White Lightning (Nissan Leaf) Build Thread

[Flakbadger]

Hello all. I recently purchased a 2017 Nissan Leaf SV with under 30,000 miles and a full 12-bar battery---and I LOVE it!


HIGHEST MPGe TO DATE: 212.35, April 14 2020

I'm taking what I already know of hypermiling from my old car Betty White (43 lifetime MPG), and applying it to this electric vehicle.

I'm also planning on aggressive aeromods to further streamline this boxmobile and squeeze out every kilowatt-hour I can.

I will update this first post frequently, so it might look different every time you view it.

~Matt

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INSTALLED AEROMODS

Semi-permanently installed rear wheel skirts.

Partial grille block--black-painted ABS plastic secured with pressure fit and zip ties.

Removed antenna and installed a temporary plastic cap over the metal threads.

Deleted front mud flaps, reinstalled as rear wheel spats.

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AEROMOD MOCKUPS (Posted in chronological order)

1: Quick and dirty mockup of rear wheel skirts with foam board.

2: Possible streamlined antenna fairing.

3: Mk 1. better mockup of rear wheel skirts using cardboard.

4: Mocking up a partial grille block with posterboard.

5: Left side partial grille block mockup with ABS plastic. Still needs adjustment.

6: First attempt at ABS, trying to really nail down the final shape, and learning how to bend plastic. Spoiler alert, it's a nightmare.

7: Mocking up front wheel arch gap fillers to imitate Neil Blanchard's xA project and 1st gen Honda Insight.

8: More work on front arch gap fillers, and possibly a filler for the fog light slot.

9: Possible leading-edge-of-rear-wheel air splitters using gutters.

10: Futzing about with tire boattails/air splitter design.

11: Sculpting some pink foam into aesthetically-pleasing rear wheel skirts.

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INTERESTING LINKS RELATING TO ELECTRIC CARS & LEAF SPECIFICALLY

1: A thread on MyNissanLeaf.com dealing with battery temperature as displayed on the Leaf.

2: CleanTechnica.com article about EV battery life with respect to charge and discharge amounts.

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LINKS AND IMAGES OF THINGS I'M USING FOR AERO INSPIRATION

1: Priuschat thread about adding rear wheel skirts.

2: Youtube video from Priuschat thread outlining metal rear wheel skirts for Prius.

3: Another beautifully-made rear wheel skirt thread about the Prius.

4: Beautiful Nissan LEAF Aero kit concept image. I am crazy about these wheels. Wish I could buy some.

5: Picture of my wife's Honda Fit and the front bumper air splitter/air trip edge on the transition between front and side of vehicle. I wonder what kind of effect it would have to add this to the LEAF? The aero concept above has this molded into the front bumper, I can't think that's a coincidence.

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LINKS TO NON-EFFICIENCY MODS

1: Painting unsightly cheap plastic wiper diffuser/hood trim.

2: Installed license plate, includes better pic of front partial grille block.

3: Messing about with possible vinyl decals and designs.

[me and my metro]

Welcome!

[Flakbadger]

First thing's first, let's get rid of these stupid virtue-signalling emblems, as well as all the other extraneous badges. I really hate all the badges car companies put on their vehicles.

Much better!

Also cleaned off the back end. Of emblems! Not of dirt. The rainy weather and freeway driving has not been kind.
I did, uh, LEAF the name of the car, however.

Next, I added a critical piece of safety information.

Finally, I utilized the EVSE bag as a roadside emergency kit. I won't be taking my cord with me as they cost $200, and I don't need some crackhead to smash my window and take it. Inside the kit are (VERY) basic first aid supplies, an extra jacket, warm work gloves, an old leatherman, a 9-in-1 screwdriver, a safety vest, ponchos, toilet paper (very important) pen and paper, and a flashlight. I also have a blanket, and underneath the bag where they're pinned in place, 30-minute flares. Not pictured: a reflective triangle thing. That's pinned between the Bose box and the cargo liner where it won't come flying out and decapitate me in a crash.

[Flakbadger]

I removed the front mud guards, and put them facing the opposite direction on the leading edge of the rear wheels. This creates a sort of wheel spat. I saw someone else do this on a Nissan Leaf forum and thought it might be kind of fun. EDIT: Here is a link to the thread in question.

