Looking a IMievs/Ions/Czeros in Uk

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Dblock

New member
Joined
Apr 5, 2016
Messages
4
Location
UK
Hi guys,

So I currently drive a gen 2 leaf which goes back in a few months time. It's been a decent car.

So when it goes I have a few cars in mind. 1 is the Auris HSD/ gen 2 prius as it's a hybrid so range issues are non existent but running costs while lower than a normal ice are still higher than an BEV.

Gen 1 Leaf. Nice cars but JDM part prices like the parking brake issue turn me off unless they are significantly cheaper to fix.

I-Miev/C-zero/Ion. They can be had even cheaper than Gen 1 leafs and seem to be very reliable. But will the battery last me my days commute? I travel to work it's about 16 miles. A large portion of that is 70mph. In my gen 2 leaf it will take me between 25-35% depending on weather etc etc. Then I charge at work. 17-18 miles home which is another 25-35%. I charge at work due to me living in a flat/apartment and having nowhere to charge. So my car is always 100% when I'm finished work. But I can't charge again until the next day. So with 100% would it get me home and to work again without being charged call it 40miles with a lot being done on 70mph zone? With my leaf it can do this no problem and get me home and back to work with 40-50% battery left.

Please note this isn't a leaf vs I-Miev debate I just want to see if the I-Miev could do it. If it can do it great! If it can't that doesn't mean the car is bad it just wouldn't fit me :D .

Although in the winter with winter tyres this would drop to about 30% left. But the leaf is a bigger, heavier and more powerful car with bigger tyres. Also I'm ideally looking for real world usage as sometimes threads like this turn into willy waving about how much people can get out of a certain car as they think it impresses people on the internet. I just want to see if the I-Miev will suit my needs. :lol:

All help is appreciated.

Thank you!
 
Welcome to the forum.

Should be doable. Being able to drive a bit slower would help. Pretty big difference between 65 and 70 MPH. Also, have you checked PlugShare for any nearby charging stations?
 
Should have also typed driving slower is a no no for me. I can be at work 18 hours at a time on some days and getting home is priority. There are a few Chademo chargers closish by but I don't want to be using them everyday as I won't have the time. For longer journeys or I'm going further then yes there are Chademo chargers around.
 
OK. For 18 miles of driving at 70 MPH, the trip would take 15 minutes. At 65 MPH, it would take almost 17 minutes. Not challenging your habits, just pointing out the time difference.

The good thing is that there are options in-case a charge is needed, but that'll likely not be the case. A quick charge to 80% takes 20 minutes or less with the i-MiEV. Even 5 minutes at a low SoC can net you 10 miles or so, but you likely know that coming from a LEAF.
 
That's 2 more minutes in bed! You have your priorities backwards man! :lol: :lol: No I get that but not something I want to do. In my leaf I usually drive a 77mph due to EU laws saying our speedo has to over read by 10%.

Ok great so it should be able to do 40 miles at 70mph? Also what is the heater like for power. I take it isn't a heat pump. Does it really really sap your range or is it not to bad. I'm looking to test drive one but dealerships here don't seem to want to sell them and therefore no one has one for a test drive. I was looking at pre 2012 Ions and c-zeros with the 16kwh battery or the Imiev.

Thanks for the info.
 
Dblock, welcome to this forum.

After reading your posts, I fail to understand why are you looking at electric cars?

Is it because the initial purchase price of a used i-MiEV is relatively low?

Is it because the recurring costs are absurdly low?

Is it to save the world with zero emissions and ween us off fossil fuels?

Is it to enjoy all the advantages that an electric car has over ICE vehicles?

The range of an i-MiEV is very comparable to that of a 2011 Leaf. None of us on this forum would have any trouble using our i-MiEVs or 88-cell clones in your 32-mile commute, even in the dead of winter. We just wouldn't do it at a continuous 77mph in order to save a couple of minutes.

So far you have failed to enquire about all the other attributes of the i-MiEV which, to me, make it a more-desirable electric car than a Leaf.

As an already-experienced electric car driver but with a dogmatic approach to driving at high speeds, you should by now understand that the reduction of range with speed is dramatic and that range is fully controllable by you, the driver.

Your stated priority is being able to travel 40 miles down a motorway at >75mph. That makes your commute in an i-MiEV marginal, especially in winter. May I suggest that you look elsewhere?
 
JoeS said:
Dblock, welcome to this forum.

