Are Used Electric Cars A BAD Idea? 4K

After purchasing the cheapest electric car on Auto Trader, Rory inspects the good and the bad, and takes the Nissan Leaf out for a first drive to find out if buying a used electric car is a bad idea.
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[@richardbrayshaw570]

Love that AutoTrader (and Rory!) are developing a strong presence in car journalism, not just reviewing new car releases, and especially around emerging trends like 2nd hand electric vehicles, charging, etc.

[@stormwindchampion3992]

I agree. These videos are quite good indeed. carwow is also good but can get a bit tiresome and "samey" so this presenter feels like a breath of fresh air, so to speak

[@craigcooperxyz]

Got an eye on Carwow innit.

[@tadas9181]

Autotrader promote used cars so these types of reviews are more aligned with their audience.

[@dennisalexanderreilly8624]

@@stormwindchampion3992 Yep, he's heads and tails above the rest. CarWow is just annoying.

[@Tron-Jockey]

Rory shouldn't expect to get any significant increase in mileage with Eco mode unless he's doing a lot of stop and starting (city driving). Driving non-stop at speed on the freeway will return essentially the same range in Eco or Normal mode. Also, the key FOB is able to open the charge port from outside of the vehicle on later model Leafs. Only the earliest years lacked that capability. Not sure when the change was made but my 2015 Leaf had the ability to open the charge port via the key FOB.

[@chrisjones6699]

You dont need a petrol or diesel car to jump the leaf. You could use a jump pack….which is a battery 😉

[@panzerveps]

Or a 9v smoke detector battery. All it needs is enough voltage to activate the relays in the HV battery, and it powers itself.

[@rosen0662]

Or even another EV

[@otterylexa4499]

Yeah, that misinformation was not cool at all.

[@john_barnett]

Immediately said the same thing haha, anything with enough voltage will do, you don't need the CCA like an ICE car does 😁

[@andrewallen9918]

I know, that misinformation jumped out at me too.

[@mattsmith517]

In this video Rory is driving the original Japanese built Leaf, when they started building them in Sunderland they changed the battery chemistry which is a lot better. I have one that is almost as old as that one but the battery is in much better condition, only recently lost the 2nd health bar. If you are thinking of getting a Leaf and have the budget, get a Sunderland built one. You can spot the difference as follows: 1) Light under the charging port flap. 2) No electronic handbrake, there is a foot operated parking brake where the clutch would normally be. 3) Most Sunderland built Leafs have a 13 plate or newer, but some Japanese built ones have 13 plates too.

[@ALYDAVIDSON1]

Hi Matt, what sort of range are you getting out of your Leaf?

[@mattsmith517]

@@ALYDAVIDSON1 I reckon about 70-75 miles in good weather.

[@goosegog]

Well said Matt. I also have a 24kWh 2013 UK LEAF Tekna. I fitted lowering springs, LED main beam bulbs and a phone holder. I charge from home. My commute is only 32 miles a day so absolutely fine for me.

[@connwoolridge2077]

Another easy way to spot the newer (2013) version is in the boot: around 5:15 when he opens it, see the darker grey chunky panel that goes all the way across the boot? That's not there in the newer one. Also, the older ones tend to be pale interior and the newer ones dark interior. Great review

[@neilwalton7955]

The Sunderland ones also have a black interior.

[@EmjayO]

The attention to detail of a 4grand car shows your level of love for cars. Still a great review. Awesome video just as ever

[@TD1237]

A true car enthusiast indeed.

[@julianshepherd2038]

You are admiring a man for loving inanimate objects. And you probably will never understand why that is weird. Takes all sorts, that's the joy of humanity.

[@Mik3yBBQ]

@@julianshepherd2038 it's animate. It's a car, useless if it didn't move, right? :D

[@alunhoskins4513]

What a brilliant presentation. It’s about the car, not the presenter’s ego. This channel is really refreshing.

[@JackMott]

I AM HYPED FOR THIS SERIES

[@HygienistDentist]

Same!!!!!

[@ewadge]

Me too.

[@JulianToler]

My 2014 Leaf (24kWh model) is fantastic and the battery shows no signs of degradation, despite the car being used as part of Kaluza's V2G trial for over a year (where it was used as a battery on wheels for the grid :-) Our Leaf is used for all our motoring when the journey is less than around 40 or 50 miles. Beyond that we would usually use our diesel :-( I feel pretty confident about 60 mile round trips as long as the weather does not require heavy use of the heater or air-con and there are no massive hills to cross (we live in the Peak District). Our Leaf is peppy and a joy to drive. It did not cost a fortune and when charged with solar or night rate electricity is costing peanuts to run. The maintenance costs are of course absolutely minimal. The low floor gives a large boot capacity, although most of the time we keep a floor platform (custom built) in place to give a flat loading platform which is ideal for a dog owner. Anyone buying a second hand model would be advised that the later models (after 2013??) have significant advantages - better, more durable batteries and heaters/air-con that uses a heat exchanger which is massively more efficient than the crude heating provided in the early cars. In summary... we love our Leaf and would highly recommend a second hand model - especially as a second car for use as a local runabout.

