2023 Nissan Leaf: Winter efficiency, Handling, & Fast Charging Electrify America Vs. EvGO

[@isaachunt5799]

one of the greatest cars ever made the leaf. i have been driving for 40 years and over 4 million miles. we bought leaf last year and we LOVE IT. so smooth and so easy to drive. and never have to pay 11 usd a gallon ever again

[@paulshoover]

Nice!

[@isaachunt5799]

@@paulshoover still have ours. love it more then ever. amazing car that has saved us a fortune on gas

[@jaynefeeney]

I’m glad to see all of the positive info on the Leaf, especially from someone who also owns a Tesla. I have a 2023 Leaf that I love, but I have seen so much negative press on the Leaf I have had major buyer’s remorse… but she’s staying with me for at least 5 years!

[@paulshoover]

Nice!

[@robjohnson8662]

@@paulshoover The leaf really is the best ev out there, inexpensive, reasonable range. If only Nissan would get their heads out of their asses and switch to either nacs or ccs, the leaf would outsell tesla 10:1.

[@Plisken65]

​@robjohnson8662 they've done both with Ariya!

[@lactose101]

Nissan tech here. I’m an EV specialist for the Leaf and ARIYA. I also just inherited my Dad’s 23’ Leaf and it’s the first EV car I’ve owned. It has definitely changed the way I look at EVs in a positive way. It’s a fun little commuter car. Definitely not made for long distances but that’s why they made the ARIYA. Thanks for the real world info on how it performs! I noticed your charge time estimates are blank in this video. There’s actually a service bulletin for the 23’ Leafs built on or before 11/6/22 which states to replace the cluster (combination meter) to an updated part to correct that concern. I’m not sure if you’ve looked into that already, but you should definitely seek a Nissan dealer and ask. Mine had the same issue.

[@paulshoover]

Good to know

[@dirkjan9597]

Great video! I was trying to show my family what the new Leaf looks like since I'll get another one next week. Been driving the Leaf II for almost five years, put a 100k (km) on it without s single issue. I was pleasantly surprised for the positive feedback regarding the Leaf from your Channel, keep up the good work, I enjoy the video's! Over here in the Netherlands, the Leaf is regarded as outdated and definitely not sexy. Though when one takes a good look at how one uses the car, the Leaf might well be the best bang for buck, at least here. I'm getting the e+ business executive version, I can't possibly think of anything I would miss. And that for €35k, is a relative bargain. One does need to realize that chademo is being discriminated against europe's CCS standard, so fast charging needs to be planned. Since I will be fast charging once every few months, I'll be fine. Regarding winter driving, its exceptionally easy to drive. I use the eco mode and epedal. Torque builds up slow enough and saved me from being hit by a semi truck which lost grip at a ramp. I could just drive away to another lane.

[@paulshoover]

Congratulations and thanks for the great insights from across the pond.

[@agaragar21]

Exactly the information i was looking for !

[@paulshoover]

Glad it was helpful.

[@jeanjean777]

Your videos made me decide to go with a leaf for my first EV. They should give you a commission, you drive a persuasive argument haha. The dealership gave me an upgrade to the 2024 version because the order was delayed by a month so I should have it by April. My only concern is that people have said the break feels super spongy, do you have any opinion on this? I have never drive a car with ePedal so I'm afraid of hitting cars if the brake doesn't respond properly.

[@paulshoover]

Thanks for the kind words. Car drives great. The brakes feel good. I love the e-pedal. Never have to touch the brakes in normal driving. Give it a try and I think you'll get used to it and not want to go back.

[@ramadjones]

I ended up getting a 22 Leaf SV+ for about 27k. It's a buzz around town vehicle, that I can plug in at home. So far, I only have to plug it in once a week overnight. We'll see how it handles a Minnesota winter.

[@paulshoover]

You'll love it! Winters are no issue with the heat pump. Charge, drive and enjoy!

[@JackJonner]

Good stuff and well explained. As an older driver doing mainly short runs I doubt whether I will ever go to a charging station. I am having a home charger fitted in a few days and I will charge the car between midnight and 5.00am when the rate is very low. I like driving the Leaf immensely having had it for a few months now. Winters in Scotland are not too bad so I don’t expect too many issues to arise. I learned some good information from this video so thanks.

[@paulshoover]

Well said! Glad it was helpful!

[@gerhardk98]

Winter tires on the Leaf and it is fantastic winter car. Only use ePedal in Stop & Go driving, in regular driving I find the regen annoying.

[@Plisken65]

How's the battery degradation been so far??

