Nissan Leaf - 7 day test drive - a blog of my experience
Discussion
Hi there,
OK will try and keep this concise but there's quite a lot to get through.
Arrived at dealer at 9am, salesman was aware of my appointment having rang me on Sunday to confirm so was expecting me.
Problem number 1, car had been let out yesterday however had been returned without the Ecotricity card I was promised.
I explained this was an issue given what I wanted to do with the car, I told him about the GMEV scheme in Manchester and advised I could perhaps manage without the Ecotricity card but I would need a cable for the rapid chargers in Manchester.
He promptly managed to locate a new one and gave it to me.
We signed all the paperwork, he copied my licence and we went out to the car.
He took around 10 mins explaining the starting procedure, controls and how to charge etc. Very thorough.
Off I went, car was showing 82 miles
Distance to Manchester was showing as 47 miles so I thought I would be ok.
Took it pretty steady initially and probably did no more than 70mph on the M6. Used cruise control a bit and had the heater on a few times.
Arrived in Manchester in plenty of time for my first appointment with a few minutes to spare so just opted for a small car park that I know. Car was showing 32 miles (distance travelled 47.4 miles)
Tried to complete the Chargemycar app registration while walking to my appointment and thought I had managed it (although it was rushed). Finished my appointment, headed back to the car and went off to find a charging point near my second appointment.
Found a charging point that I had walked past many times, 2 bays with one Leaf already plugged in. I jumped in the other one and got plugged in.
I obviously had not completed the registration on Chargemycar properly (I did say it was rushed) as I could not get it to authorise my debit card. I messed with the app for a few minutes and finally got it working. Followed the instructions on the charging point and after a few attempts (mainly due to communication issues with my phone, the app and their server) I was charging. I left the car and headed off to my meeting. Was not sure if I had to pay to park as well, could not see any signs and ask a passing traffic warden and he did not know either
Back from my meeting around 2 1/2 hours later (no parking ticket by the waty), turn the charger off and get back in car. Charge has taken it to 80% and the distance available is showing as 68 miles. Put postcode in for home and warnings start coming up as home is 70 miles away.
OK, what to do now ?
I have another meeting about 2 miles away (across town) and I am not sure if I plug the car in again whether it will charge anymore or not (I thought it would perhaps only ever charge to 80% and then only charge any more with the overnight charger)
I head across town and find a charge point that I knew was there but was not showing on the Chargemycar app. As I pulled up sure enough its turned off. Never mind, back to the app and theres another one less than half a mile away so I opt for this one. Pull up, pay for parking (as there was a sign) and plug in. Head off to meeting.
Come back an 1 1/2 hours later, unplug, turn on and Woo Hoo ! 100 miles range
So I head home knowing I will hit rush hour traffic and its raining and cold so will need wipers and heater. Sat Nav shows 62 miles to home so the previous shown range of 68 miles (before the second charge) might have worked but it would have been very close.
Off I go, keeping an eye on range.
Observations :-
Heater zaps range (to be expected)
Cruise Control zaps range a little bit (not really sure why ?)
A soft right foot is definitely the order of the day and using the 'Eco' button really helps with this as it limits the power
The 'B' Braking setting is very good around town and when going down hill. Switching between 'D' and 'B' seems to stretch the range.
Not a bad journey home (around 1hr 45mins) and I arrived home with 12 miles left, having stayed at around 70mph on M6 where possible (traffic quite heavy) - distance covered 66.2 miles
Took my son out for a ride after something to eat, turned off Eco and really booted it for the first time for a couple of miles. Range dropped to --- which I guess is pretty much zero so headed home.
Car is now parked up outside with charger plugged in through the garage door.
Stats for today
Miles covered = 117.60
Time spent on charge = 4hrs 5mins (2 x 7kw on street Rapid Chargers)
Really to early to make a decision either way but I have to say after Day 1 I am pretty impressed. It has done everything I have asked of it today, yes you have to think a little more and keep an eye on the range but hey thats what brains are for.
Day two should be interesting, Manchester again, but a little trip to Warrington on the way might test the range a bit.
Regards
Tim
OK will try and keep this concise but there's quite a lot to get through.
Arrived at dealer at 9am, salesman was aware of my appointment having rang me on Sunday to confirm so was expecting me.
Problem number 1, car had been let out yesterday however had been returned without the Ecotricity card I was promised.
I explained this was an issue given what I wanted to do with the car, I told him about the GMEV scheme in Manchester and advised I could perhaps manage without the Ecotricity card but I would need a cable for the rapid chargers in Manchester.
