Go Back   EcoModder Forum > EcoModding > Fossil Fuel Free
Register Now
 Register Now
 

Reply  Post New Thread
 
Submit Tools LinkBack Thread Tools
Old 12-13-2011, 03:09 PM   #1 (permalink)
Master EcoModder
 
Join Date: Sep 2009
Posts: 5,927
Thanks: 877
Thanked 2,024 Times in 1,304 Posts
Drove a Leaf today

I was at the Nissan dealership today looking at the Versa since they advertise the stripped model at under 11k. I know the President well having worked with his father decades ago. They had a Leaf demo (marked demo on the window sticker) sitting there. Mr. Ayers (the President) suggested I take it for a ride. Went close to 5 miles. When I started it said distance to empty was 83 miles. When I finished it said DTE was 88 miles. Guess I created energy, LOL!

Shut off everything and the salesman riding with me was surprised that I could get the reading to actually rise 1 mile for every mile I drove. I love the car and could actually afford to buy one, but when you do the math and include total cost of ownership, it just can't come close to the Maxima when you count all costs. The property taxes would probably eat up the fuel cost savings.

It's a shame that I don't think the wife would drive it to work and her local jaunts, which burn about 8 gallons of fuel a week, or probably 3 recharges total. Stated fuel cost was $581 a year while we spend about $200 a month on fuel. I even have 220 in the garage already.

The old Maxima is pushing 29 MPG and will probably take about $1500 in repairs to reach 200k miles, when the current set of tires wears out. Another 2000 gallons of gas and you are at say $10,500 without insurance. Of course insurance would be higher and the property taxes would be at least 10 times as much.

Property taxes on the almost 13 year old Maxima are a joke.

I told them I might be interested in the demo when they got finished with it.

regards
Mech

  Reply With Quote
Alt Today
Popular topics

Other popular topics in this forum...

   
Old 12-13-2011, 03:31 PM   #2 (permalink)
Cyborg ECU
 
California98Civic's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Coastal Southern California
Posts: 6,299

Black and Green - '98 Honda Civic DX Coupe
Team Honda
90 day: 66.42 mpg (US)

Black and Red - '00 Nashbar Custom built eBike
90 day: 3671.43 mpg (US)
Thanks: 2,373
Thanked 2,172 Times in 1,469 Posts
Quote:
Originally Posted by Old Mechanic View Post
When I started it said distance to empty was 83 miles. When I finished it said DTE was 88 miles. Guess I created energy, LOL! Shut off everything and the salesman riding with me was surprised that I could get the reading to actually rise 1 mile for every mile I drove.
I love imagining the saleman's expression when you boosted the charge while driving. But how did you explain it to him? I also don't know the leaf very well... I assume it has regen braking.
__________________
See my car's mod & maintenance thread and my electric bicycle's thread for ongoing projects. I will rebuild Black and Green over decades as parts die, until it becomes a different car of roughly the same shape and color. My minimum fuel economy goal is 55 mpg while averaging posted speed limits. I generally top 60 mpg. See also my Honda manual transmission specs thread.




Last edited by California98Civic; 12-13-2011 at 03:47 PM..
  Reply With Quote
Old 12-13-2011, 03:32 PM   #3 (permalink)
Master EcoModder
 
Diesel_Dave's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Indiana
Posts: 1,194

White Whale - '07 Dodge Ram 2500 ST Quad Cab 2wd, short bed
Team Cummins
90 day: 37.68 mpg (US)
Thanks: 112
Thanked 511 Times in 213 Posts
Interesting. I think a lot of people are in the same boat. I was an interview with a CEO of a big car dealership network (might have been Carmax, I don't remember). If I remember the statistics right he said around 70% of people who walk onto the lot say they might be interested in a hybrid. 2% of people actually buy one.

I think hybrids (and EV's for that matter) are cool, but with today's technology & cost, I think it doesn't make sense for most people from a dollars & cents perspective.
__________________
Diesel Dave

My version of energy storage is called "momentum".
My version of regenerative braking is called "bump starting".

1 Year Avg (Every Mile Traveled) = 47.8 mpg

BEST TANK: 2,009.6 mi on 35 gal (57.42 mpg): http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...5-a-26259.html


  Reply With Quote
Old 12-13-2011, 03:47 PM   #4 (permalink)
Administrator
 
Daox's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Germantown, WI
Posts: 11,203

CM400E - '81 Honda CM400E
90 day: 51.49 mpg (US)

Daox's Grey Prius - '04 Toyota Prius
Team Toyota
90 day: 49.53 mpg (US)

Daox's Insight - '00 Honda Insight
90 day: 64.33 mpg (US)

Swarthy - '14 Mitsubishi Mirage DE
Mitsubishi
90 day: 56.69 mpg (US)

