I Bought The Cheapest Electric Car On Auto Trader! 4K

[@mubbasherniaz8082]

On another note, I think what Rory is doing for Autotrader is so fantastic for both him and the company- such a great step in his career and he’s doing absolutely amazingly- I love watching his videos

[@namboozleUK]

Rory is quickly becoming my favoruite motoring journalist/presenter.

[@Sweaty__Sheep]

Top Gear were crazy to let him go

[@ash-rh8bz]

Yeah totally agree. Keep up the good work.

[@TheComputec]

Well. much as I do appreciate Matt Watson's work with car-wow, I do find Rory less annoying and less predictable in his reviews.

[@namboozleUK]

@@TheComputec Matt is ace too

[@CalvinsCarDiary]

Pleasure doing business with you guys. Looking forward to seeing what you do with the Leaf 👌

[@AutoTraderTV]

Thanks Calvin! Nice to meet you 😁

[@ubayedkabir6977]

Calv should drive a electric car for a week instead of the m4

[@lallen1982]

Can’t believe we didn’t see a collaboration

[@SCANIAV8POWER-d3c]

Ugh u spoilt it for me

[@GlynHudson]

Nice! My 7 year old leaf has just done 80,000 miles. Still going strong, very reliable car. Perfect as a cheap local run around, costs less than £1 to recharge overnight at home and TAX free, driving doest get cheaper than this.

[@geroldknornschild7926]

6676

[@ryanelewis1379]

Wow that is bloody cheap

[@asensibleyoungman2978]

It won't last. Electricity prices will sky rocket and once there are enough electric car drivers the government will shaft you with road tax.

[@manveerghuman5276]

Nissan Leaf for daily, enthusiast car for the weekend

[@04dram04]

You didnt mention the battery degradation problems on the leaf

[@johnedwards3198]

Calvin's Car Diaries will be well chuffed to be featured on the channel

[@darkbassi5911]

He would be so gassed about being on this channel.

[@johnedwards3198]

@@darkbassi5911 shame he wasn't featured, could just imagine Rory trying to haggle against Calvin 😂

[@E14.Driv3R]

Was just thinking that 🤣

[@Bongo4611]

The Nissan is definitely a Cat D then

[@CalvinsCarDiary]

Another time maybe 👌

[@mikadavies660]

Rory, Look into the cost of a battery upgrade. Then do a cost comparison with newer second hand electric cars. To prove which purchase would be best?

[@spoot1smeg]

yeah I heard about some company which does these replacements on the old leafs so they replace the original 25kwh battery for a new 40kwh battery the actual battery is the same size so it is an easy physical replacement but there is some software stuff they have to do for it to work

[@Neojhun]

No one knows how much a battery will cost in 15 years. Stop with false insinuations.

[@mikadavies660]

@@Neojhun As if you will have the same car for 15 years... Would be nice if your reply was actually relevant to the point raised.... Which was a look at the cost of second hand electric cars NOW and what they could possibly cost, if you were to "update it" vs the price of a newer car that is already updated...!

[@Neojhun]

@@mikadavies660 Because that's when the battery will die, that's the facts. Very few BEVs exist prior to the past few years. Mass production only just recently ramped up. Thus anyone watching this video will most likely buy a car built 2019 onwards. The age which they need to be replaced is around 2036. That is when the cost of batteries matter. Not your silly insinuation of looking up the price in 2021.

[@mikadavies660]

@@Neojhun Still not relevant to the question I raised.... Relevant to what happens in 25years time..... I asked for a price comparison here and now, relevant to what Rory purchased here & now. Did he make a video talking about 2046??? No!! So stop posting irrelevant answers to me... Write to Rory about batteries 25 years from now!!

[@iantrott9152]

Good choice for a first EV :) My first EV was a Leaf 24 in April 15, on the Motability scheme. We covered over 52,000 in four years before it had to go back as the lease was up. You’ll need to plan some trips carefully, but any destination is possible, especially now with a much improved network. Just follow the ABC rule for small battery EV’s, “Always Be Charging”; basically never turn down an opportunity to plug-in, no matter how brief :)

[@1MrBryn]

Really keen to see how the batteries have held up after all these years. Fantastic buy.

[@T1Oracle]

It's a Leaf so no active water cooling for the battery. The battery is probably toast. Nissan just doesn't care.

[@livelyosprey]

@@T1Oracle Kind of unfair to say they didn't care when in 2012 it was still a decent buy

[@Brian-om2hh]

It isn't unusual for a Leaf pack to last 10+ years......

[@vendel5667]

He just mentioned that 8 bar left on the battery indicator (10 when new) which means I believe around 80% . after 9 years that is not to bad, 17kwh

[@FlyingFun.]

12 bars is full health iirc, 8 bars will get you around 50 miles, I heard some stories of them going from 8 bars to 4 bars in 12 months. I'd get one on the understanding that I'd need to replace the battery fairly soon. Nice car though if you just use it for local trips and I am seriously thinking of getting one anyway.

[@Twinguin]

An EV and a V8 make a perfect two-car garage.

[@Ren_1106]

Yup

[@sanchit8097]

Or a NA V12

[@TCrimson05t]

You're not wrong. Ev for the daily. Sports car for the weekend. That's good thinking.

[@falcongamer58]

@@TCrimson05t ev for the city

[@hieroglyph321]

Yep, perfect.