After reading your posts, I fail to understand why are you looking at electric cars?

Is it because the initial purchase price of a used i-MiEV is relatively low?

Is it because the recurring costs are absurdly low?

Is it to save the world with zero emissions and ween us off fossil fuels?

Is it to enjoy all the advantages that an electric car has over ICE vehicles?

The range of an i-MiEV is very comparable to that of a 2011 Leaf. None of us on this forum would have any trouble using our i-MiEVs or 88-cell clones in your 32-mile commute, even in the dead of winter. We just wouldn't do it at a continuous 77mph in order to save a couple of minutes.

So far you have failed to enquire about all the other attributes of the i-MiEV which, to me, make it a more-desirable electric car than a Leaf.

As an already-experienced electric car driver but with a dogmatic approach to driving at high speeds, you should by now understand that the reduction of range with speed is dramatic and that range is fully controllable by you, the driver.

Your stated priority is being able to travel 40 miles down a motorway at >75mph. That makes your commute in an i-MiEV marginal, especially in winter. May I suggest that you look elsewhere?

They are cheap to buy and drive. Purely on running costs.

I really doubt that the imiev has the same range as a gen1 leaf if it can't do 40miles. My gen 2 leaf does that with about 40-50% left. I really doubt the gen 1 heater takes 40-50% of the battery and range.

I really don't see how the imiev is more desirable over the leaf but if you would care to elaborate that would be cool.

Ok no worries, is a shame but you can't ask to much for a cheap city car I suppose. I guess thats why the leaf is twice the price as it gets twice the range :lol: . You get what you pay for! I'll look at other cars then.

Cheers for the help guys, :D
 
The biggest difference is that the LEAF is a longer car, and therefore more aerodynamic. It can run 75 MPH on the highway and use less power. The i-MiEV is a city car. The drivetrain has no problem doing 75-80 MPH, but the shape of the car doesn't lend well to cutting through the air. This is why there is such a range difference at the speeds you're running. On the highway, I don't drive any faster than 60 MPH, as driving faster than that sees a lot more energy consumption for just a small gain in speed. If you were running 60 or even 65 MPH instead of 70-75 MPH, it would be a different story.

Now, if you can find an SUV or pickup truck that runs the same speed that you could follow, now you're getting closer to the LEAF's range (I've seen better range by staying with a bunch of other cars at 65 MPH than running by myself at 55 MPH).

Best of luck in whatever you decide.
 
Dblock said:
They are cheap to buy and drive. Purely on running costs.
OK, got it.
Dblock said:
I really doubt that the imiev has the same range as a gen1 leaf if it can't do 40miles.
I didn't say that - I said that if you are insistent on driving at that speed in all types of weather as a must-get-to-work and must-get-home high-speed commuter then you might want to rethink your priorities. I regularly exceed that distance while keeping with traffic which, ahem, has me topping out at the i-MiEV's 81mph. :roll:
Dblock said:
My gen 2 leaf does that with about 40-50% left. I really doubt the gen 1 heater takes 40-50% of the battery and range.
Excuse me? Do the math, and especially take the 2011 Leaf's battery degradation into account. The Leaf's subsequent heat pump was a significant improvement for winter driving and a definite advantage over the i-MiEV.
Dblock said:
I really don't see how the imiev is more desirable over the leaf but if you would care to elaborate that would be cool.
The only price competitor to the i-MiEV/Clones is the Gen1 Leaf. Having extensively driven a Leaf, here are the key benefits of the i-MiEV, IMO:

1) Double the storage space with the rear seats lowered (North American version): 50.4cuft vs Leaf's 24cuft, and with a completely flat floor! (source: Edmunds)
2) Turning diameter: 30.8ft vs. Leaf's 34.2ft.
3) Better all-round visibility, especially with the unused headrests removed
4) Sprightliness: hard to quantify, but the i-MiEV is more maneuverable and peppy compared to the stodgy Leaf
5) MUCH better control over regeneration. The Leaf is downright wimpy, even their newer models.
6) For your UK version, parking in narrow parking spots is a piece of cake compared to the Leaf!
7) Ingress/egress is easier, although the Leaf is very good also

At the same time, I appreciate that the Leaf is a five-seater compared to the i-MiEV being a four-seater.

Finally, here's an EPA comparison:

EPAiMiEVLeafComparison.jpg


HTH.
 
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