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[DonTom]

Leafs are fine, as long as you don't want to be using them for long trips - or rare trips that need more than one DC charge per day.-Crissa

I doubt if  I will ever need to charge on the road. So perhaps I should also look into the Leaf.


So now I need to ask . . . . What are the advantages and disadvantages between the Leaf and Bolt?


Are there any besides Tesla that are AWD? This car will be mostly for Reno and we can get a lot of snow some years. And it will always be left outside.


But I do want enough range to easily make it between  Auburn and Reno, only one way, but in either direction. And I mean when it is very COLD outside, such as up at the summit during the middle of winter.


But that is only 99.0  miles, door to door,  half up hill, half down hill.   I have measured the distance countless times when I got there direct with no stops off the freeway (I-80).


-Don-  Reno, NV

[Crissa]

The Leaf still has an air-cooled battery.  That's why it doesn't like being charged more than one DC fast charge in a day.  You can get them really cheap, even with pristine batteries.

The Bolt is super-competent, and cheaper than the Tesla.  That's its big advantage, you don't quite get the range, your charging is a little slower, but not by much.  And you can DC Fast charge as often as you want.

The Niro is like the Bolt, just not as available or discounted right now.  And the other options are as or more than a Tesla, and you'd probably just rather a Tesla at that point.

I have friends with all of the above.  The Leaf is the pick for anyone who doesn't do long road trips, the Bolt is the budget pick for those who can't afford Tesla.

-Crissa

PS, that valve costs more than my entire spigot configuration x-x  This is basically my control for the water (plus a super-cheap digital meter)  https://www.acehardware.com/departments/lawn-and-garden/watering-and-irrigation/sprinkler-timers/7436744

I had a daily timer, but the circuit board rusted over.

[DonTom]

The Leaf still has an air-cooled battery.  That's why it doesn't like being charged more than one DC fast charge in a day.  You can get them really cheap, even with pristine batteries.

The Bolt is super-competent, and cheaper than the Tesla.  That's its big advantage, you don't quite get the range, your charging is a little slower, but not by much.  And you can DC Fast charge as often as you want.

The Niro is like the Bolt, just not as available or discounted right now.  And the other options are as or more than a Tesla, and you'd probably just rather a Tesla at that point.

I have friends with all of the above.  The Leaf is the pick for anyone who doesn't do long road trips, the Bolt is the budget pick for those who can't afford Tesla.

-Crissa

PS, that valve costs more than my entire spigot configuration x-x  This is basically my control for the water (plus a super-cheap digital meter)  https://www.acehardware.com/departments/lawn-and-garden/watering-and-irrigation/sprinkler-timers/7436744

I had a daily timer, but the circuit board rusted over.

Thanks for that info. Isn't the Leaf CHAdeMo? How do you home charge with a vehicle that has CHAdeMo? I really know nothing about ChAdeMO.


In my case, it all has nothing to do with what I can afford. I just don't want to leave an expensive car parked outside all year. I keep my 2018 Tesla garaged in Auburn.  BTW, it only has around 6K miles on it. I rarely even drive the thing. I put more miles on my Zero DS!


Shadow and I purchased our Teslas at the same time.  His has around 100K miles on it and it looks like a piece of junk. Always parked outside in the desert. OTOH, mine still looks like new, but only 6K miles. But perhaps his would look nice still, if he could clean it. Which would last about an hour before it needs cleaning again.


Yeah, I thought the water timer. Cheaper and a lot easier. No extra wires need to be ran. No extra 24 VAC power supply.  But with my setup, if I change the watering times, that is all I have to do. The rest is automatic.


-Don-  Reno, NV

[reini]

Thanks for that info. Isn't the Leaf CHAdeMo? How do you home charge with a vehicle that has CHAdeMo? I really know nothing about ChAdeMO.

It just has a second charge port next to the chademo, Type2 in Europe, Type1 in US, so you charge it from AC as usual.

[Crissa]

2020 and newer Leafs can have CCS charging from the factory.

-Crissa

[Bass Cadet]

I know many in this forum have non-Tesla EV's cages, so I would like to hear what they like and don't like about theirs. I am trying to decide what battery only EV I should get.

