By Heather Chandler
I became the proud owner of an all electric Nissan LEAF in April, 2014. I have a level 2 (220 volt) charging station installed on the side of my house adjacent to the driveway, which means I can plug in when I get home each day and then leave the house with a fully charged car each morning. The charging station equipment and installation cost just over $1000. Here are some common questions I’m asked when people find out I drive an electric car.
What kind of range do you get?
When it’s fully charged, my 2014 Nissan LEAF gets an average range of 80-100 miles. The range varies based on a number of factors including the time of year and outside temperatures, how fast I’m driving (highway driving eats the charge faster, while city driving with lots of starts and stops recharges the battery) and whether I’m using heat or A/C. When it’s warm out, a fully charged battery can provide a range of 90-100 miles. And when it’s cold out and I’m using the heat, the range I get is closer to 65-70 miles.
How is it to drive in the winter?
I have factory-installed all season radials on my LEAF and the car and tires performed just fine last winter. This is significant considering that the winter of 2014 was one of the snowiest we’ve had in years.
You have gas for back-up though, right?
Nope. This baby is all electric.
Does it have much torque?
This is one of the things that surprises people the most about EVs. All-electric cars have a ton of pick up, like 0 to 60 in seconds. Because of this, I tend to drive in “eco” mode, which subdues some of the torque but preserves my battery.
Do you have a back-up car?
The Nissan LEAF is my only car. This won’t work for many people unless you live in the city or very close to where you work. But for me, it works out perfectly. I live 8 miles from my office, so my commute is very short.
What do you do when you take longer trips?
When I take longer trips, I either rent a car (I’ve done this twice for trips outside of Maine), or plan some extra time to charge en route to/from my destination. Two things make this very easy. First, the car comes equipped with a 110 volt charging cable that can plug the car into any household outlet to recharge. In addition, there is a network of public charging stations easily accessible through my PlugShare iPhone app or onboard map (my car is equipped with a dashboard screen that displays the closest charging stations). At most of these locations, there is no cost to charge your car. And when I do have to rent a car for longer trips, I figure the $1000/year I save on gas more than covers a few car rentals. It’s important to note that, although the public charging station infrastructure is growing all the time, it’s still fledgling and requires a sense of adventure and flexibility for some trips.
How long does it take to charge when you are on the road?
Most public charging stations offer a level 2 charger (what I have at home). And a full charge usually takes about 4 hours. However, it’s not common to need a full charge. So I plug in for an hour to top it off, grab a coffee and come back to a fully charged car. That said, there are a handful of level 3 chargers in Maine (currently in Portland, South Portland, Topsham and Bangor). These “super chargers” will provide a full charge in 20-30 minutes, coming very close to the experience of filling up at the pump.
How much do they cost to buy and maintain?
I lease my car, which makes a lot of sense as battery technology is changing quickly and range is expected to more than double in the next couple of years. When I leased in 2014 there was a special promotion offering monthly payments close to $200/month for base models after subtracting the federal tax credit of $7000 on the LEAF (which is taken off the sale price when you lease). And I’ve recently heard that used LEAFs—with a range similar to mine—can be purchased for around $14,000. Two more cost saving things to mention – there are no oil changes and very low maintenance costs. So the savings add up quickly. For example, the one year service on the LEAF at the dealer cost just $29.95 (it was well over $100 on my previous car).
How long do the batteries last?
The 2014 LEAF came with an 8 year, 100,000 mile warranty on the batteries. And the life expectancy on the batteries is ten years or more.
But what about the cost of the electricity?
Yes, there is some bump to my electric bill. But it’s a lot less than gas. My electricity bill went up $25-$35 a month when I added the charging station (higher end in the cold months and lower in the warm months). I used to pay $125-$150/month in gas. So once I subtract what I pay in electricity, I’m still saving over $100/month. The first year these savings covered the cost to install the charging station. But this year that is all savings. Hmm…now what to do with that extra $1000 a year?
