The Downside Of EV Life

"Joe6pack" (joe6pack) 03/27/2015 at 20:43 • Filed to: None

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Recently, I wrote an article on some of the features of EVs that actually make them better than conventional gasoline powered cars. I also promised a firsthand article on some of the drawbacks of EV life. Well, I was reminded of that promise just this week when I encountered one of those drawbacks. With that, here are some of the minor annoyances I have encountered during my two and half years of daily driving an EV.

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You Must Charge an EV Daily: One of the first drawbacks to driving an EV daily is that you must charge it daily. I was reminded of this when on Tuesday evening I forgot to plug in the Leaf. Getting out of the car with two kids plus their assorted necessities crap will do that. I discovered this failure at 4:45 a.m. as I raised the door to the garage to head for the gym. At that point, all I could do was plug in the Leaf, set it charging, and walk to the gym (it's not really that far and the weather was mild). Which brings me to the next drawback:

EVs take a long time to charge: Today's EVs in general take a long time to charge - typically on the order of hours. I have a first gen Leaf with the slow 3.3 kW charger. It takes around 6 hours to charge from 0 to 100%. Even though the leaf was only about 75% depleted, this still equated to about 4 hours of charging. While my Leaf does have CHAdeMO fast charger capability which would allow it to charge to 80% in 30 minutes, this is only available from a dealer and the nearest dealer is about 12 miles away. So, this brings me to my next drawback:

You must have a backup plan: Note that I did not say that you must have another car, although that is an option. Many things will work – public transportation, a cab, Uber, s spouse, a neighbor, an ex-girlfriend, a current girlfriend or being ambulatory among others. I am fortunate to have a couple of backup vehicles. Even though the Leaf was probably 80% charged by the time I got back from the gym, showered and was ready to go, I chose to take the Fiat. Had I discovered my failure at 7:00 a.m., when I leave the house on non-gym days, I wouldn't have really had a choice in the matter.

Limited Range: All of today's electric cars have some sort of range limitation. In complete fairness, all cars have a range limitation. But, as noted before, it takes a significant amount of time to restore the range of an EV once it is depleted. This means that you must plan. If you aren't the planning type, then perhaps an EV isn't for you. Knowing and understanding the range limitations and more importantly understanding the conditions that will exacerbate limited range will go a long way to having a happy EV life.

Range Anxiety: Ok, this is not the same thing as Range above. Range anxiety is the fear that your EV will leave you stranded on the side of the road at 3 a.m., in the rain where you will be hacked to death by a serial killer in a white van and then eaten by wild dingos. Range is a function of engineering and physics. Range Anxiety is a function of you watching too many episodes of Americas Most Wanted and poor planning skills as noted above. All kidding aside, this was one of the trepidations I had as I pondered whether or not an EV was right for me. As an engineer, I knew what the vehicle was capable of doing and that with proper planning and a margin of error, I should be ok. So far, so good. I have yet to be stranded and I have pushed my luck once or twice. This is one of those things you are either capable of dealing with or not.

High Speed Driving: This is simple physics. The faster you drive the more energy you use. This is universal for all vehicles. Channeling my inner James May - wind resistance or drag is the primary culprit and it is a function of the vehicles speed squared, the coefficient of drag of the vehicle and the frontal area of the vehicle along with the density of the air. Without getting too far into the weeds, suffice it to say that a doubling of speed quadruples the drag. If you primarily commute on the interstate at 70+ mph, your range will be significantly reduced. The first 11 or so miles of my commute is on the interstate at around 70 mph and I generally have around 40-45 miles of range left when I exit the interstate. My commute home takes a different route which avoids the interstate, so no worries there.

Cold Weather Operation: I leased my Leaf in October of 2012 and soon after, I became acquainted with the Leaf 1.0 resistance heater. The resistance heater on these early models uses an appalling amount of power – power you need for driving. I estimate that my range went from a comfortable 73 miles in temperate weather to about 50 miles in extreme cold if I ran the heat at say 72 degrees Fahrenheit. This was when the car was new which is important as I will explain later. Newer Leafs have an available heat pump which if it is anything like the air conditioning should be far more efficient. One annoying thing that I haven't managed to mitigate is that apparently there are openings in the front of the Leaf that allow (cold) air into the cabin while driving and they cannot be closed off.

