I therefore need a new automobile and would prefer an electric model, but I have limited funds. I was considering the Nissan Leaf and was taken aback by the price. Why are Nissan Leafs so reasonably priced?
In less than two minutes, find out if your auto insurance is being overcharged.
You’re right that making the switch to an electric vehicle is exciting.
Compared to other electric vehicles, the Nissan Leaf is significantly less expensive. Why, you inquire? Even though they are generally good automobiles, the Nissan Leaf doesn’t have the best reputation. Low battery range, depreciation, government subsidies, old technology, and a plain design are a few of the elements that contribute to the Leaf’s low pricing.
- Low battery range: The battery range on a new Leaf is just 80 to 100 miles per charge, and on a used Leaf, this decreases to about 50 miles per charge. Although the Leafas battery is less expensive to produce, its compact size means that it has significantly less power than other electric cars.
- Depreciation: The Leaf depreciates less frequently than the majority of other electric vehicles, which means it does so more slowly than more expensive vehicles. For instance, a Tesla typically depreciates by 20% over the first year of ownership.
- Government subsidies: Depending on the state you live in, there are a number of government subsidies and incentives available when buying a Leaf. These benefits lower the cost of purchasing the Leaf and enable quicker loan repayment.
- The Leaf may be inexpensive to purchase, but its technology hasn’t advanced much since it initially rolled off the assembly line in 2010, especially in comparison to the technological arms race being fought by other electric car manufacturers.
- Design: The Leaf isn’t a bad-looking car, but it isn’t sweeping up design accolades either. This may have contributed to the model’s poor sales and the subsequent price reductions.
Depending on your financial situation, a Nissan Leaf can be the ideal vehicle for you. Whatever you decide, make sure to use Jerry to find a strong auto insurance policy to cover your car.
This excellent vehicle insurance app can enable you sign up for your new policy and cancel your old one after just 45 seconds of registration!
In This Article...
Batteries degrading
More importantly, old Nissan Leafs are particularly inexpensive since they have a bad reputation for having small, unstable batteries, which reduces their electric range. A Nissan Leaf from 2012 had a meager range of roughly 80 miles, even when it was brand-new. This figure indicates that, except from commuting, running kids to and from school, and grocery shopping, the Leaf is not very capable when compared to an equivalent gasoline car. Buyer complaints that the batteries lost capacity with time, particularly the early model years, and very fast made this problem much more serious.
You should be aware that every electric vehicle (EV) now on the road is powered by a lithium-ion battery, and that every one of them has a “battery temperature management system” to regulate the battery’s temperature. With the exception of Nissan, this is how the manufacturers always operate.
Extreme hot and cold temperatures are known to have a negative impact on a car battery’s performance and lifespan. At about 70 °F, a lithium-ion battery operates at its finest (21-degree Celsius).
While some automakers employ air-cooled batteries, some, like Tesla, use liquid-cooled batteries. In cases when it is necessary, a heater is also utilized to get the battery temperature up to where it is best for operation.
Even though all batteries eventually degrade, the Nissan Leaf has no active battery cooling system, which is an issue. Nissan continues to firmly believe that heat produced while operating and charging the vehicle will naturally evaporate into the surrounding air. Therefore, the Leaf’s battery has no means of defense against extremely high or low temperatures, as well as sudden changes in weather.
As a result, compared to all of its rivals, the Nissan Leaf’s battery loses capacity far more quickly over time. Additionally, you would eventually run out of range due to the quick battery degeneration. After 6-7 years with the original battery, this will render the Leaf useless. The battery would need to be changed, but it is not inexpensive.
A Nissan Leaf’s battery replacement cost roughly $5,500 a few years ago, which was reasonable. The price to replace the batteries in a Nissan Leaf is currently $8,500, including labor, due to a price increase by Nissan. This much money should not be spent on a used car. In other words, you have to gamble with the battery’s performance, and the Nissan Leaf isn’t really a low maintenance car when you factor in the price of a new battery.
Budget Nissan Leaf Motive 1: Subsidy
Sales of the Nissan Leaf were significantly boosted by a variety of financial incentives that made them more accessible to customers. EVs are still significantly more expensive than gas-powered vehicles. Why purchase a Nissan Leaf in 2011 for $34,000 when the Honda Accord is available for over $10,000 less? After 80 miles, the Accord wouldn’t shut off on you either. In actuality, hardly any Nissan Leaf owners paid the full retail price.
In addition to low-cost leases and rebate deals, automobile owners who paid cash could also benefit from a $7,500 federal tax credit. This brought the cost of the leaf down to around $30,000, even for those who were only eligible for a portion of the $7,500 cap. Since the cars were purchased at a low cost, the depreciation isn’t as severe as it looks to be on the price tag.
Since its introduction in the 2011 model year, the Nissan Leaf has sold 500,000 vehicles worldwide, with 148,000 of those going to customers in the US. When there were so many incentives, is it surprising that it was the model with the highest sales in 2011 and 2014? Nissan wasn’t the only company to rejoice over these fictitious increases in sales. Tesla, of course, had pleasure in the sale of hundreds of thousands of its own vehicles, especially the Model 3, which was the most popular model. As a result, the market has a flooding effect, which once more pushes down the price of used Nissan Leaf vehicles.
Is the Nissan Leaf reasonably priced?
