Why The Nissan LEAF is Still A Good Buy In 2023*

[@stevenesheim9413]

We drive a used 2015 leaf for 5 years before upgrading to a 2022 Bolt. The leaf was a reliable daily driver. It was almost 8 years old when we traded it and it had 80% of the original battery health. The only maintenance we did was tires, efforts and replaced the 12 volt battery (not the traction battery). When I looked at the total cost of ownership it was by far the cheapest car I have ever owned. Our base model leaf didn't even have a CHAdeMO port. But that was ok because there wasn't any CHAdeMO chargers within 150 miles of my house. It was a strictly local car. When people asked me what I did if we needed to go out of town, my response was, "I do exactly the same thing I did before I bought the leaf, we took our other (ice) car". If you are a 2 or more car family, adding an EV as a daily driver can be an easy thing to do, if you have a place to charge it at home or the office.

[@2LegHumanist]

I'm still driving my 2015 24kwh leaf. It has fully paid for itself in fuel savings and still has more than 80% of its original range after 160k km.

[@caerphoto]

I've had a Leaf for the past 5 or so years, first the 40kWh one and now the 60kWh one. It's a perfectly good car for someone who lives in a temperate climate like the UK, where there aren't any really extreme temperatures. It's comfortable, spacious, range is fine, the boot is relatively huge. Really it's only the CHADEMO charging that is its major issue - if Nissan just updated it with CCS and kept everything else the same it'd be fine, so long as the price was competitive. Maybe the interior is a bit dated, but hey, if that means physical buttons for climate control, I'll take it.

[@Hans-gb4mv]

No one understands why Nissan didn't switch to CCS in Europe and North America when it did the facelift 2.zero version. It wouldn't have been a massive change, but it would have kept the car relevant. I simply cannot recommend the LEAF as a new car to anyone, because you want such a vehicle to serve it's owner for, hopefully, over a decade. Even if it gets handed down a few times. But with CCS being the de-facto standard, that will become more and more difficult for anyone that buys it is their only car. And to think that the L stands for Leading...

[@maryannrondinella5680]

CHADEMO is still widely used in Japan. I also believe Nissan greatly underestimated how long it was going to take to bring the new Ariya SUV to market, that is far more advanced (and more expensive!) than the LEAF. I still drive and love my 2012 LEAF, but its poor original traction battery is fading away. I'll keep driving it until it dies or I can figure out what to buy next, maybe a Tesla if serious safety issues like phantom braking are resolved.

[@joehubris1]

@@Hans-gb4mv I think I'm the US, the demise of Chademo is greatly exaggerated. First of all, so long as 150,000 Leafs are on the road, there will be a business incentive to keep it alive UNTIL there is a universal new system that is backwards compatible with both it & CCS. And in the event that competitors try to snuff it out prematurely, this is America, and when things go wrong in America, people get sued.

[@CascadeDuSel]

If the majority of charging is done at home, is Chademo a huge issue?

[@caerphoto]

@@CascadeDuSel Yes, actually, because when you need Chademo charging, you REALLY need it with as little stress as possible, because you're usually in an unfamiliar place and are tired from having just done 150-200 or so miles of driving.

[@lizburgess4398]

Thank you! We just bought a Bolt EUV, and we can barely afford that! A lot of EV channels act as though everyone gets $7500 credit. That's not true. If you are low income, you don't have that credit coming because you don't pay that much in income tax. A used Leaf may be perfect. (You have just blossomed, Nicki! I'm so happy for you!)

[@lizburgess4398]

@@garydmercer I'm not sure. It would be worth checking. The rules seem to be a bit muddy.

[@KriZtiaN17VL]

My 2018 Nissan Leaf called Harvey Milk was my most beloved vehicle. I took it from Northwest Arkansas to Saint Louis and from there to Kansas City and back home. A 1k+ trip and he did fabulously with his 150 miles range. We found lots of people at the EV stations who asked about him. And I was so happy to talk about my car. After that we decided to do a similar long distance road trip from Northwest Arkansas - Dallas - Austin - San Antonio - Houston - Matamoros, México! - and then back home to Arkansas though Houston. Texas, Arkansas, and Missouri don't have the best charging infrastructure that California and the East Coast has now. But with good planning and patience, a Leaf can go anywhere reliably. I loved my Harvey Milk and the 20k miles he gave me before he went back to Carvana. I moved to Aotearoa and the amount of leafs here is hilarious - all thanks to Japanese imports. They are all in pretty beautiful colours too. I will always be a defender of the leaf. Thanks Nikki, this video speaks to me and its making me a bit emotional lol. I love the humour about the people in the comments 🤣 🥰

[@rp9674]

Great name!

[@sirenbrian]

This video is spot on! I live in Florida and I'm still driving my 2013 Leaf S trim, with no fast charge port (it was cheaper without!). I drive about 10-20 miles a day on average, longest drive is 50 miles once a week. I get 60 miles per charge (I charge to 80% most days) or 80 miles with a 100% charge. It's fine! I get where I need to go, I charge it from a regular boring wall plug socket. I intend to change it for something with longer range in a year or two, but I'm in no hurry. Our other car is 2011 Prius and that's what we use for longer trips. I have 10 bars (out of 12) on my battery, and it's a replacment battery that was installed under warranty in 2017. I wish Nissan would offer me a decent price on a bigger battery though.