[@icemclaren8171]

Rory: spends 10mins trying to convince us ev is the way to go. Also Rory: subconscious bounce in his stride when he mentions his 5L Mustang. I feel the same. 😄

[@BOSKILLZX]

Looooooooool he did do a little bop😂😂

[@mykoolo1]

Who wouldn't bounce at a v8. Such a glorious sound. 👍🏿👍🏿

[@hankthetank185]

Probably one of your most important videos Rory. Can't wait to see how you get on with the Leaf. I'll make a quick prediction. Range anxiety.

[@dannyseville2543]

The trader site has sub options for range and charge times but maybe it also needs a filter for if the battery is lease or owned if there is a cost implication?

[@markreed9853]

yes its a pain in this regards - on the same issue, all lease batteries on Zoes's can now be bought outright from now, though most of the offers ive seen from the owners are to high the owners feel so most are not going for it, but good to know the option is there though.

[@philtucker1224]

@@markreed9853 hi Mark, fair comments about the battery lease bugbear but I guess that monthly cost can be a tax deductible element for self employed users like mobile hair/nails, cleaners, carers etc, so they will probably still sell ok.

[@jonathantaylor1998]

I'd agree with you on the need for some filter option for the Zoe - though it's pretty much THE only EV that had battery lease (aside from a few, very early Nissan Leaf models) When I was looking at buying an EV 2 years ago, the number of Zoe's advertised with nothing anywhere in the description about battery lease was ridiculous...! Actually, battery lease Zoe's can be a 'wise buy' providing you consider it a stepping-stone car in to a better EV within a couple of years. The price difference between like-for-like age / spec Zoe's is about £2k battery lease vs battery owned. So, even at the more realistic £79 per month charge for 9,000 miles per year, you've basically got 2 years' worth of lease charges saving upfront.

[@dannyseville2543]

@@jonathantaylor1998 I didn’t realise only the Zoe had the lease. What did you get for that monthly payment? Was it just cover for the battery or did it include charging credits so you could charge at stations?

[@johnmckay1423]

@@dannyseville2543 You got a much lower purchase price and the reassurance that if the battery was toast after two years (at a time when everyone was claiming that EVs would be worthless and the battery would die like in your mobile phone), Renault would take the hit and give you a new battery. Battery prices have come down massively (and will continue to for a while) so it's not such an issue now. It also turned out that people wanted to own the car, despite the vast majority buying on some kind of finance deal.

[@marvbloke]

Congratulations Rory! I bought a second hand 2014 Nissan Leaf a couple of years ago as my daily driver, and I haven't looked back. Great build quality, lovely smooth driving. I was a bit concerned that yours only had 8 of the 12 bars left on the battery gauge - I opted for one with 11 of the 12 bars left. But if you've got a Type 2 charger at home, you can just plug in overnight like a mobile phone on the nightstand!

[@dvanremortel]

Rory, well done! Let's see daily life, charging, used car issue and a road trip. Cliffs of Dover?

[@alanthomson1227]

There’ll be EVs over the white cliffs of Dover . Cover by Ac/DC ?

[@PaulNorman80]

Great to see you doing this. We brought a 17 plate leaf and love it. Do remember that you have chosen to buy the cheapest, but by the nature of its age has a smaller battery .... It's what was available at the time. Please don't long distance test technology that's now outdated and say it does not work for long journeys. It can, but you have to plan, and it's not comparable with the battery's you can buy new now. Consider a battery health test. It's amazing that the battery's are outlasting the cars!

[@vasileiospetropoulos2046]

Have many miles? In a realistic world??

[@localgearhead]

Drive to the Nürburgring with it. We'll see how it is for long journeys and you can properly test it's "sportiness"

[@redline589]

YES to this!

[@alexandruc-tin8099]

He won't do even 60 miles of motorway driving

[@localgearhead]

@@alexandruc-tin8099 that makes it even better xD it should take him about a month to get to the ring

[@redline589]

@@alexandruc-tin8099 haha true, that's why it has to happen :)

[@alexandruc-tin8099]

@@localgearhead he could be there sooner just by cycling lmao

[@LNG-84]

Buying a second hand EV sounds tempting. Too many concerns about battery degradation. It’d be interesting to find out how much the Leaf’s battery has degraded in real-world use and also how much a battery replacement would cost.

[@KL_Stereo]

And didn't this old Leaf also have problems with battery cooling, possibly making the degradation concerns even worse

[@Jason-zp4ly]

Why is it that so many think that batteries cant be replaced? People have no problem doing repairs to an ICE vehicle, why the fear of an EV? There are so many vid's on how easy it is to replace the batteries in the Leaf. Hell, batteries for replacement are getting better and cheaper. ICE parts can not claim the same.

[@Neojhun]

@@KL_Stereo Problem with Leaf Cooling was that is mostly Passive and no liquid thermal management. IIRC there is a blower fan that's about it.

[@LNG-84]

@@Jason-zp4ly never said they couldn’t be replaced. I’d just want to know how much. I think that’s a reasonable question considering more and more EV’s will enter the second hand market and people should be aware of any hidden costs associated with buying a used EV. The base 500E has a battery guarantee of 3 years and a real world range of around a 100 miles. If that battery goes to 80% health over a 4 year PCP deal, then the second owner could face real problems on a cold winters morning with anything more than a small commute. Something that wouldn’t be a concern with a four year old ICE car.

