aja
EV Enthusiast
Posts: 34
LEAF OWNER?: Yes
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Post by aja on Nov 18, 2016 14:28:25 GMT 11
We jumped in the deep and bought a Leaf. It's an ex demo model, first registered in 2015 and we are it's first owners. It will be delivered to our home in Ballarat on Monday. We decided not to drive it from the dealer in Blackburn (Victoria) as we weren't too keen to do our maiden voyage on a 120 km uphill trip. So it will arrive on the back of a truck, just to be safe. There is no Leaf service centre in Ballarat, the nearest one is in Geelong, some 90 km down hill from here.
Before buying the Leaf I have read many many pages on this forum and others. The overwhelmingly positive experiences that I read have given us the confidence to go ahead despite Leafs being rare in regional areas. I don't know if there are any other Leaf owners in regional Victoria. If there are, then I'd like to learn from them. Particularly about range. You see, it is pretty hilly around Ballarat.
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Post by eburbsleaf on Nov 18, 2016 16:18:00 GMT 11
Congratulations aja - you won't be disappointed as I'm sure you've got your eyes wide open from reading us on here...!!
Im 4 years in and don't regret buying our red sparky - once you've gone electric (quiet / acceleration / home charging) its hard to consider going back to an engine ....
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Post by pharmadave on Nov 18, 2016 17:46:36 GMT 11
Congratulations Aja! Hope it brings you many years of quiet, efficient and trouble-free motoring.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Nov 18, 2016 18:59:42 GMT 11
What colour ?
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aja
EV Enthusiast
Posts: 34
LEAF OWNER?: Yes
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Post by aja on Nov 18, 2016 19:44:29 GMT 11
It's called cayenne red.
So far we have only spent half an hour test driving the car, but the moment we got in we were sold. It was an unbelievable experience, almost divine! Sitting the traffic lights without any sound and then the fast take off. Unbelievable.
I am very new to this technology but am inspired. We already have the grid connected PV panels on the roof (3kW) and battery in the garage (6kW) which covers all our annual electricity requirements. We draw from the grid in winter and supply to the grid in summer.
Next week the sparky will install the 15 amp power point in the garage. Then we look forward to more driving experience.
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Post by Phoebe on Nov 18, 2016 20:51:10 GMT 11
Well done, aja. I have 3kw solar panel and 6.4kw battery and in the summer I can completely charge my LEAF with that without the grid. In mid winter in bad weather I need about half from the grid - but that's still not much money - good luck!
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Post by Feng on Nov 18, 2016 22:23:19 GMT 11
Congrats on your purchase and welcome to the forum aja! Do you know about the EVSE that comes with your car only draws about 10A, even though it has a 15A plug? It's handy to get an adapter so you can charge with any regular 10A outlet.
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Post by jake on Nov 19, 2016 0:42:47 GMT 11
It's just as well you didn't try to drive it to Ballarat. It wouldn't have made it. Not travelling at the speed limit anyway. Uphill climbs really suck a lot of power. However living in a hilly area is no problem. While you will use more power than in a flat area, you always get some back in regen. I have tried the trip to Ballarat and didn't make it. The hill up to Ballan left me with 20 km range left. Had to turn back and charge at Point Cook. You will need to get the next generation of electric cars to make it to Ballarat from Melbourne. You will love the Leaf. It's such a great pleasure to drive.
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aja
EV Enthusiast
Posts: 34
LEAF OWNER?: Yes
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Post by aja on Nov 19, 2016 6:55:11 GMT 11
Thanks for the info Jake. It wouldn't have been been a positive experience to ruin our of juice on its first trip. In future, once we've gotten more confident about range issues, we will plan to trips to Melbourne and back. I don't expect it to be the usual 90 minutes using ice car, but a few hours longer due to recharging.
The First challenge will be to try to get to Geelong and back to visit the Nissan dealer there in the future. Unfortunately there are no charge points between Ballarat and Geelong. Not even caravan parks.
There is a Nissan dealer in Ballarat, but it is not listed as a Leaf centre. Do you guys think it is worth approaching them and see if they could service the Leaf? What are your experiences in this matter?
Chris
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Post by Phoebe on Nov 19, 2016 7:10:43 GMT 11
No, only dealers with specially trainer LEAF service people are allowed by Nissan to do the service.
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Post by jake on Nov 19, 2016 9:33:00 GMT 11
It's still worth asking as they may be able to get a Leaf specialist to go to Ballarat. There's really not much to do when a Leaf is serviced. Rotate tyres, change windscreen fluid, change air conditioner filter, check battery. The dealer will be able to do everything except the battery check without the Leaf specialist.
