{"id":32148,"date":"2024-02-02T10:19:00","date_gmt":"2024-02-02T14:19:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/?p=32148"},"modified":"2024-02-02T10:19:00","modified_gmt":"2024-02-02T14:19:00","slug":"payne-analog-nissan-leaf-ev-is-the-anti-tesla","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/2024\/02\/payne-analog-nissan-leaf-ev-is-the-anti-tesla","title":{"rendered":"Payne: Analog Nissan Leaf EV is the anti-Tesla"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\"><em>Auburn Hills<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 The Tesla Model 3 and Y dominate the electric vehicle market. They are the standard by which all other EVs are judged. But as numerous Hertz customers have communicated to me, not everyone is comfortable in a Tesla. If you haven\u2019t been in a Tesla before, the experience can be bewildering.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\"><em>Where\u2019s the instrument screen?How do I operate the mirrors?Why doesn\u2019t it have any %#*!@ knobs?<\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Some folks just want a normal car. For those folks, there is the electric Nissan Leaf.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www.detroitnews.com\/gcdn\/authoring\/authoring-images\/2024\/01\/30\/PDTN\/72404322007-nissan-leaf-24-twisties.jpg?width=990&amp;height=558&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp\" width=\"532\" height=\"300\" \/><\/p>\n<p><em>Small and nimble, the 2024 Nissan Leaf is fun in the twisties. <\/em><em>Henry Payne, The Detroit News<\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Leaf hit the U.S. market looong before the Model 3\/Y in 2011 and \u2014 rather than tear up the blueprints and re-invent the automobile as Tesla did \u2014 Nissan&#8217;s intent was to create a good ol\u2019 Nissan with an electric motor where the engine usually is found.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Getting acclimated to a Leaf is as easy as learning your way around a Nissan Sentra or Toyota Corolla or any of your typical gas-powered cars. I have a Tesla Model 3 and Subaru Impreza in my garage, and the Leaf has a lot more in common with the \u2018Ru.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Hatchback. Similar interior space. Simple digital instrument and dashboard displays. Console choked with more buttons than an airline cockpit. I selected Drive from the console-mounted shifter (won\u2019t find that on a Tesla) and I was off.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">I adjusted my seat heater with a dash button. My mirrors with a door button. My temperature with a dash button. My AM radio station and favorite Sirius XM stations with a button. Heck, Tesla doesn\u2019t even offer AM or Sirius XM stations.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"gnt_em gnt_em_img\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www.detroitnews.com\/gcdn\/authoring\/authoring-images\/2024\/01\/30\/PDTN\/72404318007-nissan-leaf-24-fr-34.jpg?width=990&amp;height=558&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp\" width=\"504\" height=\"284\" \/><\/figure>\n<div class=\"gnt_em_img_ccw gnt_em_img_ccw__cap gnt_em_img_ccw__crd\" data-c-caption=\"The 2024 Nissan Leaf has notable upgrades from the original model that debuted in 2011.\" data-c-credit=\"Henry Payne, The Detroit News\"><em>The 2024 Nissan Leaf has notable upgrades from the original model that debuted in 2011.<\/em><em>Henry Payne, The Detroit News<\/em><\/div>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Through the twisties of Oakland County back roads, my front-wheel-drive, top-trim SV Plus\u00a0Leaf was as playful as our family FWD Impreza. With its short wheelbase and rigid chassis, the Nissan is eager to be thrown around, and I toggled e-Pedal for single-pedal driving using motor regen as a brake. Stomp on the gas pedal and you\u2019re reminded this is an EV \u2014 instant, silent electric torque at the ready \u2014 even spinning the front wheels on slick winter roads out of stoplights.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Credit a 62 kWh battery in the SV Plus, which nearly triples in size over the OG 2011 model and its mere 24 kWh lithium-ion pack. It\u2019s also a step up from the 40 kWh standard battery.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">\u201cRange aside, the Leaf seems like a normal car,\u201d wrote our friends over at Car and Driver magazine back in 2010 of the new Leaf.<\/p>\n<aside id=\"gnt_atomsnc\" class=\"gnt_em gnt_em_anc\" data-g-r=\"lazy\" data-gl-method=\"loadAnc\" aria-label=\"Newsletter signup form\">\n<div class=\"label\" hidden=\"\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"container\">\n<div class=\"message\">\n<div class=\"title\">Get the\u00a0<span class=\"highlight\">Michigan Politics<\/span>\u00a0newsletter in your inbox.<\/div>\n<p class=\"description\">Washington and Lansing, red and blue, we&#8217;ve got your government covered.