[@aaromnido]

I completely agree. I bought an old Nissan Leaf 24 in 2020. It had 85% of SOH, but it was absolutely fantastic as a family car for 90% of the occasions. For the other 10%, we kept our Diesel. In eight months and 20,000 km, we saved a lot of money. The car was much more fun than the diesel, and we contributed to fighting CO2 emissions. Then, at the end of 2020, we bought a Kia e-Niro Long Range, leaving the Leaf in the dealership as part of the trade. The e-Niro is fantastic, and it covers 100% of our necessities, even long travels along Spain and France. But sometimes I miss the "little frog" Leaf. It was our first EV, and I continue to consider it an awesome car. Thanks for this marvelous video, and cheers from Spain.

[@ericgold3840]

​@Tron Jockey Well said !! I've been reading (again !) about Li plating this week. The threshold is determined by a combination of C-rate, pack temperature, and SoC. I think it is safe to say that down to temperatures of 10F or so, L2 charging is safe up to a SoC of 80%. This is one more reason to be annoyed at Nissan's decision to not give owners a way to limit charging SoC in 2016+ LEAFs. Another stupid move by Nissan was to remove battery heating in all 40 kWh packs marketed to the USA, and all 62 kWh LEAFs sold anywhere.

[@cyberoptic5757]

We are cheerfully driving a 2014 Nissan Leaf that we have owned since 2017. This morning at the freezing point it showed me 85 miles on the guess-o-meter. Typical journeys for us are about 40 miles round trip, or less. I am keeping this thing forever. If the battery degrades slowly until it's insufficient, we'll haul it to Quebec, where a battery replacement is available.

[@Prodigious1One]

Oh, nice! That's a great option!

[@nlpnt]

My work buddy's wife leased a Leaf a year ago. Lack of at-home charging hasn't been a problem, they live in a development behind the dealership they got the car from, so a couple times a week she plugs the car in there (free charging for customers) and takes her afternoon walk on either side of dinner by walking home and then back to pick the car up a few hours later.

[@Prodigious1One]

So smart!

[@cheetah100]

I've got a 30 kWh Leaf. My son asked me whether I would buy a Tesla, and I said no. The Leaf has all the range I need. I love how it drives, its capacity, and its simplicity. My mum has a newer Leaf, and it comes with a bunch of features, such as more cameras and driving modes. The only issue is battery degradation, which is faster than ideal. Awesome cars.

[@atlaspath5803]

Easy to replace the battery - so many many available!

[@brady783]

When i first began looking at EVs, choices were limited. I was between the Leaf and the Kia Soul EV. Both great cars, but we ultimately chose the Soul because we're tall and it had greater head room than the Leaf. That was the main deciding factor because both cars were fantastic for our driving needs at the time. Loved that Soul and I'd have it back in a heartbeat.

[@Tharrinne]

See, it was the same here. Leaf or Soul ev (or Model s) both with the same range. The Leaf fit more and was more spacious so it appealed more for us. Sure, I ended up waiting because in the Canadian winter, neither could appease my range anxiety and take my 125km daily drive without my worrying. Sure, now that I drive the Bolt, I'm not worried anymore that either the Leaf or Soul EV could do it but I didn't know that then.

[@rp9674]

Another reason people rent cars for trips is they have limited miles on a lease.

[@timgarnett7636]

A perfect second car used for commuting. Had one for coming upto 7 years and as i paid it off 4 years ago ive had free motoring since. Nothing to maintain. 2 tyres and a fluid washer motor are the only items I've had to spend out in that time. 24kwh performs fine but not for travelling beyond daily commute but it's not really intended for that.

[@TomOHern]

I bought a new Leaf+ last year. I live in Seattle and never drive further than Portland or Vancouver which are both withing the range of the Plus. 99% of the time I don't need to use public fast chargers, but there are plenty of Chademo chargers along the I-5 corridor if I needed to (I have only had to fast charge 6 times in the last year.) At the time I bought it, you could no longer get the Tax credit for the Bolt and it had also suffered its first recall pointing out the good design and reliability of the Leaf. It was the perfect car for me and I am still happy I got it.

[@SDGreg]

I own a 2019 Leaf SV Plus and it fits about 98% of our daily driving needs in San Diego, CA. Before this we had a 2015 Nissan Leaf. The 2019 Leaf allows to get all around San Diego and make trips to Orange County and Los Angeles as needed. We have a house so we can charge it overnight as needed. We do keep a 2015 Honda Pilot that mostly stays parked in our driveway that we use as needed for longer trips.

[@douglasalanthompson]

We have 2 Leaf Pluses and road trip them often. We had a 2013 Leaf prior and love/ed them all. Our 2019 S+ was only 23K after fed credit. While Bolt is better deal now, Leaf Plus S+ was the best buy for many years. Chademo support, funny enough, is still expanding, not declining as is often reported.