[@Ren_1106]

@@LNG-84 that's true there's way too many concerns and worries about Used or new Electric cars.

[@SuperMauricem]

The battery being completely depleted and not being able to recharge has to be the major issue in a few years. Already ten years old would be interested to know if the cost of changing those batteries will make the cost difference with a petrol car comparable. Wonder what will happen with range anxiety, waiting for those batteries to charge when out max about will be interesting

[@Brian-om2hh]

It isn't necessarily the big deal you appear to feel it is. Maybe you ought to watch the KZbin video of the 10 year old UK owned Nissan Leaf having a battery refurbishment. The work took 4 hours, and cost the owner £600. The battery pack may not always need to be completely replaced. But unfortunately, there are many out there whom seem to think that is the only option....... The Leaf is one of the more basic EV's, and is relatively straightforward (in EV terms) to work on. There are already a number of mods, battery upgrades etc available.

[@garethboyd325]

I bought 2014 Leaf 24kWh 6 months ago with 11 bars for £4000. It is now worth £4500! Just ordered a new Tesla Model 3 today but still going to keep the Leaf as I can maximise my solar array to charge the car I leave at home during day. 😎

[@Phoenix-115]

Give the Leaf a really good deep clean an detail, see how close to “new” again you can get. Can you sort out the misty headlights?

[@TheComputec]

toothpaste is the answer to the misty headlights

[@Alexander_l322]

@@TheComputec no it’s not. Cut and polish is the answer. Or a wet sand then polish.

[@TheComputec]

@@Alexander_l322 Toothpaste works fine... It is essentially doing the same job as T-Cut... very very fine abrasion

[@Alexander_l322]

@@TheComputec it’s not good enough and doesn’t do a proper job. Cowboy.

[@TheComputec]

@@Alexander_l322 Fuck you. I'm not a carwasher and polisher. I went to school and got an education and a proper job. I just know it worked fine when I used it on my sons car. Crystal clear now.

[@wiegeroord9822]

I bought a nissan leaf 2013 9 months ago with 204 000 km on the odometer for 5500 euro. It still has 11 out of 12 bars and I am very happy with this car. I am 2.00 m ( 6 foot 7 inch) tall and it fits me. Best thing I bought ever.

[@sunnydub107]

I'm jealous. Found this cat a couple months ago videos haven't disappointed yet

[@markwellington1254]

I think you made a good choice. My wife and I started out with a used 2017 LEAF with basically a 100 mi range and we stepped into the EV world and never looked back. We now have two 2019 Nissan LEAFs, my wife's is the base model with all the extras and mine is the Plus model that is quite fast and powerful. With the heater and the AC I use the lower fan speeds and not the Auto-Climate setting as it cuts down more on your range. I look forward to those LEAF updates Rory. Nissan LEAFs are truly a very capable EV and really don't get the respect it deserves. Good luck

[@michaelthomas2865]

Rory, absolute class. You've truly put your money where your mouth is. For me the only fully electric car I would buy is the new KIA EV6, a gorgeous looking car, and that's the thing for me how a car looks as well as it's practicality I'm 6'4" and weigh over 19st, so the Zoe and alike are not for me.

[@jamesmayhew7]

I think you'll have issues with the range. You'll get about 80 miles per charge. I've owned the 22kw Zoe and 60 to 80 miles real world range isn't enough for a family car. I've now got the 40kw Zoe and the double range makes a huge difference as an everyday car. 160 miles to a lot of people might sound limited still. But for the majority including myself it's perfect. I just think you'll manage at a 'push' but the limited battery range on this 10 year old car could do with a 40kw upgrade. Or more. 40kw is I think a baseline for what electric cars are practical and usable for the masses.

[@Brian-om2hh]

The Zoe isn't sold as, or intended in any way to be a family car. It's a small runabout.....

[@wilkoone9155]

We are on our 4th EV I purchased the 1st 2 pre owned EVs in London (2004 & 2018) the 2nd one a Zoe increased in value by 10% in the 18 months I owned it. We now drive a Zoe 135GT & a VW ID 3+ we do lots of long journeys and I never bring my type 2 cable with me. I just use rapid DC chargers. My advice is NEVER buy an EV based on an ICE chassis and CCS DC charging is essential. EVs are lovely to drive & you never need to visit a filling station as your car is always full in the morning at home!

[@markreed9853]

While I agree its usually better to buy a vehicle made for EV only but I understand legacy automakers needing to reduce costs by making a car that fits multiple power trains. I think Hyundai/Kona and now MG have show this can be done and still make a compelling EV. I agree going forward CCS is essensial epecially if you need rapid charging frequently and hope to buy a used BMW i3 in the future for this reason and my budget.

[@scorpion787x8]

Thank you for the background information, much appreciated...

[@shero113]

@@markreed9853 my KIA Soul, 7 years old, shares a platform with ICE and is fine. 7 years ago it was the finest EV around, compared to the Leaf (too soft in ride), Zoe (a fraction too small), ION (impossibly small), and i3 (terrible handling above 45 MPH)

[@zedrahman8172]

Good find Rory, now what about a 2JZ engine swap to test the rear diffuser?