Inconsistent Braking: This may be a Leaf specific thing, but because the level of regeneration changes based on temperature, battery state of charge and perhaps some other criteria, the braking can be inconsistent. Sometimes, it honestly feels downright dangerous. Braking is one area where you should know what to expect. This is something that I hope Nissan can address in Leaf 2.0.

Software Changes: It seems that every time I take my car in for service (which Nissan requires every 7,500 miles), they change something in the software. Most recently and devastatingly, they changed the amount of regeneration the car has in extreme cold conditions. Basically, less energy is being recaptured when the battery is cold. This is supposed to be better for the battery. That's all fine and good, but I leased the car and its probably going back in October, so I sort of don't care. Couple this with the poor performance of the resistance heater and now my range has dropped even more. And, this brings me to the final drawback.

Capacity Loss: I have had my Leaf for two and a half years and 27,500 miles. Thus far I have lost one capacity bar. Basically, all Leafs start out with 12 capacity bars representing the battery's state of charge. Think of the capacity bar as a fuel gage for the battery. Apparently, the first capacity bar represents 15% of the battery with the remaining bars representing 6.5% (head nod Roadtripper). This may not be exact as I understand there may be some conservatism built in to just how much of the 24 KWh battery is available for use and there may be some reserve. But, suffice it to say, I have lost some of my available energy storage and therefore, my range. Couple this with the resistance heater and Nissan reprogramming the car and my cold weather range is now well below 50 miles. I have managed thus far by pre-heating the cabin, using the heated steering wheel and seats, reducing the thermostat to the mid-sixties and using the recirculate function and driving slower on the interstate.

You'll notice that the last few negatives are all related to range or things that affect range. I think, now that we have had four years (and it really has only been four years) of EV early adoption the way forward is becoming clear. It is more range and faster charging. If those two parameters can be improved to the point that they are at least on par with typical internal combustion engined vehicles then I believe EVs can ultimately become the primary mode of personal automotive transportation. All of the major automobile companies seem to now be pointed in this direction and I think it is almost inevitable.

Despite all the negatives, I love my Leaf. I knew there would be compromises, but overall, it has been a good experience. When this one goes back in October, I will have a decision to make. Will my next car be another EV or will I go another direction. One thing I know for sure is that if I do choose to go the EV route again, I will have more choices and improved products from which to choose.

Leave any questions in the comments and I will be happy to answer them.

E. Julius > Joe6pack 03/27/2015 at 21:07

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Do you ever notice a reduction in range if you have a lot of people or cargo in the car?

dogisbadob > Joe6pack 03/27/2015 at 21:15

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Do you wait until it's low to charge, or do you charge it when there is still half left? In some batteries, charging it before it's almost empty can cause memory effect.

RedPir8Roberts > Joe6pack 03/27/2015 at 21:19

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Great writeup. Questions: Is it at all fun to drive? Do the ancillary electric devices like the radio, headlights, also draw power that take away from the range? I've always wondered why in an electric car, they don't have manual windows to save energy, but I guess that takes away from the sleek high tech look. At what point does Nissan recommend a new battery, after you've lost X number of bars? How much is said battery(ies)? Are there EV or Leaf specific maintenance that you have to do, that you don't in a car? Have you had people startled because they don't hear you coming?

f86sabre > Joe6pack 03/27/2015 at 21:26

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Great writeup. Sounds like you went into it with the right attitude and expectations. I would think that another negative would be cost. I was getting excited about this deal:

http://oppositelock.jalopnik.com/tempting-16932…

Until I confirmed that they wanted a $12k check and then we just get the credits on our taxes, which are not the same as $12k in cash.

I realize that these are basically mass produced prototypes for a new technology, but the cost is frequently prohibitive.

Joe6pack > E. Julius 03/27/2015 at 21:33

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Yes, like anything, extra load translates into reduced range and more sluggish behavior. Fortunately, its usually just me by myself.