Around the time I bought my used 2014 Zero S, I also bought a 2016 Kia Soul EV for my daughter. My wife and I figured a limited range BEV would be good first car and it has been. It is a little quirky but surprisingly good. It does have CHAdeMO but we've always just used the level 2 J1772 plug. Kia warrantees the HV battery for 7 yrs/100k miles @70% and they did replace ours. I originally test drove the Nissan Leaf, Kia Soul EV, and VW e-Golf (all used) and liked the e-Golf the best but got a good deal on the Kia.

For our other daughter, I was looking for another BEV under $15k since this would be her first car as well. I was considering BMW i3, Mercedes B250e, and VW e-Golf. We ended up buying a 2016 e-Golf SEL for her and I really like it. It is fun to drive. The SEL has J1772 and CCS charging. I think the battery is near replacement (8 years/100k miles) so I am monitoring it. I recommend buying a used BEV from an authorized dealer as a CPO vehicle and monitoring battery degradation. Most manufacturers will honor the warrantee without too much hassle but it's reassuring to have the certification.

https://www.motor1.com/features/365927/buy-used-nissan-leaf-or-volkswagen-egolf/

This guy has an e-Golf and Tesla.


The older Soul EV or e-Golf might be below the range you are looking at. A BMW i3 with Range Extender or 2017+ e-Golf would probably be fine.

Bass Cadet

[Crissa]

The i3 has... maintenance/warranty issues.  When they're working, though, they're a lovely car.

-Crissa

[Curt]

My Bolt has been fun for the past 2 years, although it had the battery replaced 3 months after I got it, and it looks like it's going to be replaced AGAIN this year along with 50,000 others from model years 2017-2019. Last year I was also stranded in Santa Barbara when the 12v accessory battery went bad. But it's a blast to drive.

People have been getting them very cheap for various reasons including GM incentives and a Costco program.
https://www.motorbiscuit.com/chevy-bolt-leases-down-to-49-a-month-cheapest-car-ever/
Mine was more costly because I got the Premier trim with CCS charging and everything else.

There is a nice forum for the vehicle at https://www.chevybolt.org/ and there are threads where people see who got it the cheapest.

Unfortunately, GM's federal tax credit expired last year, so no help there.

[MrMogensen]

I think it will be difficult to find an EV with AWD that is not priced closely to a Model 3 AWD?

The Nissan Leaf, BMW i3, Renault Zoe, Chevy Bolt are all 2WD.
The VW ID3/4 is in Model 3 territory when they are 4WD (as far as I remember).

[DonTom]

I think it will be difficult to find an EV with AWD that is not priced closely to a Model 3 AWD?

The Nissan Leaf, BMW i3, Renault Zoe, Chevy Bolt are all 2WD.
The VW ID3/4 is in Model 3 territory when they are 4WD (as far as I remember).

In that case, I could consider a used Tesla M3 AWD or Model Y AWD. I really should have AWD for the Reno area. But I don't want to leave too expensive of a car outside all year here.


-Don-  Reno, NV

[MrMogensen]

Why don't you just use that Model 3 AWD you already have?
Sorry if I missed something? 

[MrMogensen]

Why don't you just use that Model 3 AWD you already have?
Sorry if I missed something? 

Was this about 2 different locations where you want a car parked outside in one of them?

[DonTom]

Why don't you just use that Model 3 AWD you already have?
Sorry if I missed something? 

Was this about 2 different locations where you want a car parked outside in one of them?

I normally keep my Tesla garaged 99 miles /160  km away in Auburn, CA and come back to Reno, NV on an electric motorcycle (either Energica or Zero SR). That means I have no electric car when I am here in Reno. I usually use my Zero DS here, but there are many times I need to take a car for one reason or another while in this area.


-Don-  Cold Springs Valley, NV

[Sklith]

My vote is for a cheap used Bolt. Sucks that the only non-Tesla AWD EV cars are the Mach-E, id.4, ioniq 5, and ev6, and they're not even out yet. I bet all those cars will be around the same price as a Tesla equivalent.

[DonTom]

My vote is for a cheap used Bolt. Sucks that the only non-Tesla AWD EV cars are the Mach-E, id.4, ioniq 5, and ev6, and they're not even out yet. I bet all those cars will be around the same price as a Tesla equivalent.

I hear FWD cars do well in the snow, especially if they have some weight above the front wheels.  So I will probably look for a "cheap used Bolt" as you say.


Any years I should avoid or any known issues I should look out for?

-Don-  Cold Springs Valley, NV