OMG, KK6PD just bought a LEAF!

This goes with any car, but ESPECIALLY a Leaf! But after 12k gas-free miles in 10 months with no capacity loss on my 2015 MY, no regrets here My PiP has about 6k gas-free miles, but that's after 22 months (plus 38k "dirty" miles haha).

 

Do you think Musk/Tesla can deliver on the 3? He's fine with the big, expensive stuff, but the '3' would be into mass production and companies like Nissan have the experience with that. What can a '3' do that a 200 mile range Leaf (which will be updated by 2017/8) can't do AND keep within the same budget?

The new 30 kwh Leaf is out already and that's a stepping stone on the way to a true 200mile EV.

And at the end of the day, the tesla X isn't even out yet and that should have been on the road 2 years ago. Tesla also only concentrate on the US market, which is great for you guys, which means the '3' will be availale for us in RHD about a year later still. A 200 mile Tesla 3 will be available around 2019. It'll be out of date before it's even released. I was a supporter of Tesla, I like what they're doing, but I also remember a story from my childhood about a boy who cried wolf. With Tesla it's manyana, manyana, manyana, and tomorrow never comes.

Toyota could have filled this vacuum with a 200 mile EV Prius.

 

Supercharger network.

Where are the "other" EVs gonna charge when on longer trips? I love my Leaf and longish trips are doable. Drive an hour, charge for 20 min. repeat until the battery gets too hot. I mean 11 temp bars hot (120F!). If there's a bigger battery to charge, then drive for 2 hours, but at current Chademo rates (like 40 kWs?), the time to charge to get back on the road is extended. Supercharger network is all set up for the Model 3. NO OTHER EV maker has this!

 

Ey up. Yeah I'm loving the Leaf and the smooth quiet ride. No specific employee benefits here for an EV, though some companies have taken it on their own back to offer them. One up market supermarket (Waitrose) are offering employees a £6,000 ($9,200) incentive to buy an EV, in addition to the £5,000 Government grant.

The VW shenanigans has focused peoples minds onto emissions and EVs and PHEVs can only increase in number because of this. Even in my small town that hasn't even got any charging infrastructure (something I'm working on ) I regularly see more electric and plug in vehicles than I see hybrids! We're still a minority though compared to smelly diesel, but we're growing in number. The Outlander PHEV has really made a difference to acceptance. It costs the same as a top end Leaf and has the backup of an engine, 4wd, more power etc.

People do seem to be aware of the Leaf as I am always getting checked out at the lights, oh and I love burning off diesels at the lights I let them get a car length on me before I totally floor it. Toyota are so missing out by not offering an EV. Even Mrs GC is seriously considering an EV next time, as are her parents.

It's so nice not having to look at petrol station price boards when I drive past.

 

Then sort that out. My electric company offer a national UK charging network (rapid chargers only) that is free to use. OK, sure the UK is smaller than the US, but you could have an equivalent in your State? There has to be a will and there'll be a way.

Our Electric Highway - For The Road - Ecotricity

Nissan have donated some money to it, which is good value for them. What's $2million for rapid chargers compared to the $billions in r&d for the Leaf?

Even Russia has mandated that every petrol station has to have EV charging facilities, though the minimum required is access to a household socket - so not that beneficial in reality. Russian Gas Stations Ordered to Provide Chargers for Electric Cars | Business | The Moscow Times

 

"Electricity pumps" Love it! Pumping kwh instead of gallons. So, Russia is ahead of the US of A? Sputnik all over again. I'd love gas stations here to also pump ions. Just isn't going to happen. "You don't want this to be Russia, do ya" that's the mentality of people. Yes, yes, I do want it to be like Russia here. at least the charge stations at gas stations thing.

 

I believe Tesla has offered Supercharger access to the others. There is a fee, but the Chademo outfit was charging a fee for companies to just experiment with their system at first. Which is why the American and European companies pushed for an open standard with the SAE's an others.

I've heard Chademo has moved to a faster standard, and the SAE combo plugs are starting to appear, but I don't expect any big push for such networks until the companies besides Tesla have a 150 mile BEV.

 

The UK Nissan Leaf comes with a 30 kwh battery option that gives a 155 mile EU range, which would probably be 115 miles EPA.

I guess it depends how it's measured as Tesla are happy to quote the EU range rating over here.

The 30 kwh Leaf is just a stop gap until the new Leaf comes out in 2 years, and that should have a more realistic 150 mile range (200 miles under EU).

Nissan LEAF - Electric Car - City Car Nissan

With VW and Volvo all starting to now push their EV wares, things will start to change rapidly.

Volvo: It's time for electric cars to enter the mainstream - Fortune

 

IIRC, that new pack just misses 100 miles by the EPA.

With Chademo and {I can never remember the SAE comboplug official name}, the issue is who builds out the network. I don't see it not happening, but without an organization behind it as with Tesla and Superchargers, it will be in fit and spurts like it was for the first ICE cars. It will happen, but with more growing pains in under serviced and longer periods of no service in areas.

 

30 kWh 2016 Nissan LEAF Test Drive Review