[@paulshoover]

Zero - we sold the leaf after 10k. Bought a model 3, that's another video if I get back to making them.

[@Plisken65]

@@paulshoover ouch. Yours was one of the videos that swayed me to pick up a 22 SL plus. Hope nothing went wrong.

[@paulshoover]

@@Plisken65 nothing was wrong. We wanted a car we could road trip. Tesla supercharger network cannot be matched. That simple - My wife didnt like the thought of not being able to do a road trip. When the prices on the model 3 dropped and it made sense for us to trade.

[@Plisken65]

@paulshoover gotcha! Did you trade at Tesla? And if so, did they give fair price? Actually been considering an upgrade myself, now that I know I can do the EV lifestyle.

[@paulshoover]

@Plisken65 I did trade at tesla. As with all cars dealers. Trading is a loosing game. The tax credit instantly decreases the cars value. Plus any other depreciation.

[@theshipmasterbanished3902]

What i think is that Nissan needs to either discontinue the Leaf and focus all attention on the Ariya or heavily improve it, such as give the S a range of 212 and the SVplus with a range of 270,make both of them have a CCS charger, liquid cool battery, preheat battery setting, and give more technology to the S model such as heated steering wheel or heated seats and lane keeping assist. That what I think.

[@paulshoover]

Agree

[@johnr3150]

I’m pretty sure it is being discontinued.

[@theshipmasterbanished3902]

@@johnr3150 good.

[@rylans.5365]

I see that your VSP warning light is on which indicates that the pedestrian warning sound is off. Did you intentionally turn it off or was there an issue with it?

[@paulshoover]

Yes, the noise sucks.... I unplugged the speaker.

[@rylans.5365]

@@paulshoover I can’t tell you what to do, but the VSP is a safety feature and shouldn’t be removed completely. I can see the implications of muffling the speaker to reduce its output, but not removing it entirely. On the other hand, i thoroughly enjoyed this video and will look forward to more. 👍🏼

[@paulshoover]

@@rylans.5365 we can agree to disagree - The noise is dumb whether there is noise maker or not the driver is solely responsible to ensure the vehicle does not hit objects/people. Sound or not. The noise is just plain dumb and its annoying.

[@haraldweltzin5117]

I have one just like yours and I agree with you on e pedal driving in winter. Like the car in local winter driving.

[@paulshoover]

Right on!

[@fredricmallberg9337]

Hello Paul and thanks for an interesting review! I'm thinking of getting a Leaf myself, but will probably buy a petrol car instead because I can't charge at home. I still like watching Leaf reviews though. Greetings from Sweden!

[@paulshoover]

Go for it!

[@curthill7646]

Paul, what are your thoughts on the state of Ohio's annual $200 surcharge on an EV when you renew your license plates?

[@paulshoover]

I think it's too high for most and does not proportionately tax based on usage in the same way gas tax per gallon does. That said we need roads and if you have a car you should pay your fair share. 200 is pretty normal for those states that have implemented. It does feel like red/republican led states have made a political point by having the rates be higher. See Texas for an example at 400 per year.

[@curthill7646]

I just drove a 23 RWD Tesla Model 3 from Hertz Auto Sales in Loveland in the snow and was impressed, but at 68 y.o. getting in/out of it was a challenge.@@paulshoover

[@Qrail]

I’m lurking in the background. Bomb Cyclone? 7 days without power, 16 days without water. The car is a PHEV, so it was easy.

[@paulshoover]

Hybrid does have some benefits.

[@steventurner1220]

Paul - we are considering a leaf as a second vehicle for around town, dropping kid off, groceries etc. Many of your points are very similar to ours and why we like the Leaf. I am curious, did you look at the Chevy Bolt EV/EUV? That also seems like a good option but I have to say every Chevy rental I have ever had has felt cheap.

[@paulshoover]

Bolts are very nice. I think they are a great option. Why I didn't get one. 1. Reliability is not as good (consumer reports). 2. At the time late summer the dealer was making up 7k above msrp. This negated any manufacturer incentive and put the price 7k more than the leaf. Check consumer reports. I'd get the leaf again all things equal. Another thing to consider, woth Tesla lowering the model 3 standard range to 43k. I'd get the Tesla 3 and pay the extra 3k over the leaf. It's a more advanced car, faster charging, ability to daily charge to 100% gives it an edge. Hope this helps.