They certainly weren't going to stay where they were, they were an aerodynamic eyesore facing the other direction. Doing this deleted the old wheel "spat," if you can call it that. I've left a picture of that one. Laughably small.

BEFORE: Facing rear of vehicle from front. This is the left rear tire.


AFTER: Same as before.


I secured it to the metal wheel well in the back using the two screws that came with the mud guards, as well as a different self-tapping screw underneath, which drilled into the lower rocker panel. They are very secure. If you look closely, you can see approximately 80 holes where I drilled until I found the "sweet spot" for mounting.
The other side looks much cleaner and more professional.


The best part is, should I choose to sell the vehicle, the mod is easily reversible, and will leave no extra holes. Here's a side view down the right side of the car, from the front, showing where the flap was deleted on the front tire, and where it is located now on the rear.


It's a start.

Side note, previous owner left a dent in the rocker panel which I'm now acutely aware of......

[Flakbadger]

Decided to bust out the jigsaw while the car was up on jackstands and the rear wheel was off, just rough-cut a half-circle of the diameter of the rear wheel arch, wanted to mock it up. EDIT: There was a jackstand in front of the jack. I took the pressure off the jack but left it in place as a sort of paranoid second layer of safety while working.

Without the rear wheel in place, it looks pretty great. My long term plans would be to fabricate something with fiberglass that would be "reversible" or symmetrical. A sort of compromise, making something that sticks out as little as possible from the sides of the car to clear the tires, and can be molded TWICE, and installed once on each side of the car.

I have never made anything with fiberglass before, but it doesn't look especially difficult, just expensive and very time consuming.

I might also go the "metal support and ABS or coroplast" route, but I really want something that looks neater than corrugated plastic.

Here you can see it sitting over the top of the side with the tire still installed.


The rear of this is not aerodynamically pretty, but it's also not accounting for whatever taper I could squeeze in the limited space. Overall, I am satisfied with at least seeing what could be. Already planning more ideas for future mockups.

Addendum: I left the rear mud guards on as a possible mounting point for a flexible skirt to hang down below the planned fiberglass part. I want to close off as much of that wheel well as I possibly can. In the future, I may remove the trailing mud guards if that proves infeasible.

[Flakbadger]

Originally Posted by me and my metro

Welcome!

Thanks, fellow Oregonian!

[Flakbadger]

Looking underneath the Leaf, it's relatively smooth. Not nearly as aerodynamically "dirty" as my Yaris was, for certain. The rear bumper actually goes up smoothly into a rear diffuser instead of a big open parachute like the Yaris.

Up front are some flexible rubber wheel spats in front of the front tires. I think I can do better. I would just add material to drop them down closer to the ground and split the air more effectively, leaving these stock pieces in place.

It must be said that their placement (IE the angle and shape) is interesting, and makes me wonder if this was something designed in a wind tunnel--and therefore something to keep and just improve rather than deleting and remaking.



I also plan on purchasing either rain gutters or some other such material to make side skirts. No sense splitting the air if you don't give it somewhere to reattach.

[redpoint5]

A crackhead is likely to be interested in an EVSE, but as an aside, I've purchased Leaf ones for as little as $20. I've modified one of them to run on 240v, and I've got the parts to modify another.

[Flakbadger]

Originally Posted by redpoint5

A crackhead is likely to be interested in an EVSE, but as an aside, I've purchased Leaf ones for as little as $20. I've modified one of them to run on 240v, and I've got the parts to modify another.

Right now I'm just using the included EVSE to charge every night. I rent, and though the homeowner is OK with it, I'd have to pay an electrician to make room in the breaker panel, install a new circuit, and install a receptacle. I'm comfortable doing all of this work myself, but sadly I don't own this place, so I'm not going to take on that liability, and paying an electrician is looking like well over a G.

So for now it's just LV-1, and I can use LV-2 when I go to the library or other places.

Where did you find them for so cheap? Hopefully not purchasing from crackheads who stole them... Lol

[oil pan 4]

You can buy an evse for around $140 and hide them easy.