Return of the LEAF: Robert drives his range extended EV home from Holland

To end 2021 we have a very special episode where Robert travels to Amsterdam to be reunited with a dear old friend.
Robert's 2011 Nissan Leaf has been stranded in Europe due to the pandemic but thanks to New Electric it has finally got it's new battery fitted! Now with almost triple the range join him as he drives it home to the UK.
The battery transfer was done by the team at www.newelectric.nl/
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#ElectricVehicles #EVs #ElectricCars #Nissan #NissanLeaf #BatterySwap #CleanEnergy #Batteries #Netherlands #Europe #Amsterdam #Holland

[@EvHervey]

I'm on LEAF #2. 1500+ UBER trips, all electric. It is a direct result of this channel. Keep up the good work, Robert!

[@roodick85]

That's amazing!! I've done 50k this month and all trouble free with my 40kwh Leaf. Absolutely love it!

[@123koby]

50k dollar

[@hjeffwallace]

I bought 2 used EV’s without ever seeing them. No dealers to test drive one. I had to go 3 hours away to find one. Just found them on Fully Charged. 8 years with no problems.

[@michiellombaers3198]

I just got my 2013 model for a reasonable price.

[@justsomeguy934]

@@roodick85 50K what?

[@AleksandarStefanovic]

This was a really uplifting episode. I love watching videos about down-to-earth, "budget" vehicles and solutions, it is really relatable in the real world.

[@fizzymann]

We’ve had our 2013 24kwh Leaf since new. Now 68k miles and lost one bar. Considering a newer car but kind of priced out of it at the moment. A battery upgrade to 40kwh could be the ticket. Apart from a few bumps and bruises the car is fine. It’s been a real family workhorse.

[@conrado800]

Exact same here! We have 2 bars degradation though

[@stevenbjerke2825]

Same, I have a 2015 and it is a workhorse. Lost one bar and that is it. I'd like to have Android/carplay on the stereo, but that is it. It is a perfect car otherwise.

[@Succumbed2Rum]

This was a very cool episode, Robert. $4k to bring up your old car to current range standards is an amazing deal. The interior looks great too! Enjoy the ride.

[@ChristineJump]

This is wonderful news. I just bought a 2018 Nissan Leaf SV with the belief that I'd need to replace the battery in 3 years. And to know that if and when I do, the battery will be re-purposed. Brilliant. THANK YOU.

[@GillesSaindon]

My 2015 Leaf has 180,000km and the battery is at 79% capacity, 24kwh battery with no regrets.

[@dannyabe6452]

I still have the LEAF I bought in 2011.Its lost half of its range but its still going and used as farm vehicle.

[@elizabethb1353]

We have a 2012 Leaf and are looking at the battery replacement. This video was very helpful. Thank you.

[@paulhaskins5191]

Still have 96% capacity on our 7 year old leaf after 86k km. Great for around town, year round even in our cold Canadian winters. Similar experience to Robert - not one issue since new.

[@bernardthedisappointedowl6938]

Impressive, ^oo^

[@Conservator.]

That’s great! I think the culprit with these Nissans is that they don’t have any thermal management. In warm climates that unfortunately kills them prematurely. They did help to prove that electric vehicles are viable and that has been invaluable. Wonderful to hear the total amount spent on service. A few break pads and I suspect a change of break fluid every two years. 👌

[@martinostlund1879]

Our 2014 Leaf have about 91% capacity left at about 88k km. Edit: Forgot to mention we live in northen Sweden, sub 0 Celcius 4-6 months a year.

[@dylanlong6269]

I'm so impressed, mine is from 2013 and it's at 65% capacity.

[@Alex-tj1zo]

Impressive. Thank you for sharing 👍

[@wooddavid8293]

Hang on to that Leaf, Robert! 1st gen Leafs (leaves?) are milestone cars and future collectibles!

[@danwat1234]

2013 Chevy Volt, 286K miles about 50MPG lifetime (engine runs rich). 14K + food deliveries. Degradation; about 80% of original and noticeably increased internal resistance but I just put it in hold mode about 4 miles remaining I still get full power and use the rest on the way home. Excited to see the LIQUID COOLED Lead battery to be produced!

[@zitronenfalte]

I can't be the only one whom robert reminds of an old lovely aunt.

[@eamonstack4139]

Robert, I also have a blue Gen. 1 Nissan Leaf upgraded, in The Netherlands by Muxsan, with an extender battery pack in the boot. Same range as you, yet I am still using the original battery pack. I now provide the same service in Ireland, Eamon of Range Therapy.

[@SolarWebsite]

"Range therapy", what a great name for what you do. Range therapy sounds like a treatment for range anxiety - and that's essentially what it is, of course! 🤣

[@stevezodiac491]

As well as my 2 battery bar and 20% degraded 2016 30 kwhr Teckna leaf 6.6 charger, I also have a 2008 e - class mercedes avantgarde diesel with a full range capacity of over 600 miles.

[@Marker-er3ro]

Terrific to see your car have a new leaf on life, sorry couldn’t resist. I do think this video deserves an addendum that summarizes the bigger picture the rest of us loyal watchers already know. Including the technical background on the original air cooled batteries, the charge profile, and the social pandemic impact. The understory or backstory is really interesting.

[@rp9674]

Turn over a new leaf?