Joe6pack > f86sabre 03/27/2015 at 21:43

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I written a little about this before. These are tax credits, so you must pay taxes to be able to take advantage of them. On a lease, the $7,500 tax credit can be taken by the dealer and the capitalized cost reduced accordingly. If you choose to buy, you can reduce your federal tax liability up to $7,500. However, this is only good for the tax year in which you buy the vehicle and if you don't have the full $7,500 in tax liability, then you only get a portion of the credit equal to your actual tax liability. In Georgia, we get another $5,000 tax credit for our state taxes. It can actually be carried over for up to five years. Yes, it isn't uncommon for the companies to include the incentives in their advertised deals even though not everyone is eligible.

E. Julius > Joe6pack 03/27/2015 at 21:47

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Thanks! Follow up question: how much of a difference then? Is a full car going to cut your range by 5%, or something closer to 25%?

Joe6pack > dogisbadob 03/27/2015 at 21:50

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Generally, I charge at night and I actually have the car programmed to be ready to go at a certain time in the morning. However, I will charge it anytime regardless of the state of charge.

The memory effect to which you refer is called hysteresis. The Leaf and most modern EVs use lithium-ion batteries and they don't suffer from hysteresis so much. I think Nickel-Metal Hydride (NiMH) and perhaps Nickel-Cadmium (NiCd) batteries do.

f86sabre > Joe6pack 03/27/2015 at 21:54

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I'm in GA, hi from Lilburn!, but it sounds like the BMW dealership requires a big check up front. I still think I might swing by tomorrow for a test drive and discussion.

Joe6pack > RedPir8Roberts 03/27/2015 at 22:01

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It actually isn't bad to drive. In regular drive mode, it is quite quick - especially off the line. It handles pretty well with a low center of gravity. However, it is heavy, front-wheel drive and isn't really set up for performance. The tires are definitely a weak point.

The car actually has two electrical systems. In addition to the 360 volt drive system, it has a 12 volt system just like a regular car. The 12 volt system runs the lights, power windows, radio, etc. In the scheme of things, rolling down a window pales in comparison to moving a 3,000 pound car off the line. Some Leafs (mine) also have a solar panel to charge the 12 volt system.

The batteries are warrantied for 96 months or 100,000 miles. However, in order to qualify for the warranty, you must lose 4 bars or 1/3 of the capacity. Clearly, at least for me, the car would be unusable with even a 3 bar loss. My understanding is that a new battery pack is around $5,000, but you must trade in your old battery.

The maintenance is actually less than a regular car. There are no oil changes or air filters. So far, all I have done is rotate the tires. Eventually, the car will need brakes and tires like any other.

RedPir8Roberts > Joe6pack 03/27/2015 at 22:10

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Thanks. The requirement that you lose 1/3 of battery power is a big downside; so is the $5,000 for a new one. They are probably able to reuse them, so I wonder if there is a non-factory approved way to revitalize them for less.

Joe6pack > E. Julius 03/27/2015 at 22:34

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I don't have a lot of experience with this one. When I have all the kids (4) + myself, I can definitely feel the extra weight. I haven't been in this situation enough to even have an empirical guess, though.

Joe6pack > f86sabre 03/27/2015 at 22:40

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I test drove an i3 at United BMW. It was ok, but I still think the Leaf is a better vehicle - more seating and just less weird. Also, BMW has some weird acquisition programs.

BJ > Joe6pack 03/27/2015 at 22:46

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Another drawback: you must have private parking such as a garage or driveway. If you live in a dense urban neighbourhood with only street parking, you can't charge your car at home.

For my family, this is probably the most significant disadvantage to an all-electric car.

thebigbossyboss > Joe6pack 03/27/2015 at 22:52

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If I remember correctly, you live in Jaw-Jaw right? What do you guys term as "extreme cold"? Here in Ottawa in February our average temp was only 1 F, and at one point down to an astounding -26F before the windchills. Is that the kind of cold you're talking about? How do you think that cold would affect it?

Also...filling up your car with gas in the snow and wind in -26F at 5am is the most miserable thing one can do....ask me how I know!

Joe6pack > thebigbossyboss 03/27/2015 at 22:57

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You are correct. This year has been more consistently cold than others. But, yes, you have a point. Anything below 40 degrees F seems to have a detrimental effect.

