Update On Kyle's Cheap Nissan LEAF! Here's How It's Going After Fixing The AC Charger

Jordan joins Patrick and Liv in California to give an update on what's going on with Kyle's cheap first-gen Nissan LEAF.
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#nissan #leaf #ev

[@MachE_Mutt]

Sold our 2016 Leaf SV and got a 2022 Mach-E. The Leaf is so much better for short trips. We're in our mid 70's so the ride in the Leaf was much more comfortable than the Mach-E where you feel every bump. For free charging, look into Volta. The ones near us give 2 hours free so you can have a meal and add a few miles back. Thanks for taking me back to a simpler time.

[@jaymontange8260]

True about Mach-e. The rest of the upside is range, acceleration, and decent charging speed. I have a LYRIQ that is slower than my Mach-e but the range and interior makes up for the Mach-e shortcomings.

[@mikecarter2737]

Bought 2916 Leaf SV AFTER our 2022 Mach-e. We take the Leaf on trips up to 250 miles/day. (then battery overheats).

[@SamuraiTacos1]

yep its a good commuter car i had a 2019 leaf upgraded to the mach e

[@roodick85]

Ppl really underestimate the ride quality of the first gen leaf. It's really nice plus the rear seat warmers are a huge plus!

[@2013AirForce]

“Don’t worry, it doesn’t have track mode” Love this drive review and impressions of the cheap Leaf!! Great job Jordan

[@WestCoastChicano]

Good to see Jordan back. I honestly thought that even though it was all smiles in front of the the camera during those Plaid accident videos I figured Kyle read him the riot act and gave him the boot. Because shortly there after Jordan was never seen again until recently. I guess I figured wrong. Gr8 vid, Jordan. 🚙 🇺🇸

[@KyleBrightman]

I think the other great thing about an old Leaf with a small battery is that it could absolutely be used for the rest of its lifetime using just a 12A Level 1 charging cable at home. It could be 0-100% in 16 hours. Most days you probably won’t do full discharges running a couple errands in an urban or suburban environment and the infrastructure cost at home would be either free or extremely small.

[@pageseven1792]

I charged mine with Level 1 charger for the first year I owned it and it was just fine. The only reason I put in a Level 2 32-amp charger was because I got stuck in a few situations where I drove to/from work, and then suddenly I got called by the wife to pickup a kid from somewhere unexpectedly (golf practice ended early or similar) and didn't have enough range or time to charge. The level 2 charger at least let me plug in at home and get 5-6 kwh for an hour of charging which was 20-24 miles for me.

[@dougowt]

Great review and its so true that an early EV with a small range can easily give so many people cheap motoring. I'd like to see this Leaf given to a Paintless dent removal guy/gal, to see how straight they could get it, without painting it. And just touch up where the paint has flaked off, to prevent rust. And as others have said, fitting a 40kW battery from a write off at some point, would be interesting. Dala has released the software for free, so it can be done DIY. I've also seen some folks have done cosmetic tweaks to their early Leafs, to improve the appearance. It would be great to see how cheaply you can give the car a bit of a facelift. About 2 ½ years ago I bought a 2013 Renault Zoe 22kW battery with 43kW AC charging, 42,000 miles, immaculate, met black for £4,000. Nothing wrong with it and it had a range of 85 miles. It was a near top of the range car with loads of features and the optional 17" alloys. I took it in for 24,000 miles service and when I collected it, the guy said all it needed was the screen wash topping up. Old EVs are a great used buy. Like any car, look for one that has been looked after.

[@carlosloyola4585]

Bought a 2014 clean title Leaf S with 50,500 miles 2 weeks ago for only $3100 cash! It still has 10 bars! 77 eco miles on a full charge! Love it! I get to go to work and back, grocery shopping, do errands, and go back home. Charge and it's full again the next day (no DC on mine)

[@MrKillerRC]

I have a 2013 Leaf SV with 42k miles. I bought it last Spring for $2k. Best decision ever. Saves so much money and is great around town.

[@flashoflight8160]

How many bars did it have?

[@MrKillerRC]

@@flashoflight8160 Six. So it goes about 47 miles. Yes that’s significant battery degradation but for $2k I’ll take it. Most days I drive no further than 15 miles away. For longer trips I have a hybrid minivan.

