One Year with the Nissan Leaf

I’ve been driving a 2015 Nissan Leaf for exactly one year now. Does it still live up to its hype? Is the honeymoon phase over? Do I see another electric vehicle in my future?

In the time that we’ve owned the car, we’ve saved a considerable amount of money on gasoline (approximately $2400, using my previous car – a Nissan Maxima, as the baseline). The average monthly electricity consumption from the Leaf is negligible, adding approximately $5.00 on our electric bill. In my experience, the Nissan Leaf has been an excellent commuting vehicle. The range is more than adequate for my driving needs (to and from work and running errands around town).

I charge our car everyday using our standard outlet. I’ve had no need for a special charging station. The only maintenance I’ve performed on our Nissan Leaf is checking and inflating the tires periodically. I still get roughly 100 miles on a full charge.

In my last article on the subject, I noted that Nissan Leaf vehicles were somewhat scarce in my area. Since that post, I’ve noticed more Leaf’s on the road. It’s an encouraging sign.

In short, one year later, my impressions of the Nissan Leaf are still positive. I’m now convinced that electric vehicles are here to stay, and look forward to seeing what the future brings to electric vehicles, in terms of improved range and updated technology.

-Krishna

Krishna October 16, 2015 2015 Nissan Leaf, electric vehicles, EV, Nissan LEAF, one year later