Tesla Y long range and Nissan Leaf SV: a mini review after 3 years of ownership

 Intro to electric vehicles (EVs)
(updated in December 2023)

 

This may be a good time to switch from internal combustion engine (ICE) to electric vehicles (EVs) for a lot of people.

Good reasons to buy/own an EV:

• They can be super fun to drive. A Tesla can be as fast and handle as well as some super cars. The acceleration and cornering are a lot of fun.
  
• They are much cheaper to run, if you charge them at home (and your electric rates are not very high). In Seattle, it costs 2.5-3 cents per mile to run our EVs (10 cents per kWh). Our gas SUVs used to cost us about 20 cents per mile, when you include the fuel and regular maintenance. Please check your rates to get accurate numbers.
  
• They are super easy to operate. In our busy lives, even going to a gas station can be a chore. With an EV, pull into your garage and plug it in.
  
• There is no scheduled maintenance, ever. No oil changes, no tune-ups, no timing belts, etc. You will not even need brake pads, since the motors brake to recover the energy into the battery.
  
• They can be technologically advanced. You can pre-heat them or pre-cool them (even inside the garage) via the app. They can have very large screens, amazing cruise control and autopilots, etc. Our Leaf has some cool tech (Apple Play and adaptive cruise control), but our Tesla is a technological marvel.
  
• Some EVs are relatively affordable. Nissan Leaf, Tesla 3, and Tesla Y can be had for around $30-40K (with the rebates). A barely used Leaf can be had for $15-17K, which I think is the best value for a car on the market today.
  
• Single pedal driving. Once you get used to this, it's amazing.
  

Reasons people hesitate to buy/own an EV:

• Some people worry about battery fires. Statistics show that the overall rate of fires in EVs is lower than in gas cars. However, Chevy Bolt and Jaguar I-PACE seem to have a higher rate of battery fires than other EVs.
• Some people think that EVs go through tires more quickly. This is not true. Teslas will go through tires just as fast as any performance gas car, if they are driven like a performance car. Nothing special or weird about EVs.
• Some people have range anxiety. This is probably the biggest factor. However, if you buy the right kind of EV for your driving habits and understand its real range and charging spots, there is no need for range anxiety. It's also important to know that the range of EVs can be significantly affected by:
• Outside temperature extremes
  
• Incline (will your trip climb a mountain or go down a mountain?)
• Speed (see the graph below to see how huge the effect is)
  
• Use of AC and heater (a very small influence)
  
• Carrying items on the roof or towing (this can have a huge effect)
  

 

This graph from a peer-reviewed article shows the effect of speed on EV efficiency.
The range at 60 km/h (37 mph) is twice as much as at 120 km/h (75 mph).
(https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352484720301931)

Luckily, there are apps now, either integrated into the car or independent, that will take all these factors into account and very accurately calculate your car range, then recommend chargers where you should stop.

 

 

Our Tesla Y long range and Nissan Leaf SV

 

Mini review of Tesla Y Long Range

Pluses:

• Super responsive, fast, and fun to drive. At any speed or incline, the car will surprise you with acceleration. Passing and merging are super easy and predictable.
  
• Handles like a serious sports car. It has a stiff suspension, very low profile and grippy tires, and very low center of gravity. It will corner a lot better than I will ever allow myself, and it does not roll (sway) in the corners.
  
• Long range: ~300 miles under ideal conditions (55 mph at 70F); Our average consumption over the last 30K miles is 287 Wh/mile, giving us an average range of 260 miles per charge. On road trips, we plan to charge every 200 miles, which is 3 hours of driving (time for a break anyway).
  
• Easy to charge. You can use the 110V outlet in the garage. It adds 5 miles of range every hour. For faster charging, install a 220V outlet ($500-1000), which adds 35-40 miles of range per hour of charging. Superchargers on the road are even faster (20-80% charge in 15-20 min), but they cost a lot more than charging at home.
• Very comfortable. The inside is super comfy, better than any other car we have had. There is no engine noise, and wind/road noise are well-controlled. Considering the performance of this car, the ride is relatively smooth as well (but rough compared to a sedan like Camry).
  
