# Nissan Leaf fully electric vehicle



## JaxBeachDriver (Nov 27, 2014)

Once we sell our small RV, we plan to get a fully electric Nissan Leaf. It's something we have been thinking about for a while.

My husband suggested it world "slay" overhead costs (if I drive it for Uber) since there are no oil changes, no gas, etc. I know there will be other maintenance costs associated with the vehicle, but I'm wondering if anyone has any thoughts or advice.

I know one issue is the range (~100 miles per charge), and that will vary with passengers/weight/driving conditions. One pro is that I live in a community where there are a lot of short rides, and I think this could make the $3.20 rides worth it. Also, once the battery starts running low, I could always switch back to the vehicle I'm using now, since it's good for a few more years.


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## jason_womack (Nov 17, 2014)

Electric cars cost more to run than a gasoline car because of the cost of their battery. While an electric car costs $.05 per mile to run in electricity, the cost of the battery spread out through the life of the battery can go from about $.13 - $.35 depending on which electric car.

To run a car per mile at $4 a gallon that gets 33 mpg is $.12, with the price of gas going down the cost to run a gasoline car is about half of that.


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## LAuberX (Jun 3, 2014)

the Leaf has a 85 mile MAX range, and the battery is expected to last 8 years, Nissan will sell you a new battery for about $6,000.00 installed

I could never use a Leaf (or any electric car) as on a busy weekend day I have driven over 400 miles... if you drive less than 70/day it may work.

$6,000.00 battery at 8 years is quite a pill to swallow all at once ... it should make for some bargains on the used car market as they get to 6+ years old.

edit: I just checked ebay, the Leaf is already a bargain on the used market... MANY under $14k already. huge hit for a car that sold for almost $30,000.00


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## Sly (Aug 30, 2014)

LAuberX said:


> the Leaf has a 85 mile MAX range, and the battery is expected to last 8 years, Nissan will sell you a new battery for about $6,000.00 installed
> 
> I could never use a Leaf (or any electric car) as on a busy weekend day I have driven over 400 miles... if you drive less than 70/day it may work.
> 
> $6,000.00 battery at 8 years is quite a pill to swallow all at once ... it should make for some bargains on the used car market as they get to 6+ years old.


battery last 8 years based on how much mileage you drive? I think they estimate it at like 12,000 miles per year.


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## DriversOfTheWorldUnite (Nov 11, 2014)

I bet you can pay for the battery and then some by putting away half of whatever you would have paid in gas every month.


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## Yuri Lygotme (Jul 27, 2014)

You would have none of these problems with a Tesla S....


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## Jay2dresq (Oct 1, 2014)

Range on a BEV is still a bit short for our type of usage. I would not feel comfortable doing it. A PHEV such as a C-Max or a plug in Prius is more practical.


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## JaxBeachDriver (Nov 27, 2014)

LAuberX said:


> the Leaf has a 85 mile MAX range, and the battery is expected to last 8 years, Nissan will sell you a new battery for about $6,000.00 installed
> 
> I could never use a Leaf (or any electric car) as on a busy weekend day I have driven over 400 miles... if you drive less than 70/day it may work.
> 
> ...


Yeah, $14k is the price range I'm looking in.


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## JaxBeachDriver (Nov 27, 2014)

Sly said:


> battery last 8 years based on how much mileage you drive? I think they estimate it at like 12,000 miles per year.


I've put 100k on this car in 4 years, but that's with commuting from Jax Beach to Gainesville and some other big trips that obviously wouldn't be possible in a Leaf. I imagine it would be challenging to put a lot of miles on it.


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## Jay2dresq (Oct 1, 2014)

I say, look at it this way. A BEV like a leaf is not well suited for our uses at this time, unless you have lots of charging stations scattered around your town, and you are plugged in while waiting for a ping. Even then, its risky. So you do a few short runs, then someone gets in your car, and says "I want to go to Daytona". No way that Leaf will make that trip, and if by some miracle it does, you're stuck in Daytona charging for hours to get home. A PHEV is a better choice. Do your short electric runs when you can, but you're never caught with a dead battery because PHEV's have gasoline motors as well, and function as regular hybrids once the plug in charge is depleted.