[@Marker-er3ro]

@@rp9674 it’s an expression in the USA, it means to reform, improve, amend, start over.

[@rp9674]

I know I was trying to add more word play to new leaf on life.

[@captlarry-3525]

The thing about the Leaf is that it is the Electric VW Bug. 50 years from now it will still be going, and loved. Today... a Leaf with dead battery is the single greatest automotive bargain there is.

[@davidbrown7379]

Talking cost of ownership, I traded in my diesel Fiesta earlier this year for a Zoe. I totalled up the cost of fuel over the seven years I had owned it. Nearly £8000! Pretty much what I paid for the Fiesta. £4000 to replace a battery in a eleven year old car seems like good value if that car stays in use for another ten plus years.

[@TriviaChallenge]

You will never look back at that ICE crap.

[@LysanderLH]

@@TriviaChallenge not true. I now live in rural France. My last three cars in UK were a 1.4 Golf, Zoe 40 (often wouldn’t charge due to hypersensitivity to Earthing) and Zoe 50. My current car is a Tesla 3. My wife needs a car and there is no reason for why she would choose to buy an EV, for the usual valid reasons. Infrastructure issues the kind of which still exist in UK but here are approx 10 years behind UK ie availability of public chargers, the ongoing ‘have to pay to join and subscribe to our charging network’ instead of being able to use a debit card. And as has recently been the case, the 4mth old Tesla refused to accept charge and has been dealt with by two service technicians over the course of a week. I drove an unchargeable car 100 miles to Toulouse Tesla, so they could hopefully fix it again. In 33 years of driving and owning at least a dozen cars, none ever broke down, refused to fill up, were too far away from a refuelling station, required a manufacturer to replace parts under warranty…. In short, my wife wants a (petrol) Panda Cross. So to say that anything but EVs are invalid, is pure fanaticism.

[@drxym]

I guess it depends on fuel consumption. The price of batteries is such that you'd have to be doing substantial mileage to recoup what you paid for it in fuel savings. If you're doing 50 miles a day or something then doubtless it's going to pay for itself many times over. If you drive 2 miles up the road and back then probably not.

[@genx156]

Yes my Nissan LEAF was an excellent purchase when I was doing 50 mile's round trip for work each day - saved me a lot of money. (I sold it, moved to another country for 4 years, then moved back to UK recently), so now the outlay for an EV is too much (for my situation as I work a couple of mile's from work & only done 1k miles in the last year) I even looked at a used LEAF with some battery degradation but the Insurance group 19-25 is a bit much (as I have Zero no-claims from being out of the country & not insured with a UK company for over 2 years - WIPED clean 🤔 ) So... I bought a Smart Forfour 0.9 for now with group 8 insurance which is fine - I would love to get back into an EV though 👍

[@keithhoughton4308]

@@drxym if you are doing 2 miles each way why would you need to replace the battery in the first place?

[@Dave-in-France]

Hi Robert, thank you very for this video with it's clear statements about current EV's and their battery lives. Every day I get the same set of about 6 questions from peeps when I talk about my EV - Range, charging speed, running costs, replacing the battery pack etc etc etc The ultimate question should be but is never asked is, "What's it like to drive?" and I would answer "Bloody lovely !!!!"

[@nonyanks2510]

Way to go Robert, my 2014 Leaf has the factory Lizard Battery and 57,000 miles, 12 bars and the entire car has been trouble free! The more I looked at the new stuff the more I like my Funky Leaf, so I plan on keeping it indefinitely and will upgrade when it needs it!

[@anttrkk757]

You are the best advocate for ecars that I've seen. Your pronunciation is clear and the content is easy to adapt, the storyline is well thought out. You are a treasure for any business you promote 👍👏

[@dalroth10]

I remembered watching your video some time ago talking about the project you were going to embark upon to upgrade your Leaf battery and found this update video fascinating. It really does prove the point you've been, (quite correctly), "banging on about" for a long time and it's great there are companies operating to offer this type of work.

[@santadam]

As a former Leaf owner, we loved this episode! Thank you. And, while we love our Model 3, we still greatly miss our sweet, simple and efficient little Leaf.

[@dylanlong6269]

I have both a Model 3 and a 2013 Leaf. It's a very strange feeling to be driving the Model 3 sometimes and wish I was in my Leaf lol. The Leaf is a ridiculously good car for how cheap you can find used ones.

[@nissanleafbattery]

I kept my LEAF with its 28 mile range battery when I bought my Model Y exactly one year ago today. I live in the city and park on the street and so I use the LEAF to protect the nose of the Model Y and to horde a parking space when I am out with my Y. The nose of the Y is made to look pretty, not to be backed into by people who don't know how to parallel park.

[@nissanleafbattery]

@@dylanlong6269 Whenever I drive the LEAF now I think something is wrong with it because it's so slow. LOL

[@advandermeer740]

n=1, but my 2013 Renault Zoe just passed the 200k km's mark (~125k mi) with the original battery and it still has about 90% of the original battery capacity.

[@jonathansmith5850]

That’s impressive

[@pauldunneska]

Just don't crash it as it has zero stars on the NCAP ratings.

[@ChilliPlantOwner]

@@pauldunneska zero? Really?