[@HassanPoyo]

When he said the ION looked like a toaster I spat my drink

[@clyrogrumper]

I have a used MK1 Leaf. It's nickname is DUber, or Dad's Uber. Used for running my kids to school, going to the shops, going to work. The heater starts pumping warm air within a minute or two of switching on. Haven't been near a garage in a few years, but I hear they sell pasty's but no petrol nowadays.

[@Kingdonnerkebab]

Aww Rory you should have included dealing with Calvin at BINCA, he has his own KZbin channel Calvins Car Diary. Hes a sound guy.

[@craigoneill4504]

Excellent, I had the same type of Nissan Leaf as my first EV, they're fab, you'll really enjoy it! Well Wear!

[@keliandevalck7263]

I'm curious to see the range after fully charged with these old batteries. Can you make a video about that pls ?

[@jamesmayhew7]

60 to 80 miles on this old car

[@doggylover1958]

It would have done 80 miles when new. This one with 8 out of 12 bars left on the battery should maybe do about 60 miles, which is ok if it suits your driving needs.

[@andygardner6016]

@@doggylover1958 8 bars means about 60% of the battery is left, the very worst conditions should give about 40 miles and the very best a max of 60 miles. The original Japanese LEAF has a terrible battery, IMO buying a Sunderland built one (ie 2013 onwards) would have been a much better idea.....

[@Brian-om2hh]

It's fairly comparable with the oil and fuel consumption of old ICE engines, I'd have thought.....

[@jeromemercurio5407]

Rory: I am a first time watcher of your channel, I am 85 years old, and probably too old to buy an EV , but want one so bad I can taste it. we need people like you in the USA to get people off their couches to get out and look at EVs , knowing a lot of them can't afford a Tesla, but there are ALTERNATIVES to Teslas. Thank You and Good Luck to you! Keep up the good work!

[@TempoLOOKING]

Changli

[@burropoco]

This is the way to do it, if you're preaching the message you gotta have skin in the game. Nice.

[@martinburd4615]

The lease on my Nissan Quashqi comes to an end in December and for various reasons i did not want to take out a new lease. I have been keen to go electric for some time and decided now was the time to do it. So I bought a 2015 Nissan Leaf Techna 30Kwh with a second user battery showing 9 bars. The vehicle had 161,600 miles on the clock!!!! yes that is right. It's a dream drives like new , no rattles etc. fully charged gives a predicted range of 120 miles. Driving with the eco button is fine and the recharge facility is amazing. Have now done a few hundred miles. Paid £7,000 for the car in August since when the value has increased.

[@olatundeaboaba]

Definitely a range test will help to know how worth it the switch will be.

[@shero113]

I have been driving for almost 7 years a KIA Soul EV (bought at 6 weeks old, one of the original 10 demonstrators, imported October 2014). Not much more in price. If you fancy giving it a thrashing let me know! Real life 115 mile range (the new one is circa 280)

[@loose_unit]

I really want to hear what the experience is like with this and range etc - It would be a great option for me as a 2nd car once I can charge at home.

[@urugvajchernamazyj6240]

10 miles before charging again...

[@PaulNorman80]

So remember that this car and it's technology is already 10 Years old. A great car. We love our Leaf.

[@FieryToast1]

I’d love to see a range test, with it having 8 out of 12 capacity bars left. Is it a 30 KWh Model?

[@shero113]

At that age a 24 surely?

[@tommymann1783]

No mate, the Japanese built Leaf (Beige Interior) was 24kw only. I'd say with 8 out of 12 bars remaining it will do 40 miles max. (Iv'e had numerous Leaf's over the last ten years having worked for Nissan for nearly 20 years)

[@FieryToast1]

@@tommymann1783 yikes 40 miles. That is definitely out of my comfort zone.

[@godzillas6301]

You ask for ideas ? The early leaf looks IMO epic . It looks like its of the future even now , the mk2 looks like everyhting else on the road which is a shame ...... however its not nearly as quick and the range is toss compared to the higher end mk2 . So how about spending the cash to bring this upto date with the 62kw motor and battery pack to show even an older leaf can be a beast . Trust me when i say the 210bhp tekna does not hang a round !

[@LemonTeaLeaf]

Good Job Rory, and welcome to the future with an old Leaf :D

[@airchie2]

Upgrade the battery? a 24kw with only 8 of 12 battery bars left will barely get you to the supermarket and back in winter... I guarantee you'll have range issues as the temp drops. My 30kw Leaf was limiting, my 40Kw Ioniq has been a huge improvement. :)

[@jp4118]

21 Miles with 5 out of 8 bars, thats around 29 Miles on 8 out of 8 bars/full battery, not that great, would had been a good thing to mention in the video. But for small trips this car is probably great

[@AutoTraderTV]

We'll be filming a range test soon. Might be a very short video!

[@tevo_11]

@@AutoTraderTV i see what you did there.

[@Adam-lx4et]

swap it for the new 40 or 62kwh pack and it'll be very useable

[@Neojhun]

WTF 29miles? Highly doubt it. Even degraded Nissan Leaf should get over 50 miles. Quite bad.

