2018 Leaf SV

Well, I pulled the trigger and put a deposit down on a 2018 Leaf SV from Waterloo Nissan.  The search for an electric vehicle replacement for my wife's 2007 Honda Civic has been a bumpy one.  The Tesla Model 3 is an awesome looking vehicle, but production issues could keep it in very short supply for years.  The 2018 Chevy Bolt also had me very excited, but a few issues with the seating in the car (I am 6ft8), and again a very restrained supply chain made it a no-go as well.  In fact, one Chevy dealer I was in contact told me that there was no way to purchase a 2018 Bolt, and I would need to put down a deposit now for the unannounced 2019 model.  

I was aware of the Nissan Leaf, but I really did not do any in depth research on them, as I wanted a car with a 60KWh because of where we live in rural Ontario, and what my wife's daily commute would entail.  EVs also have a shorter range in the winter, partially due to battery chemistry and also because of the need to run the heater to keep the occupants comfortable.  Since Chatsworth seems to be stuck in winter 6 months of the year, the 60KWh battery seemed to be the only solution.

Further research, along with the opportunity to actually test drive a Leaf changed my mind.  The 40KWh battery in the 2018 model (yes, a 60KWh model has been announced for 2019) and the Ontario government's Electric Vehicle Incentive Program (EVIP) meant that I could secure a solution for my family for around $30000 all in.  This was almost $10000 cheaper than the "maybe in 2019" Bolt, and $12k cheaper than the "maybe you'll see it sometime this decade" Model 3.  A looming Provincial election in June of this year, also meant that I could not count on the rebate being available when the Bolts and Model 3s finally arrive.

I have done a great deal of research over the past few weeks, and will continue to do so for the next few months until my Leaf arrives.  I am going to use this little blog space on my website to share my research, findings and, eventually, thoughts about my Leaf purchase.  

---