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## as1989LDN (Aug 16, 2014)

How about a range extended electric car like the Chevy volt?


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## Sly (Aug 30, 2014)

as1989LDN said:


> How about a range extended electric car like the Chevy volt?


I do up to 500 miles per day. No Electric car can do that.
Hybrids require battery replacement every 80,000 miles or so costing 6k or more.
Old tech is cheaper.
Stick shift, if clutch goes out costs $600, on an automatic costs over 2k.


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## Jay2dresq (Oct 1, 2014)

as1989LDN said:


> How about a range extended electric car like the Chevy volt?


The Volt only has seatbelts for a driver and 3 passengers. It technically doesn't qualify for Uber, but I do understand that some have got through. I think its just a matter of time before Uber decides that the Volt is not approved.


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## Jay2dresq (Oct 1, 2014)

Sly said:


> I do up to 500 miles per day. No Electric car can do that.
> Hybrids require battery replacement every 80,000 miles or so costing 6k or more.
> Old tech is cheaper.
> Stick shift, if clutch goes out costs $600, on an automatic costs over 2k.


Hybrids require new batteries every 80,000 miles? Only if you drive a Honda hybrid. Toyota, Ford, Hyundai and Kia hybrids have proven very durable. It is expected that the battery packs in most hybrids will outlast the vehicles they're installed in. There are numerous Ford Escape Hybrids in taxi service with over 300,000 miles on the original battery packs, and there's a 2008 Escape Hybrid owned by a security company that has over 500,000 miles on the original pack.


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## DjTim (Oct 18, 2014)

Jay2dresq said:


> Hybrids require new batteries every 80,000 miles? Only if you drive a Honda hybrid. Toyota, Ford, Hyundai and Kia hybrids have proven very durable. It is expected that the battery packs in most hybrids will outlast the vehicles they're installed in. There are numerous Ford Escape Hybrids in taxi service with over 300,000 miles on the original battery packs, and there's a 2008 Escape Hybrid owned by a security company that has over 500,000 miles on the original pack.


I think that the first and 2nd gen Hybrids had battery issues, but anything from the last 2 years have been rock solid. That's why I was thinking of doing either the C-Max or Fusion hybrid.


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## Jay2dresq (Oct 1, 2014)

The C-Max and Fusion hybrids are both excellent choices. A friend of mine traded in his Lexus on a Fusion hybrid after riding in my Escape Hybrid, and he loves it.


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## Casuale Haberdasher (Dec 7, 2014)

JaxBeachDriver said:


> I've put 100k on this car in 4 years, but that's with commuting from Jax Beach to Gainesville and some other big trips that obviously wouldn't be possible in a Leaf. I imagine it would be challenging
> 
> POST # 9 / JAXBCHGAL: I hope you do some
> research on the EDMUNDS forums to help
> with your decision.


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## Older Chauffeur (Oct 16, 2014)

I'm on my third Prius, the current (pun intended) one being a plugin. I put 70k miles on the first one, 63k on the second, and now have 29k on this one. They have all been excellent in terms of economy of operation, low cost maintenance, etc. I have read about a taxi company in Canada running upwards of 300k on the original battery packs in a fleet of Prius. There was a member of the PriusChat forum who put around 450k - 500k on his Prius' original battery pack before trading for a new wagon version called the Five. He was an IC working as a medical courier in Florida. The point of all this is that, IMHO, a Prius would probably make an excellent choice for Ubering. I wouldn't worry about the battery pack. In the event you needed to replace it, they are available in dismantlers' yards, or possibly it wouldn't require replacing the whole pack, but rather just some modules. Tech alert: I may not have the terminology right; I remember a Toyota engineer explaining it when all the scare mongering was going on when they first came out.
Granted, I was not driving mine under taxi use conditions, but the first two averaged 54 mpg each, and the plugin gets 78, with 58/42 % gas hybrid to electric. It costs me about 40 cents for a full charge, which takes me 12 to 13 miles in town. That wouldn't go far in Uber use, but the lithium ion battery in the plugin aids in the overall mileage , as it stores more of the regen as you drive. That 42% of all electric driving covers just about all my in town errands, shopping, etc, which was the main reason for buying it. Coming up on three years in March, without a single issue.


