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I frequently find Nissan Leafs driving very slowly (45 mph in the middle lane on the freeway, 30 mph in a 45 zone in the left lane). And they accelerate very s

by taway2012 13y ago

I frequently find Nissan Leafs driving very slowly (45 mph in the middle lane on the freeway, 30 mph in a 45 zone in the left lane). And they accelerate very slowly from traffic lights, clogging traffic behind them. Does the car itself suck or is it the drivers or is it a UI bug in the car that encourages people to drive it like that.

koblenski 13y ago
I imagine it's the tree game. The Leaf builds a pine tree next to the speedometer, and you can complete up to 5 trees by driving as eco-friendly as possible. Then you can upload the trees you build through the car's internet connection to compete on a leaderboard with other Leaf owners. I don't participate. I figure I'm already doing my part to save the environment, and the measly extra kWh I'd save in a month by driving like that isn't worth it. I'd rather have some fun. I do drive 55 on the beltline, but that's the speed limit. I'd only get to my destination a minute faster by going 60. There's nothing about the car itself that limits driving normally. Even in ECO mode all of the acceleration is there. It's just farther up the accelerator.
woof 13y ago
The car is great, so you can blame driver ignorance and stupidity... * Slow acceleration can use more energy than "normal" acceleration (engine efficiency). * 45mph is a good speed in an EV (faster results in too much drag) * 35mph gives relativly little more range than 45mph
- nsxwolf 13y ago
  So us non-Leaf motorists have to treat the Leaf like a bicycle in traffic instead of a real car?
  - woof 13y ago
    Yes -a bicycle with better acelleration than most cars and a top speed of 90mph
    - nsxwolf 13y ago
      Which is moot if it's owners are driving it far under the speed limit.
  - jessaustin 13y ago
    Yeah, don't bother to wait until there's room to pass safely, just shove 'em off the road! Also don't worry about turning through their lane of travel, they can probably brake as effectively as a bicycle can't they?
ssmoot 13y ago
It's the driver. The Leaf is a lot snappier than previous hatchbacks I've owned (a miserable Chevy Aveo, and a pretty decent Pontiac Vibe (aka Toyota Matrix)). I'd peg it about the same as my wife's old Volvo S40 T5. The 0-40 is very spunky. Much more than your average car IMO. The only time it feels sluggish is highway (65mph+) passing, but even then not slow-er than your average non-turbo hatchback. Just back down to less thrilling levels.
bluedino 13y ago
Prius owners are famous for this as well. It's very annoying when you in a hurry and someone is 'hyper-miling'.
- nawitus 13y ago
  Correct hyper-miling calls for quick acceleration.

koblenski 13y ago

I imagine it's the tree game. The Leaf builds a pine tree next to the speedometer, and you can complete up to 5 trees by driving as eco-friendly as possible. Then you can upload the trees you build through the car's internet connection to compete on a leaderboard with other Leaf owners. I don't participate. I figure I'm already doing my part to save the environment, and the measly extra kWh I'd save in a month by driving like that isn't worth it. I'd rather have some fun. I do drive 55 on the beltline, but that's the speed limit. I'd only get to my destination a minute faster by going 60. There's nothing about the car itself that limits driving normally. Even in ECO mode all of the acceleration is there. It's just farther up the accelerator.

woof 13y ago

The car is great, so you can blame driver ignorance and stupidity... * Slow acceleration can use more energy than "normal" acceleration (engine efficiency). * 45mph is a good speed in an EV (faster results in too much drag) * 35mph gives relativly little more range than 45mph

nsxwolf 13y ago
So us non-Leaf motorists have to treat the Leaf like a bicycle in traffic instead of a real car?
- woof 13y ago
  Yes -a bicycle with better acelleration than most cars and a top speed of 90mph
  - nsxwolf 13y ago
    Which is moot if it's owners are driving it far under the speed limit.
- jessaustin 13y ago
  Yeah, don't bother to wait until there's room to pass safely, just shove 'em off the road! Also don't worry about turning through their lane of travel, they can probably brake as effectively as a bicycle can't they?

ssmoot 13y ago

It's the driver. The Leaf is a lot snappier than previous hatchbacks I've owned (a miserable Chevy Aveo, and a pretty decent Pontiac Vibe (aka Toyota Matrix)). I'd peg it about the same as my wife's old Volvo S40 T5. The 0-40 is very spunky. Much more than your average car IMO. The only time it feels sluggish is highway (65mph+) passing, but even then not slow-er than your average non-turbo hatchback. Just back down to less thrilling levels.

bluedino 13y ago

Prius owners are famous for this as well. It's very annoying when you in a hurry and someone is 'hyper-miling'.

nawitus 13y ago
Correct hyper-miling calls for quick acceleration.