E. Julius > Joe6pack 03/28/2015 at 05:24

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Fair enough. Thanks anyways!

John Norris (AngryDrifter) > Joe6pack 03/28/2015 at 08:56

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" I think, now that we have had four years (and it really has only been four years) of EV early adoption the way forward is becoming clear. It is more range and faster charging. "

More range and faster charging? Who knew? Why didn't GM figure out that need with the EV1 back in the 90's? This is ground breaking stuff!

You early adopters and your 4 years (?) of experience have really turned this thing around. Of course not because of your enlightened experience, but because you paid the price and dealt with the shortfalls. I am appreciative of "early adopters" of flat panel TV's. Enough spent several thousand dollars per TV years ago that they are now far cheaper and far better. Of course we don't typically call them early adopters, more like big spenders. But EV buyers get tax subsidies from the rest of us so I guess big spenders isn't quite appropriate.

" When this one goes back in October, I will have a decision to make. Will my next car be another EV or will I go another direction ."

You mean it's not fait accompli? I have another term to add to the mix, besides Range Anxiety, Early Adopter Fatigue.

55_mercury > Joe6pack 04/02/2015 at 22:45

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I've owned my used 2011 volt for a year. Love it. First of all it's not a totally fugly looking car. Secondly it's the only car available with a backup engine. The i4 doesn't count really as it's engine only goes for 50 miles on the tank. It's fast, comfortable. And at the end of the day in over 20,000 mikes I've used less than 70 gallons of gas. It's cheap too. I changed the oil this last weekend: it only needs one about every 2 years but I wanted to do it anyway. It's cheap as a result. Anyway I love my experience with an EV and can't wait until the technology gets better.

Arch > Joe6pack 04/03/2015 at 00:13

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Thanks for the great read.

Roadtripper > Joe6pack 04/03/2015 at 00:43

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I own a LEAF too and spotted some small mistakes: The first gen LEAF only had a 3.3kW charger. The first capacity bar is 15% loss, each one after is 6.5%. Also supercharger is usually a Tesla thing, I think CHAdeMo is normally referred to as quickcharger or fastcharger, but now I'm just being pedantic.

Otherwise great write up and mirrors my experiences!

LeafDriverSteve > Joe6pack 04/03/2015 at 01:11

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All of this is true, but I thought I would point out that for those who commute a more average distance, say 20 miles a day, one does not have to charge everyday. I plug in twice a week. Plus, the issues of range variability, range decline, and range anxiety are non-issues for me..again, because I use the car for short in-town trips. I really like the Leaf, I am on my third one..with the $7500 Federal tax credit it made more sense to buy a new 2015 than to buy my 2013 off lease. Yes, there will be better EV's in the future— and better plug-in hybrids and we will all have better choices to tailor the car we select to our exact needs. In the interim, buying or leasing an EV is a vote for that future...it will only happen if there continues to be a market for that innovation.

Copperbottoms > Joe6pack 04/03/2015 at 03:37

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Eh, who cares about the dingos, you're already dead

KURKOS__DR > Joe6pack 04/03/2015 at 06:58

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Honestly, I can't imagine a scenario where the Leaf is a good choice.

It doesn't save you money like an LPG car does. My dad converted his car to LPG and started seeing savings after just 1,5 year. The Leaf will never produce savings (compared to a gasoline car), if you take into account the cost of purchase and cost of battery swaps.

It isn't luxurious and sporty like the Tesla Model S is.

This is what Nissan doesn't get. EV cars shouldn't sell economy. They should sell luxury and driving behavior (sportiness) to enthusiasts.

west-coaster > 55_mercury 04/03/2015 at 07:17

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Why shouldn't the i3 count?

There's no limit to how many times you can drive the 50 miles with the generator, as you can pull into a gas station and just buy more gas. Yes, that would be a hassle, but in a city setting (with gas stations everywhere), doable if there were some strange circumstance where you couldn't recharge for a couple of days. I'm thinking Joe6Pack would have been thrilled to be able to drive to the nearest station with his depleted battery and then be able to go 50 miles.

west-coaster > LeafDriverSteve 04/03/2015 at 07:36

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You bring up a good point. I think that at least as things stand now, anyone relying on an EV for their daily commute should be able to comfortably fit that commute (as well as side trips) into the car's worst-case-scenario range.

