Nissan Leaf UK import

boardzz

Hi all,
I'm currently trying to source a Nissan Leaf from the UK and import to Ireland.
I believe it's free to VRT the car when I get here however, how will I get the car here.
Can I register for the fast chargers in UK and pay by minute once off?
I know from my 24hr test drive, some of the fast chargers in Ireland don't even require the ESB card to use, just plug in. Is this still the case.
If not I will not be able to charge in Ireland when I reach here.

Has anyone gone through this process already and have some tips fro me?.

Thanks.

Rafal

Be careful about VAT. If the car is new, I think under 6 months, or even older, but under 4K miles or so, it will be subject to Irish VAT at 23% payable at Irish registration, even though you will get VRT written off. So, to make it all make sense, you would need to buy it in UK without paying the UK VAT on it, which means having it never registered in UK, not allowed to drive it, and having to use a company to import it for you—or buying an older one in UK. You would need to pay this even if you were to re-register it some time in the future, and anyway, you are legally required to register it in Ireland within a day of arrival if you are importing it.

Overall, after considering it, I decided against the import because it was a bit too much hassle, but there are many people who import cars from UK quite successfully. Read more at citizensinformation.ie (I am not allowed to post a full link as boards.ie rejects it) just search for "importing car ireland vat"

mr.dunkey

boardzz wrote: »

Hi all,
I'm currently trying to source a Nissan Leaf from the UK and import to Ireland.
I believe it's free to VRT the car when I get here however, how will I get the car here.
Can I register for the fast chargers in UK and pay by minute once off?
I know from my 24hr test drive, some of the fast chargers in Ireland don't even require the ESB card to use, just plug in. Is this still the case.
If not I will not be able to charge in Ireland when I reach here.

Has anyone gone through this process already and have some tips fro me?.

Thanks.

I regularly import EVs for customers, so have done this a good few times.

Vrt is not free on EVs but an allowance which normally covers the cost of most EVs. The same Vrt reduction is applied to new cars in Ireland.
You can register for UK charge points, there are lots of companies so you must first of all find out how which one you are going to use on your route and then apply for the card. Ecotricity being the main one.Some are free some need a fee paid.

ESB have changed it that nearly all Chargers now need cards. You can still get activated by ringing up the call center,

You will need a lot of planning to pull it off, many have done it successfully. Buying a LEAF in UK is not straight forward, In the UK the battery can be leased called a Flex. You cannot import these cars and the battery belongs to Nissan. These cars are often priced cheaply and not clearly marked as so. Nissan Main dealers, some are OK some are not,(the bad ones not really knowing EVs just salesmen)
Watch the Pound and decide how your going to pay the seller, fees etc.

Do a History check, there are cheap LEAFs that are cat D or C repaired, avoid, these will seem like a good deal.

If your buying a Gen 1 car 2011-2013, white interior there is no battery lease
If your buying Gen 1.5 Dark interior they may be a battery lease.

I would stay away from high mileage Gen 1 cars,

PM me if you have any specific questions that i can help with or stuck

boardzz

Are you in the business of importing cars for people? Would I be able to use your services rather than doing this myself?

I would also avoid Gen 1 Leafs if doing a lot of mileage, the capacity drops much faster than the current gen but you should see many years of doing small daily mileage.

If you can get a July 2013 (built) not registered but built, then it should have the newer battery, the darker interior is in the Gen 1.5 Leaf bright for the Gen I.

The current battery is proving to be very reliable.

mr.dunkey

boardzz wrote: »

Are you in the business of importing cars for people? Would I be able to use your services rather than doing this myself?

Pm sent

BoatMad

I would have thought that with euro sterling moves over the last 2 years that 2nd hand purchases in the uk are very bad deals at present.

Might not be worth it if you take into account transport and accommodation if needed, the hassle alone might make it not worth it.

You could lease a new leaf for 3 years depending on the 2nd hand cost, the difference being you own the car after 3 years if you import it.

cros13

BoatMad wrote: »

I would have thought that with euro sterling moves over the last 2 years that 2nd hand purchases in the uk are very bad deals at present.

Yup. From what I've seen on autotrader and carzone it's have to justify buying in the UK as 2nd hand Leafs are now cheaper here.

boardzz

It's just the choice. There is only a handful available in Ireland.

Pfinn07

There is such a better selection of leafs in the uk and although it is daunting arranging to travel over to bring back a car I am pretty determined to do so.