[@briangriffiths114]

@@ChilliPlantOwner Worth a look at the December 2021 NCAP test for the Renault Zoe which has dropped from five stars to zero stars because the testing regime is now much tougher and also due to the removal of the head airbag that protects occupants from side impacts, according to an Autoexpress magazine article dated 09/12/21.

[@lingondraken]

@@briangriffiths114 That was in regards to the ZE50, yes. However, keep in mind that the tests gets harder and stricter as time goes, it does not mean that the cars gets *less* safe than they were when originally tested.

[@thesuperfunkomatic]

Being a Leaf owner, it's great to see that these cars have a potentially 20-year life with a battery upgrade. I think I'll go for a 64Kwh battery in the next few years to update our car. Thanks for dispelling some of the old myths of battery/EV-powered vehicles. Also interesting to see that that battery control module is made here in Canada in Quebec.

[@stevezodiac491]

My 2016 30 kwhr leaf has lost 2 battery bars and 20% of initial range. The battery degradation myth is on my drive for all to see.

[@thesuperfunkomatic]

@@stevezodiac491 Agreed! My 2013 has 81,000 kilometres and has only lost one bar of capacity. Upgrading would future-proof the car and last us another ten years. It would also be vastly cheaper than investing in a brand new car.

[@shanajackson5044]

@@thesuperfunkomatic My 2013 Leaf has lost one battery bar in 110000 miles. I still get 85 miles in summer, 65-70 in winter.

[@Tron-Jockey]

@@stevezodiac491 - The 2016 and 2017 models were found to have defective BMS software that incorrectly calculated battery capacity and indicated accelerated degradation that wasn't actual. Have you had Nissan update your BMS software? Most owners have reported that it corrected the problem.

[@mjk8019]

My Leaf lost 5 bars and the PTC heater stopped working. Apart from that still going great, but battery will defineteley have to be replaced next year.

[@danielburges8176]

That electric tractor deserves a whole episode to itself - awesome

[@AL197845w34832479823]

yes but maybe not transporting but actually works the fields

[@jestronixhanderson9898]

My 2014 leaf is at 85% after 7 years, they certainly fixed the chemistry from the earlier ones and hope to get another 5 years or more.

[@jedro86]

One of my favorite FC videos. Thank you for taking us on the journey Robert.

[@marktoby8113]

EVs are such a no brainer. I switched from a Prius to a 30kwh Leaf in 2018, and then to a 64kwh Kona in 2020. Have also convinced my wife to buy a 40kwh Leaf. Living in a rural part of Ireland with two EV and we have zero range anxiety! Plus they are almost unbelievably cheap to run. Great channel, love it!

[@spuddy4063]

Congratulation's on getting your LEAF back in one piece. I am really impressed with the mileage gains and how technology has overtaken the battery range for this age of car. As you explained beforehand this new battery certainly gives the car a NEW LEASE on life and will continue to provide lasting enjoyment. I have been scouring the internet waiting on an update of this kind for a while since you had your garden review. I had seen your review of the CleEVeley pod cast and have sent it off to many people that were looking at disposing of their cars because the range was so slight. So for much less than the purchase of a totally NEW CAR, a person who currently own any ERA of Nissan LEAF can add more range or simply replace their pack with a newer pack. This is BRILLIANT, we are now in the future of life and it will keep getting better. BRAVO Mr. R. Llewellyn.. Thanks to your channel of "Fully Charged" for bringing us into the future of electric mobility and beyond.

[@TheGazmondo]

The worst thing I find surrounding the myths about car batteries is, the appalling ignorance of broadcasters, and journalists, they are still living in the time of the battery in your Nisan Leaf, ten years out of date. Oh and pompous with it !! So as you can imagine it was a real relief recently to hear you being interviewed and consulted on the subject by the BBC. So it’s never too late .

[@lgrantnelson2863]

I picked up a 2014 Leaf in 2016. It came from the Bay area in California. I have been driving it in the Pacific Northwest. It now has over 111,000 miles. It still works great. The battery still has 10 battery bars and the original brakes.. When the battery needs to be replaced it will be less expensive than a new car. There is a company in Portland Oregon that specializes in taking batteries from wrecked Leafs and swapping out the old battery. The last time I checked they can replace the 24 KW battery for the largest used Leaf battery for less than I paid for the Leaf used. Like getting a new car for a third of the new price.

[@MrChris20912]

Huh! The different battery chemistry smells is something I'd never even considered. Fascinating!

[@richardteague5563]

Thanks from the 4.5 year owner of a 2014 leaf w only 18k miles. I was waking up to 72 or so miles of range so long as the weather stayed warm, and, in the colder days of Dec I am seeing 65 to 67 miles of range. It has never been to a shop -- No issues whatsoever -- Still like brand new except for losing a few miles of range over its life. Original untouched tires and brakes.

[@Igors_mind]

Yor tires need be replaced. They lost their efficiency 😄. They are plastic now, not rubber. Very unsafe to drive.

[@sharonbraselton4302]

tejsà celß get 79 miioke tóo 82 ñioe eabge

[@richardteychenne3950]

Lovely seeing her back and I am most impressed with the tractor conversion, brilliant.

[@NHRunDad]

I just got my first EV, a 2019 Leaf, and don’t want to ever go back! Thanks for spreading the message. Cheers from the US!

