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Autocar test the Nissan Leaf range
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23-04-2011 12:10pm#1
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On my first day driving the Leaf my estimated range was a meagre 134 kilometres. At first I drove it like my old diesel car. It's not so easy to explain, but as you drive the car it constantly keeps you updated with how much energy you are using or getting back through various displays on the monitor and dash. After a while you begin to notice that the throttle has quite a high resolution and this combined with the constant feedback on energy usage begins to train you to drive in a more energy efficient way. On my second day I woke up and after a full charge the car was telling me my range was 172km, it keeps a record of your driving style, so the range estimation is based on more than just how you drive on the day. It is also based on how you drove the previous days and weeks etc.
Yesterday I had to make two round trips from Celbridge to Clonee via Leixlip. There was fairly varied terrain. A few good hills, back roads and some more open roads. This is a picture of my dash after I got home, 67.9 kilometres travelled and estimated range is 101 kilometres.
The guy in that video was joking about Nissan saying you should acquire a Zen like state of mind, it's not a million miles from the truth. For me, it just made me far more acutely aware of the correlation between throttle and energy usage. I haven't had it long, but I think figuring out quickly that the throttle had such high resolution and that instead of pressing it 1cm, I could press it 5mm or less and achieve a similar result with less energy used - that was the key for me.
There are other things you start thinking about as well. Like how you don't really want to come to a stop, so instead of maintaining speed, maybe I'll just coast towards that junction (gaining some energy back in regeneration) and then having to use less energy to regain momentum as traffic has hopefully started moving again.
Of course you could do that in a petrol or diesel car, but petrol and diesel cars haven't been designed around informing you so well about your energy usage.
Coming back to how it trains you to drive more efficiently. Yesterday my wife and I drove to a restaurant to have a bite to eat. On the way over my wife drove and she started wondering out loud why the estimated range for her was going down faster than it had for me. I drove on the way home and when we got home, the estimated range was higher than when we had left the restaurant.
Anyway, I've only had the car since Thursday. These are just some of my initial thoughts on the car
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Good post, Sesshoumaru. Point taken about driving style but at a steady 60 mph on an open road there's not a whole lot that the driver can do (apart from slowing down) to improve economy. The same is true for IC engined cars but obviously reduced range is far less of an issue with them.
It's not a perfect car, travelling at higher speeds does consume more energy. I won't try to claim it has no weak points. But on balance, for my family it suits us quite well. The odd journey down to Kerry or maybe over to Galway should be very possible once the the 50kW DC charging stations are in place. It won't be able to make those journeys as fast as an ICE vehicle, but that for us is a small sacrifice.
But yeah clearly if you need long range on a regular basis, it's not the car for you 0 -
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Much as I detest electric cars, that is a stunning figure to be fair. Something equivalent to 450 mpg at todays petrol prices or 10 times as efficient as typical car.
surely given those figures, there is huge room to produce proper luxury cars with alot of power and still maintain an efficiency of 2 or 3 times that of even the best diesels at the minute or even package more battery power on board to allow better range which would obviously reduce efficiency but many more people would be tempted by these cars if the range allowed more flexibility of use even if it meant efficiency was half of that of the leaf.
If you have the money...
http://www.teslamotors.com/models
*edit*
I see the base model is $50k and has a 160 mile range, not bad I think. Good power and acceleration. RWD as well.0 -
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equivalent to 450 mpg at todays petrol prices or 10 times as efficient as typical car.
You do realise that if there wasn't a night electricity rate and if there was no excise on fuel, an EV would not be more efficient than a diesel car?
Very tax efficient, they are indeed, it must be said
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You do realise that if there wasn't a night electricity rate and if there was no excise on fuel, an EV would not be more efficient than a diesel car?
Very tax efficient, they are indeed, it must be said
Maybe efficiency is not the right word but the figures dont lie and for now those figures are astonishing. True, if everyone drove one, the night electricity rate would disappear and no doubt the government would slap a load of tax on the electricity in some form or other but for the immediate future, these figure are where it is at and for any buyers who can live with the range and EV characteristics, it is a no brainer. I guess they are 10k overpriced compared to the competition though but when they are available on the used market, that might not be such an issue.
Couldnt have one myself though, I didnt even get round to diesel yet.0 -
Maybe efficiency is not the right word but the figures dont lie and for now those figures are astonishing. True, if everyone drove one, the night electricity rate would disappear and no doubt the government would slap a load of tax on the electricity in some form or other but for the immediate future, these figure are where it is at and for any buyers who can live with the range and EV characteristics, it is a no brainer.
Agreed, a no brainer if the current tax regime would be maintained, if the current night rates will stay less than half of the day rates, if a competent EV (like we all agree the Leaf is - it's a fine, decent, safe family car) would be a little bit cheaper than €35k (minus €5k subsidy). And if the promises from Nissan about battery durability will hold out to be true
A lot of ifs 0 -
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Sesshoumaru wrote: »Of course you could do that in a petrol or diesel car, but petrol and diesel cars haven't been designed around informing you so well about your energy usage.
Coming back to how it trains you to drive more efficiently. Yesterday my wife and I drove to a restaurant to have a bite to eat. On the way over my wife drove and she started wondering out loud why the estimated range for her was going down faster than it had for me. I drove on the way home and when we got home, the estimated range was higher than when we had left the restaurant.
Anyway, I've only had the car since Thursday. These are just some of my initial thoughts on the car
My wallet does that for me.
My personal best is 1180 km out of 48 litres. (Filled to the brim at the start and filled to the brim after)
Electric cars suffer (or at least will suffer) from the same problems as Diesel/LPG/Petrol cars. Most of the power generation and imported power into Ireland is generated by Gas Turbine or Coal.
Go Nuclear and its feasible.
Renewable just doesnt cut the mustard when it comes to high grid load.
Germany its common to have 3 phase coming into your home, which would significantly reduce charging times, although electricity is bloody expensive.
I wore a t-shirt in work that said "Did you turn off the Immersion?"
All the Germans were asking wtf an Immersion was and when I explained it they all thought it was a crazy idea.0 -
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