He promptly managed to locate a new one and gave it to me.
We signed all the paperwork, he copied my licence and we went out to the car.
He took around 10 mins explaining the starting procedure, controls and how to charge etc. Very thorough.
Off I went, car was showing 82 miles
Distance to Manchester was showing as 47 miles so I thought I would be ok.
Took it pretty steady initially and probably did no more than 70mph on the M6. Used cruise control a bit and had the heater on a few times.
Arrived in Manchester in plenty of time for my first appointment with a few minutes to spare so just opted for a small car park that I know. Car was showing 32 miles (distance travelled 47.4 miles)
Tried to complete the Chargemycar app registration while walking to my appointment and thought I had managed it (although it was rushed). Finished my appointment, headed back to the car and went off to find a charging point near my second appointment.
Found a charging point that I had walked past many times, 2 bays with one Leaf already plugged in. I jumped in the other one and got plugged in.
I obviously had not completed the registration on Chargemycar properly (I did say it was rushed) as I could not get it to authorise my debit card. I messed with the app for a few minutes and finally got it working. Followed the instructions on the charging point and after a few attempts (mainly due to communication issues with my phone, the app and their server) I was charging. I left the car and headed off to my meeting. Was not sure if I had to pay to park as well, could not see any signs and ask a passing traffic warden and he did not know either
Back from my meeting around 2 1/2 hours later (no parking ticket by the waty), turn the charger off and get back in car. Charge has taken it to 80% and the distance available is showing as 68 miles. Put postcode in for home and warnings start coming up as home is 70 miles away.
OK, what to do now ?
I have another meeting about 2 miles away (across town) and I am not sure if I plug the car in again whether it will charge anymore or not (I thought it would perhaps only ever charge to 80% and then only charge any more with the overnight charger)
I head across town and find a charge point that I knew was there but was not showing on the Chargemycar app. As I pulled up sure enough its turned off. Never mind, back to the app and theres another one less than half a mile away so I opt for this one. Pull up, pay for parking (as there was a sign) and plug in. Head off to meeting.
Come back an 1 1/2 hours later, unplug, turn on and Woo Hoo ! 100 miles range
So I head home knowing I will hit rush hour traffic and its raining and cold so will need wipers and heater. Sat Nav shows 62 miles to home so the previous shown range of 68 miles (before the second charge) might have worked but it would have been very close.
Off I go, keeping an eye on range.
Observations :-
Heater zaps range (to be expected)
Cruise Control zaps range a little bit (not really sure why ?)
A soft right foot is definitely the order of the day and using the 'Eco' button really helps with this as it limits the power
The 'B' Braking setting is very good around town and when going down hill. Switching between 'D' and 'B' seems to stretch the range.
Not a bad journey home (around 1hr 45mins) and I arrived home with 12 miles left, having stayed at around 70mph on M6 where possible (traffic quite heavy) - distance covered 66.2 miles
Took my son out for a ride after something to eat, turned off Eco and really booted it for the first time for a couple of miles. Range dropped to --- which I guess is pretty much zero so headed home.
Car is now parked up outside with charger plugged in through the garage door.
Stats for today
Miles covered = 117.60
Time spent on charge = 4hrs 5mins (2 x 7kw on street Rapid Chargers)
Really to early to make a decision either way but I have to say after Day 1 I am pretty impressed. It has done everything I have asked of it today, yes you have to think a little more and keep an eye on the range but hey thats what brains are for.
Day two should be interesting, Manchester again, but a little trip to Warrington on the way might test the range a bit.
Regards
Tim
Edited by autofocus on Wednesday 11th March 20:51
Phew - glad it worked out for you! Guess you see what I mean about the App being a faff though.
It sounds like they have only given you a 3.3 Leaf rather than the much better 6.6 one. A 6.6 Leaf would gain about 60 miles more range during 2.5 hours plugged in. Bit of a shame they've hobbled you a little.
If you sign up with Ecotricity tonight they may well get a card to you by Wed/Thursday. You can also ring the number on the charger to get them to turn it on remotely (during office hours, just changed from 24x7, really silly).