[@mahtin]

Two years ago I purchased a low mileage 2017 LEAF. I also retired and stopped commuting. With +/- 100 mile range, yet I plug the car in only ONCE A WEEK (overnight at 110volts no less). It’s a perfect car for my present lifestyle. For my range needs? Easy, I can pop over and rent a car (or truck or suv). QED! Thanks for the confirmation!

[@LV_CRAZY]

Thank you for making videos for the rest of us! Thanks!!

[@maryannrondinella5680]

One other positive point for the LEAF for many U.S. customers: they are assembled here in the United States, unlike the new Nissan Ariya that will be imported from Japan. Sadly, for now, all the highly acclaimed Hyundai/Kia/Genesis EVs are imported from South Korea, but we hope that will change in the next several years.

[@joehubris1]

Nikki thank you so much! The abuse I see heaped upon the leaf is totally wrong-headed and there are other online sources , with hosts who seem aggressively hostile for no reason at all. They have decided that Leaf owners and Leafs and Chademo need to just be eliminated. I drove my leaf 7500 miles to Detroit and back by way of the Grand Canyon in September and it was a fantastic trip. Although I did have some problems, Lulu did better than I did health wise. This time of year you really don't get the problems with Rapidgate because the temperatures are lower and the battery is better able to get rid of the excess Heat from fast charging. I believe I'm on the verge of securing new aftermarket modules for first generation and second generation Leaf owners and I'll make an announcement hopefully soon. I've heard some good things about the progress that some others are making as well and hopefully soon we won't have to rely upon salvage packs but we can go ahead and use new modules to replace degraded ones. Thanks again, you go girl!

[@17addidas]

I entered the EV universe with a second hand -low milage 2017 BMW i3 which I now own for 3.5 years . 114000 Km ( 70,800 miles ) trouble free Km/Miles later I am more than delighted with the quality , comfort and performance of this little jewel .... and the second hand market permitted me to experience an affordable EV .

[@christianocampos158]

I still really like the original design of a Leaf and I've been looking into used version that still have around 10 of the bars of battery health left. Many of these still have enough city range for the most of us

[@joehubris1]

Christian, feel free to Gmail me at Bernard j hughes (without the spaces). I'd be more than happy to help in your search in whatever way I can. Let me second the prior comment about the importance of Leafspy.

[@JonathanPorterfield]

Great video Nikki , yes the leaf is a great 'bread and butter' ev , and has to be applauded for being the 1st real mass production EV back in the day !

[@kristyfry716]

I drive a 2018 Nissan Leaf. I'm waiting for the delivery of my Ariya. I still love this car for 99% of tasks. I'm looking forward to improved radius and fast charging capabilities. For most people, a Leaf is a great car for affordable, daily driving. I'm happy to hear you acknowledge what a good car this still is for so many.

[@salibaba]

Hmm, that a deliberate mis-edit "You don't have to buy a used EV if everyone is is buying it for you". Funny that. Is that a hint at someone buying one for a giggle? Love the Leaf though. I've had mine from new for over 2 years as our only family car. It does the same work duty as our old one, probably more actually. I'd never have driven my ICE cars to London and back for fear they wouldn't mechanically last the journey. I've done Fully Charged twice in the Leaf. Loads popping up on the road here, Sunderland must be pumping them out, the main Taxi company in Glasgow has put loads on the roads. I'm just waiting for someone trying to get into my car now thinking I'm there to pick them up!

[@overcaffeinatedengineering]

Yes. Yes. And yes. I sincerely wish I'd taken the Leaf more seriously when I was shopping. I'm happy with my Bolt, but in hindsight I didn't need a car with so much range and I could have saved myself money getting a 40 kWh car with honestly good (not amazing) fast charging support.

[@nicholasworrell419]

In the caribbean where islands are pretty small, meaning less kilometers to drive, the leaf is actually a very cost effective vehicle for those wishing to get into the EV world. So while it might not appeal to most in larger countries, its great to small islands.

[@martinostlund1879]

We own a 24kWh Leaf 2014, bought it about 2 years ago, live in Sweden = cold climate, drives about 12,000 km a year, it has 103,000 km on the meter, it has about 91% battery SOH, works great, in Sweden there are more Chademo chargers (607) than Tesla Tesla chargers (338), drives long distanse only a few times a year (5?) and knowing the limits of the car and planning accordingly that is not a problem (but it is slow), did a 5 day 2500 km trip this summer, best car we ever had but also the by far newest and most expensive, but cheap to drive (around home) and service, has bought a 300W inverter but not used it yet (and hopefully never will need it)

[@renebergqvist599]

I had one of the last 24 kWh. Cheapest car I ever owned. Still got ALL battery bars after 79000 when I sold it. ChaDemo is popping up almost with every new charging site .. even the HPC - I am actually surprised - but that's a fact and they are rarely blocked. It is a fine second car still for the low cost and it has ample room. (Now we have a model 3 and an id.3).

[@canis9178]

It’s good to see your coverage of the used market in this enjoyably informative show.