Before my wife decided on her Fiat 500e, she did a bit of math. The "fast way" to work involves some high-speed freeway driving and is 24 miles each way. But if she needs to do an errand or isn't in a hurry (or had to worry about range for some reason) she can take boulevard streets, shave six miles off the drive, and benefit from more range by operating at lower speeds. Doing that, she could probably do three round-trips on a charge. (Having year-round mild weather helps. In a year of having the car, the range hasn't varied much, seasonally. About 85 miles when she's boogieing on the freeway, and around 100 when using streets.)

If an EV owner is just barely able to do their round-trip commute on a full charge, they're kind of playing with fire. One overnight power failure and you're going to be making those "alternate arrangements."

west-coaster > Joe6pack 04/03/2015 at 07:45

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There's also one battery replacement scenario that doesn't seem to get talked about too much: a used battery from a salvaged car. (After all, a certain percentage of Leafs and other EVs are going to be totaled in front-end collisions, with the batteries remaining perfectly serviceable.)

A co-worker had a Prius and racked up nearly 200,000 miles in eight years due to a lengthy commute. When the battery started losing its life, his mechanic was able to source a battery from a Prius that had been totaled with only a relatively few miles on it. Don't remember the exact numbers, but it was about one-third the price of the new one from the Toyota dealer.

Misterfixit > Joe6pack 04/03/2015 at 08:28

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No question, I am just hoping if you go electric again we can get a follow up article in a few months to see how things have changed.

Alfisto > Joe6pack 04/03/2015 at 09:23

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There's a guy nearby that owns a Tesla. In this neck of the woods, if the power goes out for an hour, it'll be out for days, so no EV for me.

my car smells like crayons > Joe6pack 04/03/2015 at 09:29

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Cold Weather Operation

I'm curious of the amount of effect running the AC. Comparative to a gas-powered car, of course.

RandomScreenName > Joe6pack 04/03/2015 at 09:43

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Two words: Chevy Volt.

Kawaii-Gon Jinn > Joe6pack 04/03/2015 at 09:46

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considering an EV for our next car. i'm only 10 miles from work and I can take advantage of the 480 three-phase at my work and have a charger installed. charging in the day is more expensive, but I suppose it's easy to top off with 480.

are you charging with 110 at the house?

55_mercury > west-coaster 04/03/2015 at 09:47

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Because as you mentioned on gas the i3 will only go 50 miles at a time. With the Volt, once the battery depletes it will go 344 miles on gas. You allude to 50 miles not being a big deal. On a family vacation actually that is a big deal, having to stop literally every 45 minutes or so to fill up again. In other words the Volt makes not only an excellent everyday all-EV commuter car but also serves as a perfectly normal vacation vehicle too. Secondly- the Volt is the size of a typical mid-sized car with normal back seats. The i3 is a tiny car with back seats which I- as a small man- could barely fit in.

Lastly- the cost. I bought mine used for 19k, but if new, a Volt costs 34k. A i3 with the engine costs $15,000 more.

So in summary, there isn't anything available on the market like the volt other than the Volt.

west-coaster > 55_mercury 04/03/2015 at 10:23

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Valid points, but the Volt can't go nearly as far as the i3 on battery power alone.

For someone looking for a gas-free commute vehicle and they need to go farther than the Volt's 38 miles (supposedly), the BMW will do 72 (supposedly, and with the weight of the generator). The range extender is more for urban peace-of-mind, and I can't see anyone in their right mind wanting to take the thing on any kind of a trip.

BTW, I'm 6'6" and was able to sit in the i3's rear seat, albeit not stretched out, obviously. However, in the Volt's back seat, the roofline had me hunched over.

Different strokes for different folks.

55_mercury > west-coaster 04/03/2015 at 10:30

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I drive around 36 miles each way to work. I'd say on average I don't use any gas during the work week. So for a heavy urban commuter it basically serves the same all-EV experience as the i3. Here's the last thing and this of course is pretty opinionated... the i3 is an unbelievably ugly looking machine. I mean- somehow it wound up looking like a Pontiac Aztek. Sure- the Volt isn't breathtaking. And lastly- that price. $45k is a ton of money. Honestly I'm not sure why these are selling, especially given that Fiat is practically giving away their 500E, which is in my opinon a far better all-EV "Commutin' Machine" if all you do with a car is drive back and forth to work. If not the fact I already own 3 vehicles I would seriously consider a 500e.

