Calling all Nissan LEAF Owners in Ireland...

Oracle

I'd be very interested in hearing about how the new Leaf performs; economy, cost/benefit, etc... directly from Irish owners. I'd say many would be interested in getting the Leaf except the price is far too high.

C4Kid

(irishelectricdreams.blogspot.com)

I'll definitly be watching this space, I'm interested in the technology,Just won't be buying an EV anytime soon. Not like I have the money to do so anyway...:pac:

Mods would it be worthy of being a sticky if OP is happy to do it

Good Idea:)

Owen

If there's a bit of interest, I can help with the site. I run miniclub.ie, might be no harm to setup leafyworld.ie or something with a forum, multiple owners blogs, etc?

Oracle

I've bookmarked the blog as well.

coffin

@oracle and @c4kid
Thanks for your words of encouragement. The reason I am doing such a blog (my first one ever) is exactly for people like yourselves who might be interested but want to know the details first (and who feel they just can't afford one yet!) And I completely agree, the price of BEVs has to come down. I believe it will in time. But for now, I guess I am one of the lucky few who is able to afford it!

@paint doctor
That's a very generous offer. I'd love to talk with you about that some more. Perhaps we can PM?

Owen

Sure! If I don't respond until tomorrow, don't take it personally. Laptop died this week, and I haven't had time to fix it yet, so I'm
Iphoning all week and it's driving me mental :pac:

Reloc8

Very cool OP - good luck with it.

I also will be following your experience with interest.

C4Kid

The reason I am doing such a blog (my first one ever) exactly for people like yourselves who might be interested but want to know the details first

Coffin,

Well wear with the car ! I'm sure your time spent on your blog will be much appreciated by All.:)

Henree

I am in sales for Nissan. I was very sceptical about the Leaf and wondered were they pushing it out ahead of its time. However I have driven it and it has blown me away. I am talking my sales hat off here. It wont suit everyone lifestyle but in time as the electric car advances I am convinced it is the way forward. When I saw Back to the Future in the late 80's as a kid I always wondered what the 2015 would be like. I hadn't got that feeling until I drove this car. The power is great, I would say it seems like a GTi Golf 0 - 100.. I drive 10 different cars a day, drive a different one each night, its been a long time since one stood out like this. This is new technology, like mobile phones when they first came out.........look at them now

coffin

@oracle
Thanks for bookmarking the blog. Have just added an RSS feed to it now. Some of my friends were complaining that this was missing. Hope it is of some help

@reloc8
Appreciate the encourgement. Hope it will be of some help/interest to you

@c4kid
Make sure I don't get lazy and "forget" to post! I think this would be of most value if it gives people a realistic, day-by-day account of being an EV owner in Ireland.

coffin

Hey Henree. I completely agree. This definitely won't suit everybody's lifestyle. But I also agree that the technology will improve and hopefully gain broad acceptance over time. I have to admit that I too was extremely skeptical. I currently own a BMW Z3. Very peppy! And lots of fun to drive. When I went to test drive this I really felt that I was going to be a little disappointed (as would be the case for anyone moving from a two-seater convertible to a five seater family hatchback). I was so surprised to find this "dinky" electric car beat the pants off my Z3 in its initial acceleration. I believe this is a feature of all EVs. Hopefully with enough of us out there driving the first few EVs, we can give our friends and family the same opportunity to be blown away by this technology as we have had! And with time, the technology should improve to provide those with greater demands an acceptable alternative to piston power!

Gitb1

Henree wrote: »

I am in sales for Nissan. I was very sceptical about the Leaf and wondered were they pushing it out ahead of its time. However I have driven it and it has blown me away. I am talking my sales hat off here. It wont suit everyone lifestyle but in time as the electric car advances I am convinced it is the way forward. When I saw Back to the Future in the late 80's as a kid I always wondered what the 2015 would be like. I hadn't got that feeling until I drove this car. The power is great, I would say it seems like a GTi Golf 0 - 100.. I drive 10 different cars a day, drive a different one each night, its been a long time since one stood out like this. This is new technology, like mobile phones when they first came out.........look at them now

Whats the 0-100km/h time on one of those bad boys?

Daegerty

Gitb1 wrote: »

Whats the 0-100km/h time on one of those bad boys?

10s?

Henree

coffin wrote: »

Hey Henree. I completely agree. This definitely won't suit everybody's lifestyle. But I also agree that the technology will improve and hopefully gain broad acceptance over time. I have to admit that I too was extremely skeptical. I currently own a BMW Z3. Very peppy! And lots of fun to drive. When I went to test drive this I really felt that I was going to be a little disappointed (as would be the case for anyone moving from a two-seater convertible to a five seater family hatchback). I was so surprised to find this "dinky" electric car beat the pants off my Z3 in its initial acceleration. I believe this is a feature of all EVs. Hopefully with enough of us out there driving the first few EVs, we can give our friends and family the same opportunity to be blown away by this technology as we have had! And with time, the technology should improve to provide those with greater demands an acceptable alternative to piston power!

You wont get bored of it. When you getting yours? did you drive much of one yet?

Henree

Daegerty wrote: »

10s?

7 seconds (if you've plugged it out!)

Daegerty

Henree wrote: »

7 seconds (if you've plugged it out!)

I wonder if they are capable of a lot more in a drag race while plugged in with a very long lead

If you were to get the 3 phase power directly to the engine and bypass the whole charging malarky it should be able to pack some serious punch

Henree

1.21 gigawatts........get that baby up to 88

Daegerty

Henree wrote: »

1.21 gigawatts........