[@shanefiddle]

I so appreciate the thoughtful content TE pits out on the interwebs. Great video! 👏

[@bohemian6103]

I'm also very happy with my 2015 -- very solid commuter vehicle.

[@MrChris20912]

Really appreciating this deeper look at a good possible daily use car. Will have to consider one of these next year and the fact there's a robust and active 3rd party/DIY aftermarket movement for them is all the better to my thinking.

[@yvs6663]

nearly 800km/500 miles from the time i woke up to the time i went to sleep is my record in a 30kWh Leaf with 11 bars of health. not too shabby and probably more than plenty of cars on the road around me(i am from a small country) have done in a day. yes, there was a 5h brake(one i unfortunatelly couldn't turn into an AC charging oppurunity) in between, it was a drive from and to a concert.

[@NeilBlanchard]

Thank you for this "perspective correction" - no car is perfect; and any electric car is better than an ICE, in terms of conserving our environment.

[@likelikelikelikelikelike3971]

I’ve a 2016 Leaf 30kw It hasn’t ever gone wrong, caught fire or won any beauty contests. It’s perfect for my use case. They are only appreciated by those in the know.

[@HappyRCDude]

I bought an off lease 2014 Leaf SL six years ago. Had 15,000 miles on the odometer and it was $10,000 and I knew what I was getting, ie 80 mile range…going in. I have saved the purchase price in gas driving it thus far. (My ICE car only gets 20 mpg..ugh) I have had to replace the 12 V battery (twice!), replaced the tires, did a front brake job and some front end ball joints or control arms that had gotten loose, pretty normal stuff. It took me to work and back just about every day - 35 miles round-trip with no issues. All in all I have been very happy with it. It just recently lost one bar on the battery health meter which I consider to be pretty good for an EXACTLY 10 year old EV. 74.4k on the odo now. Bonus- I was able to plug it in at work every day, no fuss no muss. I rarely ran it under 50% and 98% of my charging has been slow roll on 110v. When the Leaf becomes un-driveable its getting replaced with a prius prime and the old ice car goes too.

[@andrewthorne6653]

Well said you nailed it. I own a 24kwh do a 40 mile commute, it does me 95% of the time with out any causing issues to my life.

[@Yanquetino]

I loved my 2012 LEAF. In some ways, it was better than my Model 3. I'd buy another, except… Nissan does need to finally swap its CHAdeMO port for a CCS, and add Thermal Management to its pack. If they'd just make those changes, and keep building and selling them, consumers would gladly buy them.

[@joehubris1]

I drive Lulu all over the place, up and down the Coast from Washington to California, Nevada, Salt Lake and one trip to Michigan. Despite the lack of a CSS port and thermal management, she has 90% of her 40kwh pack and gets me where I'm going 99% of the time 😁

[@Yanquetino]

@@joehubris1 Good for you!

[@jacksonbangs6603]

As always great videos Transport Evolved crew! I recently traded my used 2015 Nissan Leaf in for a used 2020 Chevrolet Bolt EV Premier. Yes it has 2 recalls outstanding. In the mean time it is driving me around Southern Oregon no problem. The nearest Chevy dealer to me said they would contact me when replacement parts are ready.

[@mikaelgustafsson8048]

Thanks Nikki! This was spot on. We have just bought a 2018 Nissan Leaf we are so happy with it. We live in Sweden and the first trip we took (when we bought the car) was over 400 km, no problem, even if it's not the distance we normally will drive. It's about 50-60 km per day. And this video confirm the thoughts we have about the car. Great video and i love the humor in it.😃

[@levmatta]

This is a very important perspective -- thanks.

[@youmakeitreal]

Great content! As usual. Just a bit funky editing at the end.

[@johnanderson9735]

Exactly correct on the electronics reference, components only for me for a few decades now! Great info on the Leaf, thanks!

[@mikecoffeen7991]

I loved my 2019 Leaf, I always charged at home and had 0 degradation. My son has it now.

[@davidmccarthy6061]

I would consider a used Leaf Plus once they get to a reasonable price. Perfect for running around the local area. Although by then the used BEV market will be stronger anyway so we'll see what choices there are in a few years.

[@barryjmarling]

Happy new year,great informative video,thank you.👍🏻

[@donbenton1]

Just after I saw this video, I decided to buy a 2016 Nissan Leaf, even though I live in Phoenix. The decision is based on the fact my 2013 Ford Focus electric needed a $4000 part that I cannont find and has been on backorder with Ford since September 2022. I received $2000 on the non-working FFE and made a deal of $8000 out the door for the Leaf. I have always know of the Leaf problem in AZ but I also know that there are some people working on the replacement battery, the car came with a J1117 and CHAdeMO, quick charge in CHAdeMO but only 52 miles of range with seems to be true. Also I go to the mountains in New Mexico in the summer so the car will not be used during that time. I've watched this channel for the past couple of years and appreciate your very well thought out videos. Keep up the good work.

[@lsh3rd]

Nissan should add a bit faster CCS charing to the LEAF, *maybe* active thermal, and sell it another 5 years. It's worth mentioning that the newer larger packs just don't have the degradation problems of earlier cars. Also, Dala has not changed the motor for his hotrodding project - only upgraded the inverter. Even the Ariya uses the same motor(s?) as the LEAF.

