Just test drove a Nissan Leaf (my first time EV experience)

[fanbanlo]

So I went for a test drive at a Nissan dealership near me and they brought out a 2005 Nissan Leaf SL (top model). Unlike Kia, Nissan actually had a few of the Leaf's at the lot and had one available for test drive. I have never driven an EV but I have test drove a regular Kia Soul.

There were a few things that turn me off once I set in the Leaf. First, the ugly GPS looks like 3rd party aftermarket unit with pretty bad glare from the sun 'cause it is angled slightly towards the top and it doesn't seem adjustable. Then there is a gear selector that is way too futuristic but it looks and works more like a toy joystick, and it's just not that much of a joy to use. I do not like the foot-operated emergency brake neither.

Their icon for ready-to-go on the dashboard is the same as the Kia Soul EV, i.e. a vehicle with horizontal double-arrows below. It's sort of ugly but I guess it's the standard? Since I have watched almost every Soul EV YouTube video reviews, I know the car is ready-to-go, so I tried shifting to R to back up from the parking but I couldn't figure out how, so I asked the salesperson sat next to me to shift for me. The rear view camera works fine, and the Leaf also features the surround-view camera, which I found rather useless. I couldn't hear any artificial noise while moving slowly around the parking lot from the cabin. Once I started driving away however, I thought it would be totally silent as advertised, but it wasn't. The motor whines was pretty noticeable and it is borderline annoying day-to-day. I am not sure if many would hear it, but my hearing is known to be quite sensitive.

Driving around the block, I really appreciate the almost-instant low-end torque. While it does not come on as responsive as some of the well-tuned V6's, but compare to I4's the low-end torque rushes to the tires much sooner. There was a slight lag but it was not too bad considering there were no actual gear shifting needed. The Leaf does handle like a car and while the big bumps could be felt, the small to mid bumps were soaked up quite well. The roof is higher than most regular sedan, and outward visibility is pretty good. I found the leg room for the driver to be slightly smaller than the Kia Soul, mostly because of the seat height is lower and less upright. I didn't find the regenerative braking to be anything weird or non-linear. Towards the end of the test drive, I switched from D to the B mode. With no throttle, the car slowed down to close to regular rolling speed. I don't think I would mind driving in the B mode as it does not brake aggressively once throttle is lifted.

The dash looked a little dated, and I couldn't find any EV-related screen on the infotainment unit. A/C worked well enough. The little info screen shows 3.3kW charges 2:30 to full and 6.6kW charges 2:00 to full. I'm not sure why they only differ by 30 minutes, but the battery was at ~80% full.

While I haven't test driven the Soul EV, I think I will like the Soul EV better because its size is more practical for small families, its design overall, and its tech toys are more modern and funky. If it can match the Leaf's power and handling with less whining noise from the motor, I will pick the Soul EV over the Leaf. I am still patiently waiting for the Kia Soul EV to arrive at the dealership...

 

[user 154]

The Soul EV is MUCH better than the Leaf. I just sold my 2011 Leaf after 4 years of ownership and am now leasing the Soul EV. The Leaf was fine for the time, but badly needs a refresh to keep up with the Soul EV.

 

[irfca]

Most BMW dealers that sell the i3 have them on the lot too ... you might want to give it a try, just to compare. It was the first EV I drove. It is rather pricey, but is surprisingly spacious. Although I only had a short test drive in it, about 1 year ago, it had a lot of nice little features and touches - I especially liked the windows dropping 1/2" when you close the door, so it closes easily without excessive force. At the time, I didnt' care for the 1-peddle drive (Kia "b" mode equivalent), but now that I have used it in the Kia, I very much like it for stop-and-go and speed bump negotiation.

 

[Freddie]

Here's a good review of the Leaf and Soul EV that came out April 7th, 2015

http://www.autoguide.com/car-comparisons/2015-kia-soul-ev-vs-2015-nissan-leaf

 

[GizmoEV]

The little info screen shows 3.3kW charges 2:30 to full and 6.6kW charges 2:00 to full. I'm not sure why they only differ by 30 minutes, but the battery was at ~80% full.