Joe6pack > Roadtripper 04/03/2015 at 10:31

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I did not know that. Well, that means I am in worse shape than I thought. I will correct.

west-coaster > Kawaii-Gon Jinn 04/03/2015 at 10:59

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The 480-volt chargers are REALLY expensive compared to a 240. Also, there's debate among battery engineers as to how much or if the battery life is shortened by using them.

Since you're probably at work for several hours anyway, 240 (Level 2) would really be the way to go.

Kawaii-Gon Jinn > west-coaster 04/03/2015 at 11:12

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interesting. i'll check it out.

thejahbro > Joe6pack 04/03/2015 at 12:15

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I've had much better luck with my fiat ev! 90-100 miles range is very common in everyday mixed commuting,

Joe6pack > 55_mercury 04/03/2015 at 12:28

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I actually cross-shopped the Volt with the Leaf. At the time, GM wasn't offering any incentives. They had just ended the $199 per month lease at the end of September. The Georgia tax incentive (which is now gone) did not apply to the Volt either. Also, the Volt only had seating for four which was another drawback. In the end it really came down to price.

The new Volt, however, is looking mighty tempting. It now has seating for five and a longer EV range. And, of course, the gas engine for when you need it. I will be curious to see where it lands pricewise.

I test drove an I3 a few weeks ago and was not impressed. The dynamics reminded me of the Leaf. However, it only has seating for four and has far less cargo space. It is also quite expensive for what you get. The looks are really polarizing. I really think BMW missed with this one.

55_mercury > Joe6pack 04/03/2015 at 12:52

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I agree with your points. I tend to tell people to try and find a used Volt. There are a ton of these in Cali for a LOT less than new. Mine is a 2011 I bought last year with 29k on the clock, fully loaded with leather and stuff. 19k out the door. It was a 40k car originally.

For me the problem with the Leaf, i3, and fiat is they would be confined to be used strictly as commuter cars. You would have to have another backup if you did any traveling. For many that's not a problem but it also in some ways defeats the purpose. I wanted a car that could do both and the Volt- while a compromise- works well for me.

Lastly, dont think of these as being ... "Chevys". GM made a huge effort on this thing and its a really well-done product. I used to own a Prius and after having the Volt the Prius simply feels cheap.

mfennell > Joe6pack 04/03/2015 at 13:09

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Late Reply...

Capacity Loss is a Leaf problem. No thermal management for the battery pack and apparently a chemistry that's not particularly tolerant of high temps. If you lived in Arizona, you would be seeing even more loss.

Volt packs, with active heating and cooling, have fared incredibly well. At 3 years and about the same number of EV miles as you, I could not detect any range loss. I'm sure it was there (just the physics of it) but it was outside my ability to test for.

RW53104 > Joe6pack 04/03/2015 at 18:55

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It seems like a really easy fix to the "forget to plug it in" problem would be a feature in the remote app to warn you if it's not plugged in.

Roadtripper > Joe6pack 04/03/2015 at 21:51

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Ahh sorry my bad, it should have been 6.25% loss for each bar after the first. You guys have it lucky over there, here in Australia they're still selling off their first shipment of 2012 built LEAFs because they're such slow sellers! Less than 500 in 3 years is a depressing statistic and public charging infrastructure here is a joke. That being said I absolutely love my LEAF and hope that things will improve over time.

torque > 55_mercury 12/21/2016 at 00:12

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Great back & forth discussion @55_mercury & @west-coaster +@Joe6pack, on i3 vs. Volt (with a bit of “vs. Leaf” as well). Articulate, intelligent & polite!

torque > west-coaster 12/21/2016 at 00:17

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With Prius battery packs its supposed to be relatively straightforward to pull the whole pack out, test individual cells & replace just those bad cells.

I’m sure it may be possible to do this with a Leaf battery pack as well, I don’t know how easy a process it would be on the Nissan