[@desertdan100]

As you know, I am a supporter of The Leaf and Chademo architecture. I still believe that America is missing the boat on this one. Vehicle to grid and vehicle to home or load is a huge deal. 🤔 It would help fill in the gaps in our electrical grid infrastructure with the adoption of more renewable energy systems. The Leaf can do some amazing things that the average person does not realize. I tried to buy a new Leaf this winter, but there are none to be had right now, and the wait list is over 6 months. My wife needed a vehicle, and we just could not wait, so now we are the proud owners of A Kia Soul. It works out fine for my wife, and we just take my Ice Silverado for long trips. I am hoping to get an Electric or at least range extended truck in the near future. I have reservations on a Canoo and Atlis XT pickup. Still waiting. I love the original Leaf but in the near future I am going to get a used one to drive back and forth to work again. I have to drive 75 miles round trip to the nearest town and my old Leaf could not make it but the Chevy Bolt does it no problem. I actually have a soft spot for my old Leaf and would rather drive it instead. I will have another one again in the future and will upgrade the battery for everyday driving.

[@skyemalcolm]

For a subset of our driving the super cheap used 2012 LEAF we bought 2 years ago has allowed us to get 12,000 miles of use from it. Considering we paid $2300 for it and only put tires on it that means for 3 grand we’ve done decent miles and it continues to roll happily down the road, just not very far or very fast. But we live in a suburban house with charging in our garage so it’s easy the charge. The biggest problem is that the LEAF competes for parking spaces near our charger with two other plug in cars in the household and so there’s a bit of a shuffle required. If we could acquire a used pack with less degradation we’d probably try swapping it out locally but the cost is prohibitive to transport the car to Atlanta which is 600 miles away to the south and the home of the nearest LEAF swap specialist.

[@judebrown4103]

Hey thanks for the t-shirt explanation, I am one of those who always wants to know what they say! Congratulations on being able to wear it, I'm resurrecting old clothes too for the same reason. I'm seriously thinking I need to get some alterations done as I begrudge throwing out perfectly serviceable clothing. Wonder if there's a channel that would help me remember how to use my mum's old table sewing machine🤔 Agree about the Leaf as a great used car, we looked at them before we got the Ioniq38kWh. I must admit i was worried about the likely condition of the battery and the Hyundai came along at just right time. It's such a great car that I'm so glad we chose it. Even in that cold snap we had before Christmas the lowest mileage we saw was 3.9 miles per kWh, winter average is about 5.1 and we are low mileage drivers these days so we're getting on fine with it.👍🇬🇧🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍🌈

[@wolfman9999999]

We have a 2012 LEAF that we bought with a failed onboard charger. We got it dirt cheap and replaced the OBC ourselves. Yeah, it's range is limited. It still fits our fleet as the local grocery store runner that my Partner uses while our Chevy Bolt deals with daily commutes and yes, long distance trips. I would never recommend a new one outright. If I hear of someone talking about them, I will tell them that the car is a regional car only, and to ensure that this limitation is something they can live with. If Nissan would simply invest in an update to the LEAF as a MCE, and ditch the obsolete CHAdeMO port and add active thermal management on the LEAF, they would have an awesome entry level EV. I legit loved our 2019 SL+, but those two issues after a horrible summer road trip in it, resulted in it quickly being traded in for our Bolt.

[@salibaba]

crazy too as im pretty sure the van variant on the same running gear; the ENV200 had some sort of battery conditioning from memory. Why that couldn't be ported over to the Leaf design I'll never know.

[@jimmadger300]

Great video, thanks. My wife and I just made the decision to purchase a Leaf it's been a three year quest finding the right EV or hybrid. In the long run is the clear choice for us. We too live in the Northwest and being old have no plans whatever of traveling outside the Puget Sound area.Hope you had good holidays and that is will end up being your best year yet. Jim🥸

[@imolazhp11]

Can’t wait to get rid of our 2015. It’s been solidly reliable but at 79% SOH winter range is abysmal, even in the south with a very short daily commute. Also, beware, if you spend $10k on a used battery installation and the car gets totaled, insurance may only reimburse you for the value of the car based on its actual cash value.

[@RungeKuttaNutta]

I have had my 40kwh teckna for 4 years now, and it never fails to put a smile on my face. I think the combination of ease of driving and the ability to get more range by slower, careful driving is well....fun! It has its faults, driving position, non adjustable steering, and long journey times when rapid charging over 150 miles...oh and the stiction of the brakes when pulling away...but one pedal driving makes everything else a mute point. I will drive it till it dies.

[@miro_o]

Hi Nikki, Great content. I got the impression that you were quite focused on the potential backlash of comments and I would like you to know that there’s many people who are happy to deal with keyboard worriers and appreciate your content. I wish that the support system was prominent enough that you didn’t feel like you needed to add the comments in the video. You have built a lot strong reputation over the years with high credibility :) Good luck and I love the videos your team produces!

