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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

#421

Post by loeg »

jmcphers wrote: post #406
loeg wrote: post #349

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Admittedly I don't use public chargers often, but I have yet to experience any kind of line.

I had to use public chargers for a while when my house was being worked on and it was pretty miserable. They were frequently broken, and lines were common. The real problem with public charger lines is that there is no social protocol for them yet. At a gas station, it is fine to pull up behind a car currently fueling to indicate that you would like to fuel at the pump next. Charging stations, however, are not built…

I mean, it's not like I've never had to use public chargers. They just didn't have lines when I was there. Also, haven't encountered a broken charger. (Seattle area.)

The thing that actually bothered me the most is needing a different stupid app for every one of the ~5 different networks to pay, instead of just inserting or tapping a credit card. But this is mostly an occasional-user problem; the pain probably falls off dramatically once you've already registered for everything.

Charging at home is a great experience.

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

#422

Post by Uvix »

mikepavone wrote: post #294
Workaccount2 wrote: post #256

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I was so close to pulling the trigger on one of these except for 3 factors: It's driving assist platform is now deprecated and no longer receiving area expansions (I know many could not care less), it's charging speed is pretty slow by today's norms, and it will likely retain almost no value as time goes on.

I have a 2017 Bolt as my only car and the slow L3 charging is definitely a downside, but I haven't found it to be a huge issue in practice. On a trip long enough to worry about fast-charging you're going to need to stop to eat periodically anyway so if you plan your charging around meals you don't end up waiting too long. Obviously gets a bit more annoying on trips that are long enough to require more than one fast-c…

Rather than planning your charging around meals, you're more likely going to have to plan your meals around charging. I don't see a lot of restaurants with level 3 chargers in the parking lot.

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

#423

Post by doug_durham »

tonymet wrote: post #298

My neighbor has an Ioniq 5, styling-wise it's cooler than my Tesla. Reminds me of Corrado -- one of my favorite cars. But we have had night and day experiences with charging our EVs. The supercharger network seems effortless & flawless -- almost too good. No payments, planning. The stations are clean, quiet & secluded. Just follow the Nav and charge. The third-party network has been a disaster for my neighbor. He's h…

You can charge Ioniq 5's at most Tesla charging stations. I have a 2025 and it comes with the NACS port. It can charge anywhere. It's great.

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

#424

Post by rootusrootus »

jonfw wrote: post #236
HPsquared wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They tend to handle better than ICE cars due to the low centre of mass (also the fact the big mass - the battery - is firmly bolted to the frame and not wobbling around on rubber mounts like an engine does). These are both big advantages in terms of dynamics. Couple that with the much faster powertrain response and many options to do torque vectoring to each wheel (individual motors on sports models) and it's an easy…

People way overstate the "dynamics" advantages of EVs Yes EVs can keep their weight low, but it's a lot more weight to deal with. Yes EVs have excellent 0-60, but that's just because they have a great launch. Even doing a 5-60 pull removes the EV advantage. Starting from highway speeds? EVs start to look real slow. There are some good traits to EVs but, outside of launching hard in street car trim, performance is not…

> People way overstate the "dynamics" advantages of EVs

It is noticeable, though.

> Yes EVs can keep their weight low, but it's a lot more weight to deal with.

Define a lot? It's a few hundred pounds, excepting pickups.

> Starting from highway speeds? EVs start to look real slow.

Maybe a Leaf or a Bolt. But I would be happy to put my Model 3LR or F-150 Lightning up against something like a Camaro SS or Mustang GT from a highway roll -- I'll still win.

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

#425

Post by rootusrootus »

asdff wrote: post #265
jonfw wrote: post #236

Earlier quoted context omitted.

People way overstate the "dynamics" advantages of EVs Yes EVs can keep their weight low, but it's a lot more weight to deal with. Yes EVs have excellent 0-60, but that's just because they have a great launch. Even doing a 5-60 pull removes the EV advantage. Starting from highway speeds? EVs start to look real slow. There are some good traits to EVs but, outside of launching hard in street car trim, performance is not…

That 0-10mph response is way too twitchy in most EVs i've ridden. The old teslas were not like this. I'm not sure what package my friends model 3 is or if it comes down to his lead foot but I feel nauseous in that car. Its a combination of that instant torque and the suspension sort of feeling like one of those play horses on a spring you see in playgrounds.

> if it comes down to his lead foot

Yes. Some people are binary drivers, regardless of drivetrain. But a very responsive EV, especially something like a Tesla Performance trim in sport mode or F-150 Lightning in sport mode, with an unskilled driver can definitely make you seasick. Most drivers who can modulate the pedal do just fine, though.

The only real problem with Teslas is that they don't have an option to go without one pedal driving. Some drivers really aren't suited for 1PD, frankly.

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

#426

Post by rootusrootus »

asdff wrote: post #411
sgt101 wrote: post #281

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There's something wrong with your friend's model 3. If I stand on my accelerator it goes straight (if set straight) and the suspension (set on sport) is hard. It's not M5 BMW hard, but it's hard. I guess that if you have a performance variant then maybe it would be.

It could just be thats how it is in cars that twitchy. I don't have really any experience with anything so powerful. Fastest car I've owned is only a 7 second 0-60 car.

No, just skill. Some people are not great at operating the controls and the instant response from an electric motor is exposing their driving style. If it's a Tesla, have them switch to chill mode. Forces them to be smooth.

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

#427

Post by rootusrootus »

tonymet wrote: post #298

My neighbor has an Ioniq 5, styling-wise it's cooler than my Tesla. Reminds me of Corrado -- one of my favorite cars. But we have had night and day experiences with charging our EVs. The supercharger network seems effortless & flawless -- almost too good. No payments, planning. The stations are clean, quiet & secluded. Just follow the Nav and charge. The third-party network has been a disaster for my neighbor. He's h…

> How on earth do people tolerate other EVs?

I charge my Lightning at the same Tesla Superchargers I use with my Model 3. Works the same, plug in and walk away.

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

#428

Post by rootusrootus »

rjtavares wrote: post #15
andsoitis wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Mistake #1: He bought an EV. > 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. Coming in too hot, friend! The headline, and opening line, is that it is a used EV.

Also, leasing does not prevent you from paying for the depreciation. It's just included in the fee.

This is true, except that the manufacturers frequently choose to eat the loss by setting the residual unnaturally high. Even Tesla has been doing this lately.

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

#429

Post by rootusrootus »

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.

Some of the manufacturers put a high residual on the lease because it moves vehicles. They'll presumably be losing money on the deal, eventually. But the nice thing about leasing is that you decide in advance what the depreciation is going to be, so you get to make it a certainty and base your decision on that.

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

#430

Post by 01100011 »

rsolva wrote: post #312

Small, cheap electric cars are the best! Fun to drive, easy to maintain. I own an VW eUP 2015 model which costed me €4000 used. I do not know if they where for sale outside of Norway (I only see them here!), but it is the perfect car for 95% of our mobility needs. I drive it to work every day (where I can charge it for free). I drive it to Oslo and can park/charge almost anywhere around town for really cheap, about €…

I miss my 2019 Chevy Bolt. Zippy and nimble. Didn't feel heavy like the Tesla I rented. Plenty of range for the city.
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