[@evolution9774]

Love the dash in a Leaf, it looks like a practical and reliable box on wheels. Great that a better range battery is an option. A superb city and small hop car. Also reusing old cells for house battery packs is the way to go

[@olegs79]

It's insane. The stuff coming out nowadays. No more early adopters for EVs. This technology has been proven over a decade. The first generation is still killing it. Great video. Thank you.

[@DanielDrives]

I just love this channel. Thanks for making this video Robert, very interesting to see how an 'old' Leaf can live a longer life. 120 miles is much better than 55!

[@RobSchofield]

Very impressive - the route you chose was pretty much the route I used to drive when visiting the yUK with family many years ago. Becoming more convinced by the Leaf!

[@matthenley7641]

Gotta say, that tractor looked fantastic. They are perfect for electric conversion too. With the torque of an electric motor I bet it out performs the diesel versions with ease

[@bimblinghill]

In a past life my job was to do the integration design to put diesel engines into agricultural & construction machines. It always struck me how horribly compromised all these installations were. Transmitting power mechanically from the engine pod to the wheels through bevel gears and high range boxes etc was complex, hard to design and full of friction. Accommodating all the air and cooling systems was even harder, then there was exhaust aftertreatment, which was expensive and full of ignition sources which were dangerous in environments with chaff and dust etc. Many of these problems are much reduced or disappear entirely with an electric drivetrain.

[@SupremeRuleroftheWorld]

the prolbem is that these diesel drivetrains simply cannot cope with the forces. so electric motors need to be kneecapped to prevent them from turning the entire drivetrain into one big piece of overcooked fusilli.

[@bimblinghill]

@@SupremeRuleroftheWorld The trick must be to integrate the motors close to the wheels, throw away the drivetrain, and put the batteries where the engine was.

[@SupremeRuleroftheWorld]

@@bimblinghill that is physcially impossibe as with modern tractors the gearboxes ARE the frame of the tractor.

[@bimblinghill]

@@SupremeRuleroftheWorld As you'll see from my original comment, I know a bit about the structure of tractors etc. My phrase 'throw away' was flippant and a simplification. Some parts of the transmission e.g flywheel housing & gearbox housing can be retained and some new parts will be required to connect to them. All perfectly possible. Low volume sand castings are etc made to maintain long-discontinued models. This same supply chain could support electric conversions.

[@vaughanh2905]

Absolutely brilliant as usual Robert, thank you!! I would love to do this to my 2015 Leaf one day, but at the moment there is nothing wrong with the battery it came with!!! 😁

[@pawekropi5077]

It is always nice to listen to a wise man, who just happens to be an EV enthusiast. Keep up!

[@RWBHere]

Good to see the Old Girl back again, and with a new powerhouse. Wishing you a fruitful 2022 and many more happy years of driving th Leaf. 🙂👍

[@MikesTropicalTech]

Great work New Electric! I've known Anne for years since Jack Rickard's EVCON days, visited him in the shop in Amsterdam and got very drunk! Great to see the progress that he's made.

[@daibhidhrobinson1341]

"You have to charge it once, maybe twice a week." That depends on how much you use it. I have a 40kWh Leaf and I use it for work. The battery is the prefect size for my job, with me charging it every day, to 70-90%, depending on workload expected and weather forecast. So I reckon I am getting good use out of my battery. If you use a car for work, it's not "the bigger the better" for the battery, but "how much do I need to do my job reliably?" I've got the perfect size for my job, delivering up to 200 parcels per day.

[@finecutpost]

The big advantage of a delivery vehicle is that the range is irrelevant, as long as you have sufficient plus 10% it's a cheaper more reliable choice and a smart economical business decision

[@karlis-blums]

Oh! So refreshing to see Robert in a car review! Thanks! :D

[@pauldenney7908]

My 24kWh leaf lost about 1% a year and when I sold it it was 6 years old with 47k on the clock and absolutely nothing went wrong. So it would be good for 20 years before it lost 20% of its range and even then still good as a shopping trolley or school run car. Like Robert I have a Tesla model 3 now but my old Leaf is still one of the best cars I ever owned.

[@RWoody1995]

Nothing going wrong in a 6 year old car with under 50k on the clock isn't impressive tbf, that's basically brand new even for an ICEV but yes your point still stands, the batteries in EVs are WAY more reliable than people give them credit for, they think an EV battery is the same as a mobile phone battery and... it kinda is but only as much as a lawn mower ICE is the same as the ICE in a car, they're built better and the BMS is made to ensure they are treated better than a mobile phone battery is just like how a car engine is built better and has much more systems attached to ensure a long lifespan compared to the lawnmowers engine.

[@skyemalcolm]

May I ask how you charged it and to what capacity? Did you generally use the scheduled charging and stop it at 80% as the battery management system does allow for, optionally? Presumably you didn’t do as Robert described in the video and keep the state of charge close to 100% most of the time.

[@pauldenney7908]

@@skyemalcolm I kept it between 20 and 80%. Most of the charges were 7kw with the odd 50kw. Every now and then I would go for a long run with multiple rapids. I monitored SOC with LEAF spy.