[@ericapelz260]

I’ve owned my 2018 LEAF for two years now, and I love it. I’ve never rapid charged it; Leafspy reports a single rapid charge in its lifetime and excellent battery health. I drive 4 miles to work, I’ve never had a range issue on longer drives. I am even considering adding a Comma AI 3.

[@aneeshzutshi3419]

what is its SOH? do you charge to 100%?

[@peteowens3033]

Thanks for sticking up a bit for the LEAF. I bought a used 2019 SL Plus a few months ago with only 7K on the odometer and love it. It was to replace a 2008 Versa hatchback which I have always used as my local runabout since I have other vehicles for longer trips anyway. Has worked out perfect for me. I guess maybe I am one of those sub-set buyers you spoke of.

[@davidbuchan3753]

Luv your disclaimer!

[@jamestompkins8617]

Your description of the "average driver" described me perfectly and yes I'm a sucker that bought a 2023 nissan leaf and I love it I've owned it since last October and the first time I've ever HAD (level 3 charge because if i didnt the car would die before i got to my destination) to "fast" charge was when I drove 148 miles to see my grandparents on Christmas which was just under my base model leafs 151 Mike range. I drive 40 miles a day for work and I charge once everyday at home. Even In the extreme (southern us) cold it did just fine. That's all I need or want it for a cheap reliable commuter car

[@brianhughes3944]

Yes! I agree completely! I bought a 2013 Renault Kangoo van for all these reasons. We also have a Tesla but the van, which only has a range of 65 miles in the summer and 45 in the winter, is perfect for taking the dogs to the park or forest (a 30 mile round trip). Or to the DIY store or to pick up shopping. It was instrumental in my wife deciding to get an MG ZS EV for herself when she found she was taking the van in preference to her old Audi A3. These old cars have loads of service to give and ours now gets more use than our “main” cars. Will it take us to Europe for our holidays? Nope! But it definitely has its place in our lives.

[@erfquake1]

Thank you for this! (bit of an editing glitch ~16:25)

[@waynelevett3632]

My 2015 leaf 24 kw has done 79,000 kilometers & lost 2 of it's 12 digit life condition. It still charges to 133 kilometers and I drive it many times a day. It's beautiful white interior & it's pretty fast due to chipped in Japan. It's not the average leaf as it does try to shred my tyres at the lights. I have to use traction control always.

[@andrewradford3953]

Have both the 2019 & 2012 Leafs. Both purchased for towing produce for and from our farm. Its replaced a thirsty Landcruiser. The newer 40kWh Leaf as taken us for longer trips when parents needed more support 400km away. I prefer the feel of driving the 2012, but like the adaptive cruise, and less regular charging of the 2019. Battery in the 2012 was replaced under warranty, and is still at 80% soh. I still prefer to take a train into the city, even though it cost more and takes longer when there isn't gridlock. It's almost like some form of autonomous electric mass transit.

[@ElectraFlarefire]

At least in Australia, renting a house is very normal. Most rentals are actually houses of some kind, most with off street parking and while getting an EV charger installed is often off the cards, running a heavy extension cord will get you 2.4 or 3.6kW of AC charging. I also want to see more people doing the 'hot hatch' performance upgrades with the Leaf.. A replacement controller board in the inverter will get a lot more power and eventually replacement battery packs that are liquid cooled will make these things an awesome small and fun machine.

[@chazsmith4351]

Great video with very useful perspective. This is the TE Nikki version that I truly appreciate.

[@KalleSWBeck]

I’m really interested in a vehicle to grid system for my Kia Soul but can’t find much (any) info out there

[@narvuntien]

As of now, the Leaf is the cheapest EV hatch back available to me. Sadly I live in one of those places with 40oC summers. I also have friends that had a leaf and complained about its hot day performance and forked out the money for the Tesla. Luckily for me at some point this year the Chinese hatchbacks (MG M4 and BYD Dolphin) will arrive with prices under that of the Leaf.

[@Prodigious1One]

Whoa, cool. Is that in the UK?

[@maxhenkle3085]

Our 2013 Leaf is approaching 100,000 mi and still has 11 of 12 capacity bars. I'm finding some components like the door handles and seat belts are starting to wear out but overall it's a pretty solidly built car that has been virtually trouble-free. Well that said I don't think I would ever own an EV without active thermal management as our only family car.

[@leeduffell8573]

Cool video there are also some reliability advantages from having having an air cooled battery, as in the Nissan Leaf. If you live in a temperate zone as in the UK a liquid cooled battery system is not essential, and adds to the complexity and therefore the long term maintenance costs. Much like the old VW Beatle if your performance requirements are not high, a simpler air cooled design may benefit you. Worth thinking about

[@tommorgan1291]

On my third Leaf which is a 2023 Plus. Why? Bullet proof, highly maintenance free. Fun to drive. Estimator has been 284 to 240 so estimate about 230 miles range actual. In summary I love my 2023 Nissan Leaf!!!!