[@modo613]

Well worth pointing out that there is a massive difference between the battery chemistry used on these early Japan built cars and the slightly newer (almost identical looking) Sunderland UK built cars. The newer battery chemistry has far, far less degradation with a 20 year+ expected life. These Japan built cars are mostly ignored other than by people planning to fit a new battery from Clevely EV and likely some other new firms shortly. Liquid/air cooling issue is overrated and the simplicity of the Leaf works in it's favour as the cars age. The blue LED headlights coupled with the non-diamond finish wheels and light interior usually differentiate the two models. On the UK built cars blue LED headlights will always come with diamond cut alloys not the basic plain style on this car.

[@JackMott]

Isn't the degredation improvement due to thermal and electrical management rather than chemistry? Also, nice thing about leafs is people have figured out how to swap in newer battery packs! Hot Rodders FOREVERRRR

[@engleblerthumferlumpadinck6536]

The cooling issue isn't overrated at all. The car is hopeless on long journeys due to what has become known as "Rapidgate". There's no way that you're not aware of this. The newer Leafs with their - also not thermally managed 40kWh and 62kWh batteries - are worst for degradation. If you want to purchase an BEV outright with your own cash, avoid Nissan/Renault

[@modo613]

@@engleblerthumferlumpadinck6536 You've misunderstood the situation. Rapidgate affects ONLY the 40kWh in a practical way. The earlier cars did not throttle charge based on temperature. The 64kWh doesn't heat up at regular motorway speed, and besides you'd have to have a bigger country than the UK to do enough miles to trigger throttling due to temperature. I've driven all these cars long distances. There is a software update available for the 40's which reduces the throttling. I've seen no evidence of higher degradation on 40 and 64kWh cars - have you seen any?

[@gregb1599]

Who in their right mind would take any EV with a battery size of less the 60kwh long distances? The original Nissan Leaf was designed and works extremely well as a city car! If you want to do long distances then buy a long range Model 3 or fly

[@jimf4748]

@@gregb1599 The 62kWh Leaf is more than capable of long distances as it has a realistic range of 200 miles on a single charge. Model 3 is way too expensive and flying is bad for the environment.

[@auliamate]

When I get my first car, this car might be my first option.

[@TrinidadGhost]

Perhaps one of the best reviews I’ve heard in a while. Pro tip: Nisan replaces the battery for free if the battery drops below a certain number of bars before 50k miles (I think) and it’s a specified number of years old. Did it twice so I actually ended up with 2 used Leafs for about 6k USD each - which were technically brand new. My daughter drives my second leaf and the car literally NEVER brakes. 90k miles with about 90 miles range. Perfect for college. It’s like owning a golf cart you never repair except for the tires. Unbelievable value for someone that has places to go on a very tight budget. Also great if you’re doing a delivery gig in a city!

[@JeroendeJong500]

A car that never brakes doesn't sound very safe to me 😇😝?

[@TrinidadGhost]

@@JeroendeJong500 😁 this is why I drive a Tesla! The Nissan’s were my introduction to EVs. Now, I just can’t justify selling it..it’s insanely reliable.

[@travis8665]

@@JeroendeJong500 You only have to look for a tree if it never brakes.

[@neilwalton7955]

That’s not correct. 8yrs or 100,000 miles on a 30kWh or more. The 24kWh warranty will have expired by now. The battery needs to show less than 8 bars.

[@kristoffer3000]

@@TrinidadGhost A reliable Tesla? Fuck off Elon, at least try to make it seem like a real person!

[@maggygwire]

I know I’m on my own here but I love the looks now. Hated them when they came out but they just look different and a bit classic now. Really appeal

[@joeb4294]

I agree but I think it helps that this one is white because it makes the headlights blend in better.

[@maggygwire]

@@joeb4294 the later mk1’s in white with diamond cut alloys look pretty good

[@ungedavid]

Made me appreciate my Leaf a lil more

[@borinvlogs]

i might buy something like this. perfect to go to my work, charge there for free, and come home without spending anything on fuel cost. Update: 31/10/2021 Wow thanks so much for many likes. I ended up buying a Porsche 987 Boxster S 3.4litre PDK as my daily instead of a Nissan Leaf. 😁😁😁

[@Alexperrin98]

It will break in 5 years engine’s last a life time

[@Kingpenguin94]

@@Alexperrin98 lol

[@drewhender3999]

@@Alexperrin98 engines don't last a lifetime 😂

[@Alexperrin98]

@@drewhender3999 yes they do if you look after them properly

[@hyrise76]

@@Alexperrin98 🤨

[@TraciBinIT]

Standing by! 😄. You got me actually researching this car. Good stuff 👍

[@TheLongonot62]

Go for the later 24kwh, or 30kwh and with the 6kw charging option.

[@ugonwogwugwu7988]

Exactly, watched this and i want to buy one now!

[@jimbojjz]

Great cars love ours

[@bid84]

My 2014 leaf has done 60k miles and still has 11 out of 12 health bars remaining. Fun fact the leaf has a Wade depth of 70cm! It doubles as a submarine!

[@ivar.andreassen3209]

My 2013 Leaf Tekna drove 118,000 miles before losing its first bar. By the way, I live in Norway.

[@peterjordan-turner8789]

Really interesting stuff from Rory now - and he shows how much TG is missing a classy presenter.

[@DavidRichardOwen]

Great segment. These original LEAFs can be retrofitted with a 40KwH battery. It's not cheap - but if the car itself if only £4,500 and has very low running costs otherwise, it's worth considering.

[@gelisob]

40kwh's are in high demand and thats pushing the price. I fitted 30kwh to mine and sold my old one off for stationary battery. Upgrade cost after that ~2k. Video on channel if interested :) Makes cross country trips ~15min longer compared to 40kwh but I do that maybe few times a year so, i'm fine with that.