The car should always charge to 100% unless someone has fiddled in the menu and turned on "long life" mode for the battery. The other gotcha is if you have set a Charge Timer (you can tell the car when to start or stop charging, or both, in order to use Economy 7 leccy). If you plug in to a 7kW post with the charge timer set, and forget to turn it off, the car dutifully doesn't charge until the time you told it to. Made that mistake before :-)
If you use "D" on the motorway it seems to be more economical than "B". I also find that using the Speed Limiter and planting my foot works better than the Cruise Control. Mostly because Nissan seem to have set a "tight" cruise control - it fights to keep the speed set instead of allowing small variations. Bit like flying in formation - wingman always uses more fuel jockeying the throttle.
Eco will reduce the heater consumption; there are loads of different settings for the heater/demister so it shouldn't use too much range. Especially if you have the Tekna with a heat pump (and leather seats, seat heaters, heated wheel). I wouldn't be surprised, since they've given you the cheapo 3.3 Leaf that they haven't also given you a Visia with the old fashioned heater. Need to have another look at your piccie to check :-)
Edit - ah, looks like at least you don't have a Visia. Have you discovered the Energy Status screen yet? Press the voice control button on the wheel (somewhere on the bottom left) and then you can ask for "Zero Emission"->"Energy Status". Shows what energy is being used where. Quite handy. Ditto for cycling through the trip computer to see battery percentage left (square button by your right knee). Much better than the guess-o-meter range display.
It sounds like they have only given you a 3.3 Leaf rather than the much better 6.6 one. A 6.6 Leaf would gain about 60 miles more range during 2.5 hours plugged in. Bit of a shame they've hobbled you a little.
If you sign up with Ecotricity tonight they may well get a card to you by Wed/Thursday. You can also ring the number on the charger to get them to turn it on remotely (during office hours, just changed from 24x7, really silly).
The car should always charge to 100% unless someone has fiddled in the menu and turned on "long life" mode for the battery. The other gotcha is if you have set a Charge Timer (you can tell the car when to start or stop charging, or both, in order to use Economy 7 leccy). If you plug in to a 7kW post with the charge timer set, and forget to turn it off, the car dutifully doesn't charge until the time you told it to. Made that mistake before :-)
If you use "D" on the motorway it seems to be more economical than "B". I also find that using the Speed Limiter and planting my foot works better than the Cruise Control. Mostly because Nissan seem to have set a "tight" cruise control - it fights to keep the speed set instead of allowing small variations. Bit like flying in formation - wingman always uses more fuel jockeying the throttle.
Eco will reduce the heater consumption; there are loads of different settings for the heater/demister so it shouldn't use too much range. Especially if you have the Tekna with a heat pump (and leather seats, seat heaters, heated wheel). I wouldn't be surprised, since they've given you the cheapo 3.3 Leaf that they haven't also given you a Visia with the old fashioned heater. Need to have another look at your piccie to check :-)
Edit - ah, looks like at least you don't have a Visia. Have you discovered the Energy Status screen yet? Press the voice control button on the wheel (somewhere on the bottom left) and then you can ask for "Zero Emission"->"Energy Status". Shows what energy is being used where. Quite handy. Ditto for cycling through the trip computer to see battery percentage left (square button by your right knee). Much better than the guess-o-meter range display.
Edited by pboyall on Wednesday 11th March 21:05
Interesting write up so far, your experiences seem similar to my 7 day test. Annoyingly the charge card Nissan gave me didnt work so I didn't get to try out any public chargers, although they gave me all the relevant cables!
I liked the 'B' mode braking although it freaked my wife out when following me due to the lack of brake lights whilst decelerating quite rapidly.
I signed up for Carwings for my test drive, was a faff to sign up then after numerous attempts of trying to add my credentials to the car I realised telematics had to be (and was not) activated. Was quite keen to try out remote heating etc., so that was a bit disappointing.
Nissan now trying to offer me a deal since my 7 day test drive, £149/month on 3 yr PCP for just under £3k deposit. Tempting...
I liked the 'B' mode braking although it freaked my wife out when following me due to the lack of brake lights whilst decelerating quite rapidly.
I signed up for Carwings for my test drive, was a faff to sign up then after numerous attempts of trying to add my credentials to the car I realised telematics had to be (and was not) activated. Was quite keen to try out remote heating etc., so that was a bit disappointing.
Nissan now trying to offer me a deal since my 7 day test drive, £149/month on 3 yr PCP for just under £3k deposit. Tempting...
juggsy said:
Interesting write up so far, your experiences seem similar to my 7 day test. Annoyingly the charge card Nissan gave me didnt work so I didn't get to try out any public chargers, although they gave me all the relevant cables!