[@g00dgh0st]

Maybe it's only me but I wish your videos toned down on the sarcasm and sticked to journalism

[@immanuelkantholz9033]

we were explicitly looking for a ze0 leaf with 30kWh battery and finally bought one last week. there were no other models in our short list except maybe a ze1 leaf but they are still too expensive as used cars, considering the fact that they almost cost the same as a new mg5. No, we never would have wanted anything else but a ze0 leaf. And we're consider the missing thermal management an advantage, since it keeps the annual inspection costs low.

[@turnerdan53]

Yesterday I was watching Watch JR Go and he had purchased a about 96 97 Electric Geo Metro. The Lead-acid batteries had just been replaced and my understanding was it got 30 miles per charge. Can't wait to see what needs to be done to it. I also wondered if the 12 volt batteries were replaced with a more modern type how much more miles you would get with the less weight and more charge usage.

[@fjalics]

My brother has a 2013 Leaf with 80 mile range. He bought it in 2017. Down to 11 bars now, looking for a Bolt for more range, and I told him, keep that old Leaf. He has a kid that is going to drive soon. What's he and the wife going to drive when she takes off with it, the minivan? For short trips around town? He has the perfect use case. A third car in an urban environment.

[@toonman361]

My partner recently bought a 2022 Prius Prime, 25miles on a full charge. I own a 2023 Chevy Bolt EUV and tried to suggest she buy a Nissan Leaf at the same price with 125miles of charge. Nope. She was dead set on the Prius. To me, the Prius has not evolved, even the newest version only gets 35miles per charge.

[@michealcox9346]

Ty for the video I have a 2015 s trim leaf purchased 6/2022 with a soh 85.5 %and I do live in fla, so with the heat. I have only lost 2.43% of battery capacity and I am expecting to have soh of 81% by 6/2023. As others have said. Evs are just appliances and you replace when no longer usable for the owner. Keep the faith for affordable ev motoring :)

[@ORN16]

Thanks a lot for this good video. I bought a new Leaf 2020 .I love it . What do you think about the new Arita ?

[@L3x4Pr0ne]

I noticed your weight loss in this video but wasn’t sure. You confirmed it at the end. You look great, and congrats!

[@larryhepler9065]

As a member of one particular "subset" of the motoring public, the 59.2 % of households (2020 figure) that have two or more vehicles, I can attest that the Leaf is the perfect 2nd car, no actually primary vehicle. Nearly all the "short" trips under 150 miles, so 90 to 95% of the usage, are in the Leaf. It is always charged at home. The occasional 450 mile trips in the gas guzzler are just fine, having previously saved a 100x the fuel costs, and no stopping for charging. Plus, check out the Consumer Report reliability rating, bets the Tesla hands down. On our 3rd Leaf having had a 2013, a 2016 and our current 2019 SL ePlus. Not perfect in every way, but worth every penny.

[@MrFabianschmidt]

Today I drive a Nissan Leaf 30KWh 2016 model. The car has now driven 110,000 km without any problems, in a few weeks it will be serviced to change the brake pads for the first time. The car has only been serviced as Nissan recommends. Once a year, or 30,000 km. We also have a BMW i3, the car is decent enough, but a lot of strange things with it. Many visits to the workshop with it. I recommend to EVERYONE who wants trouble-free car maintenance. Buy the car with the fewest technical faults. We are seriously considering buying the latest edition Nissan with the biggest battery.

[@CoolTies]

I honestly have a challenge with the “average of” per day. We don't drive every day, and often the trips we take are two to three times the year divided into a daily average. I need to go once a quarter to Quebec, a 700km trip from where I live in Ontario. That's not possible without an extra hour or two of charging. While I may not be the average driver, I'm not abnormal. Ask them how many 300km+ trips they take a year. That's when you learn the pain point of EV ownership. It's possible, but it's a pain and, for some, scary to be vulnerable at a remote charging station in the middle of nowhere or at a closed strip plaza. I owned a Leaf and drove home 25km at -27°C which was only possible without heat. That's when I gave up on the Leaf and bought a Kia Soul EV but that wasn't a big enough range difference and degradation dropped 20% of capacity in under 65K km. If you're going to get an EV make sure at an 80% charge it can go well past your average long drive. That will compensate for eventual degradation and cold weather driving.

[@christalbot210]

I remember looking at a used First Gen LEAF to replace my 1997 Saturn SW2 back in 2015 or 2016. I commuted 27 miles each way to work, but work had Type 2 charging, so I wasn't too concerned. I live in an apartment, but I have a garage with an outlet in the ceiling (for the garage door opener). I was thinking (if the plug would stay in) of charging at night using the standard outlet. I really liked the car when I drove it and had been wanting to get an electric car for some time. Then I found out about the lack of active cooling for the battery and how that brought about battery degredation. I live in Florida, so I could see that being an issue (especially during the summer). Also, while not a main concern, I did want drive it the 180 miles or so to visit friends and family. Sadly, these things turned me off of it (I really wanted to have it). I've since seen that Robert from Fully Charged got a new battery pack for his First Gen LEAF (I think from your guy in Finland), and now he can go 200+ miles in it (which would be PERFECT for me...though still no active cooling). I still don't know if I would have been better off getting it or not (it was $6,000 back then...my how times have changed). Florida's cities are very spread out, so going 60 or 70 miles round trip is not out of the ordinary (especially going to the parks), so that would have made it too close for comfort if not out-and-out too far.