Whenever the topic of value and EVs is brought up, the conversation will eventually turn to EV tax credits. The 2023 Nissan Leaf S starts at $28,895, while the SV Plus costs $36,895. The 2023 Bolt 1LT and 2LT have starting MSRPs of $26,595 and $29,795, respectively. Nissan, on the other hand, has a card in its favor: It continues to be eligible for the $7,500 federal tax credit for electrified automobiles. Chevrolet ran out of those credits after selling enough Bolts (and older Volt models), so customers are no longer eligible for the rebates.
The Leaf S really costs just $21,395 after the federal tax credit, while the SV Plus only costs $29,395 overall. Of fact, you usually do not leave the dealership having paid that amount, thus we frequently do not include it when discussing MSRP. Only after paying the entire amount of the vehicle’s purchase in taxes will you be eligible for this rebate.
What issues does the Nissan Leaf have?
The Nissan Leaf can only be used with specific charging stations because of its design.
Additionally, there have been numerous reports of charging incompatibility problems with Eaton chargers, particularly for the 2018 Leaf.
Is the Nissan LEAF being phased out?
Nissan believes the need to turn its attention to other EV models, including the Ariya and EVs in the form of SUVs.
By :
revised on:
The Nissan Leaf EV was unveiled in 2010 and was the first mass-produced, reasonably priced battery-powered automobile. The company may abandon the model and replace it with one that is “better tailored to the needs of the modern EV buyer,” according to various claims that have now been validated. No decision has yet been made regarding whether the car would retain the name “Leaf” or not.
Even though the Leaf was an innovative vehicle, it was quickly surpassed by a number of different offers from other automakers. Nissan feels the need to move its focus to other EV models like the Ariya. The small Nissan with its 73 miles of range turned into an odd-looking package when Tesla unveiled its Model S with a ground-breaking range.
Is the Nissan Leaf a trustworthy vehicle?
I adore the Nissan Leaf concept, but I’m surprised to never see one on the road. Are they simply unpopular or are they unreliable? I want to get one, but I worry that it will malfunction.
When compared to other electric vehicles now on the market, the Nissan Leaf is regarded as being quite dependable. When contrasted more broadly, the actual reliability ratings that the Leaf has received are rather ordinary.
The Leaf can be a great option if you’re expressly looking for an electric car. It is reasonably priced, reasonably dependable, and has a low yearly average cost of ownership.
The battery is the sole aspect of the Nissan Leaf that warrants caution. It’s advisable to purchase a new Leaf because used ones frequently have batteries that aren’t very reliable. As a result, your electric vehicle’s battery has a lifespan of only 100,000 to 150,000 miles before you all have to spend money installing a new battery.
The Jerraay app can assist you in finding an insurance plan if you’re still determined to purchase a Leaf. By doing this, you can reduce the amount of money your insurance company charges you and use that money for battery replacement and maintenance. The typical user saves $887 yearly!
Which Nissan LEAF model year is the most dependable?
Naturally, now that we’ve spent so much time discussing the three Nissan Leaf years you should avoid, it only seems sense to talk a little bit more about the Nissan Leaf years you can count on.
Nissan Leaf’s dependable years are:
2012\s\s 2014\s\s 2016\s\s 2017\s\s 2018\s\s 2019\s\s 2020
Yep. That pretty much sums up each and every year that we didn’t specifically list as one to avoid.
This is due to the Nissan Leaf’s truly top-notch engineering and the fact that its electrical systems have improved greatly since its initial release.
Will a Nissan LEAF start with a jump?
In the owner’s guide for the Nissan Leaf (opens in new tab), there is a caution that reads, “Because LEAF lacks the power to start a gasoline engine, it cannot be used as a booster vehicle. The 12-volt battery of the LEAF can, however, be jump-started using a car with a gasoline engine.”
How much does a Nissan LEAF battery replacement cost?
Up until the Tesla Model 3 passed it a few years ago, the Nissan Leaf was the most popular electric vehicle on the planet.
It’s hardly a performance vehicle, and most people would concur that they didn’t buy it for its looks. But it’s a cheap runaround, providing inexpensive travel for people who live in cities or small towns.
Well, it’s inexpensive up to the point where the battery starts to fail. You’ll need some new ones after that. And that is costly. quite pricey.
The price of a Nissan Leaf battery replacement is the subject of this article. It can cost between $4,000 and $6,000 with reconditioned batteries or between $7,000 and $12,000 at a dealership.
Can you go by car with a Nissan LEAF?
It was a long trip—600 miles—with a combination of largely high-speed highway travel, slow work zones, and some city driving.
We tried to extend our range for some of the journey. We chose comfort and speed for the other sections of the trip—the hot, rainy parts. This, in our opinion, represents the effectiveness of a road trip fairly well.
We ended up using 3.4 miles per kilowatt-hour on average. The Nissan Leaf Plus’s effective range after a full charge is 211 miles, with a battery size of 62 kWh. That’s a respectable efficiency that is on par with some of the more efficient EVs now available. Battery capacity dictates range.
The Leaf is a capable vehicle for long trips. It’s relaxing. It moves fairly quickly. Excellent safety technology. It works well. The charge rate on numerous fast chargers is the only thing preventing it from doing really extended road trips.
Although the majority of individuals won’t drive their cars in that manner, that is also not how Americans believe. The Ariya, Nissan’s upcoming fully electric vehicle, is expected to address all of these issues with CCS high-speed charging and smart temperature control. Heck, it might end up being the finest road trip EV if it charges quickly enough — like over 200 kW.
Nissan Ariya’s real-world range may already be known to us, or it may not.
What kind of adaptor do I need to use with the onboard generator on a Ford F-150 Pro Power?