[@DavidRichardOwen]

@@gelisob Most of the articles I've read about updating the batteries to LEAFs rely on finding a donor car that's being scrapped. Mindful that this probably won't meet the demand as more EVs reach 5-10 years old - have you seen much around new battery packs being sold to refresh vehicles?

[@cloudlessx]

how much would it cost to replace the battery?

[@EVinstructor]

Take it to Cleevely and get the battery checked. It could be a couple of cells taking the pack down that a module swap would fix. On James and Kate’s KZbin channel there’s a video of a Leaf having this work done. It took less than a day and cost about the same as a clutch swap. You could ask about a battery swap to a 40kWh or 62kWh while you’re there as well. I have a 40kWh Leaf now and previously a 30kWh. I got to like the looks of the MK1 30kWh. It was a brilliant car. The 40kWh is a big step up and a fantastic car but lacks the charm of the old model.

[@Brian-om2hh]

Exactly Colin, yet so many seem to believe that a costly full battery replacement is the *only* option. A little knowledge can be a dangerous thing.....

[@EVinstructor]

@@Brian-om2hh with the Leaf having been around for 10 years and the Zoe and Tesla Model S just a bit less we have a lot of information about the long term use of batteries in cars. There are half million mile Teslas with the original batteries now and Leafs at 200,000 miles have batteries that are still working if a bit degraded. It is the perception of most people that EVs have one enormous battery. Rory’s Leaf has (I think) 96 cells. A fault in one can affect the whole battery pack. Because of its air cooling the Leaf does suffer a bit more degradation over time. Watching KZbin videos it looks easy to drop a Leafs battery and bolt in a new module. I guess the module can then be reconditioned and faulty cells replaced. With an 8 year 100,000 mile battery warranty it’s not really going to be a problem for a lot of owners.

[@edvoon]

@@EVinstructor In fact, the lack of a liquid cooling system makes it a cinch to replace the battery pack compared to other EVs. The very first LEAF will accept the battery pack from the very latest 62kWh LEAF (with a mounting bracket for its slightly larger size and a battery pairing tool). And in the future when some bright spark manages to cram LFP modules into a LEAF-shaped battery pack, the cooling issue won't be a problem anymore as LFP is less sensitive to higher temperatures and has a much longer service life with less degradation. There is potential for a LEAF to be better than it was when new, if an aftermarket solution becomes available.

[@TsLeng]

@@edvoon exactly the reason I will be considering one of these if I need a second car as a runaround. +8k for a 40kW battery swap makes this a very decent car.

[@Brian-om2hh]

@@EVinstructor I understand Tesla's can be more problematic if or when it comes to a battery upgrade or replacement. I believe the cells in the pack are fastened (glued?) together for whatever reason, and cannot easily be removed or replaced. But then not everyone buys a Tesla....

[@ethanwd]

Genuinely interested in the mods you do to make this car desirable - I’m keen for a cheap electric car, but this car isn’t exactly what you’d call a looker…. Very keen to see what you do with it!

[@chargeheadsuk]

Gotta be wheel upgrade, tint the lights and windows, dechrome and a slight drop i reckon. Maybe a spoiler 🤔

[@cianboy97]

The black one looks much nicer if you can find one

[@mrortega468]

If he makes it look desirable then I will consider buying one

[@gregb1599]

People buy these EV to save serious $ as a city car they are unbeatable, I have owned my Leaf for 5 years and am very happy I do not have to pay $2.30 per litre of fuel paying just 14 cents per kwh at home or zero at our local 25kw free charges. The Leaf has paid it's purchase price off in the first 3 years of ownership!

[@chargeheadsuk]

@@mrortega468 by the time you've made it look nice you might as well have bought something else with a better range thats the problem

[@dangr3957]

I bought a facelift Model S 70 half year ago with 117K. It still drives like new now it’s over 120k. EV’s last longer than ice cars.

[@HairyCheese]

Come on Rory, educate the naysayers more. Autotrader may have an agenda to sell all used cars, but education allows people to make an informed choice. Make sure you show peeps LeafSpy and then maybe you can copy Robert and shove a 40kwh battery in it for £8k, sell the old battery for £1k and have a new range of 120-180 miles 🤪

[@ugonwogwugwu7988]

Excellent!

[@neilwelch7273]

Is that really possible?

[@cornovii3012]

Which brings the total to £6500 for a near 10 year old small car, you would need to be tapped in the head to think thats worth it.

[@bid84]

@@cornovii3012 Yes but EVs won’t age like ICE cars. They aren’t subjected to the same wear and tear like cars of yesteryear. You can simply upgrade the battery and keep on top of the bodywork, the cars will last for decades.

[@matthewpowell2744]

GBP 5k ? tell me where ? I'm in !! Cleevely want £8.5

[@ryanhawtin9639]

I own a leaf, I'm looking forward to seeing what you do to improve it. 👍

[@nigelsmith6077]

How long on a single charge are the batteries as green as they say, can they be recycled??

[@roodick85]

60mi at his health and you can use the old pack for home battery backup still. Most likely he has a couple bad modules

[@Brian-om2hh]

Yes, the batteries can be recycled Nigel. The recycling industry is in it's infancy just now, but will grow. The lithium and cobalt within the batteries can be recovered to around 90% and reused.

[@jghall00]

Loads of used batteries on eBay.