[@tommymann1783]

It will probably do 40 odd miles with 8 out of 10 bars remaining depending on how you drive etc. When they where new they would do around 80 miles for a 24kw and 100 for a 30 if you drove conservatively. Likewise the 40kw will do 140 miles and the 62kw 210 miles. These are real world figures from experience of owning every type of Leaf since they where launched (I've worked for Nissan for nearly 20 years)

[@patmills2089]

Good for you! Beating the system! I love big cars with V8 engines but 9 years ago I was tired of big chunks of my disposable cash going to the oil barons. Plus, I noticed that we were holding back on doing activities or visiting friends, so we bought a Toyota Prius. It had taken me five years to convince my husband. He's into trucks. We bought a 3-4 yr old model to see if we could adapt to a smaller car. We did! We even went camping a few times a year for 1-2 nights and it could hold all the basics( we have a large tent): air mattresses, medium size cooler, fans etc. But it saved 75$ U. S. each short trip, that we could put towards a dinner out or the campsite fees. We added 3-4 fun weekends to our year, and numerous day trips. We still have our Honda pilot for long trips or if we're taking a lot of gear or passengers. Sadly, we had an accident this past March. Our car was deemed a total loss by the insurance company so, now we're looking for a replacement. We are having a bad case of stickershock!!

[@masili5032]

Give us a full review video of the Nissan Leaf. Knot to 60, ride comfort, etc. The whole 9yards

[@christopherryder1204]

Knot?

[@Neil2022]

Knot?

[@aidancragg2122]

60 knots

[@patrickjr11]

an excellent daily driver, you can get a battery upgrade as well as a chademo to CCS conversion, so a great project car. Does everything well. you will be very pleased with it.

[@Jason-zp4ly]

agreed. Amazing the fools who cant seem to wrap their head around fixing an EV but have no problem with rebuilding an ICE. Hell the first thing Mustang ICE owners do is spend thousands trying to modify their ICE to try and make it perform like an entry level Tesla. These same people cant wrap their head around battery replacement that also cost way less than there "performance upgrades" on ICE's.

[@patrickjr11]

@@Jason-zp4ly totally. This car with a 40kwh replacement battery is still less then the equivalent brand new. By 10k at least. And it's an excellent car too

[@Jason-zp4ly]

@@patrickjr11 exactly. Strange how people have no problem watching KZbin vids to problem solve fixing their ICE but can't do the same on how to replace batteries in the Nissan Leaf. ICE owners..... "do I have a fuel issue? is it a timing issue? is it an electrical issue? combustion issue? where do I start?" EV owners...... " pull the pack, test cells, replace the cells that need it. DONE"

[@patrickjr11]

@@Jason-zp4ly I personally don't get why they don't get the simplicity of it all, but early days. Perhaps that's the issue, too simple,

[@t5jerry]

They're TOO expensive mate, I'd love a lekky car, but like tens of thousands of other motorists, I can't afford one !!!!!

[@MGMutt]

Judging by your username, you drive a Volvo t5, and the average price for a Volvo with that engine is way above the cost of a used leaf, with most t5s being round £13000 id say. So yes you can afford £5000 for a leaf.

[@t5jerry]

@@MGMutt well how you've "presumed" that I own a T5 from my you tube name totally escapes me 🤭🤭🤭🤭in fact I WORK at T5 (Heathrow) and throw people's WHOOPS, i mean I transfer passengers luggage from conveyor belts, and earn about £500 a week, so the only "leaf" I can afford is one that's fallen from the trees, but nice try anyway 😂😂😂😂😂

[@MGMutt]

@@t5jerry you're on a car channel, it's more reasonable to assume that you drive a T5 rather than work at T5. Maybe if you put care into your job rather then self admittedly throwing stuff you'd earn more. Even with how much you say you earn, an extremely conservative amount of what people's salaries that they spend on their car is 10%, which for you is about £200 a month, financing a used leaf with 0 upfront through autotrader would be £131 a month.

[@Brian-om2hh]

@@MGMutt Exactly, but they seem to overlook that bit.....

[@JohnAdams-kc8wx]

@@MGMutt That’s right. And if you do 500 miles a month in a petrol car at say 35 mpg that will cost you £90 in fuel. In a Leaf it would be about £25 in electricity. So you spend £131 on the hp payment but save £65 so the actual cost is £66 a month. Can you afford that ? Plus no road tax !

[@Caleuche3]

Mad respect for doing this. I got an e208 earlier this year and I'll never look back. Really interested to see how you feel after a couple of months of daily driving

[@darkbassi5911]

Looking forward to the Calvin and Rori test drive 😎

[@YungEarl1]

you can try a battery swap from 24kwh to 60kwh , and possibly increase the range to 3 times what you have.

[@jerrydhillon6212]

would be great to see a 300-400 mile trip to see how it holds up after all this time, and to see the progress with the charging network now.

[@TheComputec]

There would be a lot of editing in a 400 mile road-trip as it would need (realistically) 10 full charges and a lot of anxious swearing

[@vasopel]

@@TheComputec true

[@Brian-om2hh]

Back in 2016, two guys drove a Leaf Mk1 from John O Groats to Lands End (and back again) in 48 hours. A distance of 1653 miles. The ame 2 guys then went on to drive a BMW i3 from Edinburgh to Monte Carlo in 60 hours.... They also entered a rally prepared Leaf in the Mongolian Rally, and took part..... Search Plug In Adventures for the details....

[@michaelbrown9031]

How does the range stack up on used electric cars compared to when new?

[@golach420]

All very well spending most of the episode on buying it, but what's the real-world battery battery capacity like after all these years? What's the claimed range as new and now?