Jiggawatts!

C4Kid

@coffin

Did You get Your Leaf yet ?

Henree

C4Kid wrote: »

@coffin

Did You get Your Leaf yet ?

Leafs delayed, waiting on new Minister to sign off €5k grant, unbelievable really, more than likely days rather than weeks

Absurdum

Will stuffing the boot full of Duracells be the new 8" exhaust thing for the boy racers of the future?

CiniO

Confab wrote: »

I don't think there are any yet. Car enthusiasts don't buy electric cars, and car enthusiasts populate this forum. Anyway, the Irish are notoriously conservative and I wouldn't buy one until they've been proven for a few years.

QED really.

I definitely consider myself a car enthusiast, and even though I would buy Nissan Leaf if I could afford it.

coffin

Henree wrote: »

Leafs delayed, waiting on new Minister to sign off €5k grant, unbelievable really, more than likely days rather than weeks

Hi C4Kid. As Henree has indicated there is now an unbounded delay due to the ineptness of our new Minister for Communications, Energy and Transport, Pat Rabbitte. Apparently former minister Eamon Ryan neglected to sign the Memorandum of Understanding giving legal effect to the SEAI Incentive Scheme for EV purchases. Our new Minister seems to be dragging his feet and as a result my car (and those of 58 other owners) is sitting in a dealership gathering dust, meanwhile no sales are being complete, no more charging stations are being installed and no businesses are increasing their footfall as a result of EV owners charging their vehicles on or near their premises.

I have emailed the Minister three times, CC'd my constituent representatives, the Taoiseach's office, government press offices and even the SEAI. I have received no response from any of them. Meanwhile more jobs are being put at risk every day this issue remains unresolved.

But on the positive side the Incentive Scheme for corrupt Irish Banks is being extended by another €24 Billion! I'm so glad I voted for this government!

Ok, rant over. But have a look at this article on this matter on today's front page of The Irish Times: http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/frontpage/2011/0402/1224293652495.html

Sesshoumaru

coffin wrote: »

Hi C4Kid. As Henree has indicated there is now an unbounded delay due to the ineptness of our new Minister for Communications, Energy and Transport, Pat Rabbitte. Apparently former minister Eamon Ryan neglected to sign the Memorandum of Understanding giving legal effect to the SEAI Incentive Scheme for EV purchases. Our new Minister seems to be dragging his feet and as a result my car (and those of 58 other owners) is sitting in a dealership gathering dust, meanwhile no sales are being complete, no more charging stations are being installed and no businesses are increasing their footfall as a result of EV owners charging their vehicles on or near their premises.

I have emailed the Minister three times, CC'd my constituent representatives, the Taoiseach's office, government press offices and even the SEAI. I have received no response from any of them. Meanwhile more jobs are being put at risk every day this issue remains unresolved.

But on the positive side the Incentive Scheme for corrupt Irish Banks is being extended by another €24 Billion! I'm so glad I voted for this government!

Ok, rant over. But have a look at this article on this matter on today's front page of The Irish Times: http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/frontpage/2011/0402/1224293652495.html

I got a call from an ESB contractor yesterday, they're coming out to my home on Tuesday to install a charging point. So at least charging stations are still being installed!

I also emailed the minister and got a reply from his private secretary.

On behalf of Minister Pat Rabbitte, I wish to acknowledge receipt of your e-mail 30 March.

The contents are currently receiving attention.

That's all I've got so far anyway :rolleyes:

coffin

@Sesshoumaru
That's great news. Glad to see at least some part of this process is moving forward again. I was a little concerned by the SEAI's use of this phrase in the IT article: "It is expected the scheme will be open for business in the very near future"

Didn't 'Back To The Future 2' and 'I, Robot' take place in the "near future"! This kind of thing is exactly the reason why I made the call to all Nissan Leaf and EV owners in the first place. I just think we would be a stronger voice if we shout together, for this and any other early-adopter issues that will occur over the next 12 - 18 months. If we can smooth out the bumps in this process early on, then perhaps our fellow motoring citizens might consider looking more positively at future EV options.

n97 mini

I'd buy an electric car before I'd buy a diesel. I'd imagine the driving characteristics are better in the electric.

Well done OP, tho I was reading an article in today's paper that the grand aid for electric cars has been delayed and as a result no electric cars have been registered this year.

coffin

n97 mini wrote: »

I'd buy an electric car before I'd buy a diesel. I'd imagine the driving characteristics are better in the electric.

Well done OP, tho I was reading an article in today's paper that the grand aid for electric cars has been delayed and as a result no electric cars have been registered this year.

@n97 Mini
Yep, that's why my car is sitting in a Nissan Dealership and not in my driveway! It's so bloody frustrating. And there is no clear indication of when this issue will be resolved!

gerrycollins

Sesshoumaru wrote: »

I got a call from an ESB contractor yesterday, they're coming out to my home on Tuesday to install a charging point. So at least charging stations are still being installed!

I also emailed the minister and got a reply from his private secretary.



That's all I've got so far anyway :rolleyes:

did you try his office in Tallaght and go to his clinics he is very approachable.

Daegerty

I'm dieing to see will this Nissan Leaf be any good, and the other ones like i Miev and the Ford Focus BEV

coffin

@daegerty
Me too! But there is a politician standing in my way! Grrrrr!

@gerrycollins
I have emailed him a few times and he has not responded. However his department has said they'd raise the issue with him. It's been a week now since I first contacted them and still nothing!