[@skyemalcolm]

@@pauldenney7908 I appreciate the reply! Currently running a second hand leaf with 55% state of health as reported by leaf spy and notice that keeping it under 80% SOC the last month has stabilized the drop in degradation whereas over the summer we tended to charge to 100% SOC and the degradation of SOH was noticeable again using leafspy.

[@pauldenney7908]

@@skyemalcolm Try the odd motorway run, followed my a rapid, then another motorway run them another rapid. I found it would invigorate the SOC. Constant 3kw charging or not using the car at all seemed to have the worse effect. Whatever you do the curve is always down but you can slow it I found. Is yours an early LEAF? Mine was a 2014 and that had different battery chemistry to the early cars.

[@dr-k1667]

I am tremendously happy to see this battery replacement/upgrade video and to hear how much it cost, the ownership experience of the Leaf after a decade and the wonderful company New Electric that is doing so much to help companies and people who need to decarbonize their transportation. Fantastic episode, it brought a smile to face and joy to my heart!

[@MrTubeuser12]

I think the old Nissan Leaf is one the most underrated Ev's around.

[@theairstig9164]

It depends a lot on the environment it operates in. For an urban area that doesn’t get snow or persistently high day temperatures it would be in the sweet zone. Where there is snow or day temperatures above 30C (or both) it (The Leaf) is a liability. Also take into account the number sold and the expected level of dealer support for that model. Nissan Motors Australia have successfully destroyed the reputation of the Leaf. At least the dealerships were happy about this

[@donaldespeut2042]

@@theairstig9164 It was deliberately smacked down here in the US because if our NIH syndrome. In my Eighty years I have not seen a country or product not smacked down because of NIH. It is our culture of creating positive hype around some of the crap we produce. Planes, Trains, Automobiles and just about everything else.

[@andrewmcgowan2798]

@@donaldespeut2042 ...NIH syndrome??

[@snowtaku1]

It had been a while since last time we had the privilege to enjoy a rant from Robert! Thanks Fully Charged, this was another good one :)

[@AnonymousFreakYT]

That range boost is unbeleafable!

[@johnfitbyfaithnet]

Haha

[@steverichmond7142]

Brilliant video. Thanks and happy new year..

[@knowledgebyte]

The very first electric car I drove was when I was working for Microsoft Ireland in Dublin. I drove the pearlescent white one with full leather. I couldn’t believe how quiet and refined it was. It was a demonstration vehicle. Since then I went to the Auris hybrid, to the Mercedes 350E to the e-golf. After three years of owning the e-golf I have seen no battery deterioration and virtually zero maintenance costs. Amazing car. And it still brings an enormous grin, as I chuck it through the roundabouts in Milton Keynes or use it around the country lanes.

[@belgianbuzzer]

I have a 2017 eGolf, the most underrated car in my opinion. I drove the new ID3 and wondered why they did simply not continue with the eGolf: just as smooth and the eGolf has buttons instead of this digital crap. The eGolf gives you also much more information, right on the 2 screens; nowhere to be found on the ID3.

[@knowledgebyte]

@@belgianbuzzer Yes, the ergonomics of the e-golf, matched with the peerless handling and excellent chassis, make it an EV Classic. These cars will likely go up in value as time goes on.

[@backacheache]

I had hoped the battery storage they were showing had Roberts old leaf battery in it, or even a variety of batterys

[@paulbarron7389]

Thanks, Robert really enjoyed you sharing the information, so much my wife and I just went and bought a Nissan leaf 2017. we are based in New Zealand and look forward to very low fuel cost and bearly any servicing cost. Cheers paul

[@bkzach]

Thank you Robert, I watched when you first got the Leaf and have loved it and electric cars ever since

[@heaslyben]

That's very exciting and encouraging, thank you! Congrats! Maybe some day I'll upgrade the battery in my v1 Leaf as well. No problems with it so far, but 140 miles sounds nice.

[@eamo234]

I love my Leaf it's honestly one of the best built cars I've ever driven for its age, but living in a rural area, range is always an issue. It's just a pity that replacement battery packs are so hard to find.

[@MrBenHaynes]

Bobby Llew, it warms the cockles of my heart to see you re-use this "antique" car. I try to emulate your "reduce, re-use, recycle" ways and applaud your infectious enthusiasm.

[@davidkendall2272]

Nice story on your old Leaf. Very positive to see how it has fared and lasted with the new battery giving it additional life.

[@danielmadar9938]

This is one of the most heart warning videos by Robert. Thank you.

[@PeterMacfarlane]

HI Rob & Fully Charged crew, I just want to say thank you for all the work you do on the channels. I must admit until I discovered Fully Charged I wasn’t really a You Tube user., now I watch every day. I also want to thank you on a personal level. I’ve been off work for 9 months due to depression and it has been a struggle. But Fully Charged and channels like it (Electrifying, Electric Viking et al) have helped me cope. I have become a zealot on EV’s and climate change according to my wife (which in these days how can we not?) and wish our Australian government could just wake up to how destructive they are. Thank you though for the show, I wish I could afford to support you because you do incredibly important work I feel. Keep it going and to Eliot in China - you are a legend!! I lived in Chengdu in the 90’s and know how polluted Chinese cities can get. To see that Shenzhen has changed things around with EV’s gives hope for the future. Here’s to a fantastic 2022 for you all!