The end of charging has to slow down so as not to push the charge voltage too high. As the battery fills the charge rate drops. Eventually the 6.6kW charger will drop to 3.3kW. At that point on, the charge rate of the two chargers will be identical.

 

[fanbanlo]

The end of charging has to slow down so as not to push the charge voltage too high. As the battery fills the charge rate drops. Eventually the 6.6kW charger will drop to 3.3kW. At that point on, the charge rate of the two chargers will be identical.

Interesting fact! thanks. So 6.6kW does not really charge twice as fast as 3.3kW then. When does the 6.6kW usually drop to 3.3kW? Does it drop even lower near the end?

Would you say the clippercreek's estimation is correct? http://www.mykiasoulev.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=204#p937

 

[fanbanlo]

"4 seconds quicker from 0 to 100km/h than the Nissan Leaf"
http://bcove.me/5zrdytrz

 

[GizmoEV]

The end of charging has to slow down so as not to push the charge voltage too high. As the battery fills the charge rate drops. Eventually the 6.6kW charger will drop to 3.3kW. At that point on, the charge rate of the two chargers will be identical.

Interesting fact! thanks. So 6.6kW does not really charge twice as fast as 3.3kW then. When does the 6.6kW usually drop to 3.3kW? Does it drop even lower near the end?

6.6kW is only twice as fast as 3.3kW for the first 80-90% of the pack. I don't know the exact time it starts to taper because I don't have a Soul EV yet. I don't know when the 6.6kW drops to 3.3kW, besides, it not only depends on the particular battery chemistry but it also depends on age of the cells and the temperature of the pack. That is why most quick charging only goes to 80% SOC (State of Charge) because the charging has to start slowing down. I believe I read that the Soul EV charges to 83% SOC on quick charge so apparently its batteries can handle a higher charge rate than some other EVs.

I don't know how the Kia chargers have been programmed but charging typically drops quite low as the batteries approach 100% SOC. I'm sure Kia is smart enough to not actually charge the cells to 100% SOC but have labeled full at some lower amount to prolong the life of the batteries. IIRC, Tesla found with the original cells they used in the Roadster that charging to only 95% SOC resulted in a 20% increase in cell life! On my Gizmo, because I am using a lead-acid charger that can't be programmed properly, the charge tapers all the way down to about 15W and pulses on and off until it times out. I had to set the voltage just right so I didn't over charge my cells. The last hour of charging puts only about a mile of range in the pack so it is largely a waste of time. Then again, I'm usually asleep when it happens so I don't really care.

Would you say the clippercreek's estimation is correct? http://www.mykiasoulev.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=204#p937

They look about right. Note that the two different Leaf charging times show 7.5 hours for the 3.3kW model and 4 hours for the 6.6kW model. 7.5 hours isn't quite double 4 hours.

EDIT: check out http://evalbum.com/1328 if you want to see my Gizmo. There is more info on my blog.

 

[mtndrew1]

My Soul charges at the full 6.6 kW almost until the end. I haven't watched it like a hawk but I know it'll pull full amperage up until at least 95%. I once charged from 98% to 100% on a Chargepoint (for the InsideEVs range test) and the car was pulling the station's maximum 6.2 kW (208/30) right until it shut off.

 

[GizmoEV]

That is good to know. I know that the LiFePO4 cells in my Gizmo can be charged quite rapidly until nearly full. Other cell chemistries can't be charged to that high without the terminal voltage going too high. It sounds like Kia engineers did their homework and chose a better battery than the original Leaf batteries.

 

[irfca]

I did my first DC charge last weekend ... everything indicates the charger should have stopped at 80%, but mine continued from a 40% staring point on to 84% - I was a bit surprised, but I also wondered if it might be due to temperature (it was a cool, windy day) or "hidden capacity" of the battery.

 

[user 154]

Irfca, you might want to start a new thread for this. Mine seems to always QC to 83 or 84% on an nrgEVGo station. I have not tried others.

 

[fanbanlo]

source: https://www.facebook.com/groups/SoulEV/photos/