<\/p>\n<div class=\"frequency\">Delivery: Daily<\/div>\n<div class=\"container\">\n<div class=\"input-container populated\">\n<p><input autocomplete=\"off\" name=\"email\" required=\"\" type=\"email\" \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"clickable\"><\/div>\n<p><label>Your Email<\/label><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"bar\">\n<div class=\"highlight\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"progress-primary\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"progress-secondary\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Oh, yes. Range.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">The Leaf has certainly improved over the years from the OG\u2019s 73-mile range when it debuted in 2010. With its bigger battery, the second-gen Leaf has not only gained better acceleration but better range as well. The $29K base S boasts 149 miles of range, and my range-topping SV Plus says it can go 212 miles in Normal mode.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"gnt_em gnt_em_img\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www.detroitnews.com\/gcdn\/authoring\/authoring-images\/2024\/01\/30\/PDTN\/72404314007-nissan-leaf-24-port.jpg?width=660&amp;height=372&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"The 2024 Nissan Leaf offers both CHAdeMO and CCS charging ports.\" width=\"552\" height=\"311\" \/><\/figure>\n<div class=\"gnt_em_img_ccw gnt_em_img_ccw__cap gnt_em_img_ccw__crd\" data-c-caption=\"The 2024 Nissan Leaf offers both CHAdeMO and CCS charging ports.\" data-c-credit=\"Henry Payne, Nissan\">\n<p><em>The 2024 Nissan Leaf offers both CHAdeMO and CCS charging ports. Henry Payne, The Detroit News<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">But with more battery comes a lot more price (see the GMC Hummer EV at $100K-plus with a 210 kWh battery) and the SV Plus sticker jumps to $38K. That\u2019s Tesla Model 3\u2019s entry-level price with 240 miles of range and a proprietary charging network for when you want to hit the road. What\u2019s more, the Leaf is no shoo-in for the capricious federal tax credit of $7,500 even though it is Made in the USA. Seems its battery sourcing is not to the liking of federal bureaucrats that spoon out the sugar. Dealers have been urging buyers to lease EVs since the $7,500 is easier to get that way.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">I drove the Leaf locally during my week-long test \u2014 charging it back to full on my home-installed 240-volt garage charger. The Leaf pioneered CHAdeMO charging in the U.S. among mainstream autos, but that standard has fallen behind the CCS standard (favored by other manufacturers) and the fast-emerging de facto North American Charging Standard favored by Tesla.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">My Leaf tester has both CHAdeMO and J-1772 plugs, which made it easy to charge at home on my Level 2, 240-volt garage unit (especially since the closet CHAdeMO to me was 15 miles away in Farmington Hills).<\/p>\n<figure class=\"gnt_em gnt_em_img\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www.detroitnews.com\/gcdn\/authoring\/authoring-images\/2024\/01\/30\/PDTN\/72404291007-nissan-leaf-24-backseat.jpg?width=660&amp;height=372&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"The backseat in the 2024 Nissan Leaf i tight for six-footers.\" width=\"530\" height=\"299\" \/><\/figure>\n<div class=\"gnt_em_img_ccw gnt_em_img_ccw__cap gnt_em_img_ccw__crd\" data-c-caption=\"The backseat in the 2024 Nissan Leaf i tight for six-footers.\" data-c-credit=\"Henry Payne, The Detroit News\">\n<p><em>The backseat in the 2024 Nissan Leaf i tight for six-footers. Henry Payne, The Detroit News<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Had I hit the road, plugging into the CHAdeMO would have been a lot more effort than Tesla\u2019s proprietary network and even growing CCS infrastructure. Bark your destination to the Tesla and it maps your route \u2014 including when-and-where to charge, nearby restaurants to wait out the charge, and so on. Leaf will only find chargers in the immediate vicinity (as well as gas stations, since it shares software with gas models), but it won\u2019t map a route for you to the third-party chargers that pepper the landscape. Best to download a Better Route Planner app on your phone. Time to Charlevoix from Detroit compared to a gas model? Ninety minutes longer due to two looong charging stops.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">More problematic: EV range doesn\u2019t hold up in Michigan\u2019s cold winter climates. Chart a course up north, for example, and you need to be cognizant that some fast chargers are 100 miles apart, which can get tricky for low-range 212-mile models like Leaf.