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Old 11-21-2012, 11:46 PM   #1
shikataganai
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Default 2013 Nissan Leaf

http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/201...-more-or-less/

Time will tell whether these JDM changes make it in full to the (Smryna built?) USDM model. Key changes include: 10% more range, possibly by virtue of strengthened regenerative braking; optional leather upholstery and a Bose stereo; and, possibly most significantly, the substitution of a heat pump in place of a pure resistive heating element.

This last is important because the >1 coefficient of performance of a heat pump will halve or perhaps cut by two thirds heating loads and the resultant range loss.

In any case, the outside appearance isn't changed. Here's the outside, in case you've been living under a rock, as well as the new interior leather:





Other notable vehicles in terms of HVAC: The PHEV Prius prototypes (but not the production model) also employed a heat pump, and the Volvo C30 EV prototypes employ a small biodiesel burner for auxiliary heat, of all things. Finally, the series 200 Land Cruiser and its Lexus cousin boast of the following:

Quote:
Originally Posted by Toyota PR
In extreme cold situations, the Land Cruiser’s auxiliary Positive Temperature Coefficient (PTC) heater warms air instantly by passing it over an electrically heated ceramic element.
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Old 11-22-2012, 05:17 PM   #2
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I will hold off until the 2014 Outlander PHEV arrives to give that a try. I just dont want to spend that much on a car that I cant take on a road trip and have to constantly worry about being stranded. At least with a PHEV you have the benefit of an electric and the range of a hybrid when you need it.
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Old 11-22-2012, 09:32 PM   #3
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Mitsubishi's promotional video for that outlander is awful, but I like the outlander myself as well. Probably cost *pinky $1 million dollars!!!

Shika let us know when Nissan improves the warranty on their battery or at least the thermal management system
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Old 11-22-2012, 09:56 PM   #4
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I'm curious to see the Ford Ecoboost 1.0 liter 3 cylinder Fiesta then of course, the Cruze diesel. Some folks are reporting nearly 50 mpg in that new Fusion Hybrid too!

I like that the Leaf is improving, but it's still too many dollarbucks for my consideration.
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Old 11-22-2012, 10:21 PM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by plunk10 View Post
I'm curious to see the Ford Ecoboost 1.0 liter 3 cylinder Fiesta then of course, the Cruze diesel. Some folks are reporting nearly 50 mpg in that new Fusion Hybrid too!

I like that the Leaf is improving, but it's still too many dollarbucks for my consideration.
5 year TCO for a Leaf SL is $2k cheaper than for a Fiesta SES, assuming you make enough to have at least $7,500 in Federal tax liability against which the credit is applied.

http://www.edmunds.com/tco.html
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Old 11-22-2012, 10:21 PM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sxotty
Mitsubishi's promotional video for that outlander is awful, but I like the outlander myself as well. Probably cost *pinky $1 million dollars!!!

Shika let us know when Nissan improves the warranty on their battery or at least the thermal management system
I agree that was pretty cheesy add, but what do you expect from the frenchies.... Haha. I do like the workings of the car. As far as cost I can see it being somewhere near 35k-40k. Mitsu said it would remain competitively prized. Add on the tax insentives for EV vehicles and its not such a bad deal.

the idea of a 300 combined hp Outlander with S-AWC that gets 100mpg seems pretty tough to pass on even if it cost more than 40k. Oh and forgot to mention the clean diesel option they will have.
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Old 11-23-2012, 06:25 AM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by shikataganai View Post
5 year TCO for a Leaf SL is $2k cheaper than for a Fiesta SES, assuming you make enough to have at least $7,500 in Federal tax liability against which the credit is applied.

http://www.edmunds.com/tco.html
thank! I need to show this to my buddy who is convinced a $30K hybrid is somehow better for his wallet than having no car payments while getting 22mpg.
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Old 01-09-2013, 01:04 PM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by shikataganai View Post
Time will tell whether these JDM changes make it in full to the (Smryna built?) USDM model.
As one can see from the PR linked below, all of the JDM changes described in the OP made it over to the USDM model, plus we got 6.6 kW charging, too! (Japan relies much more heavily on DC quick charging, e.g. CHAdeMO, so Level 2 charging power isn't as relevant for them.)

2013 USDM Nissan LEAF press release



Changes:

- now built in Smyrna, TN rather than in Japan
- new, stripper S trim lacking much of the below
- 6.6 kW Level 2 charger
- heat pump!
- black leather and 17"s
- option of the previously-seen-on-Infinitis Around View Monitor
- marginally increased range via aero and regeneration, marginally increased cargo volume

Pricing TBD.
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Old 01-09-2013, 02:23 PM   #9
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Once range easily, reliably tops 100 miles, I'm in.
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Old 01-09-2013, 03:12 PM   #10
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heat pump?
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Old 01-09-2013, 07:22 PM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by plunk10 View Post
heat pump?
Essentially an air conditioner run in reverse. It absorbs heat from an outside source and transfers it to a heat sink.
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Old 01-09-2013, 07:58 PM   #12
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Originally Posted by Balantz View Post
Once range easily, reliably tops 100 miles, I'm in.
That's not happening with the current battery, and, for better or worse, manufacturers have de facto decided that an effective 75 mile range is sufficient. It's probably the right choice in terms of cost of the vehicle, getting the most units out there and in action, etc., but is still kind of annoying. Give me a choice of battery capacities a la Tesla, Nissan!