[@flashoflight8160]

@@MrKillerRC I got 9 bar guess 74 real 55. But it was $5k so a lot more money. My commute is 16 each way like yours but I've used it for a one-time 41 mile commute and that was no fun with a charge before going home and low battery warning pulling in the driveway because I didn't want to stay at the public charger. I would have done the 6-bar $2k like you knowing how it turned out for me. I have ICE cars for longer trips. I rented a Tesla but they still suck for road trips and holy cow the depreciation.

[@hoffinger]

I got my 2011 for $2500. 10 bars. Utility PGE rebate is $4k

[@flashoflight8160]

@@hoffinger My income is too high. Only got $1k rebate. Trying to get my lesser income friends to get a free $4k Leaf.

[@Mvendrel]

We have a 2016 SL (30 kWh about 85% SOH) with about 100 miles of range on permanent loan to my 85-year-old MIL and she loves it for around DFW area. I have a 2023 Leaf Plus (60kWh) with about 225 miles of range I use when working in Central Vally of CA. Both are perfect for their use and the easiest cars to drive I’ve ever driven in my 60 years of driving! (I’m 72). We also own an ID.4 and we’ve rented Tesla Model Y for up to a month. They are bigger and “cooler” but if just 1 or 2 people in the car for “around town” and airport to home or work NOTHING beats a Leaf! BTW, the 2023 SV PLUS has “Birds Eye View” camera system that I love. Similar to my 2012 Infiniti FX35. I test drove an entry level Ariya and bought the Leaf SV Plus over it. Ariya needs some work imo. 29:05

[@janetmorris6792]

Started with one of these 24kw 7 years ago, have had 2 others including the 40kw 2021 version, just got rid of that for another 24kw acenta model 2016 reg plate (UK) and a Renault ZOE ZE50 2020 (230 Mile Range) plate for my long distance drive's, Much prefer my LEAF 24kw for all my local driving with it's max range of 75-80 miles (11 Bars on the battery health indicator)

[@jdmack2000]

I love everything about this video. I have purchased 2 used Leafs. About 6.5 years ago I purchased my 2013 Leaf and recently I purchased a 'loaded' used 2020 Gen 2 Leaf. I also own a Tesla Model Y. For the price, it is hard to find a better value than the Leaf.

[@terrymattingly6843]

We had a used 2015 Leaf - the first update. Wonderful commuter car for my wife. Very comfortable. Led us all the way into EV world

[@wooddavid8293]

IMO, you should fix the bodywork and get a new battery swap (one of the 250 mile swaps that are available). It's a landmark car - 1st gen Leaf was the 1st mass market affordable car and it has retro-future spaceship styling. Fixed up right, it would be totally usable as a modern EV and last another 12 years at least. It is worth keeping as a future classic.

[@e-care-books9867]

This was a really fun video, guys. And I love the way you're showing that there's more than one way to own an EV.

[@Like2Bike10]

I just repaired worst damage to a front fender on a 2016 LEAF. The fender is easy to get off. Then I put it on carpet and used my foot to pop the dents out. The bumper can be heated from behind and then pushed back into shape. I also replaced a plastic bracket which holds the bumper and fender together and it cost $10.88. I saved a lot by ordering online and picking it up at a dealer. I also used touch up paint which I already had.

[@keco185]

You need a sponsorship from anker or jackey to fill the back with battery banks and see if you can double the range

[@TeddyBearGaming999]

They’ve already been sponsored by ecoflow before

[@fjalics]

People have done it with 40kwh leaf packs from crashed EVs. You need an adapter computer that fools it into thinking it has a 24kwh pack.

[@andr0373]

I love it. There are tons of use cases for old EVs and hybrids, and this is a great option for a lot of people. Keep up the great vids.

[@l0b0m0]

The look and move by Jordan at 12:33 made me think "oh no, not again" but I guess nothing happened. And then when you he mentioned the good side of the car and him keeping it away from curbs... I lost it. LOVE IT! Love the collabs. Keep mixing it up guys.

[@LordElpme]

The Leaf is a surprising fun car to drive. The chargers on the Satnav can be updated OTB via the menu, it will even ask you if you wish to save the current charger location if you plug into a charger that isn't on the satnav. Experienced this twice on a 2013 Leaf Accenta

[@Yanquetino]

Ah… you've reminded me of how much I miss my 2012 LEAF. At NDEW in Las Vegas last month, I saw one nearly identical to mine, except… the owner had upgraded its battery with a new Nissan 60 kWh battery. He showed me a photo of its "guess-o-meter" with a 95% charge predicting 305 miles-of-range! Sure wish I could've done that with mine. I wish NIssan would continue to make and sell them, but… with that largest battery, a TMS system, and a CCS1 or even NACS port!