I liked the 'B' mode braking although it freaked my wife out when following me due to the lack of brake lights whilst decelerating quite rapidly.
I signed up for Carwings for my test drive, was a faff to sign up then after numerous attempts of trying to add my credentials to the car I realised telematics had to be (and was not) activated. Was quite keen to try out remote heating etc., so that was a bit disappointing.
Nissan now trying to offer me a deal since my 7 day test drive, £149/month on 3 yr PCP for just under £3k deposit. Tempting...
Hi there,I liked the 'B' mode braking although it freaked my wife out when following me due to the lack of brake lights whilst decelerating quite rapidly.
I signed up for Carwings for my test drive, was a faff to sign up then after numerous attempts of trying to add my credentials to the car I realised telematics had to be (and was not) activated. Was quite keen to try out remote heating etc., so that was a bit disappointing.
Nissan now trying to offer me a deal since my 7 day test drive, £149/month on 3 yr PCP for just under £3k deposit. Tempting...
Dealer pretty much told me that Carwings was loads of trouble, non of their demo's have it as he told me the first time he sold a car with it on it took 2 months to get it changed over etc. Because of this they no longer activate.
Like you say would be good to try it with it all working.
Regards
Tim
pboyall said:
Loads of tips and tricks
Hi there,Thanks for this, will try the few tips you have mentioned and see what effect they have tomorrow.
Planning my route tomorrow. Want to use the charger at Warrington Train Station but not sure I want to pay £10 for the priviledge given that its inside the station car park.
Can you just rock up at a Nissan dealer and pinch the charger ? I might try the dealer in Warrington.
Regards
Tim
I usually ring (or tweet!) the dealers to advise them I want to use the charger - to avoid having to wait while they find the keys to move all the cars blocking access.
Not had a problem with the handful I have tried, although a Renault one in Penrith charged me a tenner. Nissan UK were not overly impressed by that though ...
BTW, this might help: http://www.evzone.org.uk/planner/
Not had a problem with the handful I have tried, although a Renault one in Penrith charged me a tenner. Nissan UK were not overly impressed by that though ...
BTW, this might help: http://www.evzone.org.uk/planner/
Edited by pboyall on Wednesday 11th March 22:00
pboyall said:
It sounds like they have only given you a 3.3 Leaf rather than the much better 6.6 one. A 6.6 Leaf would gain about 60 miles more range during 2.5 hours plugged in. Bit of a shame they've hobbled you a little.
if you arent sure and want to check; cycle through the trip computer settings using the top left button (marked with a square) and you will get to a charge time display. You should see a time to charge at 6.6kW. If you don't then you only have a 3.3kW charger.Did the dealer show you the climate control timers? Since you can't remotely pre-heat the car while it's on the charger, it might be worth considering setting the climate control to have it warmed up for when you get out your meeting. The way the heatpump works means that there is an initial heavy draw of power which then slacks off.
You can also turn the car on while you are sitting on a charger and get it all warmed up that way, if it helps you preserve some charge.
You can also turn the car on while you are sitting on a charger and get it all warmed up that way, if it helps you preserve some charge.
juggsy said:
I liked the 'B' mode braking although it freaked my wife out when following me due to the lack of brake lights whilst decelerating quite rapidly.
Is that as worrying as it sounds ?I wouldn't like to be behind a car like that, especially on a motorway ?
I think i noticed one manoeuvreing around a car park once, very quiet almost silent behind someone walking
Is that still the case or do they have a very low warning device similar to a 'fossil fuel' engine on tickover ?
autofocus said:
Lots......
I got clammy palms and anxiety just reading your blog. Will it charge or won't it? How much charge will it take? Will the app work? Will there be a space at the charge point? Will it be turned on? Do I have to pay to park? How many miles will it give me? Where's the next charge point? How far away from my next meeting will it be? Will I have enough charge to make it home? Can I turn the heater on? Can I go 70mph?
Fair play to you, I couldn't do it.
)Hi there,
OK, Day 2 with a Nissan Leaf.
Left home with 91 miles following an overnight charge. Drove to Warrington mainly on the M6 and arrived after a bit of stop start traffic in Stoke with the range guide showing 36 miles having covered 57.7 miles.
Parked up in a multi storey, had my meeting and then decided that I could make it to Manchester without a charge.
A mix of M62/M602 saw me hit the outskirts of Salford with a low battery warning light (less than 15 miles) before this dropped to 9 miles and then --- by the time I made it to the city centre. Headed for the charge point I used yesterday only to find the same Leaf that was there before and a Tesla Model S.
