more range I'd get if I had a tiny Honda PCX150 pushing the Leaf at 55 mph? That's about 10hp taken off the Leaf I would guess.

Roughly double(?).

Question is: Can that little engine sustain 10hp output?

[Isaac Zackary]

Originally Posted by Stubby79

Roughly double(?).

Question is: Can that little engine sustain 10hp output?

Good question!

On the bright side it is water cooled. It might need a fan or something to blow air through the radiator.

On the other hand I guess I won't know until I try it!

I'm just thinking of the benefits of any sort of range extender:

Scooter/motorcycle pusher: "Better" emissions. Dobles as another vehicle.

Pusher trailer: Useless for anything else.

Generator (whether stop and charge or charge on the go): Great if the power would fail, which it never seems to.

Battery trailer: Great for power back up like a generator. But again, how often does a power outage happen?

Solar trailer: Night or cloudy = useless. Could be used to power my home though.

Don't forget to factor in the price. $3,000 for a new water cooled 10hp scooter. $4,500 for a new 5kW sine wave air cooled generator.

[oil pan 4]

10hp sustained for 1 hour is worth around 7.3kwh.