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Post by jake on Nov 19, 2016 9:42:54 GMT 11
About charging. I would recommend getting a 15 amp EVSE as you can charge one and a half times faster and allows you to keep the original in the boot. Alternatively if you don't need faster charging, get a cheap second EVSE (like a Volt EVSE) so you don't have to keep packing and unpacking everyday. You also won't need that 15 amp power point. The Volt EVSE has a 10 amp plug.
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Post by Phoebe on Nov 19, 2016 10:09:37 GMT 11
Nissan's reason for not allowing unauthorised dealers to work on the LEAF is that they won't know where the dangerous electricals are and may electrocute themselves. The authorised LEAF mechanics wear specially insulated gloves when working on the LEAF which are not available to other mechanics. I think Nissan are worried about insurance claims in being so strong on this decision.
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leafmedo
EV Enthusiast
Posts: 38
LEAF OWNER?: No
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Post by leafmedo on Nov 19, 2016 12:02:35 GMT 11
Almost a perfect choice for a car, if only a fast charger network is behind it to go far away from home.
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aja
EV Enthusiast
Posts: 34
LEAF OWNER?: Yes
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Post by aja on Nov 19, 2016 15:21:14 GMT 11
About charging. I would recommend getting a 15 amp EVSE as you can charge one and a half times faster and allows you to keep the original in the boot. Alternatively if you don't need faster charging, get a cheap second EVSE (like a Volt EVSE) so you don't have to keep packing and unpacking everyday. You also won't need that 15 amp power point. The Volt EVSE has a 10 amp plug. Where should I look for a 15 amp EVSE? The Volt EVSE sounds good. I will look into that. Would be nice to have something permanent on the wall.
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aja
EV Enthusiast
Posts: 34
LEAF OWNER?: Yes
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Post by aja on Nov 19, 2016 15:22:56 GMT 11
Well done, aja. I have 3kw solar panel and 6.4kw battery and in the summer I can completely charge my LEAF with that without the grid. In mid winter in bad weather I need about half from the grid - but that's still not much money - good luck! Hi Phoebe, I guess you hooked up your charge point to your battery system. Wouldn't that drain the entire battery?
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Post by Phoebe on Nov 19, 2016 15:43:29 GMT 11
aja, I am retired and I don't travel far, so I am able to pick a sunny day to charge, usually about 4 hours does it. I am getting over 18kwh solar power on a sunny day at the moment, about 2.5kw in the middle of the day. My LEAF draws 2.4kw, so takes all from the solar panels and a little from the battery. I just have a dedicated 15amp power point connected to my main circuit board, so it is like any other power point on my property, as far as using power is concerned. I use the portable EVSE in the boot of my LEAF to charge. On a bad weather day in the winter, charging my LEAF does drain my 6.4kw battery right down and uses some from the grid as well. The most I have used from the grid in one charge is 4.5kw. But then, of course I had to use some from the grid for domestic purposes too, because there was none left in the battery and there was not much sun to charge it up again.
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aja
EV Enthusiast
Posts: 34
LEAF OWNER?: Yes
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Post by aja on Nov 19, 2016 20:48:54 GMT 11
The wall mounted chargers are pretty expensive! What are their advantages over the standard portable charger that with the Leaf?
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Post by Phoebe on Nov 19, 2016 21:17:18 GMT 11
Since I don't have one, I don't really know but I believe they are supposed to be faster. In fact my LEAF never takes as long to charge as it says it will and since I am never in a hurry it doesn't matter for me anyway. Some people find it annoying getting out and putting away the portable one, but I find you develop a knack, it takes very little time, and it's not an issue for me at all. The cost of buying and installing one of the others put me right off and I'm very happy to stick with the portable one.
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Post by Feng on Nov 19, 2016 23:05:29 GMT 11
The one that comes with your car only draws 2.4kW and will take around eight hours for a full charge. The on-board charger can accept a maximum of 3.6kW so if you get a higher powered EVSE it'll do it in around six. Any EVSE over 15A will be overkill, but it mightn't hurt planning for the future if you can afford it.
Personally I use a Holden Volt EVSE. It's portable or wall-mountable and draws 10A but only needs a regular powerpoint. Only costs around $350 RRP but it's been a few years so I don't know if that's changed.