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## Orlando_Driver (Jul 14, 2014)

Sly said:


> I do up to 500 miles per day. No Electric car can do that.
> Hybrids require battery replacement every 80,000 miles or so costing 6k or more.
> Old tech is cheaper.
> Stick shift, if clutch goes out costs $600, on an automatic costs over 2k.


LMAO !! Another great post !!


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## UberBlackPr1nce (Dec 28, 2014)

I own and operate a nissan leaf for uber. If you want any specific advice from someone who actually has one and knows talk to me. Everyone else is just speculating.


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## UberLuxbod (Sep 2, 2014)

Sly said:


> I do up to 500 miles per day. No Electric car can do that.
> Hybrids require battery replacement every 80,000 miles or so costing 6k or more.
> Old tech is cheaper.
> Stick shift, if clutch goes out costs $600, on an automatic costs over 2k.


You are factually incorrect.

I have not heard of a single Hybrid needing a new battery at 80k miles.

In fact I have not heard of many needing a new battery pack in 300k miles.

The only exception was the very early 1998/9 Prius Mk1 (Japanese market version) that could have problems mainly due to the battery totally discharging due to lack of use/being shunted about when in the Japanese Auction system and then sitting for weeks unused on the boat to the UK.

Apart from that Hybrids have been shown to prove people with your viewpoint to be wrong.

As far as driving a manual vehicle for work?

Maybe 20yrs ago or if you only drive on Motorways/Highways with little or no use round congested city streets a manual could be considered acceptable.

An auto reduces driver fatigue and also wear and tear on the drivetrain.

The only negative is slightly higher fuel consumption on some vehicles, though on some vehicles with the latest double clutch boxes the economy and performance can be very slightly better.

If i had no choice but to use a manual for a while I would but it would only be until I could change to an auto.


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## UberLuxbod (Sep 2, 2014)

UberBlackPr1nce said:


> I own and operate a nissan leaf for uber. If you want any specific advice from someone who actually has one and knows talk to me. Everyone else is just speculating.


What kind of range are you getting?

Do you have access to a charging point during you working day?

A Co in London has a fleet of Leafs. (E Connect i think) and another (Thriev) has a fleet of the Chinese made BYD Electric car and seem to be having few issues.

There are also a couple of companies with the Tesla S, one is called Chauffeur Green.

Like it or not electric or hybrids are the future of this industry.

And I ignore the argument about electricity production causing pollution.

Yes it does but only because the same people moaning about that moaned about Nuclear Power so much they stopped building them.

These same people usually own an old car and live in a house powered by electricity. And say how it is better for the environment to drive about in some old smoker of a car with horrendous exhaust emissions and awful fuel consumption.

Probably wear hemp and eat lentils....


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## UberBlackPr1nce (Dec 28, 2014)

UberLuxbod said:


> What kind of range are you getting?
> 
> Do you have access to a charging point during you working day?
> 
> ...


Well my range is limited of courses due to electric only. So I drive 45 mins to downtown then charge. I only drive in a area with a charging network, which was free for months until now now they are starting to charge 3 cents every minute. Fully charged battery in 30 mins. 
I do airport runs and small runs. I have no overhead cost like gas, oil changes, etc. so what I get is complete profit. I had the electric car prior to joining uber. Uber just gives additional income. I dislike uber rating system. Can't complain about cheap fares because to me 5-6 bucks is all netted. No gas and no other misc expenses. But it's not for everyone because with range limitations it slows you down when you have to charge up every hour. A lot of different drawbacks.


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## Sydney Uber (Apr 15, 2014)

UberBlackPr1nce said:


> Well my range is limited of courses due to electric only. So I drive 45 mins to downtown then charge. I only drive in a area with a charging network, which was free for months until now now they are starting to charge 3 cents every minute. Fully charged battery in 30 mins.
> I do airport runs and small runs. I have no overhead cost like gas, oil changes, etc. so what I get is complete profit. I had the electric car prior to joining uber. Uber just gives additional income. I dislike uber rating system. Can't complain about cheap fares because to me 5-6 bucks is all netted. No gas and no other misc expenses. But it's not for everyone because with range limitations it slows you down when you have to charge up every hour. A lot of different drawbacks.


