I bought the cheapest EV, a used Nissan Leaf • Hacker News Board

Re: I bought the cheapest EV, a used Nissan Leaf

#91

Post by bluGill » Fri, Sep 05, 2025, 10:39 AM UTC

sgt101 wrote: post #3

EV's look like EV's because they don't have the same constraints on space that ICEV's do. There is no engine in the front/back, no water pump, no oil pump, no water cooled radiator, no starter motor... so on so on. There's also a great big battery under the floor pan and no gas tank. They are also heavier, so need different set ups in order to handle decently. But, that's why they look so different.

They still have similar constrains - crumple zones for crash protection mean they will never make a 'flat front' again. aerodynamics is also a factor and again places limits on design.

Re: I bought the cheapest EV, a used Nissan Leaf

#92

Post by haunter » Fri, Sep 05, 2025, 10:40 AM UTC

Okkef wrote: post #33

Nice, we did the same recently. The choice was 2016 100k km Golf Plus for 16k eur 2020 50k km e-Golf for 13k eur I'm so glad we picked the e-golf! It's so fast and nice to drive and cheap to run. Only downside is the limited range (200km on a summer day) but even my commute (100km one-way) is OK as I can charge at work and home. That said, we still have a Touran for when we need to drive further or with lots of lugga…

If that were me then for that much money I'd just buy a used Tesla Model 3

Re: I bought the cheapest EV, a used Nissan Leaf

#93

Post by formerly_proven » Fri, Sep 05, 2025, 10:40 AM UTC

Hamuko wrote: post #84

formerly_proven wrote: post #78

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm guessing it skirts regulations by being a PHEV, since CCS2 is mandatory for DCFC otherwise. Skirting regulations is quite fitting for a PHEV, of course, as that is their raison d'etre.

The outgoing Nissan Leaf also has CHAdeMO and that's a full BEV.

I assume that's grandfathered in by being originally homologated in 2010.

Re: I bought the cheapest EV, a used Nissan Leaf

#94

Post by bluGill » Fri, Sep 05, 2025, 10:43 AM UTC

numpad0 wrote: post #58

liendolucas wrote: post #37

Looks like you bought a faulty computer which happens to have 4 wheels buddy. The neutral and parking brake issues: that just by itself should make Nissan stocks plummet. 2025 and we have these issues? It definitely looks an involution to me. Things we humans are still lame at: adapters. Power adapters, cable data adapters. Why do we have bazillions adapters? Can't we just design one adapter for the whole world that…

EU solved it years ago by mandating CCS2. Even Tesla in EU uses that plug and reportedly just works, except Tesla have no access to DCFC without carrying an adapter because they adamantly reject Combo2. I believe China does the same, only stricter, and some of Model S/X in China reportedly has fuel doors to fit the port. As if regulations work. They seem to have very strange situations over there.

Everyone in the us has now agreed to use teslas NACS so this problem will go away with new cars over the next 5 years or so. If you have an older car good luck. And many parking garrages won't update their chargers. Still with NACS and ev's taking off you will see a lot more chargers going up as investors try to get this new market for charging:

Re: I bought the cheapest EV, a used Nissan Leaf

#95

Post by formerly_proven » Fri, Sep 05, 2025, 10:45 AM UTC

sillyfluke wrote: post #66

jillesvangurp wrote: post #21

Electric Vehicle Man on Youtube did a review of a 2000 pound second hand Renault Zoe that he picked up a few weeks ago: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SEvwtxGeVpQ The second hand market for EVs is getting pretty interesting. There are lots of EV owners that are replacing their EVs every few years and because of all the growth over the last 10 years, there are now quite a few fairly nice EVs on the second hand market…

Don't really follow the secondhand EV market, but it seems to me firsthand buyers are still taking on considerable risk due to the range situation. People who have bought them abroad are sometimes advised to keep the battery between 20%-80-90% full. Following this advice, one person I know told me if they drive like they did their old car they have to recharge after roughly 170 miles, which is super annoying for them…

> When and if there is a sudden jump in range innovation that reaches the entire market and not just flagship brands

I've read/heard about this innovation coming to the market in six months every few weeks for about ten years and it has never materialized. There are continuous, slight and consistent improvements to battery technology which add up over time, but none of the wunderwaffe battery technologies ever materialized into the market and produced any huge jumps.

