For nearly eight years now, the first-generation
Nissan LEAF has been an affordable everyday
family car to hundreds of thousands of people
around the world.
First with a twenty-four kilowatt-hour battery
pack and more recently a thirty- kilowatt-hour
battery pack, current Nissan LEAFs can travel
an EPA-approved one hundred and seven miles
per charge in the U.S -- about one hundred
and seventy two kilometers -- and when specced
with a DC quick charge port, can refill their
on-board battery packs from empty to eighty
percent full in about thirty minutes from
a compatible DC quick charge station.
Yet as you’ll know if you’ve followed
electric vehicle development for any length
of time, the current generation LEAF is due
to be superseded this year by the next-generation
twenty eighteen Nissan LEAF.
Expected to have a longer-range at least double
that of the current LEAF and due to debut
with some semi-autonomous driving technology,
the next-generation LEAF will enter the marketplace
about the same time as the brand-new Tesla
Model 3 and as such, will need to sell for
a similar amount of money to both the Model
3 and the twenty seventeen Chevy Bolt EV.
And that means that Nissan is seriously discounting
the outgoing LEAF model, working with local
dealers and groups across the world to offer
some really low-priced lease deals and financing
plans.
In some places in the U.S. for example, that’s
brought down the cost of a new LEAF down to
thirteen thousand dollars after incentives
and group buy discounts.
But should you buy one?
Or should you hold out for the replacement?
I’ll tell you my opinion right next.
Hi there!
I’m Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield from Transport
Evolved, and today I’m talking Nissan LEAF
closeout discounts, some of which are bringing
down headline prices for Nissan’s five-seat
electric hatchback to well below that of a
comparable internal combustion vehicle.
Of course, the reason Nissan is working so
hard to offer the LEAF at such a discounted
rate is that it wants to clear out dealer
inventory of current generation LEAFs ahead
of the debut of the next-generation model
this September.
And admittedly, if you’re someone who wants
the latest and greatest, you’ll probably
want to hang around for the next-generation
LEAF.
But if you’re just getting into electric
cars, or you’re finding funds a little tight,
the outgoing LEAF could be the best deal you’ll
see all year.
That doesn't’ however answer the question
“should you buy one” -- and if I’m honest,
I don’t think anyone but you can answer
that question.
So instead, I’m going to give you some pointers
that should help you make your mind up.
First off, while Nissan is offering 24-months
of free public charging through its No Charge
to Charge program, if you’re considering
a current model year LEAF, you should ideally
have somewhere to park off street where you
can charge at night.
Yes, it’s possible to survive with just
public charging but if I’m honest, leaving
your house with a full battery every morning
is the best option, especially if you’re
going for a first-gen 30-kilowatt-hour LEAF
with a limited range.
Second, what are you intending to use the
car for?
If you’re someone who commutes less than
about 50 miles per day round trip, then the
LEAF is a perfect car for you, since fifty
miles is about half its usable range and gives
you plenty of range to do errands before or
after work.
If meanwhile, you’re using the car to drive
more than one hundred miles per day -- and
you don’t have the time to stop at DC quick
charging stations throughout the day -- you
probably would be better suited waiting for
the next-generation LEAF instead.
The next thing you need to think about is
how you feel about long-distance trips by
electric car.
The next-gen LEAF will certainly make trips
in excess of 100 miles easier and less stressful,
but if you happen to live in an area with
good rapid charging infrastructure (and by
that I either mean decent reliability or enough
redundancy that making a trip isn’t too
much of a planning nightmare) and you’re
not frustrated by the thought of stopping
every eighty to one hundred miles to refill
at a DC quick charging station, then you’ll
be just fine with the current generation LEAF.
Personally, I find I need a break every hundred
miles or so, to stopping to recharge has become
something of a no-brainer for me if I’m
honest.
If that thought fills you with dread, or you
can’t possibly find the time in your schedule
to recharge, you may want to wait for the
next-gen car.
If you’ve got this far into the video and
you’re thinking that the first-generation
LEAF doesn’t sound too bad, I’d agree.
It isn’t.
I’ve owned both a twenty eleven and my current
LEAF -- a twenty thirteen -- and in just over
seven years of Nissan LEAF ownership there
have been very few occasions where I’ve
felt frustrated about the LEAF -- and they
were early-adopter frustrations when the LEAF
was brand new and there were some ‘teething’
problems with the car’s telecommunications
system.
But now?
The LEAF is remarkably reliable and I should
note that if you buy a late model first-generation
LEAF, you’ll be getting a car which has
most certainly had all of its kinks worked
out over the last seven or more years.
That, versus a brand-new model which may or
may not have teething problems.
And since every new model has teething problems,
that’s something you should remember when
making your buying decision.
For what it’s worth, I don’t think I would
advocate buying an outgoing LEAF were it not
for decent discounts.
But if you can get a new twenty seventeen
LEAF for more than a third off list price,
it’s a deal that’s just too good to pass
unless you really do need a longer-distance
car.
Me?
I’m still driving my twenty thirteen LEAF
and yes, I’m hopeful about upgrading to
the next-generation LEAF at some point in
the future due to the amount of longer-distance
trips I tend to make up and down the I-5 corridor.
But the upgrade (at the moment at least) is
one which is an optional rather than an urgent
one, so I guess time will tell as to if I
do upgrade or not.
Have you just purchased a new first-generation
LEAF?
What did you pay for it?
And would you advise people to buy one too
or wait for the new LEAF?
And if you’re considering a new car, what
would be the price that would make you buy
an outgoing LEAF?
Leave your thoughts in the Comments below,
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I’ll be back tomorrow, but until then, thanks
for joining me, I’m Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield
and don’t forget to Keep Evolving!
