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I bought the cheapest EV, a used Nissan Leaf

jeffgeerling.com

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

#221

Post by arbuge »

geerlingguy wrote: post #97
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…

Re: the tax credit, note the income requirements here:

https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/used-clean-vehicle-cr...

I don't know anything about your situation, but I'm guessing quite a bit of the readers here on HN from the US won't qualify.

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

#223

Post by declan_roberts »

I drove a 2015 Nissan Leaf for almost 10 years before upgrading this year to a Model Y.

When it comes to charging network Tesla is SO MUCH BETTER. It's hard to describe how much of a wild west other charging networks are. You have to download this app or that app, add a credit card here, add one there. De-rated charging handles absolutely everywhere.

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

#224

Post by kccqzy »

dreamcompiler wrote: post #183
kccqzy wrote: post #14

> they shouldn't do 16 on a 15A circuit but it seems like some do There are 20A 120V circuits too! Called NEMA 5-20, one of its prongs is rotated. You plug that into a receptacle where one of the slots is T-shaped instead of straight. And it's standard practice for EVs to draw 80% of the maximum current, so 16A it is. I see this plug in larger machines in the office, like a large photocopier or a large vacuum.

I wish I could buy an electric kettle in the US that took advantage of the 20A outlets I have all over my house. Sigh.

You'd be better off buying a British kettle and using that on a 6-15 socket, if your goal is to boil water quicker.

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

#225

Post by NewJazz »

magicalhippo wrote: post #143
masklinn wrote: post #25

> Lack of standards: For 'L3' DC Fast Charging, the Leaf has a CHAdeMO port. Teslas and many newer EVs have NACS. Then there's CCS1 and CCS2. And charging stations are run by multiple vendors with multiple apps and payment methods. It's not like gas stations, like with Shell, BP, Buckee's, etc. where you just drive up, stick the gas nozzle in your tank, and squeeze. Afaik in Europe, CCS2 is the standard (and mandator…

> And that the rental company (AVIS) does not provide an AC adapter Here in Norway, new EVs are no longer allowed to be sold with AC adapters, due to the potential fire hazard. At least that's the reason I got when I purchased my current EV. Perhaps a EU thing, wouldn't surprise me.

Norway is not in the EU.

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

#226

Post by jampa »

> And charging stations are run by multiple vendors with multiple apps and payment methods.

I rented a PHEV in Spain, and this was the biggest issue. Every charger has an app. They want all your information, even your home address, before charging. Most of them error out after you try to make it work in the 44 °C / 110 °F Spanish sun.

After trying five charging apps and only succeeding in one, I gave up charging completely because of the horrible experience. I wonder why EVs don't save credit information in the vehicle and negotiate payment with them via some sort of "Cable API" or something. Or even you know, use tap to pay PoS like every normal transaction does.

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

#227

Post by Astronaut3315 »

Volundr wrote: post #199
throwaway-blaze wrote: post #196

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This doesn't make sense. Wall plugs (like circuit breakers) are designed for a particular max amperage draw. If I have a 10A 120V circuit and wall plug, I can't charge my car at 8A? I have wall ovens that connect via a 50A circuit. Do I need to worry about fire hazards when I bake something for hours and hours?

Not an electrician, consult a real one for any actual electrical work or questions. It's complicated. Heat builds up over time. So for example your standard 15 amp breaker on a 14 gauge wire in the US is rated for 15 amps of intermittent use, but if you draw that continuously without letting the heat dissipate it becomes a fire hazard. IIRC circuits are generally rated for ~80% of their max load for continuous use, s…

Also not an electrician.

A concern for high current outlets in the US, such as NEMA 14-50, is that they weren't necessarily designed for a large number of plug/unplug cycles. Typically you'd plug your stove in and leave it there for years to decades.

If you use the same 14-50 outlet for car charging, which is not uncommon, the contacts can lose their grip over time. End users may want to take their mobile EVSE with them and incur cycles on the outlet. Properly installed but worn 14-50s have been known to melt or even catch fire under these conditions.

End users should prefer to have their EVSE(s) hardwired or installed with a higher grade outlet like Hubbell or Bryant.

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

#228

Post by NewJazz »

declan_roberts wrote: post #223

I drove a 2015 Nissan Leaf for almost 10 years before upgrading this year to a Model Y. When it comes to charging network Tesla is SO MUCH BETTER. It's hard to describe how much of a wild west other charging networks are. You have to download this app or that app, add a credit card here, add one there. De-rated charging handles absolutely everywhere.

Can't believe it took them 10 years to add CCS1.

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

#230

Post by msh »

throwaway-blaze wrote: post #196
msh wrote: post #168

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In many countries charging a car in a wallplug is a fire hazard (they are not rated for the heat).

This doesn't make sense. Wall plugs (like circuit breakers) are designed for a particular max amperage draw. If I have a 10A 120V circuit and wall plug, I can't charge my car at 8A? I have wall ovens that connect via a 50A circuit. Do I need to worry about fire hazards when I bake something for hours and hours?

https://aminacharging.com/articles/can-i-charge-my-car-in-a-...
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