Re: I bought the cheapest EV, a used Nissan Leaf

#96

Post by bluGill » Fri, Sep 05, 2025, 10:46 AM UTC

jstanley wrote: post #18

behnamoh wrote: post #5

You should never purchase EVs, only lease them. That's what I did. This saves you from the terrible depreciation they have. The only time it makes sense to buy an EV is if it's used. Edit: He bought used.

How does leasing save you from depreciation? Surely the company leasing you the car has a good idea of what the depreciation will be, and they want to make money.

That depends on what real depreciation is. Sometimes those experts get it wrong. This can be for or against you though.

the artile is a guy who drives his cars 'into the ground' - he wouldn't care about value he cares about how long it will run.

Re: I bought the cheapest EV, a used Nissan Leaf

#97

Post by geerlingguy » Fri, Sep 05, 2025, 10:54 AM UTC

usui wrote: post #54

How can you write "I bought the cheapest EV" in the blog title, and have a section called "Why buy Leaf?" followed by a one-liner zinger aphorism "Price." without writing... the price you bought your used Nissan Leaf for? Someone might want to reference how much it cost back in 2025 a few years down the road.

$17k minus an extra $2k added to my Camry's trade-in value, and it's eligible for the $4k used vehicle EV tax rebate at the end of the year. So out the door $15k with 36k miles and 94% doh battery, I was satisfied with the deal.

At the end of the tax year I'll have paid $11k for the car, effectively.

I tacked on the price of the CHAdeMO adapter mentally to the price I offered, since I knew I'd want it for the one or two regional road trips I take per year.

Re: I bought the cheapest EV, a used Nissan Leaf

#98

Post by loloquwowndueo » Fri, Sep 05, 2025, 10:57 AM UTC

usui wrote: post #54

How can you write "I bought the cheapest EV" in the blog title, and have a section called "Why buy Leaf?" followed by a one-liner zinger aphorism "Price." without writing... the price you bought your used Nissan Leaf for? Someone might want to reference how much it cost back in 2025 a few years down the road.

You could jump into your local used car listing site and check for yourself.

In here a used 2022 leaf goes for about $20-22K CAD. 2016 models go as low as $8K - those had a range of about 120km when new.

Re: I bought the cheapest EV, a used Nissan Leaf

#99

Post by geerlingguy » Fri, Sep 05, 2025, 11:03 AM UTC

fifilura wrote: post #44

Xenoamorphous wrote: post #4

* Limiting the number of QCs (Quick Charges / DC Fast Charge), as this heats up the uncooled Leaf battery, degrading it slightly each time, especially on hotter days * Keeping the charge between 50-80% when manageable * Charging up to 100% at least once a month, and letting it 'top off' to rebalance the pack for at least a few hours afterwards * Not driving like a maniac, despite having more torque in this car than I…

My understanding is that 2 & 3 are problems with the original (20kWh) Leaf model. Which possibly led to a rumour about the 40kWh models, that the OP has. My Leaf from 2019 has 100% battery health and I always charge it to 100%. I almost never use fast charging though since it is a commute kind of car.

Is that the health reported by the car dashboard, or by LeafSpy? The dash has some wiggle room in its 1-10 display an IIRC it will display 100% until the SoH is below like 90%...

Re: I bought the cheapest EV, a used Nissan Leaf

#100

Post by geerlingguy » Fri, Sep 05, 2025, 11:06 AM UTC

prmoustache wrote: post #56

> and I found myself with a very short commute, only driving a few miles a day, and a family minivan we use for nearly all the 'driving around the kids' stuff. > > So I wanted a smaller car (get back a foot or so of garage space...) that was also more efficient. All this to say what he really needs was an electrically assisted bicycle instead of a huge and heavy energy wasting vehicle.

Bike would be amazing if the city I live in weren't a death trap for bikes. I had considered it but I do need a way to get 10-20 miles for things like kids' events or to pick up things from stores for my YT work, at least once or twice a week.