[@widam]

well some people don't have 50K-65K lying around in the bank for a Tesla, so Leaf is a cheap alternative

[@pianoplayer56723]

I would only recommend a Leaf in a cold climate. In an area like mine where it gets very hot in the summer I would not.

[@terryrigden4860]

Very interesting alternative perspective.

[@waynelevett3632]

Yes my baby leaf is loved again 💕 mine is imported from Japan & it's been chipped by NISMO 0 to 100 in 9 seconds & liquid cooled. 2015

[@toyotaprius79]

👀👀... Wh-h... How?!

[@waynelevett3632]

@@toyotaprius79 I bought it 2 years ago with 48k & one bar missing. It lost my one bar at 62k after I was hammering free fast charging up to 3 times a day. I only home granny lead charge at home from solar now. They started charging & removed chademo. It has coolant & a pump running when charging

[@wolfman9999999]

@@waynelevett3632 That coolant loop is for the onboard charger, not the battery.

[@mattt198654321]

Thank you for this video. The leaf is a great little car, especially for 2 car households.

[@handlemonium]

Just curious.....as the name of this channel insinuates, are eBikes, eScooters, hydrogen vehicles/energy ecosystem, and electric autocycles going to be covered more extensively as time goes by?

[@waynelevett3632]

Ps I live in very hot 🔥 Perth Australia and it's fine. It's air-conditioning is so cool.

[@Ruleof2plus1]

I bought a 2013 leaf because I normally just drive from home to shop and other in town routes. Plus I charge for free. It's been 100 days since I purchased any gas and so far my total charging cost has been $1.96 Yep it's a free ride. I also built a fully electric trike which can go over 120 miles on a charge. I actually drive my SUV occasionally just to keep the gas from getting stale. EV is the way - the only way

[@dacoz]

I don't have access to charging at home or work. I also required a large (interior) due to being tall and spouse who is taller with extremely long legs. We went for a Bolt EUV. I normally use a free L2 charger about 2.5 km from work once a week and bus to and from there (or in warmer weather use my electric scooter) I also have dozens of 50KW dcfast chargers in the areas along my commute which is approximately 20KM each way. If I was willing to give myself a bit of range anxiety I could go 2 weeks between charges and still be fine. the Leaf would have been on my shortlist except for: 1) legroom 2) can't charge at home 3) lack of chademo chargers in the area where I live

[@TomOHern]

I am 6'1" and have zero problems fitting in my Leaf. I don't understand why people say it isn't good for tall people. Also, you said you "normally use a free L2 charger" for your Bolt, but wouldn't that also work for the Leaf? I also live in an area with 10x more CCS chargers, than chademo chargers, but that works fine for me since 99% of the time I can use L2 chargers.

[@dacoz]

@@TomOHern I'm 6'2" most of my height is in my torso. My wife is 6'5" most of her height is in her legs. And due to a previous knee injury has issues getting up from low chairs. I'm sure I wouldn't have an issue, it was more of a concern for my wife. (For example an '06 matrix's dash will lightly dig into her legs and she also has issues hoisting herself out of it. And a matrix is not a short car)

[@janx83]

We got a new Leaf 40kWh as our second car (beside a Model 3). It cost us just below 18000 Euro which is about 40% of the id.3 while having at least the same room. A real steel in my opinion. Of course the Chademo is outdated but there are still by far enough installed and we are charging it anyway at home. And it still drives great even though it surely doesn't feel as prefectly engineered as some other newer (and way more costly) competitors.

[@aneeshzutshi3419]

18000 new or used?

[@willpatton9529]

Go team Leaf 🍃, I love my 2015 Only problem I have is the lack of chargers in my area. North of Tampa Bay is a charging desert 🏜 I'm hopping more will come out .

[@robertjohnsontaylor3187]

I have a 62kw leaf and I charge it once per week overnight at home, from an ordinary 13amp socket [UK]

[@DutchBatNL]

Soooo WELL spoken! Thank you for this REAL world view on EV's

[@transportevolved]

Our pleasure!

[@peterjamesroberts-thejolly2860]

Yes and anyone interested I’m selling my Jolly EV 2016 Leaf with 60000 miles. Well hopefully MG are buying it in part ex for what the Leaf now should be a 2023 MG4 Trophy same Grey colours and size but 250 real world miles.

[@D0li0]

Really great video to kick off the new year... Super fun and happy, great jokes...

[@toyotaprius79]

I just wished Nissan bothered to make a car a segment below the LEAF like the Note. The closest thing to that is a Note with an e-Power drivetrain (only in Japan, imported second hand to RHD markets). In western/European markets, you'll have to pony up to larger, upmarket cars/crossovers like the Qashqai or Rogue that now come with an e-Power powerplant 6 years after Japan. There's a lot left wanting by Nissan - and it's not just active cooling, delayed vehicle to grid, but a more steadfast dedication to electrification. Maybe a rebadged Renault Zoe? 🤷‍♀️😬