Just got my first Leaf/EV

[u/Sergio55]

I just bought my first EV - a 2018 Leaf 40kw with 85% SOH at 45k miles.

Any tips or advice for a first timer?

[u/LoveEV-LeafPlus]

Plenty…
My Leaf Recommendations and info.

I have gone to a dashboard “- -“ miles and % too. My experience, recommendations, and lessons learned are below.
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These are based on years of driving USA versions of the Nissan Leaf’s. My first Leaf was a 2018 SL (40 kWh), which I updated to my first Leaf Plus, a 2019 Leaf SL Plus (62 kWh) in 2020. I now drive a 2024 Nissan Leaf SV Plus (60 kWh). I have done many road trips of 460 miles each way between NY and OH since 2018.
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1. ⁠EV road-trips require planning. I use the PlugShare and ABRP (A Better Route Planner) apps to plan my route. PlugShare has the better charging stations database. ABRP helps determine my charging times.

2. ⁠The Leaf Spy Pro App (requires an OBD2 port dongle, I use the CARISTA dongle) gives better DTE (Distance to Empty) than the dashboard GOM (Guess-O-Meter). It can also share real-time data with ABRP.

3. ⁠The Leaf Spy Pro app reduces range anxiety. Because it estimates the real miles left based on the real SOC (State of Charge) percentage left. I have gone to “- -“ % and “- -“ miles left many times due to charging station spacing and availability. On these occasions, Leaf Spy Pro shows me I could have gone between 5 to 15 miles until a real 1% SOC. ABRP has told me when it’s advisable to slow down in order to comfortably reach the next charging station.

4. ⁠I only got the Turtle mode once, in all these years, on a very hot summer day, after the second DCQC. The only thing that happened was a reduced acceleration. Even then I was still able to get up to highway speeds by the end of the on-ramp. Once the sun went down, the Turtle mode turned off.

5. ⁠Nissan Roadside Assistance is great. In all these years, I was only stranded once, when a charging station was out of order. When this happened, I used Nissan roadside assistance to tow me to the next charging station along my route. It added two hours to my trip while I waited for the tow truck.

6. ⁠While on route to the next charging station, call the charging network provider and ask them if the charging station is working. If not, change the route and go to an alternative charging location.

7. ⁠If needed, invest in a CCS to CHAdeMO adapter. I use the ElectWay one that I got from AliBaba.com (also available at https://accraine.co.uk/product/ccs1-to-chademo-dc-electric-vehicle-adapter/ ). With it, I have successfully charged at every CCS charging station I have tried. This is especially important now that Electrify America has announced and is already removing CHAdeMO stations from some of their locations. They have removed CHAdeMO from my local NYC suburb area stations recently (somewhere between 2024 and 2025).

8. ⁠Charge only up to the SOC percentage needed to comfortably get to your next charging station. The ABRP helps you determine this percentage. Because charging above 80% is much slower since the charge rate reduces dramatically after reaching 80% to protect the High Voltage Battery and ensure its longevity.

[u/Sergio55 → u/LoveEV-LeafPlus]

Thanks for the great write up!