[@ab-tf5fl]

The old Leaf has about the range of my electric bicycle, but for lots and lots people, that's all that's needed for 98% of trips.

[@davidgiles9751]

If you could find a used eGolf, it's also an excellent choice for a new driver. However, it does have quite a bit of pickup to it, so caution is needed so a kid doesn't accidently smash into the back of a Nissan Armada and total it while trying to merge onto to busy street and looking over his shoulder- like our neighbor's kid did a couple years ago.

[@Sandmonmsn]

Or have a version of the Nissan ReLeaf concept. And there is a company in New Zeland that is doing replacment batteries for these leaf's, called EV's Enhanced. Their batter is called the 16 blade and its liquid cooled in the same battery casing, theyre bringing a 40ish Kwh LFP Battery called Green. Soon they'll have a Blue battery with 70ish Kwh, I'm assuming NMC? And a high power Red Battery, i'm geussing a high amp output. Great thing is you could insulate the battery case by ceracoat ceramic coating, then powdercoating it. Might be a fun video to do, investigating how aftermarket battery replacment would work to keep these vehicles on the road.

[@crooncroon5314]

Nice to see Jordan on the channel. My first video on Out of Spec was one by him. He and Kyle are both awesome dudes keep up the Good work Out of Spec team👍👍

[@cordkretzschmar5693]

Love to see a Leaf again. It was my first EV. To be honest a car my wifewanted and it has convinced me to go electric. Next year my last ICE car will be exchanged with an EV- the VW ID3.

[@pageseven1792]

2013+ SL cars had leather interiors. I own a 2015 SL with 11 bars still. Bose sound system with a subwoofer from the factory. It's a fantastic car. Even has 360-degree backup camera system, something my Tesla Model S doesn't even have!

[@heathgamache5303]

The creepy ice cream truck music makes me feel like this video will include a horror story of some sort.

[@scottbreseke716]

Driven by Michael Meyers.

[@paulchristenson5256]

Nice to see Jordan is off of probation. :)

[@ChargingtheRoad]

We. Miss. You Jordan! Great Video!

[@Livshaka]

❤

[@billbush1270]

My 2015 Prius V works well for me, since there are ZERO public chargers in my rural county. Hybrid makes sense for us. But it is like the Leaf in being a practical car for family use/cargo with a versatile interior like a wagon. Appreciating cars that provide economical daily transportation is an art that needs to be encouraged. Kia's EV6 is very appealing, but I'm not coming up off of $60,000.00. Previously loved cars that get good maintenance are where it's at for me.

[@dollarmerchtree4587]

Would love to see this thing get a LFP battery swap. Welcome back Jordan.

[@WesleyAhrens]

Just bought a 2011 leaf with 58,000 miles for only $3000. And the used EV tax credit brought the price down to $2100. We used the Caramel Drive online dealer service to get the tax credit on a private party sale. The credit is point-of-sale and fully refundable now that it's 2024, which makes it really affordable to buy these old, battery-degraded leafs and use them for short trips. Battery is down to 5 bars, but range is still in the low 40's.

[@1a2b3c4.]

I just found one for sale and it's going to be my first EV. Yes, it's a Nissan Leaf and older than yours.

[@FuncleChuck]

I get 30-40 miles in my Honda Clarity, and that's enough almost every day. The 50 miles you can get in this Leaf is just a luxury!

[@OutofSpecMotoring]

LEAF road trip back to Colorado?? 🫡⚡️

[@anthonyc8499]

Could Kyle make it from Carlsbad to Fort Collins before winter?

[@mikecarter2737]

That would be epic. Since Kyle has ordered all CHAdeMO chargers removed, you would be restricted to L1 and L2 to avoid hypocrisy.

[@Darrenraitt]

Great video, love hearing about kyle's leaf .👍

[@douglasalanthompson]

We have 2 Leaf Pluses and road trip them. 23/24 Leafs are going for big discounts again.

[@carolinebray82]

I love this leaf 😂❤hello from Colorado! 🎉makes me so happy 😊

[@Livshaka]

Hi!

[@StubbyStan28]

This should have been billed as a crossover event! Cue the Avengers theme!