[@timsaxon5825]

Sounds like he’s gonna do a video on that after driving it for a bit.

[@timsmith5339]

Zoes are nice cars and you can buy the battery from Renault as long as you own the car. I've just bought mine, 2014 22kWh, it cost 2200 pounds. The (big) advantage of the Zoe over the leaf is the thermal battery management which means that as long as its not been abused (rapid charged to 100% every day for example) the batteries don't degrade noticeably. Mine still seemed to be as good as when it was new after over seven years. Sadly gone now for another EV but missed, especially the looks.

[@timsmith5339]

PS, I meant to add that I bought the battery to make trading in easier. If you have a battery lease, good luck finding someone to take it if they aren't a dealer starting with 'R'. Even then, I think some Renault dealers are more accepting of it than others, though I haven't actually found one that wasn't I have to confess. I just know that over the years, I found some Renault dealers were pro electric and other not so much. You could also try one of the EV specialists that are popping up now.

[@edvoon]

This is precisely it. People always complain that "Electric Cars are too expensive". Well they are, but YOU DON'T HAVE TO BUY IT NEW! The Nissan LEAF is hands down the best value for money because they do have a problem with their battery degradation. But it will still last you 15-20 years before it needs to be replaced. And when that time comes, battery technology should have moved on and with a replacement battery the old LEAF would be even better than it was when new. Other than this Achilles heel, it is a proper EV with all the features - regen braking, rapid charging, etc. Yes it won't get you to the next town but for daily city driving it is as good as anything else. The motor may not be a Tesla but it will still leave ICE vehicles in its dust at traffic lights. Much better option than sitting for hours in the queue for petrol. Join the "Smug" group of people who have moved on from burning dino-juice.

[@carstenweiland7896]

The Leaf's batterie is cooking since it was new, remember that and try to keep the temperature down (no hammering especially when it is warm) use a monitor app with Bluetooth diagnostics plug and you'll be alright!

[@mmdigitalartstudio2904]

the best youtuber,,, by far the stories are engaging.👍👍👍👍👍 keep up the good work Roy.

[@MOSSFEEN]

Be handy if you got his name right in the first place

[@mmdigitalartstudio2904]

​@@MOSSFEEN I know him as as the Auto trader youtuber !!! I am not good in remembering names

[@miloe436]

Nice buy. I would have gone for the Ion though. If you get tired of the low range you can always upgrade the battery.

[@borinvlogs]

Loving these EV contents.

[@halalguy9091]

Would like to know how the battery health is holding up so perhaps a test on that. Also, would be interesting to find out if you can "remap" the car to get more performance out of the car and what that does to the range etc.

[@shanjanusman9974]

The folks who bought electric cars 🚗 🤣 😂 are enjoying the road whilst those with fuel units ⛽ are stranded or waiting for 2.5hrs at a station 🤪

[@MOSSFEEN]

In the UK ONLY though

[@Neojhun]

@@MOSSFEEN You think United State's east coast pipe line shutdown won't happen again?

[@MOSSFEEN]

@@Neojhun Who cares about the U.S.

[@Neojhun]

@@MOSSFEEN Oooof that did not age well. Similar problems in UK right now. I guess lets just ignore UK & US problems.

[@MOSSFEEN]

@@Neojhun Oooof Dont live in the UK so no worries here. Ireland here boy No fuel probs here

[@stevied6286]

Switch on the lights the Aircon the radio heating etc and let us know what the real-world driving range is cos range anxiety is the biggest worry for many of us looking to get into the EV market and the leaf was never that impressive.i personally would love one but I have a 50 mile round trip commute and no way to charge the car while at work so gotta know if it will nail it on a freezing cold wet dark winter night! Nice one!!

[@astronomyabc9552]

A gen 2 (still fugly shape, still 24kwh battery but better spec) leaf with good battery 11 to 12 bars could do that so easily and would save a few quid on fuel and servicing. You would need to top it up each night so a power cut could ruin the fun. Nissan still do a 2 year service plan for £300 for a minor and a major service, they used to throw in 2 half price mots as well. I run a diesel shogun as a backup, that costs £500 a year tax, £400 servicing and manages 30 mpg ish. The leaf has never broken down or needed a spare part in 7 years, 1 flat tyre, screen wash. Not even a blown bulb. Touch wood. The original tyres are cracking so will have to go. 50 miles round trip is the best scenario for these early cars and they do have a proper DC fast charger, they are nippy and fun and your tenners stay in your pocket or for your family.

[@jonathantaylor1998]

Good for you, Rory...! Welcome to the Nissan Leaf club...!!! I think I'm right in saying that, since yours has the light interior, it's a Japanese-manufactured car, not from the Sunderland plant. Anyhow, enjoy the quiet, cushioned ride on your daily commute, fella ;-)

[@tommymann1783]

That's correct mate. A 24kw Japanese one

[@andytaylor6893]

It's a shame you didn't consult a Leaf Group on Facebook. The cream interior cars are the early Japanese built cars. They suffered from quite bad battery degradation. If you go for a black interior UK built 24kwh one from 2014 onwards, the batteries are brilliant.

