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by gnicholas 3217 days ago
Any advice on how to make sure you're getting a good one, or where to get one? We considered Leafs several years ago, but the range wasn't quite good enough for our needs.

Since then, our needs have decreased and range has increased a bit. Would love to trade in one of our 25 mpg vehicles for a Leaf. Plenty of chargers around Palo Alto, including at work!
2 comments
aphextron 3217 days ago
Make sure the battery has at least 8 bars left. There's two gauges on the dash: current charge and battery capacity. Capacity is the skinnier one on the right [0]. If you find one still within the warranty window below 8 bars, Nissan will even replace the battery free [1]. Also make sure you get one with a quick charge port, it's worth every penny. Other than that you really can't go wrong.

http://www.plugincars.com/sites/default/files/leaf-dash-bars... [0]

https://www.nissanusa.com/electric-cars/leaf/charging-range/... [1]

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hunter2_ 3217 days ago
Not an owner, but I think those two points work against each other a bit. How much, I'm not sure, but slower charging does preserve capacity. If you have no plans for long trips where you need to charge during a meal, and will always be charging overnight or while at work, batteries that haven't had to deal with faster charging could be better.
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cptskippy 3216 days ago
You're not wrong however all of the studies and research out there shows the degradation is hundreds or tenths of a percentage point. In other words it's insignificant.
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ZeroGravitas 3216 days ago
There's guides online for this.

Things I remember off the top of my head:

* there's generations of Leafs, and later ones are better in terms of battery management

* there's a device you can buy and an iPhone app to get better, in-depth info from the battery on a car you intend to purchase

* It was high temperatures that were the achilles heel for early Leaf's so watch out if you live somewhere like Pheonix or if you suspect the car came from somewhere similar

* make sure to check out all the various rebates available for new leafs (from state, federal and utility companies, and group buy offers) to make a fair comparison with a used model.

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