[@deanchur]

@@roodick85 Do you know if individual modules can be replaced? Would be something I'd be interested in if it's easy to repair/can be done myself.

[@johnphillip1711]

@@Brian-om2hh Lithium isn't generally recovered...instead its burnt away using pyrolytic (?) material recovery. Saying battery recycling is a bit of a misnomer at the moment, instead its closer to battery incineration with limited recovery of a small amount of the total battery pack

[@1MrBryn]

I still maintain that the shift knob in these is the most satisfying one to use in the industry.

[@CombustiveVideo]

Finally someone has mentioned this! Irks me when people say it's weird and just want a regular stick. Flicking it into eco when coasting down a hill is really satisfying. Why put a stick in there which takes more effort? It's not like it's moving cogs in a box.

[@davidmccarthy6061]

When enough EV's of different types hit the used market, that's when the ICE market begins to drop rapidly. No long will the lower income need to spend 4 grand on a car and constantly need to spend more to keep it running.

[@faywhite7886]

This the cheap point a to point b car.

[@houssamalucad753]

Yeah but don't forget that at some point those cars will need a new battery, which is just as expensive if not more than a new engine, and it needs to be done more often, so not so much for savings

[@RandomShart]

Long way to get yet though. Average car sold in UK is around £12k, focus/ golf sized and up to 5 years old. I'm not aware as yet of any 250+ mile range EVs that are likely to get down to £12k (or even £15k) used price within 5 years. Once we start seeing multiple £25k new price family sized EVs with 250+ mile range, then five years after that should see good used sales and ICE starts to disappear. I think at least 2040 before used ICE really start to disappear.

[@Markcain268]

I spent £600 on a 2001 ford focus, got it for £250 as gearbox was noisy, had that rebuilt for less than £300, changed oil,brake pads and brake fluid, drives spot on, no need to spend £4k on an ev😀

[@matthewpowell2744]

@@Markcain268 Good for you ! Sounds like a bargain. Include Road tax and fuel costs into the calcs for an apples with apples comparision though. EVs pay £0.00 raod tax and around £0.04 /mile fuel cost. If your mileage is high, tilts the table.

[@domtdoodar99]

Turn it into a Nissan Leaf Nismo😂

[@chargeheadsuk]

There is a Nismo body kit 😉

[@JacanaProductions]

I have been driving this car for past 3 years. I paid $4k with $1k shipping! These are great little cars as they were made in Japan. My leaf got a new battery in 2015 Lizzard because its previous owner lived in Florida. I still have all 12 bars (85% SOC ) and about 70 miles of range. It's somewhat noisy on the highway but is a blast to drive around town. I've basically just changed wiper blades and trunk struts in the past 3 years and we've only put on about 15k miles. It's also not too bad in the Colorado snow and we are running all weather Nokians on it now. I think the ball joints are shot as it doesn't ride as well as it used to - so to all the EV fans who say nothing but wipers and tires for 200k miles ...... suspension is suspension and it's going to wear out sometime. I think the issue is if you're not a car persons you won't notice issues like this - same goes for my 2008 Highlander that also has struts that are worn at 160k.

[@patrickjr11]

love my 2017 leaf, but if I had a criticism, its the headlights are a tad dimmer then I would like. They should be a lot brighter. and it could do with beepers at the back. Apart from that. Its an excellent car, especially when bought second hand. A real bargain

[@jimf4748]

I have a 2017 Tekna and I find the led headlights very bright. I did miss the beepers at first, but now I much prefer the reversing camera, as it gives much more accurate information of how close you are to an object.

[@patrickjr11]

@@jimf4748 sadly, I don't have the LEDs on mine. Shame. I am thinking of upgrading them to something better quality.

[@pigknickers2975]

I agree with you Patrick. I've got a 2017 Tekna and the lights do seem lacking. I think the full beams are LED and the usual ones are old school. Very weird choice I always thought. But generally it's been my favourite car in 30 years of buying them.

[@Appoloimperial]

@@pigknickers2975 Low beams definitely are LED and the high beams are 65W Halogens - at least on my 2012SL US Market model.😀

[@seanoleary]

I have a Leaf and I can open the charging port using my key. Maybe that was a later feature? Mine is the 2017 model

[@nickbartlett5928]

I can also open the charging port of my 2015 Leaf Tekna using my key.

[@sheepcute]

The 2013 'upgrade' added that feature, along with the charge port LED.

[@JustAutoChannel]

Another great content from you my favorite auto reviewer on KZbin. You do an amazing job.

[@terryjimfletcher]

Two corrections : 1 remote opening of the charging flap is dependant on model, our Tekna trim has remote button for this flap. 2 Any car can start an EV, including another EV. What an EV *shouldn't* do is jump start an ICE car due to the current required g this could bust the EV's inverter (also applied to hybrids - they shouldn't be the donor car) .

[@johnnelson5083]

Yep, I keep a usb jump box in mine for jumping other cars, and people are quite surprised when their car starts with that 3x7 USB charger plugged into it :-)

[@7415_Gamer]

10 yrs old car, and i can imagine the farts that the seats have to absorb.

[@dchamp1337]

Great review overall. A couple of issues: 1. Rory says you need a petrol car to jump start it. Why couldn't you jump start it from another EV's 12v battery? Or a jump pack? No need to specifically say you'd need a petrol car. 2. "It has rims". Yes, all cars have rims on their wheels, otherwise the tires would fall off.