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">It\u2019s typical for my Tesla Model 3 (and other EVs) to get just 60% of range traveling at 75 mph in 30-degree weather. That means 127 miles of range in a fully charged Leaf, so you might want to back off the accelerator pedal to 65-70 (which ain\u2019t easy for your lead foot reporter). Expect to sit at the chargers for awhile, too. The Leaf can only charge up to 50 kW compared to 250 kW for Teslas.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">The Leaf\u2019s natural competitor, the Bolt, gets more range at 258, but I\u2019ve seen Bolts crawling into chargers on I-75 on the way north with little range left. Speaking of natural competitors, the Toyota Prius hybrid starts to sound juicy with its 588 miles of range. Remember when Prius was the trendy choice?<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Given their small size, Leaf and Bolt are best relied on as local cars where you can charge at work \u2014 or have a charger at home. If you eschew road trips for air travel, Leaf is in your wheelhouse. From its geeky roots, the nerdy Leaf\u2019s wardrobe has been upgraded to fit in with other Nissans \u2014 though its center hood-mounted charge port is as convenient as ever.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"gnt_em gnt_em_img\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www.detroitnews.com\/gcdn\/authoring\/authoring-images\/2024\/01\/30\/PDTN\/72404319007-nissan-leaf-24-seats.jpg?width=660&amp;height=372&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"The interior of the 2024 Nissan Leaf.\" width=\"527\" height=\"297\" \/><em>The interior of the 2024 Nissan Leaf. Henry Payne, The Detroit News<\/em><\/p>\n<div class=\"gnt_em_img_ccw gnt_em_img_ccw__cap gnt_em_img_ccw__crd\" data-c-caption=\"The interior of the 2024 Nissan Leaf.\" data-c-credit=\"Henry Payne, The Detroit News\"><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">The mantle of Top EV has been handed off to the Ariya SUV and its fashionable interior. Ariya gets the latest self-driving software (sorry, Leaf), fancy bronze paint options (sorry, Leaf) and better, 130 kWh, CCS fast charging (sorry, Leaf). But Ariya also gets fancy haptic touch controls with no knobs.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\"><em>Oh. No knobs?<\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Check out the good ol\u2019 analog Leaf across the showroom.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"gnt_ar_b_h2\">2024 Nissan Leaf<\/h2>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Vehicle type: Battery-powered, front-wheel drive five-passenger hatchback<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Price: $29,280, including $1,095 destination ($38,210 SV Plus as tested)<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Powerplant: 40 kWh or 60 kWh lithium-ion battery mated to electric motor<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Power: 147 horsepower, 236 pound-feet of torque (40 kWh battery); 215 horsepower, 251 pound-feet of torque (60 kWh)<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Transmission: Single-speed direct drive<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Performance: 0-60 mph, 6.8 seconds (Car and Driver); top speed, 106 mph<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Weight: 3,831 (as tested)<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Fuel economy: EPA est. range, 149 miles (40 kWh battery); 212 miles (60 kWh battery as tested)<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"gnt_ar_b_h2\">Report card<\/h2>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Highs: One pedal driving; easy-to-use controls<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Lows: Lacks range; lacks charger navigation system<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Overall: 2 stars<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\"><em>Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or Twitter @HenryEPayne.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Auburn Hills\u00a0\u2014 The Tesla Model 3 and Y dominate the electric vehicle market. They are the standard by which all other EVs are judged. But as numerous Hertz customers have communicated to me, not everyone is comfortable in a Tesla. If you haven\u2019t been in a Tesla before, the experience can be bewildering. Where\u2019s the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,87],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32148"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=32148"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32148\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":32149,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32148\/revisions\/32149"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=32148"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=32148"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=32148"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}