I am convinced the Leaf owner parks it up and leaves it there all day :-) The Trip from Warrington to Manchester was 20.5 miles but the range dropped from 36 to --- probably due to the bulk of it being motorway. This was perhaps a little to close for comfort.
I headed for another charging point about 1/2 mile away. Parked up at 12:30pm and popped it on charge. Headed off to my meetings and came back around 3:45pm to find the car charged with a range of 85 miles. Had some emails to do so left it on charge for another 30 mins whilst I sat in the car before heading off at 4:15pm with a range of 95 miles
Decided to test the Sat Nav as it was set to fastest route. If I had gone the M6 route the Sat Nav reckoned I would reach home in 1hr 13 mins. Given that the M6 at 5/6pm is never what anyone would call fast I set it to 'Eco' route. This showed that home was 56 miles away but would take 1hr 45mins. In the end it took me over 2hr 15mins due to a break down in Stoke (which I would have it had I gone the M6 route anyway) but suprisingly the range stood up really well mainly, I suspect due to the slow speed. After clearing the breakdown at Stoke the range showed 41 miles remaining with about 18 miles to home so I did test the performance of the Leaf a little knowing I would make it home :-)
56 miles in 135 mins equates to an average speed of less than 25mph, this I have discovered is ideal Leaf driving.
Reached home with 20 miles remaining
Finally for today a quick question to any Leaf owners, just how many trees can you get lit up ? My record is 5, is this the max ?
Leaf is on charge overnight now ready for tomorrow.
Stats for today
Miles covered = 141.50
Time spent on charge = 3hrs 15 mins (2 x 7kw on street Rapid Chargers)
Regards
Tim
OK, Day 2 with a Nissan Leaf.
Left home with 91 miles following an overnight charge. Drove to Warrington mainly on the M6 and arrived after a bit of stop start traffic in Stoke with the range guide showing 36 miles having covered 57.7 miles.
Parked up in a multi storey, had my meeting and then decided that I could make it to Manchester without a charge.
A mix of M62/M602 saw me hit the outskirts of Salford with a low battery warning light (less than 15 miles) before this dropped to 9 miles and then --- by the time I made it to the city centre. Headed for the charge point I used yesterday only to find the same Leaf that was there before and a Tesla Model S.
I am convinced the Leaf owner parks it up and leaves it there all day :-) The Trip from Warrington to Manchester was 20.5 miles but the range dropped from 36 to --- probably due to the bulk of it being motorway. This was perhaps a little to close for comfort.
I headed for another charging point about 1/2 mile away. Parked up at 12:30pm and popped it on charge. Headed off to my meetings and came back around 3:45pm to find the car charged with a range of 85 miles. Had some emails to do so left it on charge for another 30 mins whilst I sat in the car before heading off at 4:15pm with a range of 95 miles
Decided to test the Sat Nav as it was set to fastest route. If I had gone the M6 route the Sat Nav reckoned I would reach home in 1hr 13 mins. Given that the M6 at 5/6pm is never what anyone would call fast I set it to 'Eco' route. This showed that home was 56 miles away but would take 1hr 45mins. In the end it took me over 2hr 15mins due to a break down in Stoke (which I would have it had I gone the M6 route anyway) but suprisingly the range stood up really well mainly, I suspect due to the slow speed. After clearing the breakdown at Stoke the range showed 41 miles remaining with about 18 miles to home so I did test the performance of the Leaf a little knowing I would make it home :-)
56 miles in 135 mins equates to an average speed of less than 25mph, this I have discovered is ideal Leaf driving.
Reached home with 20 miles remaining
Finally for today a quick question to any Leaf owners, just how many trees can you get lit up ? My record is 5, is this the max ?
Leaf is on charge overnight now ready for tomorrow.
Stats for today
Miles covered = 141.50
Time spent on charge = 3hrs 15 mins (2 x 7kw on street Rapid Chargers)
Regards
Tim
Edited by autofocus on Thursday 12th March 21:00
pboyall said:
Leaf doesn't slow *that* much under "B" regen - about the same as some ICE cars do under engine braking (or "jake brakes".
BMW i3 does, but puts on its brake lights.
You're right it's not like slamming on your brakes, I'd say its more akin to changing down a couple of gears and using engine braking, not quite enough to warrant putting on the brake lights, but may surprise someone who isn't paying attention (not that this would apply to anyone on PH, of course BMW i3 does, but puts on its brake lights.
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