[@Mobile_Dom]

had nissan swapped out the type-1 and CHAdeMO for a CCS plug when they intro'd the 40kWh leaf it'd still be popular today, but the fact that 2021 leafs still use CHAdeMO outside of Japan is maddening

[@86msv]

With a name like CHAdeMO I understand why Nissan wants to keep it

[@GlynHudson]

New chademo rapid chargers are still being installed today, Chademo is going to be around for a long time to come

[@matthewburroughs9597]

Means "Time for a cup of tea" in Japanese. Normally 30 minutes, which is how long it takes to go from 20 -80% charge.

[@Mobile_Dom]

@@GlynHudson they're being installed yes but at significantly lower quantities than CCS is, older CHAdeMO and Type 2 50kW chargers are being replaced with dual CCS ones. Keeping the CHAdeMO plug in Japan makes sense, in the UK, Europe and even the US is asinine

[@Telcontarnz]

The shame is Chademo has 2-way standard and CCS not there yet. Annoying and stupid.

[@janpruijser8649]

Bit of Marques Brownlee there. “I’ve been living with this car for a weeks now” Cracking review as always dude!!

[@Pique147]

30 grand for 80 miles range. 4.5 grand for 60 mile range. Like you say, the trim pieces can be replaced and anyone in a city would have a perfect daily driver. Plus it has a CD Player!!!

[@muhammad_aliraqi9312]

So this thing is just as fast as a mazda MX5 so basically I can just floor it all the time and no one will tell me to slow down

[@HygienistDentist]

😹

[@wojciechmuras553]

Honestly? Off the line, Leaf is zippier. Mazda will catch up eventually, and it will overtake in the first corner, but if all you care about is launching on green light? Leaf ain't bad at all!

[@muhammad_aliraqi9312]

@@wojciechmuras553 true but if someone wants to mod their car you have to go with the MX5 because well does the leaf have any after market support?

[@wojciechmuras553]

@@muhammad_aliraqi9312 Sure, the Miata was born to be modded, while the Leaf was precision engineered to need nothing but a windshield fluid refill. There's nothing you can do with one, aside from replacing the traction battery. That drastically improves range, but not performance... Although you might be able to swap in a brand new "e+" engine from a modern Leaf. That one has double the power, and gives this little thing the performance almost on par with an SR+ Tesla Model 3. Haven't heard of such swaps though... But they should be completely compatible.

[@joebloggs4191]

Maybe but you will still have more fun in the MX5 than this!

[@darkmugetsu6572]

If the global energy crisis has anything to say.... yes electric cars is a VERY VERY BAD idea! We should be aiming for alternate fuel solutions, like Toyota and their hydrogen car, and look into how to make obtaining said fuel source more easily and cheaply as getting hydrogen is expensive.

[@beachboy0505]

Damm, I wish I bought this now the secret is out. Price goes up 💰 🤑 💸

[@engasser]

I fear with 4 bars gone that’s a SoH of about 60% and you’ll be lucky to get 50 miles to a charge?

[@tonygarlingewarren7456]

That's exactly what happened to a friend of mine who is now getting rid and going back to diesel EV cars are bad second hand buys

[@HairyCheese]

Nissan 1st gen was passive and you need to go in with your eyes open. 2nd gen is also passive with superior BMS. We'll see. My 2020 Leaf has 12k miles and is over 99% SOH. I lost the 1% quickly. I use LeafSpy to keep an eye on the cells.

[@dennisalexanderreilly8624]

Great Review! My used Fiat 500e now only gets around 75 miles as a San Francisco city commuter, but it's a prefect machine to do exactly that an an occasional run out to Marin County for the grass and trees. Used EV's are the hidden bargain we all need!

[@amanda1271]

Hey, what year is your Fiat 500e? I'm looking at some in Fl and I'm trying to figure out if it's worth it for the range with a 2o mile commute

[@dennisalexanderreilly8624]

@@amanda1271 What you will save in gas will always make an EV worth it .Mine is a 2015, which I bought for 7k OTD with 22k miles. Batteries are warrantied for 100k miles. There is virtually no maintenance except for tires and wiper blades. I pay $ 3.25 to fully charge it.

[@amanda1271]

@@dennisalexanderreilly8624 that's exactly what I've been trying to explain to people but no one believes me😭 I'm gonna try and fight for my Fiat EV, thank you!

[@misterbulger]

Coworker had just bought a used hybrid Ford Escape. It died on him in a month and a half due to battery/charging issues. The gas motor works just fine tho but I dont think you can drive it very well without the Hybrid bit. So now he just rides the bus. If you just end up taking the bus or walking because your electric car is such a POS, I guess that's ecofriendly.

[@FlyingPhysicist]

I bought my first car a couple of years ago, for commuting. I'd genuinely have bought one of these if there was *any* public charging infrastructure in the area. Lamp-post chargers should be widespread by now, in my opinion. It's a shame as electric car adoption is being held back considerably by this lack of investment, in my opinion. (I ended up buying a small petrol)

[@fplbreakfast6463]

This is exactly the problem. Only people with a driveway can currently own an electric car in my opinion.

[@kimekholm7178]

@@fplbreakfast6463 I have charging at my parking lot (in the city). Doesn't have to be a driveway but rather a place where chargers can be installed (eg. parking lots or parking garages)

[@Brian-om2hh]

You do know that most UK Local Authorities are able to secure funding to install street light chargers if members of the public request them? The Government funding is there, the Local Authority simply has to apply for it. Some Councils may not realise that the funding is available, such is their apathy. Free charging is available at Tesco, Sainsburys, LDL and Ikea though.....