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Post by empowerrepower on Nov 19, 2016 23:27:32 GMT 11
The wall mounted chargers are pretty expensive! What are their advantages over the standard portable charger that with the Leaf? Hi Aja, Firstly, congrats. I bought my Holden Volt charger from my local Holden dealer for $350. It won't charge quite as fast as the more expensive wall mounted chargers, but no home charging option is particularly fast with a Leaf because of the on board charging being limited in what the car allows (public fast chargers are of course much faster to use). If you charge overnight, it will make very little practical difference. The Volt charger can be wall mounted easily, and I find it a lot quicker than taking the charging cord EVSE in and out of the boot each day. I've placed mine inside a plastic box to give it some weather protection in the carport. There is a good article about charging options here: electrichighway.net.au/ev-life/charging-your-ev/Attachments:
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Post by jake on Nov 20, 2016 0:37:39 GMT 11
I have Clipper Creek 16 amp EVSE and you will be able to find others on the web. I shipped mine from America. I often need to go out at night again after returning from work, so I need the faster charging at home. A little expensive but worth it for me. The Volt EVSE would be fine if you want to charge overnight. Although it has been less of a problem because I usually have to go into the city and there are 2 chargers at Fed Square.
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Post by Cachexian (Gordon) on Nov 20, 2016 7:06:49 GMT 11
I also have th Clipper Creek 16A EVSE wall-mounted at home. You order it with the Australian 15Aplug and pay by credit card. Pretty easy and a good price.
I keep the Holden volt EVSE in the boot for emergencies (since it has a standard plug and I could theoretically charge it from any person's house) and a 20m extension lead. The Nissan EVSE lives with the Jaycar adaptor at my in-law's house.
I've only had to do and emergency charge once and in that case, I went to a public charger in Chatswood. In retrospect I probably would have made it home.
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Post by Cachexian (Gordon) on Nov 20, 2016 7:08:23 GMT 11
By the way, don't plan to charge by extension lead. I find they get quite hot.
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leafmedo
EV Enthusiast
Posts: 38
LEAF OWNER?: No
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Post by leafmedo on Nov 20, 2016 9:13:10 GMT 11
I build myself an EVSE from a kit, with my modification of an input selector switch (10A or 15A). I keep it in my car and use it with Type 2 to Type 1 cable.
The power socket on the right allow me to get 3-phase or single phase power out of public EVSE. I'm going to use it with a portable Chademo DC charger in the future, like this
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Post by jacky on Nov 20, 2016 12:22:14 GMT 11
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aja
EV Enthusiast
Posts: 34
LEAF OWNER?: Yes
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Post by aja on Nov 20, 2016 16:03:17 GMT 11
Wow, thanks for all the info! At this stage I think I will look at the Volt charger which I will install permanently in our garage. I will also get a 15 amp adapter and keep it with the Leaf charger in the boot.
Next question if people don't mind. I know that probably we should get more experience with the Leaf before we are entitled to suffer "range anxiety", but nevertheless. We live in Ballarat and the nearest Leaf service centre is in Geelong, some 90 km south. The elevation between Geelong and our home is about 550m. So getting to the service centre should be no problem, but getting home may be. I could not find any caravan parks between the two locations, but I intend to make enquiries with the relevant councils to find out if there is a public power point somewhere. However, the question is, what does one do in the event of running out of juice?
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Post by EVangelist on Nov 20, 2016 19:13:36 GMT 11
Hi Aja - I suggest you use the Trip Planner on the Nissan Carwings website. I've found its estimates of the amount of charge you will use on a given trip to be quite accurate, and it takes the elevation profile of the trip into account. And the Plugshare app to see where public chargers or accessible powerpoints are located, to see if any suit.
I've never put myself in a position where there was a chance I would not make it back on a trip. If a return trip requires a charge, you need to plan ahead, to either charge at the destination (e.g. ask friends at the destination if they have an accessible powerpoint you can plug into), and use Plugshare to have a contingency plan.
If a trip does not look feasible, or too risky, then I take the ICE.
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Post by empowerrepower on Nov 20, 2016 19:56:31 GMT 11
As far as running out of juice goes, I've had a few close calls but never got to that point. If it did, I'd get towed home by Allianz or RACQ roadside assistance. I have heard that some RACQ locations have a generator on a trailer available, but not around here.
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Post by jacky on Nov 20, 2016 20:35:57 GMT 11
I drove from Caroline springs Nissan dealer with 100% charge to Big4 Ballarat. The distance is about 80-90 km. In the beginning, I thought it will be doable by traveling at the speed limit but I was wrong. My range dropped quickly and at the end I slowed down. I mean very slow, minimise power drew from the battery, and minimise regen. Don't use cruise control. I arrived with the GOM just turned to ---. If you drive slowly and very carefully, you will be able to go back to Ballarat. However, I think it will be more likely run out of juice for inexperienced owners.
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