[@craigoneill4504]

On the bck of this channel I bought my first EV a Leaf 24 2014 model back in Jan 2018. I had it for 2 incredible years, and traded it against a new 2020 e-Golf, which I still have. The e-Golf is awesome, so well finished & efficient that I am struggling to find a new replacement which is better for a similar price! It is an Executive edition which has all the bells & whistles & is still way better than any of the current VAG models on the market. Maybe in 2023 there'll be a contender! Thanks Bobby for planting the seed and how its grown!

[@affenjunge6287]

love the leaf and preserving dear things in general. Roadtripping with robert must be a blast :D

[@LucifersTear]

Great video, love seeing EV's being scrutinised and trailed like this so we can actually see the actual performance and the ability to use them daily.. This is what non-beleievers need ❤️👍

[@Reddylion]

Agree.

[@loosabway3400]

Not really. I didn't believe and this made me believe less. This car and the inadequate, broken charging network was shockingly bad.

[@Reddylion]

@@loosabway3400 this is the future and present. EV.

[@loosabway3400]

@@Reddylion If you say so. Personally, I’d prefer a future that works. There will always be those willing to settle for less because they don’t know or understand better.

[@sh969]

@@loosabway3400 so....what's your solution? A 10 year old car that only needed a $4k investment to make it good for another 10 years wasn't enough for you....so what is? Gas is, literally, killing us

[@alejandrovieira6451]

So great to see Anne again, it's been over 10 years since we met at one of Jack Rickard's EVCCON gatherings! I'm so happy to see that he has a successful EV business in Amsterdam. Also, had to LOL at the Chargepoint dig....i just got Charge-punked yesterday at a non-working "fast" charger. 🤦‍♂️

[@ryanbaxter1585]

Currently have a 2014 24Kw Leaf at 100,000 miles. Thanks for the video. Considering upgrading my battery. Thanks Robert.

[@badmonkey2917]

Very cool that these old leafs got a second life. I had the same model many years back.

[@georgemaurice9179]

Mr. Llewellyn. Thank you for the video. My comments are more for your subscribers/readers. I have one of the first model 3 Teslas. Long range rear wheel drive. I have travelled to Myrtle Beach S Carolina and \Florida from Toronto, Canada in it. There, no question it has a longer range than the Leaf. I time my stops for re-charging with my breakfast, lunch and dinners. What I am really trying to convey is that recently I was in Myrtle Beach (I had to fly there). To get to Florida I rented an ICE vehicle. ALL THE WAY there, I was constantly checking mileage and need of fuel (petrol to you folks.). What irony!! The Tesla would have indicated where and when I would need to recharge. If any of your subscribers are concerned. DO NOT BE. You will never ever buy anything but an EV ever again. Quiet, efficient, substantially less expensive. (Oh yes, did I mention that your children and grandchildren will thank you?)

[@calidiscover]

Fully agree , well done from Malta Europe.👍

[@ThomasLindvig]

This is just one of the greatest videos i've watched about EVs, and I've watched a lot.

[@clintthomas1854]

Hi Rob, I've been watching fully charged for many years now, still remember the blog when you ran the leaf flat to test the level. I've talked to many people about EVs and I agree there is so much ignorance. My go to is all your earlier blogs, cheers mate 👍 🙂

[@brianmollan]

I recently completed the same exercise on my 2012 LEAF here in Western Australia, and share your enthusiasm. - I have fallen in love with my car . . . again. Pleased you made the point about not having to replace the batteries on modern EVs. Perhaps if you had explained the reason for the early LEAF’s battery degradation was the early battery chemistry it might have helped to clarify the point. I have disassembled the old battery and the cells will be added to my solar storage ( I.e. second life ).

[@gavinsullivan9015]

How much did that cost you May I ask? Aussie always seems much more expensive for these things…

[@finecutpost]

I've read that it was Nissans none active cooling that was the major issue with the battery pack. Has the replacement pack got better temperature control.

[@brianmollan]

@@finecutpost yes, the lack of active temperature control was a factor, but this particularly affected the early chemistry batteries. More recent LEAF batteries use a different chemistry and these are sometimes called ‘Lizard cells’, because they can tolerate higher temperatures better. But for long battery life, the active temperature control, such as in Teslas, is the best solution.

[@brianmollan]

@@gavinsullivan9015 quite so. The total cost, including battery, re-coding VCM, and fitting was just under Au$20k. But I didn’t have to drive to Amsterdam l.o.l. Also, I put a value of $7k on the 12kWh solar storage from the second life cells. From a to-the-shops-and back job, I now have a car with decent range. Battery ordered February, delivered late October.. it was only off the road for 30 days whilst the VCM was being re-coded.

[@gavinsullivan9015]

@@brianmollan that’s pretty cheap compared to a new EV though. So have you converted the old battery to home storage??

[@OverlordActual]

We've waited so long. Looking forward to this.

[@willluma9170]

These kind of videos make me appreciate my 2017 leaf that much more.

[@marvinsamuels1237]

Thanks for sharing your experience Robert, it’s been really eye opening 👍🏾

[@jugsbbq2023]

Looks to me like a 40kw in the first generation leaf gives it similar range to that of the second generation 40kw so definitely an interesting option to consider for upgrading the older leafs and getting yourself a very usable car

[@NicoSteinacker]

It would be funny if the crew car was a Hyundai Ioniq 5 that could tickle charge the car while waiting for the eurotunnel or maybe even during the train ride. Isn‘t it amazing how far we have come in the last 10 years? 🥳

[@I_dont_want_an_at]

tickle charge. hehehhehhehhe.

