[Andy Martin]

Hi all, In Autocar magazine of 29 July 2020 a reader asked "could you suggest an affordable EV for my daily commute of 90 miles, most of which is on the motorway? I would be able to charge the car at home but not at work". The recommendation "your best shot is a Nissan Leaf - specifically the 30 kWh version from 2016 onwards, which should easily cover more than 100 miles. However you'll need around £11K."

Just wondered if 30kWh Leaf drivers would agree with that recommendation (all year round at motorway speeds). I have a 2011 Leaf (which is 24kWh but has 2 capacity bars missing so has perhaps 80% of original capacity). I would count on 30 miles max range in winter, even less at motorway speeds.

 

[DBMandrake]

I would not use a Leaf 30 for a regular 90 mile motorway commute. I have one with a high SoH and while I can manage 105 miles at 60mph in summer, I doubt it would do 90 with any sort of buffer in winter, and/or after some years of battery degradation.

Even if you can make the journey, running the battery down near empty on a daily basis is also very damaging to the battery (any Lithium Ion battery) and would result in rapid degradation so before long you wouldn't be able to make the journey anyway.

My rule of thumb is that the range of an EV should be at least 2x your daily commute to ensure you're not deeply discharging the battery on a daily basis, to allow for winter range loss and to allow for battery degradation over the years.

I made the mistake of not following this advice on my previous EV, which is now gone as a result...

 

[dk6780]

I agree with you both. It's not good for the car, and a bad first EV experience where the driver will constantly be on the edge of range anxiety with no reserves for diversions etc.

 

[John RB]

After a few days you would be a nervous wreck with range anxiety. Unforeseen delays, cold, diversions etc would all push you over the available range. Also, your battery will lose a few miles each year, meaning the problem gets worse not better.

 

[Woodulike]

I would put it as edge case for our e-Golf in winter at proper motorway speeds, and that has a 36kWh battery.

 

[80698]

If you want to do it comfortably all year round and not suffer without heating or anything like that, you need at least 40kWh. Anything smaller and you're making compromises or risks.

 

[srichards]

It'd be edge case for the 40 as well. Zoe 40 would do it easily with a ton of miles left over.

 

[TiJayFLY]

30 miles max in winter? My old Zoe 22 managed 70 miles of motorway even in the depths of winter.

 

[MetalHead]

I've managed 90 miles in a 30kW leaf in winter however it was only just 90 miles, the heating/aircon was only used to keep the screen clear, it was preheated and it was 50% A road.
So, I concur with @DBMandrake, that'll be a no.
So rather rubbish advice from Autocar.

 

[Kingpleb1]

As above, it's possible but you'd not want to break 55mph and be doing some draughting as well each way.
Easily doable in summer with the above but on a leaf with under 95% soh it would be hard for a new EV driver to do it.

 

[Hermit Dave]

I agree with most folks here. I'd skip Leaf30 for daily 90 mile commute. Move to Leaf40 / Zoe40. Not sure about Ioniq / Soul

Sent from my SM-G973F using Tapatalk

 

[freddym]

Hi all, In Autocar magazine of 29 July 2020 a reader asked "could you suggest an affordable EV for my daily commute of 90 miles, most of which is on the motorway? I would be able to charge the car at home but not at work". The recommendation "your best shot is a Nissan Leaf - specifically the 30 kWh version from 2016 onwards, which should easily cover more than 100 miles. However you'll need around £11K."

Just wondered if 30kWh Leaf drivers would agree with that recommendation (all year round at motorway speeds). I have a 2011 Leaf (which is 24kWh but has 2 capacity bars missing so has perhaps 80% of original capacity). I would count on 30 miles max range in winter, even less at motorway speeds.

For a 90mile commute, I'd be putting some serious effort into getting workplace charging organised.

 

[Hermit Dave]

For a 90mile commute, I'd be putting some serious effort into getting workplace charging organised.

If you have charging sorted at / near workplace, leaf30 can be decent

Sent from my SM-G973F using Tapatalk

 

[DBMandrake]

I would feel uncomfortable relying on workplace charging for a long distance out of range commute, especially in these uncertain times.

Should your employment conditions change causing you to lose the workplace charging the car could easily become a lemon which can no longer meet your needs.

Nobody wants to be stopping at a rapid charger on the way home every day. I can say this from first hand experience!

 

[JohnMars]

I was shocked today how much aircon zaps from range!!!

 

[TiJayFLY]

I would feel uncomfortable relying on workplace charging for a long distance out of range commute, especially in these uncertain times.

Should your employment conditions change causing you to lose the workplace charging the car could easily become a lemon which can no longer meet your needs.

Nobody wants to be stopping at a rapid charger on the way home every day. I can say this from first hand experience!

I feel the same about my home charger 😂 if the fly-by-night “energy” provider at my apartment building folds, I’m SOL!

Fun fact: I used to charge my Zoe at a gym round the corner from my old place, it was an old Rolec token machine and basically free to use as I’d bought a job lot of the tokens off eBay. Shortly after I moved out, that charger - which was the only 7kw post in town - packed up. It can and does happen that your only charging source craps out!

Perhaps it had stopped being profitable as “someone” was using it without paying the gym for tokens 😉

 

[Tandy0]

It it's the M4 you'll be fine. (40-50mph at best in the mornings.)

 

[mrdr_ev]

Plus, in an EV traffic jams are your friend .. reduce the average speed from 60 to 30 and the mi/kwh climbs rapidly, even if you're sitting there burning cabin heating for a longer time the savings on propulsion more than make up for it.

 

[Aragorn]

I cant even manage 90 miles of motorway in the summer in one, so definitely no to winter use.

a LEAF40 might just about manage it, but might still require mitigations at the extremes once the battery deteriorates a bit.

 

[Kingpleb1]

I cant even manage 90 miles of motorway in the summer in one, so definitely no to winter use.

a LEAF40 might just about manage it, but might still require mitigations at the extremes once the battery deteriorates a bit.

How fast are you going