Quote:
Originally Posted by plunk10 View Post
heat pump?
Quote:
Originally Posted by skywaffles View Post
Essentially an air conditioner run in reverse. It absorbs heat from an outside source and transfers it to a heat sink.
Yup, it transfers heat rather than creating it.

As I mentioned in my original post, "[the heat pump] is important because the >1 coefficient of performance […] will halve or perhaps cut by two thirds heating loads and the resultant range loss." A COP of ~3 would imply that powering the heat pump with 1 kW will result in 3 kW of heat transferred from the outside of the car to its interior.

Given that heating loads are a major factor in reducing range on EVs this is kind of a big deal, actually. Heated seats and a heated steering wheel reduce the need for warm air, but there comes a point when those tricks cease to work.
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Old 01-09-2013, 09:42 PM   #13
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Looks like COP doesn't go down to 1 until -15C.

Source: http://sfbayleafs.org/news/2013/01/2...ct-highlights/

Last edited by shikataganai; 01-09-2013 at 09:49 PM.
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Old 01-14-2013, 11:32 PM   #14
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http://www.autoblog.com/2013/01/14/n...massive-price/

The base price of the Leaf dropped $6,400 to $28,800. You lose some content, as expected, and don't get the fancy new charger, but this puts the out-of-pocket cost of the car really close to $20K. That makes it a lot more compelling as a commuter car.
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Old 01-14-2013, 11:36 PM   #15
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yeah, the local CarMax has a 2012 for $24,000 and change. I think its around a $14K discount from MSRP
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Old 01-14-2013, 11:39 PM   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by plunk10 View Post
yeah, the local CarMax has a 2012 for $24,000 and change. I think its around a $14K discount from MSRP
The effective MSRP for a base 2012 would have been ~28K, so 24K for a used one is about right.
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Old 01-14-2013, 11:59 PM   #17
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Rootus View Post
The effective MSRP for a base 2012 would have been ~28K, so 24K for a used one is about right.
no no, this one is BRAND NEW Leaf SL for $24k.

Here's the link (if it works)
http://tinyurl.com/b2q86uw

MSRP 38,270
CarMax 24,108
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Old 01-15-2013, 12:05 AM   #18
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Ah, interesting. I didn't know CarMax did new car sales. I wonder if they're factoring the tax credit into the price. If not that's a pretty good deal.
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Old 06-26-2013, 10:44 AM   #19
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http://green.autoblog.com/2013/06/25...nge-better-pe/

Quote:
Nissan has sold tens of thousands of Leaf EVs around the world, but at least for the moment, only buyers in Japan will get to trick their electric vehicles out with the company's new Nismo Performance Package. The NPP's various modules will improve the aerodynamics, driving performance and even the energy efficiency of your Leaf, thanks to technology built up in Nissan's Nismo motorsports division.

The visual and aero changes include lightweight LMX6 aluminum wheels for around $450 each, as well as an add-on rear spoiler, front and rear bumpers and side skirts in the Aero Package (about $5,500 in fiberglass or $7,700 in wet carbon fiber). In addition, the $1,100 sports suspension kit incorporates reworked dampers and springs to improve handling while delivering a ride height that's lower by 30 millimeters.

The most interesting change, though, is the Sports Reset feature for roughly $1,400 US, which tunes the vehicle control module to both improve the driving characteristics that make it "possible to enjoy sports driving more" (according to Google Translate) and increase range. There are no official details on how many more miles can be tweaked out of the pack, but if any of these changes come to the US, this one would likely be the easiest to get people to sign up for.

For more JDM Leaf enhancements and pricing in yen, check out the translated Nismo release here.
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Old 06-26-2013, 01:08 PM   #20
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So for $1400 the Sports Reset feature will improve driving characteristics and increase range. At the same time. Right. Those are as mutually exclusive as you're going to get.

But a $7700 aero package, that sounds like a good deal.
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Old 06-26-2013, 03:32 PM   #21
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Come on, Nissan. Just extend the damn range.
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Old 06-26-2013, 03:48 PM   #22
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Snowphun View Post
So for $1400 the Sports Reset feature will improve driving characteristics and increase range. At the same time. Right. Those are as mutually exclusive as you're going to get.

But a $7700 aero package, that sounds like a good deal.
It is the fine print my freind.

the sports reset turns off the fan, AC, heater, radio, GPS, glove box light, all but one rear LED, both headlights, all interior lights, etc and diverts power to the motor...

It is all in the details...
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