[@fplbreakfast6463]

@@Brian-om2hh That's good to know thanks 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼

[@Brian-om2hh]

@@fplbreakfast6463 No so Jacob. Most Councils are able to access funding to pay for the civils work involved in fitting a grid in the pavement outside a property. The grids allegedly take around 30 minutes to install, and allow a charging cable to pass underneath a pavement, rather than over it..... No driveway required. Workplace and car park charging should also go some way to solving the problem in the years ahead. Employers are able to access grants to have chargers installed at workplaces, but probably not all will know this...

[@flyme195]

So your plus points are that it has a front door and back doors? Wow. 😂 Then you open the boot and proclaim how practical it is. I’m sure it had a massive structural beam between the rear wheels and by looking at the shot of its boot you showed, it looked far from practical. On the practical front, you comment that opening the charging port as a “faf “ as it has to be opened from inside the car. Hardly a faf as you’d have clearly driven to a charging point so would be inside the car anyway. Many ICE cars, to open the fuel filler, it can only be done from inside the car and never before has that been described as a faf. You comment on its central console, hardly ground breaking. With this, it’s touchscreen. BMW, Mercedes, Land Rover, Jaguar, Ford, Toyota, Etc Etc were all doing touch screens at the same time so again, not exactly “new”. Good to know how much the battery has degraded and will be even more interesting to see how it’s range performs in the upcoming, typically freezing cold British winter. Interesting video but on an impartial front, a little overly biased to the Leaf

[@nifatchoudhury3623]

Rory's content is always desirable and quality 👌🏼🔥

[@Staromil]

I just hope so much Rory won't follow in the footsteps of so many other auto journalists and switch to the high view count, , no-depth, drag races mostly bulls*it videos for kids. You hear me, Mat Watson of Carwow?! You used to produce great content like this!

[@warreng5257]

@@Staromil Matt still has his own content and own channel. Matt doesn't own Carwow, he's a presenter he doesn't have final say on the content 😂

[@Staromil]

@@warreng5257 you are mistaken in both cases! Congratulations! 1) Mat did not upload a single video on "his" channel in 3 months and 2) here is what cw webpage says: "Our team - Carwow Mat Watson. Chief Content Officer." 🥳

[@clivegoss5734]

Useless range, I couldn’t get to work and back on that range. I would have to have at least two hundred miles range before I could consider an EV

[@KurtzMista]

Man what a time to live in where used electrics give value. Looking forward to your mods, and thanks for keeping this channel up. Informative, entertaining, honest, and dare I say, enthusiastic!

[@joebloggs4191]

Most used cars in the UK are a bargain compared to cost new unlike in many other parts of the world. As for the horsepower how do you know it hasn't lost any? unless you test it on a dyno (is that possible with an EV?) you are not going to know for sure.

[@simonmckenna3075]

No CCS, That's the one problem with a leaf, but as a second runabout car a cheap leaf makes sense. At least gridserve are still ensuring at least one chademo point at a location..

[@Brian-om2hh]

You can buy a CCS adaptor, but they aren't cheap.... (£100+)

[@antoniopalmero4063]

I recently sold my 63 plate acenta for £2500.oo, it had 8 bars left and 193000 on the clock. Drove perfectly and everything worked. 🇬🇧

[@JonathanEzor]

Has the built-in map of charging locations been updated since the car was sold? If so, how recently?

[@Brian-om2hh]

ZapMap is updated fairly regularly........ Most EV owners wouldn't use the onboard system, they'd download either ZapMap or A Better Route Planner to their phone, and use that....... way way better.

[@Mikeleangelo40]

But what will be after 10 years with battery....degradation stop this car and nobody buy it

[@atefelabed8365]

Very interested in this series. Please do a range comparison when using AC and heating and when not. No one mentions this but it's pretty important especially on very cold/hot days if you are doing a longer journey. Thanks

[@alexw9024]

Depends if is a gen 1 or gen 2, not that much difference on a gen 2 in all honest

[@JacanaProductions]

Resistive heating is a battery killer. Here in Colorado when it gets to be 10c or less I am grateful for he heated seats and steering wheel. The heater can use 3KWh or power and in my car can drop the range by 30% - yikes! There is a reason why they put the heated front and rear seats AND steering wheel in this cheap car - they knew you were going to get pretty chilly when it gets cold and only the foolhardy would use the heater! Obviously in merry England it may not get that cold :) The AC don't drop the range that much and if you use he heater sparingly it's not so bad perhaps 15 mile hit. I never get that close to TURTLE mode :)

[@nickborrrego]

Also how driving uphill requires a fair bit of its battery. It's one thing on a very short list of cons I have with my 2012.

[@kinross24]

Do your homework next time. Nothing worse than only having half the knowledge and then trying to pass it on to the public!

[@oliverwestmoreland-caunter5234]

Love what Rory is doing with this channel, one of the best 👌

[@Gmh6477]

Or if your going to plug it in just use a tiny amount of common sense and open the charge port before you get out 🙄

[@DariuszTech]

I had 2 Nissan Leaf's with 24kwh. Did over 70k miles in total. Didn't have a single issue. Range is still pretty decent. I made a video when I actually did 84 miles on 11bar battery . That's pretty impressive isn't it. The battery on 2015 car with over 74k still had 85% capacity of the battery 🔋

[@Get-Native]

when theres no petrol for the v8? just buy an ev :P I want an electic ariel atom

[@randomdaveUK]

Now that's an idea! Would be incredible

[@rayanyasir5601]

i used to have this car but in red. went out for dinner and a flood came,it was totaled and scrapped

[@markgaudie80]

I could open my leaf charging flap with the key fob. Mine was a 2014 Tekna model though. Loved our Leaf.