Its funny how costs can be glossed over.

The Leaf cant be a serious UberX car. Very part time.

80 miles = 90c

30mins of your time watching/ waiting for battery to charge.

What is your time worth?

That 90c / 30 min charge is losing you possibly $10-$15 of productive time/revenue.

A full time UberX driver may need 3 charges a day. The Leaf is not a commercial vehicle, it doesn't allow commercial returns, Yet.


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## UberBlackPr1nce (Dec 28, 2014)

Sydney Uber said:


> Its funny how costs can be glossed over.
> 
> The Leaf cant be a serious UberX car. Very part time.
> 
> ...


Who, in there right mind is using uber x as full time commercial work lol that is indeed laughable. I wouldn't recommend anyone to do this full time. I do part time in spare time. FYI I heard stories of people with gas cars waiting for hours before a Ping. Your going to wait with gas or no gas. Op asked if they should use the car for uber not make a career out of it ( I hope)


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## Sydney Uber (Apr 15, 2014)

UberBlackPr1nce said:


> Who, in there right mind is using uber x as full time commercial work lol that is indeed laughable. I wouldn't recommend anyone to do this full time. I do part time in spare time. FYI I heard stories of people with gas cars waiting for hours before a Ping. Your going to wait with gas or no gas. Op asked if they should use the car for uber not make a career out of it ( I hope)


There are plenty of UBERX being driven full-time.

Uber promotes that with its finance packages, promises of 90k p/a, and 400 hour monthly incentives in some cities.

Its not laughable, its what a lot of X drivers do.

Yes the Leaf would make a very good, very part-time Uberx car


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## JaxBeachDriver (Nov 27, 2014)

UberBlackPr1nce said:


> I own and operate a nissan leaf for uber. If you want any specific advice from someone who actually has one and knows talk to me. Everyone else is just speculating.


How long have you owned yours? What type of range do you get while Ubering?

I usually stay very close to home and do a lot of short runs. Even on a Saturday night, beeps/pings aren't constant and I have down time in between. I know there are still some maintenance costs associated with any car (tires, brakes, depreciation, etc), but I think it would be awesome to have no gas and no oil changes, which are a big chunk of expenses.


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## observer (Dec 11, 2014)

Jay2dresq said:


> Hybrids require new batteries every 80,000 miles? Only if you drive a Honda hybrid. Toyota, Ford, Hyundai and Kia hybrids have proven very durable. It is expected that the battery packs in most hybrids will outlast the vehicles they're installed in. There are numerous Ford Escape Hybrids in taxi service with over 300,000 miles on the original battery packs, and there's a 2008 Escape Hybrid owned by a security company that has over 500,000 miles on the original pack.


400K-500K miles on battery packs from prius cars, thats why they are so popular as taxis.


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## JaxBeachDriver (Nov 27, 2014)

Sydney Uber said:


> 80 miles = 90c
> 
> 30mins of your time watching/ waiting for battery to charge.


80 miles = 4 gallons of gas in my Pilot = $10 (@ $2.50/gallon) in gas alone!

90c versus $10!

I've never had back-to-back pings. There's always downtime in this market.

Besides, if it did work out that I got too busy to charge, I would return home and switch out cars. I don't commute to drive. I wait for pings from home, usually.


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## centralFLFuber (Nov 21, 2014)

JaxBeachDriver

I would NOT invest in a new vechicle for Uber...this company will go down in a ball of flames!

The insurance or lack thereof is going to kill it.

You can get deactivated at any moment on a whim...also rate cuts could again pop up WHY BOTHER???


