Nissan Leaf Acenta

Author
Discussion

Max M4X WW

4,799 posts

183 months

Sunday 20th July 2014
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RochdalePioneers said:
1. Don't use cruise control. Like on an ICE car it tends to put more throttle on than needed on hills and that means worse economy. Some marques have better cruise circuitry than others, this one is not the best
2. Eco mode is fine on motorways (I have it off usually) as you don't need mega throttle inputs to cruise.
3. If you do need a prod, use kickdown. Have discovered a detent in the throttle pedal travel just like on an automatic - go through it whilst in Eco mode and it overrides and fgives you full power.
4. The speedometer lies. Comfortably under reads by 10mph, so 66mph indicated is 60mph actual.
I have noticed all of these since Friday, I have just taken my demo back to work and I have probably covered 200 miles this weekend.

I noticed the switch on the dash for the pedestrian warning, I can't seem to make it work at all so I'm not sure what's going on there!

RochdalePioneers

Original Poster:

299 posts

120 months

Sunday 20th July 2014
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You hear that quiet shushing noise when you drive slowly? Thats the pedestrian warning. Switch it off and you just get the quiet electric whine off the motor....

Stokemon

76 posts

196 months

Sunday 20th July 2014
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I really like the write up. I've been interested to see what people have found living with one of these is really like.

Something that strikes me from the long distance drive you did. With the number of 'forced' stops you had to make, have you considered the costs of the unnecessary purchases you are making at these stops. I say unnecessary because I don't believe you would have bought the food driving a petrol car because you wouldn't have stopped. So once you add in that cost what is the overall money saving to time lost?

I can only imagine the services and the outlets within them are going to be thrilled if EV's become more popular with more people being forced to stop where they are located. The whole thing can't do much for an owners health if going on more frequent longer journeys than yourself given the usual food choices at the services.

Just an observation, I would like to hear your opinion on it though smile

RochdalePioneers

Original Poster:

299 posts

120 months

Monday 21st July 2014
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Its a valid point - will EV owners spend more on overpriced coffee? In my case we'd planned Burger King for lunch anyway so that was going to happen (albeit the original plan would have been at Wetherby on a 2 stop race....).

Personally I'm not going to be spending vast amounts of cash at the services - bring it with you is better. Or, if you are a smoker, just see a 10 minute zap and dash as a fag break!

PinkRinse

365 posts

170 months

Monday 28th July 2014
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A really useful thread. My dad has been interested in EVs for a while and when I found this I emailed him the link. Safe to say he's now got an overnight test drive of a Leaf on Wednesday smile

RochdalePioneers

Original Poster:

299 posts

120 months

Wednesday 30th July 2014
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Another rapid charge at IKEA today. As noted earlier the electricity is free but my purchase of a drink and a hotdog appears to be compulsory....

Anyway, took a back roads route home today for my first hoonage in the Leaf. And it's good news - put the motor on B mode for boosted regenerative braking and it's like driving a peppy hatchback in 3rd or 4th gear - point and squirt acceleration off the bends, instant engine braking when you lift off.
And the car despite having an archaic torsion beam rear axle seems happy getting chucked into bends. The low centre of gravity keeps body roll down without puke-tastic suspension that seems to plague "sporty " German cars, and the understeer is predictable and easy to manage. The best bit is that with so much regenerative braking it's not too harsh on range either