For 2012, Leaf gets heated steering wheel, heated seats, and increased range in cold weather

I wonder if the range extension is changing the SOC thresholds, or if they hope keeping people's hands and butts warm will mean less cabin heat usage and longer range?

 

Why don't they just stick a patio heater on the roof as well?

 

I wonder if you're onto something there? The UK Leaf has a longer official range (109 miles) but a slightly reduced 0-60 time (11.5 seconds) compared to the US version. Maybe the Leafs sold in colder climates with this heated steering wheel etc will have a slower performance to compensate?

 

The idea is that by using the seat and steering wheel warmer, you don't feel as cold and don't need to use the indirect heating of the HVAC system. In addition, having the battery pack warmer will help extend the range too by bringing the pack up to an optimum temperature.

The UK has a different range figure because of how they test their vehicles, but everything is the same software/battery wise.

 

I understand the range figure to be different due to differing testing methods but a US 0-60 time rated comes in between 7 and 9.5 seconds (no fully official figures), whereas the UK time for 0-62 mph (100km/h) is 11.9 seconds!?!

So it appears the UK version takes over 2 seconds longer to get to 62 mph than the US version takes to get to 60 mph. Odd!

(I used figures quoted from It’s Unofficial: LEAF 0-60 in 7 seconds, Top Speed of 94 mph for the US 0-60 times as no official figures appear to be quoted by Nissan USA. The UK figures come from the Nissan UK website and the following link New Nissan Leaf Car Review - Driving & Performance - Parkers ).

 

The most interesting thing on the post is how short the trips are for the current leaf drivers.

It also posted much shorter wait times for new orders. I wonder if they can deliver.

That 7 seconds is completely bogus. The guy admitted to getting it from looking at his watch but didn't look at the right time 11.9 seems long to 100 kph though.

 

Edmunds and Car and Driver both got 10 seconds 0-60 for the Leaf. Add another 1/2 second or so for 0-62mph (100 km/hr) and you have two sources usually reliable sources that would be about 10.5 seconds for 0-100 km/hr.

Considering the Leaf is about 300 lbs heavier than a Gen 3 Prius and the Leaf has 26 hp less, that's pretty good.

 

eated steering wheel, heated seats

wow that wil help increase range haha wy dont get a nice warm nissa leaf coat

 

So how come the official European figures are 11.9 seconds? That's one and a half seconds more.

From reading this forum it appears American drivers have demanded faster 0-60 times than required in Europe. The Prius has a respectable or average 0-60 time over here, but American drivers have indicated the Prius time to be slow.

Perhaps Nissan have tweaked the US version Leaf to be quicker on the 0-60 dash to keep up with local traffic conditions, but at the expense of a slightly reduced range? The European version, being more likely to be used in city or urban traffic has a reduced 0-60 as this is not really needed, which helps extend the range?

You will find a lot of these super economical 'eco' diesels sold here in Europe have slower 0-60's as a trade off for better economy.

Otherwise why aren't the 0-60's pretty much equal in Europe and the US? (and no, we don't use metric clocks )

 

Makes sense.

 

ATTENTION LEAF drivers: Wear a pair of gloves and don't drive in your pyjamas in the winter.

Whatever way you use your battery power it will have an affect on the miles you can drive. In marginal weather - autumn and spring - for short trips you may not need anything but 'seasonal coat/dress' and a pair of gloves. In real cold weather however you will need heat. You can pre-warm the car, but to maintain a comfy cabin temperature will be a real drain on the battery. The car with say a 40-50 mile range will still may be OK to go to work or do errands around the community - like take the kids skating! But it could be cool drive home.

The bottom line is we need a better way to store electrons.

 

Did they stop for tea?

That is a big variation for a car that would seem to take as little driver involvement for max acceleration as a Leaf.

Who ran the "official Euro test" and what was their test protocol?

 

Telling people they have to adapt to early 1930s climate control isn't going to help sales.

 

Knowing the "limitations" (if you think of it that way) of the Leaf, and knowing there's a closed list of 20,000 wana-be's ... it's not likely Nissan is worried about hurting sales. Many folks are just sick and tired of being held hostage to the oily industry. Even used Ebay prices are out of this world.

Nissan : Leaf | eBay

At this rate, Nissan could probably have a closed list of 20,000 selling Leafs in kit form ... maybe with no tires at all.

.

 

I'm guessing the 0-62 mph (0-100 km/h) test consists of timing the car from standstill to 62 mph as quickly as possible. Can't work out any way as to why the US test is quicker by such a margin.

There has to be some difference in US and European vehicle software on the Leaf as the 0-62 mph test result for the UK 2010 Prius is 10.4 seconds which is about the same as the US version?

 

I agree. Overall, there is a large potential market for this car. Getting to know its operational limits is like getting to know when to stop drinking.

 

Perhaps 0-60mph is the same, but then 60mph to 100kph requires a gerbil wheel adjustment and ups the time significantly.

 

That would be the Linux version, due out next Fall.

 

The battery will get a warmer.