[@OverlordActual]

Happy he's doing this. And I am actually kinda happy he went with the leaf. Kinda hoping he'd go with one that had more range but I can understand to a degree that he wanted something as cheap as possible. I am looking forward to the follow up but I do hope he puts in a decent amount of disclaimer about range because I imagine that may appear to be a pain point in the future video. I've got a Tesla Model 3 Standard Range Plus and love it and it has I think really good range for the trips I make. But it's expensive so maybe the cheap angle will get people to take a look at what is out there in their price range and make the jump.

[@PapaSeed]

How did you afford it

[@jdrancho1864]

A quick skip over to Autotrader's US site revealed a very similar picture. All the lowest-priced electric vehicles are Nissan Leafs (Leaves?) about ten years old, starting at $5000 and up.

[@stauffap]

No big deal. The switch is incredibly easy. I've been driving a citigo e for over a year full time now. It's great! Windsurfing works, obviously daily driving works, i've used to it to go on vacation. It's just great.

[@anzew88]

I actually went and bought one myself, 3 months before in the end of June, tho I did decide to try and find the most decent 1st gen I could find and it came with 12 bars on the battery. Enjoying it a lot since and also an addition to my other big diesel.

[@johnmckay1423]

For all the concerns about battery degradation, a Tesla Powerwall (cheapest home storage battery per kWh) is £8k installed in the UK and has 13.5kWh storage. For £4600 Rory has got twice as much battery with a free car thrown in!

[@TheComputec]

If only it was that simple, plus my wife would go nuts if I bolted that ugly piece of shit to the side of our house

[@Brian-om2hh]

@@TheComputec It might work out cheaper than a divorce though.....

[@marcelstanford430]

You can feel the pure joy from this amazing car guy Rory. Good luck with your new used car!

[@alternatereality7713]

I have a 2012 Nissan leaf with 11 bars and it is good for 60 miles of range. 8 bars should get you around 40 miles so if that's enough - have fun. Besides range it is a good family car that I use every day. But I have to say I am looking forward to having a Tesla 3/Y with 200+ miles of range.

[@FlyingFun.]

8 bars will probably get you around 50 miles which is ok for daily short trips. Big question I'd how long before it drops too low to be useful even for that?

[@Will-kt5jk]

50 mile range is back in g-wiz territory :( Ok, the leaf is more of an actual car, but the lack of even 100m per charge, no fast charge etc. means it's hard to use was a replacement for an ICE car used beyond short commutes and shopping (unless you have cars etc.) Here's hoping either retrofits of better battery & charge systems keep increasing or the pipeline of higher capacity, more advanced charging keeps following into the 2nd hand market.

[@FlyingFun.]

@@Will-kt5jk yeah it's useful as a second car only imho at 50 miles range. Having said that we currently dont have a second car due to lack of use and cost of insurance tax mot and servicing costs so I am considering one with the reduced running costs of a leaf and I bet it would get used a lot more than a ice one would. Realistically though I would be worried with such limited range.

[@wolverine1981pl]

When buying leaf AVOID cream interior cause they are japaneese battery which degrades fast apparenty. leaf needs to be from 2013 so it has heat pump. but then price starts from6+ so get something decent with battery with almost full bars

[@RetroDawn]

I recommend if one can afford it, to go for a 2013+ model. They made significant changes that year. Also, make sure to get one with a chademo port if you want to have the option to fast charge (the only charging available at some locations).

[@samthomas1457]

I'm looking at a 2013 model (registered: 28/03/2013) but idk if that has the better battery people have mentioned or the significant changes, it doesn't look like it......

[@Depresseddonut17]

Enjoyable video! We need more of Rory, he’s a great personality

[@comaca]

Rory, from the options you listed, the only one available here in Canada is the Leaf. Always enjoy your reviews! Keep up the great work!

[@blazzz13]

Well, the recent petrol queues have given me motivation to switch. Already have a diesel mum van, don't need a petrol just for pottering around town.

[@telwood15]

The only turn off for me would be the low range especially if your ding long distance given the low availability of charging points at the moment. Some owners have been to sites where they haven't been working.

[@yggdrasil9039]

The thing is, these 1st generation 2012 Leafs are going for £11,000+ ($20,000AUD and up) starting price in AUstralia. That's how far behind we are.

[@SwitchedOnNetwork]

Nice up to date VO added there in the intro before publishing, love it! :)

[@chm1701]

I’m looking forward to seeing how you get on, Rory. If we as a country are really going to be going the full EV way, then we need someone like your good self to show us how to make it work. I live in the middle of nowhere, in a house that needs significant work, that was built around the 1890’s, and I have no idea how I’d make an EV work around these problems (am I expected to just plug it in at night, for eg). I am however, open to change, so if it’s the “future”, then I’d like to find how to make it work for me; especially if ICE vehicles really are on their way out. Cheers.

[@stevegee6529]

Didnt paddy mcguiness buy one for about 5k on top gear and was getting less that 40 miles of range on a full charge

[@04dram04]

I just bought a leaf. He is right about the build quality, Its on par with a Toyota Camry

[@SilverShadow2LWB]

How about taking a different approach and putting on new better performance tires and lowered suspension. Then compare the energy consumption changes after the mod.