I have booked a flight for only €9.99 and have commissioned an engineer to inspect a 2013 car prior to my arrival, at worst if the car report is negative it will have cost me about €190, a lot to lose yes but better than thousands on a lemon which I could also be buying here too.

I viewed 2 leafs here, one at dealers which would be costing me 21k for a 2015 model and another 2013 leaf which the private seller swore was never damaged but thankfully my early couple of years working in a repair shop helped me spot the tell tale signs so I walked away.

If I get this done in the next week I will put up a few more details if anyone interested.

Any tips or advice beforehand appreciated, we can all learn something new.

I would advise a battery check via Leaf Spy and a bluetooth to OBD II V 1.5 Dongle but since you're looking at the Gen 1.5 I don't think it's necessary with reasonable mileage but always better to be sure. The Gen 1.5 battery readings will vary depending on usage, leafs sitting and not driving for days or weeks at a time will report much lower Ah and health readings than leafs used daily.

See if Nissan U.K can verify the mileage, all Leafs with car wings send the mileage, battery condition and charging data straight to Nissan Motor Co in Japan but I don't know if the dealers will be allowed access this information. This function can be disabled though but I doubt most people would bother.

Pfinn07

Thanks Mad Lad,

I have only seen the basic indicator of the 12 bar LCD on display showing and considering the car is a one owner with just over 12k I am pretty confident over the battery.

I have looked at a CatD repaired leaf also in the same area which is tempting as it is a higher spec, I am not overly concerned about such a car as the damage was light needing a wing and front bumper.
Assuming everything checked out repairs wise would there be anything to be aware of importing a CatD car into Ireland as regards NCT, VRT or Insuring the car afterwards?

The problem with repairs is that you never know how the paint was done, if it was done correctly or not and you could end up with rust or pealing or orange peal. It may look spot on but you never know how it will age.

Pfinn07

Deleted User wrote: »

The problem with repairs is that you never know how the paint was done, if it was done correctly or not and you could end up with rust or pealing or orange peal. It may look spot on but you never know how it will age.

I can appreciate and agree totally with what you are saying, that is why I have sought an inspection with an engineer who also has experience working with car repairs, it will be costing me £129 which is a lot but not if you take into consideration the peace of mind that a top quality, reputable, insured professional has given you a 196 point pre inspection including paintwork and panel alignment.

I've seen some top repairs that passed inspection that even I would not consider professional and have seen other repairs after a few years end up with lacquer peeling and rust forming, a repair can't ever be the same, on a positive note though, it can always be resprayed .

BoatMad

with all the unknowns over long term battery life, Id have to say unless I was getting a absolute humdinger of a deal I wouldn't touch a second hand leaf with a barge pole. There is simply no data


PS if the paint job is done by a proper repair centre, its as good as the original coating. I've had loads of cars repaired over the years and the repaint in only one ( the plasticiser was left out on a plastic number respray)

in a second hand leaf the paint would be the least of my worries

I would say out of warranty there are risks but the battery in the current gen 1.5 is proving to be much more reliable. The Leaf electronics are pretty much bullet proof and have shown only early teething problems with the 2011-12's which are resolved at this stage I would say.

I'd have no hesitations recommending a 2nd hand 2013 July built + leafs.

OP how many Kms are you doing average daily/yearly ?

BoatMad

Deleted User wrote: »

I would say out of warranty there are risks but the battery in the current gen 1.5 is proving to be much more reliable. The Leaf electronics are pretty much bullet proof and have shown only early teething problems with the 2011-12's which are resolved at this stage I would say.

I'd have no hesitations recommending a 2nd hand 2013 July built + leafs.

nothing matters other then remaining battery life, since all we have on second gen batteries if about 4 years of data, buying a 3-4 year old leaf and maybe expecting a further 4 years is extremely brave

remember LI battery capacity does not decline linearly , its falls over a cliff at a point in time

Pfinn07

I have emailed both Nissan uk and Iteland re warranty and they have basically informed me after providing damage details that warranty cover would not be affected unless any possible issue was caused by or as a result of damage/poor repair.

Regarding paintwork, I am of the opinion that having an eye for detail is important, sometimes you just have to look at a car to know something is not quite right.
A good quality repair should be undetectable.

Ps price for repaired car is severely tempting me.

Pfinn07

[Deleted User] wrote: »

OP how many Kms are you doing average daily/yearly ?

Primarily town driving with less than average 3000 miles annually.

Daily would be less than 10 - 20 mile max.

BoatMad

Pfinn07 wrote: »

Primarily town driving with less than average 3000 miles annually.