• Lots of storage. There is no engine, transmission, or spare tire, so the car has 4 trunks: normal big trunk, two sub-trunks, and the front trunk (frunk). You can fit lots of landscaping material in the back and still put your groceries in the frunk on the same trip. Amazing.

 

The frunk is particularly useful: easy in/out when you are approaching the car and in the garage. You can use it for items that may leak, are very dirty, or smell bad.

• Super safe. Because of all the safety features and low center of gravity, this is one of the safest cars ever made. It was top rated for safety of all cars sold in Europe in 2022.

 

• Glass roof is incredible for enjoying the mountains, clouds, and birds.
  
• Autopilot is super reliable on the highways/freeways. Will maintain the lane and adjust the speed according to the road and traffic ahead. You just relax. You can upgrade to the Full Self Driving (FSD) autopilot, but it's still in beta testing and costs $15K.
  
• Large screen is great for a lot of things, including a large navigation map and lots of entertainment. You can transfer a destination via bluetooth from Google maps on your phone to the Tesla from anywhere in the house. You can watch Netflix or Youtube, as long as you have a signal. We were once stuck for 2 hrs waiting for a ferry, so we just reclined our seats and watched a movie. It was great.
  
• No keys! Your phone is the key. As soon as you approach the car, it unlocks, and when you leave the car, it locks itself. Super easy. As soon as it recognizes you, it changes all the settings for you (driving and safety modes, seat and mirror positions, audio input, lights, wipers...).
• Camp mode/dog mode! You can keep the inside temp of the car whatever you like. We camped two nights in our car, and both times the AC ran in the evening, then switched to heat overnight to maintain exactly 68F. The car used up ~8% of the battery in about 10 hrs. Not bad.
  
• Preconditioning. You can pre-cool or pre-heat the car (including the seats), and open/close the windows remotely, so the car is at the temp you like as soon as you enter. You can even do this in your garage, since there is no exhaust.
  
• The stereo system is amazing. It has 14 speakers, from woofers to tweeters, and creates a clean, rich, surround sound. We love it.
• No scheduled maintenance: This is a huge advantage over ICE cars, especially for busy professionals.
• Great forward visibility. You cannot see the hood, and you can see the road just a few feet in front of you.
  

Minuses:

• The only annoyance so far is that the car has very few buttons/knobs. You can change a few key things directly (volume, speed, inside temp, defrost, and a couple of others), but for everything else you have to use multiple touches on the screen. Yes, I have tried on a few occasions to use the voice commands, with results that made me not try them again.
  

A 3 year update (35,000 miles driven)

Pluses:

• Incredibly fast and responsive. I mean incredibly. This car puts a smile on your face every time you drive it.
• The autopilot (not FSD) is super useful. It makes it very easy and relaxing to drive on the freeways, regardless of the traffic. It's super reliable on the freeways, but on some highways (in sharp corners and some turn-off lanes) it's not perfect.
  
• Zero problems or maintenance of any kind (we hope this will be the case for many years). This is one of the best things about EVs.
  
• Smooth and quiet at high speed on the highway/freeway (the only noise comes from the tires, so the road surface is the main determinant of the noise).
  
• Lots of space (4 trunks), even for landscaping supplies, 2x4s, etc.
• Suitable for long road trips, but you have to plan your legs (it takes some time to get comfortable with it). The Tesla supercharger network is really amazing.
• We drove a few times in snowy/icy conditions, and the car performed as well as our (former) Xterra in 4x4 with off-road tires. Quite amazing.
  