[@alexmanojlovic768]

Sadly a) it should actually have been further still & even more sadly (GM EV1) it should have started 30 years earlier. Imagine what the vehicles, the air & our bank balances would be like if GM weren't the total g1ts they have been since the 1990's?

[@loosabway3400]

No, it isn’t. Electric cars are not impressive, grossly overpriced, stupidly limited in range and dirty to produce and in the UK (and probably in the USA too from what I have heard), compromised by an inadequate charging network.

[@NicoSteinacker]

@@loosabway3400 still better than ICE cars 🤔

[@loosabway3400]

@@NicoSteinacker Depends what you want; if you want a heavy, limited, poorly riding, poorly handling, 2nd rate vehicle, full of rare, dirty chemicals, many produced by slaves in conflict zones, that will take forever to get you anywhere remotely far and would require you to fruitlessly search for a charging station, then wait there for ages while it charges, then they’re great. That’s you. For those who like mobility and have any idea; not so good. And with people like you, who are willing to accept the third rate, they’ll never get better.

[@wm.perrykillam4243]

Another great episode. We have a used 2015 Nissan Leaf, and it's been brilliant. No regrets in purchasing it. The only thing we've replaced so far is the lead acid battery. No problems with it whatsoever. We charge it with our solar panels as much as possible. It's really economical and reliable. Come on Nissan. Come out with more compelling EVs!

[@SeleneCustomDesigns]

I just bought a new to me Nissan Leaf (2017) based on your videos alone! I am in the USA (California) we have lots of charging stations. I have had it a week and I love it. Thank you for your videos!

[@nakfan]

Robert really shines in an episode like this...This type of content - and the news flashes - is where he rules 👍😀

[@AnthonyIlstonJones]

You mean Robert?

[@nakfan]

@@AnthonyIlstonJones Oh ... yes, of course. I don't know why I made that mistake... Thanks for pointing it out to me.

[@Sanjayadon]

Finally! glad your LEAF got a new life! Hope I will get a new battery for my special friend soon!

[@nickwalter9630]

Love your channel. Happy New Year.

[@GrotrianSeiler]

I love all of this enthusiasm. There is so much controversy over charging to 80% vs 100%. I wish you would talk about that more.

[@melvynburchell]

Great video! I have had my 2014 LEAF since just under a year old (50k and still 12 bars - but expected to lose 1 or 2 at some point) and it has never given me any problems beyond tyres! Although still the 24kw model being a Tekna I do have the heat pump heating which does make a difference... I have recently been thinking of a change but not because of the car at all but because of the charging infrastructure and the apparent move away from supporting CHAdeMO that appears to be taking place. I have recently been on something of a road trip from London to Scotland and back and whilst the support for Rapid Charging on public networks is nothing short of outstanding in Scotland (In one car park there were 4 Rapid Chargers all with CHAdeMO connectors) the same is no longer the case on the Electric Highway network that is so essential for longer journeys covering the backbones of major routes in England. Since Ecotricity have moved away from this sector the Electric Highway has been taken over by Gridserve and unfortunately they have decided to deploy "pumps" according to connector demand so where there was once 3 x chargers with both CCS and CHAdeMO connectors there are now 3 x chargers 2 of which have 2 x CCS connectors and 1 with 1 x CCS and 1 x CHAdeMO! Apparently at some point both "Ports will be able to be used at the same time but that is not the case currently... So we faced several times when we had to queue behind other LEAF's for that 1 CHAdeMO connector (to make matters worse there was a CCS user using it at first when the other CCS units were vacant!)... One charge stop saw the only charger not working being the one with the CHAdeMO connector which meant we had to detour to a Type 2 for an emergency top up to reach the next Rapid. Overall very frustrating and whilst talking to others whilst waiting (as you do) it was apparent that this was a common complaint amongst CHAdeMO users but Gridserve do not seem to care and I have yet to receive any kind of response to my letters. It is a bad situation and unless someone does a CCS conversion I fear it will become the decline of CHAdeMO support on the public networks that will see the demise of cars equipped with this form of Rapid Charging not battery longevity.

[@ab3000x]

This reminds of the EV videos I watched 6+ years ago but with a little less charging. :^) Very smart to get the upgrade. As far as replacing a battery pack, I drive a 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV so you might know where this is going... I stopped by my local dealership to make an appointment to get a new battery pack (due to the LG Chem problem) a few days ago. I'm fourth in line. I'm not at all worried about my current battery pack but I'll be super-happy when I get a "bigger" (and new) one. Last summer on a hot day my GOM read 288miles of range at 90% charged - I'm guessing the new pack should get over 300 miles(!) in the same conditions. Eight year or 100,000 mile warranty on the new pack is a good deal. I'm not sure if I'll buy another GM or not. By the time I'm done with this one there'll be so many choices.