Daily would be less than 10 - 20 mile max.

buy small petrol car, save you lots , thats way to little motoring to benefit from electric usage cost savings

Pfinn07

Pfinn07 wrote: »

Primarily town driving with less than average 3000 miles annually.

Daily would be less than 10 - 20 mile max.

You would have no issues with any leaf at that rate, probably last you well above 10 years.

BoatMad

BoatMad wrote: »

buy small petrol car, save you lots , thats way to little motoring to benefit from electric usage cost savings

Lol I would actually agree with you for once !

BoatMad

Deleted User wrote: »

......l above 10 years.

based on absolutely no facts and Mad-lads peculiar form of self justification


Im all for fan-boy enthusiasm, but lets try and stay with the known facts ( or lack of them)

BoatMad

Deleted User wrote: »

Lol I would actually agree with you for once !

Im just an engineer, numbers and facts , numbers and facts

There's no way in hell the Leaf battery won't provide 10-20 mile daily mileage in 10 years.

BoatMad

Deleted User wrote: »

There's no way in hell the Leaf battery won't provide 10-20 mile daily mileage in 10 years.

you know this because...........???

with the mention of " hell" I'm beginning to think EV is a religion because of all the " faith " involved

Im an atheist

Pfinn07

BoatMad wrote: »

nothing matters other then remaining battery life, since all we have on second gen batteries if about 4 years of data, buying a 3-4 year old leaf and maybe expecting a further 4 years is extremely brave

remember LI battery capacity does not decline linearly , its falls over a cliff at a point in time

Haha you are not helping my optimism, worst case scenario I will be looking to replace battery by which time they may have a less expensive replacement option or just use as trade in for scrappage.
If we want to go down that road an engine could just as likely give problems in a conventional car buying a used vehicle, it is just a matter of suiting my budget at the moment as I would be having to pay out an additional 10k to get a new leaf, I am not willing to burden myself with that extra payment.

BoatMad

Pfinn07 wrote: »

Haha you are not helping my optimism, worst case scenario I will be looking to replace battery by which time they may have a less expensive replacement option or just use as trade in for scrappage.

yes, but as yet we have seen no concrete data on battery replacement strategy or its costs , certainly in the near future over the lifetime of your leaf, its likely to be very very expensive to change a battery , a leaf with a effective dead battery will have no trade in value if there isn't an economic replacement path , we simply dont know these things ( back to the " faith" argument again)

If we want to go down that road an engine could just as likely give problems in a conventional car buying a used vehicle, it is just a matter of suiting my budget at the moment as I would be having to pay out an additional 10k to get a new leaf, I am not willing to burden myself with that extra payment.

yes but the costs of repairing a petrol and known, quantifiable amours and typically incremental in nature. replacing the battery pack is likely to be a sudden , very expensive single cost ( if available ) and without it , your car is virtually worthless


if you want to buy a car for emotional reasons , fire away , its your money ,, if you are doing little mileage and are on a budget buy the best 2nd hand petrol you can afford

Pfinn07

BoatMad wrote: »

buy small petrol car, save you lots , thats way to little motoring to benefit from electric usage cost savings

Considering I am currently driving a 3.0 petrol X5 you can do the math re petrol and road tax.

I have scoured my options and just haven't found a smaller car which ticks the boxes as much as the higher spec leaf as it provides some of the creature comforts I currently enjoy plus things like the ability to pre set heating before journey is something the wife will appreciate.

BoatMad

Pfinn07 wrote: »

Considering I am currently driving a 3.0 petrol X5 you can do the math re petrol and road tax.

I have scoured my options and just haven't found a smaller car which ticks the boxes as much as the higher spec leaf as it provides some of the creature comforts I currently enjoy plus things like the ability to pre set heating before journey is something the wife will appreciate.

at 20 miles a day , thats a good choice, buy a old big engined ex-exec mobile, sure the tax is a killer, but you can swan around in a BMW 3 litre for peanuts

I was offered a 3.5 5 series in great visual nick, engine OK, some electronics faulty for 2.5 K. really nice silver etc ..

big engines are really cheap , unburstable etc

sure switching on the heater ( if you can get carwings to actually work) is " useful", .....:D

So Boat Mads take on all this is don't buy an EV for 20 years until all the data comes in OMG LOL !

BoatMad

Deleted User wrote: »

So Boat Mads take on all this is don't buy an EV for 20 years until all the data comes in OMG LOL !