Minuses:

• The lack of physical buttons is a chronic problem that will never go away (for me). The on-screen menu system is distracting, and it is potentially dangerous to change simple settings like fan speed. Tesla is trying different options on the screen, but it will never work as well as physical buttons. If there was a car with comparable features to Tesla but with physical buttons (like the Leaf), I would strongly consider it.
• The ride can be bumpy and loud when the road has sharp bumps. The suspension is made for excellent handling, so it's very stiff. The tires have a very low profile (.45) and are at a high pressure, so they do not provide much cushion. However, the car handles amazingly well in corners, making curvy mountain roads so much fun. This is a trade-off that I am very happy with.
• This is not unique to Tesla: lack of a spare tire and spare tire storage location. This is a new trend and it sucks. We bought a full-size spare tire, which is huge, and it sits in the trunk or behind one of the front seats. If a car maker does not provide a spare, they should at least provide a nice storage space for it. Tesla could have done that easily, as there are two trunks under the main trunk. Boo.
  
• This is not unique to Teslas: tires do not last as much as in normal sedans. With a high performance car, you have a choice: you can get grippy tires that don't last, or slippy tires that last. Tesla installed incredibly grippy tires (Goodyear F1). They lasted us 26,000 miles, but they literally never slip. Ever. Simply amazing. We replaced them with Pirelli P zero ELECTs, which are way better. Here is a mini review of them.
  
• The projected range is only useful if you drive at 50-55mph. If you drive faster, your range will drop (look at the graph above). The solution: simply turn off the range in miles and switch to % battery; then the projected battery % for a trip is extremely accurate, and you can plan your trips and charging locations very easily.

 

Mini review of Nissan Leaf SV

Pluses:

• Very comfortable: the seats are great, and the ride is better. The ride is as good as any car I have driven, and that includes Buicks and Lexuses.
• Relatively inexpensive: It is one of the least expensive EVs today.
  
• Good range: It can reliably go 145 miles at speeds up to 55mph. This model is not good for long road trips, but even large distances in the city are easy.
  
• All the controls are buttons and knobs, just like in the good old days. You never have to use the screen for anything. I really like this and would like it in my Tesla.
  
• Charging: It only takes 20 hrs to charge the car from 0-100% using a normal 110V outlet, then it has a 145 mile range. It can easily charge 100 miles overnight, which is good for most people. You can upgrade to a 220V charger, which is 4 times faster.
  
• No maintenance: This is a huge advantage over gasoline cars, especially for busy professionals.

Minuses:

• We have not found a single annoyance with this car yet, not even a minor one. It is simply a perfect car.

An almost 3 year update (15,000 miles driven):

Pluses:

• Still absolutely perfect: smooth, quiet, zero problems, same range (145 miles), comfortable, etc.
• Zero maintenance, and the original tires look almost new still. It's crazy you can drive a car for 3 years and just add the windshield washer fluid.
  
• Love the physical buttons for every control
• Love Apple CarPlay and do not use the built-in infotainment system for anything
• If you drive 45-55 mph, the Leaf is super accurate at predicting your range
  

 Minuses (none apply to us):

• The range is 145 miles. If you need a longer range, you can get the + models, with 215 miles of range
• Not suitable for long road trips, due to its short range and lack of fast chargers on the road
• The Leaf does not have a battery cooling system, so the main car battery may degrade faster in hot climates

 

Why we did not get the Nissan Ariya

When our Leaf lease ended, we thought of replacing it with Ariya (Evolve+ model). After test driving the Ariya, we decided not to get it. It's a very nice car, but not a good value and not a large improvement over the Leaf (for us). In retrospect, that was a great decision.

Here are the main reasons we did not get it:

• Not a good value compared to Model Y long range.
  
• The Evolve+ model we pre-ordered did not accelerate much better than the Leaf, and nowhere near the Tesla Y.
  
• It was not as comfy over bumps as our Leaf.
• The central console has very little/no storage (super weird, since it's so big).
  
• There is no single pedal driving (once you get used to it, you want it). Why?
  
• When you fold the rear seats, the back is not flat, so not suitable for sleeping/camping.
• Lack of charging infrastructure for road trips.