[@martinostlund1879]

We have a 2014. A great car for its purpose. But for long trips you need a lot of time… Eco + B = most regen, but still not much.

[@PeaceChanel]

Thank You for All that you are doing for our Planet Earth.... Peace.. Shalom.. Salam.. Namaste 🙏🏻 😊 🌈 ✌ ☮ ❤

[@JorJorBinks123]

As a PDR tech a suction cup will not fix that dent. 😉

[@Livshaka]

If you have any recommendations on DIY procedures! Let us know!

[@patbarr1351]

Leaf for fall! I see lots of the older Leaf model here in So California, so they are apparently seen as a good value on the used market.

[@EV-Darryl]

Great video!

[@togeika]

I charge my 2015 S 68,000 11 bars only on 110v at home. I may take some trips and do DC or 220v but I haven't yet. LeafSpy says it has only been DC charged 16 times.

[@kaboombox1581]

It’s the perfect ev “beater” car.

[@jason8966]

You should have just pressed the Eco button on the steering wheel and keep it in B (brake mode) which controls the regen level. The Eco mode limits the acceleration. SO best mode is NonEco B mode

[@pageseven1792]

I don't think the early Leafs from Japan had the ability to switch the brake regen mode. It was always in "normal" (lower regen). The shifter was what you used to put it in eco mode. There was no steering wheel button yet for that until the 2013+ Leafs came out, and then they added the "B" mode for more extreme braking level.

[@jimparr5412]

Yeah. Put eylashes on it then send a picture to Kyle!

[@ronald4life1]

My fav. is when a leaf pulls up and takes up a DC 150kW charger to charge at 4kW on it's Chademoo charger..

[@carlosguzman-md2mt]

The ecoflow Delta 2 is a great company

[@SueC56]

My understanding is that Chademo is required for new federally subsidized chargers, so far.

[@thilinarupasinghe7968]

My one 3bar 2013 model drove 30k miles now with 3bar.

[@BillAnderson1]

How has their charging at home changed now that they have to charge two vehicles with (I assume) one charger?

[@Livshaka]

We are fortunate to work remotely so we don’t have a consistent charging routine but we typically put the Mach-E in the garage and charge the Leaf in the driveway on a 110. If we really need to charge the leaf fast then we pull in behind the Mach-E and use the level 2. Since we don’t commute, this isn’t an every day worry. Taking the Leaf for an 8 mile trip also means that charging it on 110 isn’t too bad. The Mach-E we take on longer journeys so level 2 is necessary.

[@Slipher26]

Kyle should replace the Betty, make it liquid cooled, and add Nacs.

[@terryrodbourn2793]

depends you put a bigger battery in your car see some videos hw to riot it and it will get 125 more miles in car!

[@BrianBrown-ym9ut]

Any plans to drive and review the Blazer EV?

[@lakefiftyseven]

Usefulness to cost ratio is about right on........A little golf cart ish..

[@michaelsiri3496]

Leaving in Lancaster California just want to know if parking EV in the sun save or not please?

[@carlosguzman-md2mt]

Don't forget to pack the eco-flow heater

[@jazzybeat28]

How do you like the decline/accept option on the screen each time you turn on this vehicle?

[@Livshaka]

Annoying. But have had the same in other vehicles

[@CAINtheBULL]

Oceanside.

[@Michael_the_muffinman]

What about a battery swap? Is that a thing?

[@jpnw3272]

You can swap a Leaf battery. Usually it’s a 40kWH. Best price/cost. I don’t know who does it in CA, but there is a place in Portland OR who does Leaf cars. One of my student’s did it to his Leaf. Gave the car 150mi of range.

[@MrKillerRC]

The 2013-2017 is better than the 2011-2012. They charge faster and have more trunk space and a B mode regen.

[@YeOldeTraveller]

50 miles would get me to work, and almost back. I can charge at work, so would actually do the job. I get really annoyed with the voice commands in most vehicles.

[@douglasalanthompson]

Any interest in what a 1000 mile road trip in a 5 year old Leaf Plus is like?

[@flashoflight8160]

It can't be done. A long drive will cook the battery with more than 1 DC charge per day.

[@douglasalanthompson]

@flashoflight8160 we regularly take one of our Pluses between Chicago and Kansas in a day with 3 DC charges. A couple techniques help alot on the thermals.