Daox's Volt - '13 Chevrolet Volt
Thanks: 2,501
Thanked 2,585 Times in 1,553 Posts
Buying a new car never makes sense from a cost perspective.
__________________
Current project: A better alternator delete
  Reply With Quote
The Following 4 Users Say Thank You to Daox For This Useful Post:
brucepick (12-13-2011), d3vi1d06 (12-13-2011), PaleMelanesian (12-13-2011), Ryland (12-14-2011)
Old 12-13-2011, 06:43 PM   #5 (permalink)
Master EcoModder
 
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: london, on
Posts: 339

Buggie - '01 Vw Beetle TDI Gls
Thanks: 4
Thanked 32 Times in 22 Posts
Using a battery warms it up. After the trip the warm. After the drive it gave a different reading once it cools it will show 78ish
  Reply With Quote
The Following User Says Thank You to bandit86 For This Useful Post:
SwamiSalami (01-11-2012)
Old 12-13-2011, 06:51 PM   #6 (permalink)
Master EcoModder
 
Join Date: Sep 2009
Posts: 5,927
Thanks: 877
Thanked 2,024 Times in 1,304 Posts
The battery was fully charged and the DTE calculation was based on the projected range (83 miles). Driving to minimise energy consumption extends the DTE range calculation. It's nothing exceptional, just energy conscious driving which I have seen on other cars. Most with a DTE figure start out at the calculated DTE then modify it based on actual distance versus energy use.

I'll bet on my local route driven properly you could get to 120 miles on a full charge. I think my old 08 Altima started out at something like 444 miles on the tank. My best was over 600. Seen the DTE calculation go up many times. A cold start would nail it, then as I cruised at 47 in a 55 zone for 7 miles on a warm engine it would rise considerably.

regards
Mech
  Reply With Quote
Old 12-14-2011, 08:20 AM   #7 (permalink)
Master EcoModder
 
NeilBlanchard's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Maynard, MA Eaarth
Posts: 7,907

Mica Blue - '05 Scion xA RS 2.0
Team Toyota
90 day: 42.48 mpg (US)

Forest - '15 Nissan Leaf S
Team Nissan
90 day: 156.46 mpg (US)

Number 7 - '15 VW e-Golf SEL
TEAM VW AUDI Group
90 day: 155.81 mpg (US)
Thanks: 3,475
Thanked 2,950 Times in 1,844 Posts
You drove it more efficiently than the previous person, and this changes the estimate on the dash. I drove a Leaf at a demonstration event, and it said 87 miles when I started and about 91 when I finished. I drove it about 2-3 miles.
__________________
Sincerely, Neil

http://neilblanchard.blogspot.com/
  Reply With Quote
The Following User Says Thank You to NeilBlanchard For This Useful Post:
SwamiSalami (01-11-2012)
Old 01-03-2012, 02:48 AM   #8 (permalink)
EcoModding Lurker
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: San Diego, CA
Posts: 25
Thanks: 26
Thanked 8 Times in 7 Posts
Quote:
Originally Posted by NeilBlanchard View Post
You drove it more efficiently than the previous person, and this changes the estimate on the dash. I drove a Leaf at a demonstration event, and it said 87 miles when I started and about 91 when I finished. I drove it about 2-3 miles.
Yep. The DTE indicator (affectionately called the "Guess-O-Meter" or GOM on the mynissanleaf forum) can fluctuate wildly based on how efficiently you've driven over the last few miles.

I'm getting about 3.8 mi / kWh out of mine as measured from the wall compared to 23 mpg at best in the car it replaced. Saves me about $3/day for my daily commute in gas and costs about half what my 46 mpg Prius costs in fuel so the Prius now gets driven less.
  Reply With Quote
The Following User Says Thank You to drees For This Useful Post:
Ryland (01-03-2012)
Old 01-03-2012, 06:41 AM   #9 (permalink)
Master EcoModder
 
NeilBlanchard's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Maynard, MA Eaarth
Posts: 7,907

Mica Blue - '05 Scion xA RS 2.0
Team Toyota
90 day: 42.48 mpg (US)

Forest - '15 Nissan Leaf S
Team Nissan
90 day: 156.46 mpg (US)

Number 7 - '15 VW e-Golf SEL
TEAM VW AUDI Group
90 day: 155.81 mpg (US)
Thanks: 3,475
Thanked 2,950 Times in 1,844 Posts
My brother and sister-in-law will take delivery of their Leaf later today or tomorrow. :-)
__________________
Sincerely, Neil

http://neilblanchard.blogspot.com/
  Reply With Quote
Old 01-03-2012, 01:18 PM   #10 (permalink)
EcoModding Lurker
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: San Diego, CA
Posts: 25
Thanks: 26
Thanked 8 Times in 7 Posts
Quote:
Originally Posted by NeilBlanchard View Post
My brother and sister-in-law will take delivery of their Leaf later today or tomorrow. :-)
Congrats!

I'm still a bit surprised we haven't seen any real aero mods for the LEAF yet - one could probably easily pick up 20% highway range with a boat-tail mod or similar.

  Reply With Quote
Reply  Post New Thread


Thread Tools




Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
Content Relevant URLs by vBSEO 3.5.2
All content copyright EcoModder.com