[@marvinsamuels1237]

Another great video Rory. I think those who are concerned about the switch need more practical examples of EV ownership, Particularly the option of buying used. Many people (my wife included) assume you have to buy new, but EVs are simpler than their ICE counterparts and there’s less to go wrong. If looked after properly you should be able to buy a good example without too many concerns about it being out of warranty. Keep us updated with ongoing ownership costs etc. 👍🏾

[@TheComputec]

I agree. I look forward to the testing video where Rory highlights the caveats that will convince a large number of petrol/diesel owners that 9 year old leafs are not the answer and that realistically they are going to be looking at leasing a new one for £400 a month or financing one with a decent deposit for around £500 a month. I'm sure there are some good second user ev's that have good life in them, are quite practical and are on balance affordable when you take the cost of charge v cost of fuel into account, but choosing a nine year old Gen 1 leaf isn't the tool of choice to persuade those considering taking the plunge

[@marvinsamuels1237]

@@TheComputec totally agree. A 9 year old Leaf isn’t the most enticing example of an EV. I never liked the looks or performance of the gen 1 version.

[@MegaWilderness]

Please drive it for as long as it takes for the battery to catch alight and report battery degradation as you go. Never upgrade the battery.

[@mojidk]

Thank you so much for the review. Could you do a video on fitting an ev charging point at home, the technical jargon is confusing me. Also what it costs and are their grants. Thanks again, and hope you're enjoying the car!

[@aaromnido]

I have good memories about this car. I bought a second hand Leaf 24 and it was really really fantastic. I had about 70-75 miles range (85% SOH). It was a perfect daily car for me and my family. And we also made some small journeys recharging in the middle of the way in 20-25 minutes. I think it still has more value for money in comparison with new EVs like Dacia Spring or Renault Twingo-e. Right now we have a Kia e-Niro Longe Range that is an absolutely fantastic family car also for long travels. But, the Nissan Leaf was the guilty of our change to the electric mobility. You can ask me anything that you need about the Leaf. Greetings from Zaragoza, Spain.

[@MikeFerro1]

With only eight bars left on your battery your range will be restricted. My 2013 Leaf, a year newer that yours, has ten bars left now and a usable range of about 50 miles at motorway speeds, 55 if pushing it. Still perfectly usable but I'm beginning to look at a battery upgrade

[@brucemcmillan1149]

thanks Rory, i like your channel. the leaf looked great. I'm here in Canada, and i thought to look for one myself. do you have suggestions for buying, upgrades you might consider like tires, cleaning, or mechanics, beyond what is sold on a regular lot? thanks!

[@dougowt]

Good luck with the EV daily drive. What’s the range with 8 bars left? I’ve currently got a 2013 Zoe and 2014 Kangoo ZE and Renault Finance RCI are asking £1,800 to buy the battery in each outright. I bought the Zoe in March for £4K, so all in, £5,800. The Kangoo I bought for £3,200 plus VAT Feb 2014. So pretty cheap motoring. And as the Kangoo was registered before March 2015, it’s not required to have an MOT.

[@rescuehelly271]

I check online "real-world driving range of 70 to 100 miles on a full charge", that means after 10 years it still has around 85% to 90% capacity left, which is pretty impressive and we are talking about 10 years tech.

[@Brian-om2hh]

You're looking at more like 3% degradation per year on average, so 30% loss of total range after 10 years

[@rescuehelly271]

@@Brian-om2hh seem like almost no EV battery just stop working

[@Its-Just-Gizmo]

Here's a genuine thought. I think this is the video that the car world needed. Think about it. Well done Rory! I am gonna sell my tdi Passat next year, was seriously considering a Golf e. The charging situation where I live though is a bit lacking!! So, I'm gonna go with the Golf GTE. Best of both worlds? Then after that it'll be a fully electric car.

[@Nigelrudyardmusic]

I was thinking that while queueing for petrol last night, Rory. I live in a flat, so don't have a garage or any room for a charger, so not quite yet.

[@lionelgower6877]

Run it through the summer / winter period and see what happens with battery life?

[@Brian-om2hh]

ICE cars return higher fuel consumption figures in winter too......

[@lionelgower6877]

@@Brian-om2hh True, but they will usually start without too much issue with the range anxiety and the rechargeable time-period.

[@Brian-om2hh]

@@lionelgower6877 I don't worry about the time it takes to charge. I charge my car in 12 seconds. Six seconds to plug it in when I go to bed, and a further six seconds to unplug it when I get up in the morning. What happens in between is irrelevant because I'm asleep. Almost 300 miles later ( usually 8 to 9 days) I repeat the process. A while back I did a 520 mile round trip. I charged just once during the trip, stopping for just 50 minutes or so, using a 100kw charger.

[@stuartem3443]

I would love to see how the Leaf does in a 1 week family touring holiday - Covering the planning and the practicalities.

[@denisljutic9182]

First time i drove electric car was about 2 months ago via car sharing. When i seat down in the Renault Zoe and i was pleasentley surprised. Before i drove it for the first time i didn't considered owning electric car (maybe olny as second car for around town) but now it is quite good alternative to ICE cars.

[@Brian-om2hh]

And around 70% cheaper to run.......

[@ericanunda]

What is the range for the leaf. The issue with owning an old EV is the range and living in an partment I can't spend hours charging

[@BakedPotatoFiend]

My god prices have gone mental since this video came out

[@Efsane312]

It's £13k now.

[@TempoLOOKING]

Changli still cheaper

[@Johny40Se7en]

Great to see another real life sort of scenario video, nice one. When you said that you can have a vehicle delivered, and if you don't like it you can return it, is there a charge to return it? 🤔