NO , Im saying that let nissan carry the risk ( buy new) and other wise for another 5 years you are buying on " faith " rather then knowledge, faith has a habit of being wrong......

Pfinn07

I take it you are certainly not a leaf fan BoatMad 😄

For me the cost believe it or not of 30-40euros weekly for fuel plus €1500 pa for tax makes the leaf over 4- 5 years pay for itself.
I absolutely love the X5 a great car with 93k but she is a 02 and regardless of having been well cared for it is only a matter of time before the years start to show and the money pit of repairs start so it is time to move on.

BoatMad

I take it you are certainly not a leaf fan BoatMad 😄

all being well, Im hopping to order a new one tomorrow !.... its costed to suit a very particular purpose and I have no illusions as to its capabilities or lack of them having had one for a week. I wouldn't dream of buying a used one

For me the cost believe it or not of 30-40euros weekly for fuel plus €1500 pa for tax makes the leaf over 4- 5 years pay for itself.

not a chance, compared to what a new X5 , sure, but thats not apples and apples comparison,

Pfinn07

BoatMad wrote: »

all being well, Im hopping to order a new one tomorrow !.... its costed to suit a very particular purpose and I have no illusions as to its capabilities or lack of them having had one for a week. I wouldn't dream of buying a used one



not a chance, compared to what a new X5 , sure, but thats not apples and apples comparison,

Sorry I mean the cost of a used one.
Sure I would prefer the best option of buying a new vehicle but for me currently my budget suits to purchase a used vehicle.

Anyway we are going a bit off my original question which is, are there any other costs other than the transporting over from UK and NCT ?

DrPhilG

I bought in Leeds. Flew to Liverpool, train to Leeds and then drove home via the Liverpool-Belfast ferry.

I saved about €4k compared to similar models in Ireland, plus I had a far greater range of colour/6.6kw/SVE options available.

If you buy from a UK dealer they will lend you an Ecotricity card which should give you plenty of range to get home. And if you pay an online deposit the ESB will send you out your access cards for here.

Pfinn07

DrPhilG wrote: »

I bought in Leeds. Flew to Liverpool, train to Leeds and then drove home via the Liverpool-Belfast ferry.

I saved about €4k compared to similar models in Ireland, plus I had a far greater range of colour/6.6kw/SVE options available.

If you buy from a UK dealer they will lend you an Ecotricity card which should give you plenty of range to get home. And if you pay an online deposit the ESB will send you out your access cards for here.

That is similar to what I am planning, I have sourced a 2013 tekna which was damaged but once I know about the true information up front I do not have a problem once the repairs are top quality, I have a vehicle engineer with this type of qualification doing a report before I head over.

Insurance checks out ok, there is an increase in premium but they could/would not tell me if this is down to being a repaired car or just the increases everyone seems to be hit with in their insurance renewals?

I had examined a 2013 standard model 2 weeks ago which was a good price here in Ireland but I was a able to tell that at the very least one wing had been sprayed even though the owner insisted that the car had not been crashed/damaged so buying private is a gamble both here or uk.
With an engineer doing the checks for me I am at least putting the odds a bit more in my favour of getting a car with similar savings to what you have found after all my expenses maybe 3.5k at least.

Does anyone have suggestion of how to get recharge for my trip home? ESB will not issue a card without proof of purchase which I will only get that same morning, they have told me that I can ring at charging station to get remote access but I am a bit apprehensive doing this, has anyone had to use remote access?

mr.dunkey

Pfinn07 wrote: »

That is similar to what I am planning, I have sourced a 2013 tekna which was damaged but once I know about the true information up front I do not have a problem once the repairs are top quality, I have a vehicle engineer with this type of qualification doing a report before I head over.

Insurance checks out ok, there is an increase in premium but they could/would not tell me if this is down to being a repaired car or just the increases everyone seems to be hit with in their insurance renewals?

I had examined a 2013 standard model 2 weeks ago which was a good price here in Ireland but I was a able to tell that at the very least one wing had been sprayed even though the owner insisted that the car had not been crashed/damaged so buying private is a gamble both here or uk.
With an engineer doing the checks for me I am at least putting the odds a bit more in my favour of getting a car with similar savings to what you have found after all my expenses maybe 3.5k at least.

Does anyone have suggestion of how to get recharge for my trip home? ESB will not issue a card without proof of purchase which I will only get that same morning, they have told me that I can ring at charging station to get remote access but I am a bit apprehensive doing this, has anyone had to use remote access?

