Last year, Nissan launched the new Leaf. Osher Günsberg told me he ran his LEAF for a full week between charges. No, I cried. It cannot be done, or can it?
Nissan, and most EV car makers, say we do not drive more than an average of 38km a day. It may feel like fossil fuels have given us the freedom to drive anywhere, any time, but few of is actually do.
Recharging is fairly cheap, and it can be charged from green sources such as solar, wind, wave, and hydro power. Coal and gas are on their way out, but is it too late? Nissan thinks not. Leaf is there for the long haul.
Unlike its oil-burning sisters, servicing is cheap too.
When you take your petrol car in for a service, it is consumed by engine tuning. Fluids are changed, leaks are fixed, and its tired and worn parts are fixed. LEAF has none of that.
What happens with a Nissan LEAF Service?
A service man connects a computer where errors are displayed. The tyres get a once over, and battery status is checked. And remember, the battery has an 8-year warranty. Unless there is something broken, that is that.
The service is quick, cheap, and inexpensive. The electric motor will last forever, almost.
Osher Günsberg says he runs his LEAF for a week. 1 Week Challenge?
Osher runs his leaf for a week without charging. I doubted it could be done. I would do my own test.
There are a few fast chargers near where I live, so I was happy to go as low as I needed. The issue for unit dwellers is the lack of access to a power outlet. The outlets that are available are usually body corporate fittings.
Did I mamange a week on a single charge?
I ran the LEAF for a week.
I did a mere 90km, which I put down to being more thoughtful about how and where I drove.
I started with 280 approximately. The weather co-operated, so I walked to local shops and used my granny trolly. I love fresh air, so I left air conditioning off when I took the car out.
Was there any highway driving?
The local freeways at 80kph saw a few short bursts.
How much charge was left?
Imagine my surprise when, at the end of the week, I pressed the start button only to find I had 2/3 of a charge left.
I wouldn’t want to run it right down because even at 50kw charging stations, it takes many, many, lattes to get a load on.
Conclusion:
Osher, I apologise. I should have taken you at your word. Take it from me, you can run a Nissan LEAF for a week on a single charge after all. You might even have charge left over.
If you’re game, you might even get a fortnight. LEAF has bi-directional charging and once local trials are complete, you will be able to be part of a smart network where your car will store power when it is cheap, and power your house at peak. That’s a really exciting advance in EV motoring. You car sits idle for 95% of the time otherwise.
2020 Nissan Leaf
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Summary
Osher, I apologise. I should have taken you at your word. Take it from me, you can run a Nissan LEAF for a week on a single charge after all. You might even have charge left over.
If you’re game, you might even get a fortnight. LEAF has bi-directional charging and once local trials are complete, you will be able to be part of a smart network where your car will store power when it is cheap, and power your house at peak. That’s a really exciting advance in EV motoring. You car sits idle for 95% of the time otherwise.