[@vedranart]

yeah, same. 2014 version has it.

[@timm5997]

Have a 2013 Leaf with similar 8 bars and get around 80km realistic range. Paid about about 6,000 pounds for it a year and a half ago. Dark interior, better mags, and full set of airbags push the price up a bit here in NZ. We love the car. My wifes 20km daily commute (45min in traffic) is perfect. How much CO2 have we saved! We charge up at night on low energy prices. And we use it for most of our weekend driving in the city too. Its perfect for city driving. Great visibility. Fast of the line. We put some good tyres on it, made a huge difference. Much better traction and handling.

[@hamvak]

3:50 False. You will NOT need a petrol car to "jump start" an EV if you run out of power. What you WILL need is a 12 V source to charge the 12 V battery. ANY 12 V source with sufficient amperage will do. It could be another car (EV or gas) that has a good battery, another 12 V battery, or one of those battery pack/power supplies used to jump start a gas car. What is needed in a dead battery situation is the ability to get the 12 V system active so that the contactors can be activated to connect the HV battery to the charger. Once enough charge is in the EV's 12 V battery, the external source can be disconnected and the car should charge normally.

[@wvickery2009]

Im sorry but the chap has gotten some of his facts wrong on the Leaf. That chamo charger can charge your car in 30 mins for something like 90%.The small charging port is 3.3kw and u can fast charge it in 2 hours.This is because the leave he has is 24kw.I have a 2015 tekna modle.I can open my chager port with the fob.I can fast charge in 2 hours to max with the 7kw chargers.The rapid charging take about 30 mins to hit around 90 to 92%.Dont try getting 100% as your wasting time and money.The car slows down charging when it hits 90%. Bot i love my tekna.Its bloody fast at the lights :D

[@granfersteve3815]

Good review Rory, does the improvements list include upgraading the battery pack to 40Kwh ? and will you be telling us how much you spend overall?

[@TotallydubbedHD]

Rory, if it doesn't have a spoiler, chrome'd out exterior, spinning rims and neon lights underneath by the next episode, you'll be letting the entire Japanese custom scene down :D

[@mach1nefan]

ok - i love this neutral approach to EVs! absolutely what we need more of in the car community!

[@asensibleyoungman2978]

The thing that puts me off is range anxiety. Most of the time my daily mileage is under 20 miles so the Leaf makes perfect sense but occasionally I make long trips and then I'm at the mercy of charging points.

[@sam_uk_123]

Rory is one of the best presenters out there. Great review!!!

[@tejae504]

Wait!? Since when did a hood of a car turn into a bonnet? Lol..second I never knew a gas car could jump a dead EV 🤯

[@Brian-om2hh]

Here in the UK, we have no cars with a hood. It's a bonnet. A hood is something that's fixed to the back of your jacket, that can be pulled over your head. Our cars have tyres too, rather than tires.

[@stevezephyr]

Love Rory's reviews, plenty of info and very interesting, keep them coming Rory.

[@radu1006]

The 12 volt battery is not used to start the car. What are you talking about? It is only used for lights, wipers and accesory.

[@sircompo]

It's needed to drive the electronics that perform safety checks and then to energise the contactors to engage the HV battery. Same on all EVs.

[@architarora2180]

Now thats an "Electric Review" ! Looking forward to the next episode!

[@ralphclark]

Hands up everybody who just wanted to know the range?

[@CyberPunkSimms]

60 mile range, simply is not enough.

[@TroyHR123]

to be fair for someone that has a 5.0 Mustang and lives within 30 miles of 80% of their non-home activities; I can see this being a useful (potentially cost effective) second car. As an only car though you're right.

[@CyberPunkSimms]

@@TroyHR123 very true. I just like going for nighttime drives, out into the country which is 50 miles in itself. It isn't the car for me :)

[@gurveeraujla5846]

£5 says he fits a much bigger battery from a crash damaged 2019ish Nissan Leaf.

[@CheapskateMotorsports]

I'm really looking forward to when Rory puts his own flavour of modifications into this car. You don't really hear of ev mods outside of Tesla trying to sabotage them so it would be interesting to see where this goes.

[@roodick85]

They're like RC cars you just need to upgrade the controller and swap the motor out with a higher output one.

[@AMGGish]

Your review, makes me feeling like ti go and buy 1 now🤭

[@minuslr]

I loved my early Leaf we bought at £10K cost with 10K miles seemed a bargain in 2014, and nothing went wrong and little needed spending in its time with us. It was a prius that led us to this which I did not like for the unnatural engine rev feel but the Ampera after the Leaf was a joy and pain free too. My dad's had two later model Leafs now and with a bit of planning he travels long distance. Genie and Instavolt charging stations we would recommend for long trips (I have a Tesla now but if you want to go to the lake district for instance you need to find alternatives to superchargers and all the major charging providers are expanding big time)

[@CptSpears007]

Couldn’t they have made the wing mirrors more aerodynamic instead?

