About buying and maintaining used EVs
Discussion
Just watched a Jonathan Porterfield Video about a Zoe ZE50 motor failure and he recommended this site, and in particular, this page:
https://evclinic.eu/2024/11/03/which-used-ev-to-bu...
Lots of 'nitty gritty' details about a lot of the popular EVs.
https://evclinic.eu/2024/11/03/which-used-ev-to-bu...
Lots of 'nitty gritty' details about a lot of the popular EVs.
Indeed, but they appear to be really, really far too harsh on the Nissan Leaf. It was a very early EV, and they're right to point out that the battery is not the equal of more recent cars - and nor should it be, it's an old design and has been comprehensively bettered, and is now obsolete. But they seem to dismiss the car out of hand, whilst I still see 2011 registered examples on the roads. Then they make this comment:
"Avoid this vehicle entirely due to the poor battery system, as it is unsustainable in the long term. The only suitable candidate would be someone who drives 5,000 km annually."
That's rubbish. I've been doing 10k miles a year in Leafs for 7 years and not had a single problem. Because the real point, and the advice they should be making, is that it's not a suitable EV for frequent fast charging and long journeys which would necessitate more than 2 fast charges in a day. If you mostly charge the car at up to 7kw off your domestic supply (or slow public chargers) and rarely use any fast chargers, the lack of thermal management is irrelevant. Saying you can only do 5,000km a year in one is fatuous and absurd.
"Avoid this vehicle entirely due to the poor battery system, as it is unsustainable in the long term. The only suitable candidate would be someone who drives 5,000 km annually."
That's rubbish. I've been doing 10k miles a year in Leafs for 7 years and not had a single problem. Because the real point, and the advice they should be making, is that it's not a suitable EV for frequent fast charging and long journeys which would necessitate more than 2 fast charges in a day. If you mostly charge the car at up to 7kw off your domestic supply (or slow public chargers) and rarely use any fast chargers, the lack of thermal management is irrelevant. Saying you can only do 5,000km a year in one is fatuous and absurd.
Skodillac said:
Indeed, but they appear to be really, really far too harsh on the Nissan Leaf. It was a very early EV, and they're right to point out that the battery is not the equal of more recent cars - and nor should it be, it's an old design and has been comprehensively bettered, and is now obsolete. But they seem to dismiss the car out of hand, whilst I still see 2011 registered examples on the roads. Then they make this comment:
"Avoid this vehicle entirely due to the poor battery system, as it is unsustainable in the long term. The only suitable candidate would be someone who drives 5,000 km annually."
That's rubbish. I've been doing 10k miles a year in Leafs for 7 years and not had a single problem. Because the real point, and the advice they should be making, is that it's not a suitable EV for frequent fast charging and long journeys which would necessitate more than 2 fast charges in a day. If you mostly charge the car at up to 7kw off your domestic supply (or slow public chargers) and rarely use any fast chargers, the lack of thermal management is irrelevant. Saying you can only do 5,000km a year in one is fatuous and absurd.
^ Couldn't agree more. Had mine for 80k miles and a decade (from new). Needed one wheel bearing outside of normal wear and tear. Still on original pads and discs. Battery still at 80% of original capacity and on Octopus Go represents near-zero fuel costs combined with extremely high levels of comfort."Avoid this vehicle entirely due to the poor battery system, as it is unsustainable in the long term. The only suitable candidate would be someone who drives 5,000 km annually."
That's rubbish. I've been doing 10k miles a year in Leafs for 7 years and not had a single problem. Because the real point, and the advice they should be making, is that it's not a suitable EV for frequent fast charging and long journeys which would necessitate more than 2 fast charges in a day. If you mostly charge the car at up to 7kw off your domestic supply (or slow public chargers) and rarely use any fast chargers, the lack of thermal management is irrelevant. Saying you can only do 5,000km a year in one is fatuous and absurd.
It's lovely to drive and if I hadn't recently had a need for a longer range I wouldn't be considering changing it.
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