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## UberBlackPr1nce (Dec 28, 2014)

JaxBeachDriver said:


> How long have you owned yours? What type of range do you get while Ubering?
> 
> I usually stay very close to home and do a lot of short runs. Even on a Saturday night, beeps/pings aren't constant and I have down time in between. I know there are still some maintenance costs associated with any car (tires, brakes, depreciation, etc), but I think it would be awesome to have no gas and no oil changes, which are a big chunk of expenses.


I had the leaf for 14 months. I did have to change tires once and rotate. But my commute to get to desired locations are 40 miles. If you're already in a good location that would lessen wear and tear. You can get a cheap leaf nowadays. Mine cost originally 27,000 but now you get one for 15,000 I heard. But once the vehicle is paid off you have 0 obligations and a good car. No engines no transmission to worry about or emission components.
You can make about 150 bucks in a decent area in about 8 hours with a good charge network. You will need a DC charger near by it can charge your car in 30 mins. Without a DC charger I do not recommend.


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## Older Chauffeur (Oct 16, 2014)

Like the old Packard ads said, "Ask the man who owns one."


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## JaxBeachDriver (Nov 27, 2014)

centralFLFuber said:


> JaxBeachDriver
> 
> I would NOT invest in a new vechicle for Uber...this company will go down in a ball of flames!
> 
> ...


I've wanted a Leaf for a long time. We've got our eye on a preowned one... Just need to get this damn RV sold.


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## Sydney Uber (Apr 15, 2014)

JaxBeachDriver said:


> 80 miles = 4 gallons of gas in my Pilot = $10 (@ $2.50/gallon) in gas alone!
> 
> 90c versus $10!
> 
> ...


Here in Australia we have "Murphy's law", when you least want something to happen it will happen.

I can imagine a Leaf owner stopping for the 2nd time in the day, hooking up to the charge point then the pings start rolling in!

How much anxiety would you have after about 65 miles wondering if the next ping will take you 7.5miles in the wrong direction, but still have 7.5 miles range ti get to a charge point? Or some such scenario.

Luv to see the range after a Leaf has just had three, 300lb passengers for a 3 mile trip to Burger King drive thru and back.

Without knowing where you will be taken by the next passenger its near impossible to plan your recharges


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## JaxBeachDriver (Nov 27, 2014)

Sydney Uber said:


> Here in Australia we have "Murphy's law", when you least want something to happen it will happen.
> 
> I can imagine a Leaf owner stopping for the 2nd time in the day, hooking up to the charge point then the pings start rolling in!
> 
> ...


Again, the pings are never continuous here, and I work close to home, so I can switch vehicles while charging if range gets low.


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## Sydney Uber (Apr 15, 2014)

JaxBeachDriver said:


> Again, the pings are never continuous here, and I work close to home, so I can switch vehicles while charging if range gets low.


The first company that set up charge points went broke here in Sydney. The second isnt extending the network any further, and no longer supplies 3 Phase units for the house.

I do believe there needs to be positive bias in regards to government subsidies to assist the growth of the charge point network. Without more EVs out there, development won't be quick, funding always is quicker with commercial success. Our planet may be subjected to more emissions than it needs to, if EVs and other new technologies aren't given a push by positive government policy


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## UberLuxbod (Sep 2, 2014)

As I have said before there are several Private Hire Operators in London with EV fleets.

One has the Leaf, another the BYD monstrosity and two others have Teslas.


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## Sydney Uber (Apr 15, 2014)

UberLuxbod said:


> As I have said before there are several Private Hire Operators in London with EV fleets.
> 
> One has the Leaf, another the BYD monstrosity and two others have Teslas.


Tesla could work, its a great car had a drive and ride in one. I can't wait for the Tesla X, a people-mover /SUV model.

Then there is the way out E Limousine 
http://www.nanoflowcell.com/en - WOW!

Here in Sydney we have gotta have range. 200-450km shifts are average.


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## UberBlackPr1nce (Dec 28, 2014)

2017 nissan leaf coming out with the next gen leaf. Range will be 200 plus. They already have the technology to do now but the 1st gen leaf is in a 5 year cycle.


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## UberLuxbod (Sep 2, 2014)

There is a full EV version of the NV200 MPV, based on a van it may not be as comfortable as a car but it should stand up to a lot of abuse for the same reason.


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