[@IrenESorius]

💖🌟💖

[@vincentrobinette1507]

Sure, he got it for $3750.00, but don't forget to add the cost of the AC charger. How much did that cost? Even with that, the car was still a bargain! I usually only recommend an EV to those who can charge at home, making the investment in the AC charger an absolute necessity. (especially, with that short range) Level 2 charging is more than adequate for this car. Even at 3,000 watts, the 24 kWh battery charges in just ~8 hours, which guarantees a full charge overnight. It's nice having a car, that you can just drive. It's nice not having to worry about a shopping cart running into it, or, an adjacent car door. nobody's going to try to steal it. If they're going to take a chance on "grand theft auto", they'll at least choose a car that's worth the risk!😀😀

[@johnpoldo8817]

I considered leasing one of these as a city car only, but don’t want to invest in CHAdeMO home charging.

[@anthonyc8499]

it has a J1772 port next to the CHAdeMO port under the front flap.

[@johnpoldo8817]

@@anthonyc8499 Anthony, I never knew it had two ports. Does any other EV have two charging port styles? I think some Taycans have CCS on both sides.

[@flamingspinach]

All CHAdeMO cars have a J1772 as well, as far as I know. It used to be normal for EVs (other than Teslas) to have two separate ports for AC and DC charging. The name CCS (Combined Charging System) refers to how it changed that, so that now we have a single port for both (not counting the fact that you need to uncover a couple more pins on the receptacle for DC charging).

[@johnpoldo8817]

Fix both dents on a budget, please.

[@tazeat]

Man less range than my shit box 500e I had. Was cheap until the annual registration, rip off to own if it was in addition to your other vehicles.

[@The_DuMont_Network]

I believe she says she drives with her left foot? Why is that? I had to do that in my Model 3 for a while when my right ankle was in a cast. Took a while to get used to that.

[@IvesvanderFlaas]

Take a look at her right leg ...

[@Livshaka]

I’m a right leg amputee so I drive with my left foot

[@michaelparra8719]

these people talk so slow at 1.5 they sound normal

[@davidmenasco5743]

An OOS video with a chill, relaxed vibe is really refreshing. The Leaf has some kind of magic.

[@cglan_9748]

I'd love to buy one of these to absolutely ruin! Crazy suspension, tires, weird aero, cut the top off, all of it. Why? Why not. For so cheap these seem like the perfect EV project cars lol

[@V10PDTDI]

what happen at 12:34 did the motorcycle freak you out ? there was a odd cut in the video. ?

[@SilentServiceCode]

why would kyle not review his own car

[@harriettanthony7352]

Likely because he is at some fancy -a** hotel driving $100+k Audis

[@Livshaka]

He has done lots of videos of his Leaf. They’re great! Check em out! In this case, Jordan was visiting us so why not get an update on the Out of Spec Leaf?

[@1a2b3c4.]

How in the world did the car get from Colorado to California.....???? Don't say it was driven.....

[@world_still_spins]

I would like to see a Leaf with a manual transmission.

[@The_DuMont_Network]

There is no "transmission" in an EV. A gearbox (fixed speed reducing) but no shifting.

[@world_still_spins]

@@The_DuMont_Network Honda insight had an option for a 5-speed. It was fun to drive.

[@tom_hoots]

WOW! How nice to see Jordan back! I'm sorry, but this is the first Out of Spec anything that I've watched in a long, long time. Kyle has gone so far off the deep end into "JGAT" -- "just get a Tesla," and/or super-luxury or sporty vehicles that cost MORE THAN A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS THAN PEOPLE LIKE ME COULD POSSIBLY AFFORD -- and then he always starts with a burnout, and eventually just tells you that "the Tesla Model S Plaid is a better track day car than this European luxury car" -- OH, FOR CRYING FREAKING OUT LOUD. He just doesn't "get" that millions of people really can't afford a vehicle that costs more than around $35,000, and that THEY DON'T USE THEIR CARS AS RACE CARS. OH, FOR CRYING FREAKING OUT LOUD, again. Out of Spec?? "Out of Relevance," I would call it. So, how refreshing it is to see you guys having fun with a normal car, doing normal things with it. As for Tesla, I won't be funding Musk's war on the WOKE MIND VIRUS -- "his words, not mine." Nope, not one penny of my money will go into his pocket.

[@aribasiebel]

Only the comment section is useful

[@MrNicholg]

Try to crash this one.

[@blownb310]

I'm sorry, this is not up to standard as an Out of Spec video. I always make sure to click like on this channel's videos but not for this one.