ESB will remote access the FCPs, or have a trailer organsied to get it home

DrPhilG

Pfinn07 wrote: »

Insurance checks out ok, there is an increase in premium but they could/would not tell me if this is down to being a repaired car or just the increases everyone seems to be hit with in their insurance renewals?

Does anyone have suggestion of how to get recharge for my trip home? ESB will not issue a card without proof of purchase which I will only get that same morning, they have told me that I can ring at charging station to get remote access but I am a bit apprehensive doing this, has anyone had to use remote access?

Are you insuring this on a new policy or changing? I switched from my old car and got money back.

Are you buying from a dealer? If so, can they not just email you a confirmation that they are holding the car for you etc? Esb will accept that. I had only paid a few hundred quid deposit to secure my car and the ESB accepted that.

Alternatively any dealer in the UK should have a fee access cards of their own and should Ltd you one. My dealer loaned me an Ecotricity card and I posted it back when I got home.

If not, try sites like "speakev". A few people there offered me a lend of a card if the dealer hadn't loaned me one.

Pfinn07

DrPhilG wrote: »

Are you insuring this on a new policy or changing? I switched from my old car and got money back.

Are you buying from a dealer? If so, can they not just email you a confirmation that they are holding the car for you etc? Esb will accept that. I had only paid a few hundred quid deposit to secure my car and the ESB accepted that.

Alternatively any dealer in the UK should have a fee access cards of their own and should Ltd you one. My dealer loaned me an Ecotricity card and I posted it back when I got home.

If not, try sites like "speakev". A few people there offered me a lend of a card if the dealer hadn't loaned me one.

I am changing it will be extra but I'm not sure if that is part of the insurance hikes or increased valuation.

I am having car checked out tomorrow by an engineer and had €9.99 flight booked last week so no major loss if car does not pass inspection, I am leaving ferry booking until as late as possible, (can you actually pay at ferry port?) Seller has offered a UK card but as I will be trying to do deal in one visit I do not have time or paperwork to get Esb card, I will have to try remote charge and keep the fingers crossed but it is a long trip to Kerry.

cros13

Pfinn07 wrote: »

I am changing it will be extra but I'm not sure if that is part of the insurance hikes or increased valuation.

I am having car checked out tomorrow by an engineer and had €9.99 flight booked last week so no major loss if car does not pass inspection, I am leaving ferry booking until as late as possible, (can you actually pay at ferry port?) Seller has offered a UK card but as I will be trying to do deal in one visit I do not have time or paperwork to get Esb card, I will have to try remote charge and keep the fingers crossed but it is a long trip to Kerry.

You definitely need a card. Several chargers on that route have poor mobile signal and will not reliably remote charge.

Rafal

There are chargers that ESB cannot activate remotely at all, as I have learned from talking to them in front of the one at Tesco in Bray. In the words of their engineer, that one has "not contacted them since July".

DrPhilG

Are you buying from a dealer?

DrPhilG

The insurance hikes should not affect a change, only a renewal.

123.ie initially tried to charge me an an extra €900 on top of my €570 original policy. After a lengthy battle they figured out that their system had the Leaf in the wrong class.

mr.dunkey

Good luck on your trip. Do all possible checks. Get previous damage pics etc. The charge point at the nose of the car would want to be tested. DC and AC point.

If your engineer oks it and Nissan will cover full warranty it seems good to go. If the car in a few months stops charging it may be costly repair if Not warranted.
Remember if a deal seems too good there's a reason.

They're are alot of Cat D cars on Irish roads and repaired LEAFs for sale in UK/ireland not done properly.

If this guy has experience in repairing EVs you might be good

k123456

Hi Folks, interested too in importing

About how is to be saved in Euro, for a Mk1.5 , needs to be the SV or SVE level

Year not important, But I assume we are talking 2013 onwards for a MK 1.5

DrPhilG

k123456 wrote: »

Hi Folks, interested too in importing

About how is to be saved in Euro, for a Mk1.5 , needs to be the SV or SVE level

Year not important, But I assume we are talking 2013 onwards for a MK 1.5

I bought a 141 Tekna (SVE) in England. Cost me the equivalent of about €18,500 including the cost of ferry and flight.

There were only 3 or 4 in Ireland at that model, age and mileage available, cheapest was €22,500.

k123456

DrPhilG wrote: »

I bought a 141 Tekna (SVE) in England. Cost me the equivalent of about €18,500 including the cost of ferry and flight.

There were only 3 or 4 in Ireland at that model, age and mileage available, cheapest was €22,500.

4k saving, certainly a good saving