[@HygienistDentist]

Excited to see the mods

[@intergalacticsucker1724]

Troll :D

[@philipc239]

Finally!!! A return back down to Earth review for everyday people

[@lesfernandez888]

FYI - Your MOT expires on the 24/10

[@chrisjones6699]

🤣

[@landrewmackinnon4888]

Love this guy! Watching this video was like having a real chat with a buddy about his new used car. Felt honest, relevant and fun.

[@M1tZk1]

Well than... let's how it all ends up. I'm secretly waiting for an electric MX-5, if Mazda manages to still make it feel like a true Miata.

[@chargeheadsuk]

There are a few companies making similar, Check out Chesil Speedster, Caterham and electric AC cobra...yes you heard me right. 😉

[@GregHighPressure]

my 2017 leaf keyfob has the old charge port front pop, whatagwan?

[@rui569]

The old Leaf is growing on me 😄

[@rodgerreid2560]

OK no disrespect but I don't think this one suits you.. 😊.. But I love your choices of cars.. I love all the information you give us.. Blessed and keep up with the great work you are doing Mr Reid...

[@JamesRosenberg]

This is going to be an AWESOME series! My wife and I have this as the grocery getting in addition to our Tesla. We just can not seem to let go of it, it keeps going.

[@mullerthomas8673]

You can change the battery pack with a new one and you can get double the range. I think is worth it.

[@bikeman123]

Battery will cost about £5k In a 10 year old car that costs £6k (unlike Rory you won't get one for £4k). So that's £11k for a 10 year old car. And it will probably be very rusty in 4 or 5 years, so I'm not sure it's worth it.

[@romero1337]

Having a 12v battery in the "frunk" is very smart! If you ever need a jump from another vehicle at least you wont be stranded!

[@JackMott]

In the long run EV makers will get a supply chain going of wipers/headlights/radios etc that can run on the same voltage as the main battery, and we can shave ~30lbs off all the already heavy evs.

[@HygienistDentist]

I didn't think about how they would need a jump from a petrol. Maybe it's good that we have a few on the roads these days haha

[@sawyermaitland]

They don't@@HygienistDentisthe got that wrong

[@hazulpierdut6699]

Rory: I really have been using this car. Everyone looking at his garage: *Press X to doubt*

[@panzerveps]

A digital driving display was almost unheard of 10 years ago? Maybe on Japanese cars, but it was available as an option on most VWs 20 years ago, and standard since the mk5 Golf.

[@marilynabdulla3112]

Well I know who to blame if it all goes wrong! I have found a Nissan Leaf 2011, 27,000 miles, 10 bars on the battery for £5,500. Does this look like a good deal anyone? Please? Starting to panic now! Going to look at it tomorrow!!

[@nickborrrego]

I'm not thinking you have any reason to panic with 10 bars on that many miles. Feel free to join Nissan Leaf Owners Australia and show us the ad there. Obviously our pricing is different down here but we could offer you plenty of insight on the Leaf you're looking at. Also mine is 2012, 36,000 kms, 9 bars. It has been excellent to me for a year now.

[@marilynabdulla3112]

@@nickborrrego Thanks for reply. Went to see the car, its in great condition and I had a little drive (my first ev experience!) however I have decided against as I would prefer a smaller car so still looking! Glad i went to see it though.

[@nickborrrego]

@@marilynabdulla3112 fair enough :) the I miev is smaller than the Leaf if you'd like to go electric and I also believe the Renault Zoe is in your end of the world 🤔

[@sph_holl2650]

Car throttle podcast music... ahhh I wish they’d go back to doin the podcast!

[@yvs6663]

i bought a used 30kWh model and the keyfob actually does open the charge port. not that i ever use it since most of the time u will be plugging in right after u exit the car. good to hear battery degradation doesn't stop the car from being nippy.

[@ugonwogwugwu7988]

Yes it’s range not performance that gets affected

[@SteadVex]

had a leaf for 5 years, never knew the headlines were to help with wind noise, if the sales person had told us that I would of been impressed! only thing we did over 60k was change tyres and brake fluid

[@MartinzW]

I had one like this (2013 model made in 2014) used. Keyfob did have charge port button to open it. My car had problems with the heater so it didn't feel quite warm enough with the heater on. I did enjoy the size of it. The biggest pain points was the short range on rare occasion and slow charging curve. It did serve well and never had problems in my short time of use. For daily needs it was perfect - always had enough charge, space and dynamic. Edit: I want to also add, I loved how solid it was - go over speed bumps and whatnot - no squeaks or rattle.

[@sensiblewheels]

7:00 almost unheard of 10 years ago? My 2009 Octavia has it and there are heck of a lot more of them that do!

[@santosh911]

I expect that a battery upgrade will be done. 40 kwh second gen leaf battery perhaps? If you do go down that road, please do a detailed episode on that process.

[@matthewpowell2744]

See 'Dala's EV repairs' or Cleevely EV. Its already been done. (~GBP 8k)

[@VoodooGMusic]

Also slightly incorrect information in this video. The Leafs battery isn't air cooled, it's PASSIVELY cooled. It has no active cooling system at all, which is a horrible design mistake that Nissan didn't learn from. Other EVs either have air cooled batteries with large conductor pipes and vents inside the cars interior like the first gen hyundai Ioniq electric, and the VW e-golf, or liquid cooled packs like the Chevrolet Volt, Bolt, BMW i3, and all Tesla's, and pretty much all other relevant second to third gen electric cars.