Nissan LEAF: Long-Term Test (part 4)

OK, OK, my feet are cold.

Driving a battery-electric car in the winter, if you drive a decent amount, sometimes becomes a compromise between range and comfort. There is no internal combustion engine to produce “free” heat, which means turning on the heat in the car costs you battery power. That means you can’t drive as far as you might want to. Or you can, but you can’t be as warm as you’d like. I have actually considered heating a brick in the oven and taking it in the car with me to warm my feet without turning the heat on. Year 2015, meet the year 1810.

Yesterday I had an appointment in Dublin, and I didn’t have time to take the slow (battery-friendly) route from Gahanna. I took the freeway, and it ate up my miles. In order to make it back to Gahanna, I had to take the slow route (Route 161) and keep myself warm with just the heated seat and heated steering wheel. After the 45 minute drive was over, on a 12-degree day, my feet were freezing and the battery warning light was on.

I’m still glad I bought the LEAF. A friend of mine in Columbus who bought his LEAF after learning that I was happy with mine, put it this way, “I never used to think about how much energy I use going from place to place. Now I have to think about it.”

In happy news this winter, Columbus will soon be getting a supercharger for LEAFs and Volts. Until now, the nearest supercharger (20 or 30 minutes from empty to full battery) was in Cleveland, which is farther than my car can go on its 80 to 90-mile range. Tesla has superchargers here, but they are not compatible with the LEAF. But The Ohio State University is getting just such a CHAdeMO quick charger at its public charging facility at Kinnear and Kenny roads. They already have a bank of 220-volt chargers, which are far quicker than plugging into a standard wall outlet. They are also frequently full! Unlike many of the charging stations around Columbus, which can usually be found open at least half the time, the seven chargers at OSU often serve as free premium parking on campus, if you are lucky enough to own an electric car. The quick charger would be a real treat if I am in a pinch my car just needs a quick, stiff gulp of juice. It also puts Columbus on the map as a city that truly supports electric cars.

Until then, I’ll be taking Cleveland Avenue instead of 670 or 71 to get from downtown to Westerville. Thanks, Columbus winter!