[@steventurner1220]

@@paulshoover thanks! Yes the CR numbers on the Bolt are not encouraging. And some of the videos about Bolt ownership a year on indicate minor issues with paint, electronics, and strange behavior. The Tesla is hard to pass up. I think if I can find a lightly used Leaf that will be better for our needs and finances and we can re-evaluate a Tesla after trying out an EV for a few years with the Leaf. Thanks so much for your videos. Very very helpful.

[@paulshoover]

@Steven Turner so happy it helped. I cannot find fault with your thinking. Best of luck!

[@palusisko]

Sorry to intrude on the answer :-) Leaf II is bigger car with length 4490mm vs Bolt II only 4145mm so you feel more safe in Leaf II. Bolt has cooling and heating system of the battery which allows charging several times a day on a fast charger but yes it has slow charging power so no big help :-) If you need ev for daily commuting to 100km, the Leaf II is better solution for you.. The pity is there are not available in US the evs like VW ID3, Peugeot 2008 or Citroen C4-e they are really good evs! Wish you good choice! :-)

[@proximaone1350]

Hi Paul, thx for the video. I have a Tesla Model 3, and a gen 3 wall charger, just bought a used 2020 Nissan Leaf, for the same purpose as you ( short range commutes). I live in Australia, our Tesla and Leaf have the same AC connection plug, so I'm about to see if my Tesla wall charger will charge my Leaf, then I won't have to buy an extra wall charger, hopefully.😊

[@paulshoover]

nice!

[@scottwylde8528]

I'm sooo jealous I see you have about 3,000 miles on the odo!! My 2021 Leaf SL+ has 68,000 miles on the odo! still at 100% battery soh on the dash battery screen. Interesting video, I have seen about 52KW max charging rate at the fast chargers I have used, and I was thinking about looking for a 100KW Chademo in my area. But after seeing the cost (twice the price) and time difference (only 5 min.) I'm not gonna bother! I have a BP station a few miles from home with a charge point Chademo that is charging 25 cents/Kwh. enjoyed the video , Thanks! 😀

[@paulshoover]

you bet!

[@decimal1815]

When it's 19 degrees in the UK we call it "heatwave". 😊

[@paulshoover]

😆

[@sdhute]

Thy evgo session was more expensive then gas

[@paulshoover]

Public charging is typically 25% less than gas. Remember you virtually never charge at a dc fast charger except when traveling. All charging is at home and 10% the cost of a ICE car.

[@sdhute]

@@paulshoover are you still happy with the lead purchase? I like how it looks non EV and not like some of the other EVs that are everywhere

[@paulshoover]

@stevehutera a lot to this question. With the price drop of Tesla model 3 I'd skip the leaf now. Charging, range, Tech, all better. Leaf is nice but in the long run id go with a model 3

[@sdhute]

@@paulshoover good point I’m sure the 3 would have more possible battery longevity for many many more miles too. The leafs all seem to have quite a bit degradation on batteries around 100k and it’s not uncommon for teslas to last for several hundred thousand miles depending on battery type. I’m in in the research game. And there appears to be a lack of cars between the 30 and 50 price.

[@paulshoover]

@stevehutera yep not many under 30. In the US a rwd M3 starts at 38 before tax incentives.

[@nomadchad8243]

Ive had my 2023 for over a year and its awesome. Winter was actually pretty terrible though. I was getting 120Kms max on a charge. I have a fabric cover for the charging port but even so Ice accumulation and snow packing in there was a headache. at -20 -30 the battery heater kicks in and disables one of the cabin heaters ( its deep in the manual ) so it was cold driving. The traction control was great and could get through lots of different snow. E-pedal was terrible in slippery conditions. Still alot of this was anticipated and if i had an indoor garage to park at night the ice problems would be better.

[@paulshoover]

Some solid insights right here. Ours stayed inside so never experienced this but good to know. Thanks for sharing.

[@batlordman]

good video but please never ever use that trap remix of a christmas song again

[@paulshoover]

Ok

[@gogagiorgi9886]

They say they all new next 3rd gen leaf will be in awd suv only form higher clearence . Does anyone know anything about it??? And when it will be released??? imo idea is great and suv-ies are in much much more high demand especially ev.

[@paulshoover]

It's the Nissan Ariya. It's out and is addition to the leaf.

[@gogagiorgi9886]

@@paulshoover so the leaf will stay?? And arya will be added?? So both will be available????

[@paulhooverhealthcare]

@Goga Giorgi yes both are for sale today in the US. Not sure about the long-term sales strategy with the leaf. That is something only Nissan knows.

[@im99er85]

Amazing Nissan EVs 🔵🇯🇵🥸