[@sharonbraselton4302]

yeß ítvwill get new pack

[@valerierose2724]

I love my Tekna Leaf, I was very fortunate to purchase one of the last old shape models registered December 2017. There is no going back now!⚡️❤️⚡️

[@JohnSmith-yv6eq]

Tron Jockey 1 year ago @Steve Zodiac - The 2016 and 2017 models were found to have defective BMS software that incorrectly calculated battery capacity and indicated accelerated degradation that wasn't actual. Have you had Nissan update your BMS software? Most owners have reported that it corrected the problem.

[@valerierose2724]

@@JohnSmith-yv6eq Yes I booked it in for a service with Nissan at that time and was told about it, all has been rectified, thank you for raising and highlighting the issue. 👍

[@leaflover3497]

You’ve taken really good care of that car. The paint still looks brand new.

[@musk-eteer9898]

i'm still driving my 2011, just like yours, silver leaf. only charge up to 80% since new and only lost 20% capacity so far. i did all the service myself, 12v battery, rear shocks, fluid top off, cabin filters, but except for tires. i love this car and hope to drive it until battery replacement becoming more affordable when time to replace them.

[@pashko90]

It will. Since 2010 to 2022 price per kWh dropped 8 times and it will gonna continue happens.

[@christopherhamilton5557]

My 2012 Leaf got a battery replacement in 2017 under warranty from Nissan. They really stood behind these cars, at least that was my experience. My 24 kw pack has degraded some, I only have 11 bars now. Car has 80,000 miles, nothing has ever broken on it. Heck I’ve never even put brake pads on it. Just replaced the 12v battery a few weeks ago. The guy that installed the new 12v could not believe how long the battery lasted. It’s going away next year, I’ll miss it! ***If it had the range of Robert’s, I would definitely keep it!

[@MarkLLawrence]

Same here. I've got a 2012 Leaf I got used in 2017. I looked for one that still had battery warranty remaining and 3 capacity bars down. Found one for around $8k. Just 3 months later it dropped that 4th bar and I had the battery replaced under warranty. Since then I put on another 45k miles and it JUST lost it's second capacity bar. Sitting around 85k miles and it's a happy little car. My wife uses it to go to work and back, a daily round trip of under 10 miles, so it now lives an easy life.

[@christopherhamilton5557]

@@MarkLLawrence 👍👍👍👏👏👏

[@nissanleafbattery]

I have a 2012 that lost its 4th bar at 61,423 miles and they told me they couldn’t do anything for me. Now 9 years later it’s at 87,000 miles and has lost 7 bars. With a full charge I can go 28 miles.

[@MarkLLawrence]

@@nissanleafbattery so it really really is just an around town car now. I'm looking to pick up something like that soon as a donor car for a fun conversion. So many here in Southern California so I won't even have to go to a wrecking yard like CoPart.

[@christopherhamilton5557]

@@nissanleafbattery so the question is what becomes of cars such as yours? The pack replacement probably costs more than the car is worth. But it still works perfectly fine…. Is there an aftermarket solution? Sucks to be in that situation, I hate that for you…I’m quite sure my Leaf would be in the same boat had I not gotten the warranty replacement pack.

[@richardcope8102]

Car looks in beautiful nick. Congrats

[@EviLEwoK666]

Fantastic vid Robert. Thanks for keeping the message flowing!

[@kevinwhited984]

What a great road trip and congratulations on the new battery!

[@instanoodles]

I have a Kona EV now but I will always love my Leaf, it was such a fantastic car. Thankfully live in Canada where the battery degradation is minimal. I was looking at $12k CAD to upgrade the battery in my Lead so I decided to sell it unfortunately.

[@sharonbraselton4302]

uds heated bsterß çéjs ysee vster jrep tabge up cold erathrr

[@_a.z]

My Peugeot iOn is 10 years old and the battery is still good! No reduction at all during the 3 years I've owned it!

[@stephenclay6852]

Great to finally see the update on the leaf.

[@JulioMo]

I'm on my first Leaf, second battery. I wore out the first battery at 75,000 miles. Nissan replaced it on warranty for free. They placed the price on the work order and it cost USD$15,000+. Now I have excellent range. I wonder if they gave me a bigger battery. Initially it was a 30kWh battery with 107 mile range. Now the car tells me it's 156 miles!

[@JohnSmith-yv6eq]

Perhaps the 30kwh battery is no longer being produced...so your benefit......40kwh instead.

[@sharonbraselton4302]

goid fír it

[@cleanshirtlabs9620]

If a new battery pack can do this to a humble Leaf, imagine what a battery pack from 2030 will do to a Model 3! Cars may actually last a life time finally.

[@653j521]

It might last that long if it doesn't get eaten by rust. It always was a case of which will go first, the body or the engine.

[@sharonbraselton4302]

kéaf 128 kw dubke ràbgé

[@itszach6808]

@@653j521 teslas are aluminum body panels.

[@sven-olofenglund8712]

Very uplifting! We started with a Leaf and changed it for a Tesla, but now we are getting a 2012 Leaf as second car. We really liked the Leaf in the first place. The fact that you can do this kind of battery upgrade is just fantastic. :-)

[@rogerramjet2656]

Great video - thank you.

[@philtucker1224]

Rob, I’m very impressed with savings you’ve made on petrol alone over the eleven year period, and 66,000 miles. Even at a typical average (private owner) spend on fuel of £200 per month, you’ve saved about twenty four thousand pounds!! 😊

[@sharonbraselton4302]

yes it itß