Cadillac Set to Increase the Prices of Its Vehicles in the Coming Years

Cadillac has confirmed that the brand is planning to increase the prices of their vehicles in the coming years and this plan will most likely happen.

According to a number of reliable sources, Cadillac's plan of boosting the prices of its vehicles up was triggered by the rising cost of raw materials, vehicle components or the costs of labor involved in producing luxury vehicles. The planned increase was basically due to the brand's intention to take its luxury credentials to a higher level and somehow match the prices of its rivals from Europe such as the Mercedes Benz and BMW.

In lieu of this particular plan, Don Butler who is the current vice president of Cadillac explained that there is great need for the brand to increase the prices of its vehicle so as to re-establish Cadillac's status as a producer of luxury vehicles.

In a statement, Butler cited the Cadillac CTS as a good example of how the brand's car models are priced way below its European rivals. According to Butler, the current base price of the CTS is about $8000 lower than its closest competitor which is the BMW 5-Series and this price difference could be considered as a great deal for luxury car shoppers who want to earn larger savings. However, by looking at the situation from the luxury market's point of view, the lower base price of CTS could become a great issue since selling a luxury car at a very low price diminishes its value and this could also turn the CTS to a common vehicle rather than a luxurious one.

Significant Features of the 2013 Toyota Avalon

The 2013 Toyota Avalon was introduced as a fully-redesigned model and serves as an indication that Toyota is quite serious with its commitment to build more interesting car models once again.

Since the 2013 Toyota Avalon is a fully redesigned version of its predecessors, a lot of car experts and buyers are expecting that this vehicle would offer a number of exciting features that other Toyota sedans have failed to provide. Luckily, the Avalon will most likely live up to these expectations, given the fact that the company's engineers and vehicle developers spent a lot of time in upgrading the Avalon's features.

Starting off with the vehicle's exterior design, the 2013 Toyota is equipped with a wider lower grille, distinctive hood channels and narrower headlight lenses. These components made the Avalon look more intimidating as well as forceful. The vehicle's rear on the other hand is adorned by a new set of LED taillights that extend all the way to the vehicle's trunk lid and connected by a carefully-designed chrome strip. With this set-up, the vehicle's rear looked elegant and quite upscale.

Seventeen Months in Our Nissan LEAF

Three LEAFs and a Fisker Karma at the solar canopy charging station at Mistubishi HQ in Cypress CA on National Plug In Day, Sept 23, 2012

I'm very late in posting this August update in October.  I apologize.  Part of the reason for the delay is that I always include an update from my monthly utility bill so that I can update my driving costs, but as explained below, SCE has improved my meter, and so now they can't find a way to bill me (irony).  Another reason that I've taken extra time this month is that events on the LEAF scene have been changing rapidly with regard to heat-related battery capacity loss, especially in Arizona, and I wanted to include the most recent information.  And lastly, I've been busy researching a new hobby, electric bikes.  I'll report more on this next month.

August was our seventeenth month of driving electric in our Nissan LEAF.  Another 1,000 miles, bringing us to almost 16,000 miles and our LEAF continues to perform flawlessly. It has never given us a single problem.  It is still as pleasant and comfortable as the first day we drove it, and we love the quiet and smoothness of the driving experience.  Our LEAF continues to cost us nothing in operating costs to drive, as the combination of our solar "power plant" on our home's roof and the Time of Use rates from our utility, SCE, add up to an annual bill of zero.  Even if we didn't have solar power, we would have paid only about $37 for electricity to drive the LEAF this month, around 3.7 cents per mile.  That is much less than half the cost of driving a Prius for the same number of miles.  And we still haven't spent a penny on maintenance in 16,000 miles of driving.

New SCE Smart Meter and Billing
I don't have any up-to-date billing figures from our utility because, ironically, we now have a "smart" electric meter.  Yes, SCE finally came up with a smart meter and software that should be able to handle solar net metering and time of use billing for EV charging at the same time.  I'm told that at some point in time, I'll be able to go to SCE's web site and see hourly power usage and solar net generation graphs.  At this point, after more than a month of having a smart meter, I can't even get a monthly bill.  Which is a shame, since we are in prime summer "over-generation" season, when I like to gloat about the size of my SCE credit balance.  Our daily power usage has dropped, as well, since our son and his family have moved into their new home and out of ours. As I've said many times before, the combination of solar PV power and EV charging is a perfect match.  We're so happy with the performance of our solar power that we are going to look into adding air conditioning to our home this year.  Used carefully, we don't think that air conditioning will cost us much at all, due to the offset of our solar cells.

UPDATE: A special SCE meter reader showed up a week ago, about 45 days after the smart meter was installed, saying that SCE hadn't been able to get any readings from my meter and that he needed to take a manual reading.  He also said that they might have to replace our meter in the future if the situation persists.  A week later, there is still no bill available on SCE's web site.

FURTHER UPDATE: On Oct 6, I noticed on the SCE web site that some of my September usage data is displayed and that my credit balance of -$72.83 has now grown to -$137.13.  I still don't see a bill on the SCE site, and the date range of the current account summary isn't clear, but SCE has at least been able to use the data from the manual meter read of 10 days ago to get some usable data.  I'm going to keep the previous credit balance in my figures below, since the dates for the new SCE figures aren't clear and they don't match the August month end date of this update, but Ill update my kWh usage total for the net metering year using my own figures.

FINAL UPDATE: On Oct 10, about a month late, our August SCE bill appeared on SCE's web site, and I am now able to identify the date range of the bill and assign the billing to the month of August.  SCE handled the transition between the two meters in mid-August by creating two different bills in one, and the total amounted to a credit of $64.30 that will be added to our previous credit balance to produce a running total "bill" of -$137.13.  I've adjusted the numbers at the bottom of the page to reflect this latest bill.   I expect to see an additional credit for the final summer month of September, and I still expect to see a final actual bill due at the end of February, our twelfth net metering month of the year, of zero, for all of our electricity usage, including charging our LEAF for 11,000 miles of driving in the year.

Tony Williams' Baja to BC LEAF

Battery Capacity and Range
Issues with battery capacity loss from LEAF owners in hot desert climates have continued to be reported.  Though the actual number of LEAFs with capacity bar loss is unknown because the MyNissanLEAF forum only represents a subset of owners, according to the wiki here, about 52 LEAFs in Arizona, 29 in California, and 23 in Texas have reported having lost at least one of twelve battery capacity bars, with 11 of these cars having lost three or more bars.  Details of the testing that Nissan did on some of the affected cars, and an ensuing test on a dozen cars in Arizona by a group of MyNissanLeaf.com members can be read on the wiki page.

At this time, Nissan has bought back at least two of the affected Arizona cars under terms similar to those laid out in the Arizona lemon law.  Nissan has asked Chelsea Sexton, a well known and respected figure in the EV world, to convene a global advisory board to advise Nissan on communication with LEAF owners and on strategy.

Our own LEAF continues to operate perfectly, shows all twelve battery capacity bars and appears to still be able to drive just over 70 miles on a full charge at our usual driving efficiency, about 85% of its original driving range.  Our average daily mileage driven is under 35 miles and we rarely need to drive the LEAF more than 55 miles.  We now charge the LEAF to 80%, Nissan's recommended long life charging mode, which gives us about 60 miles of range to empty.  It appears that our 2011 LEAF will able to handle our driving needs at least through the end of our 39 month lease, 22 months from now, even if the battery capacity has declined below the 80% that Nissan suggests that we should expect.

My take after watching this story unfold is that the LEAF is a great car that can fulfill the needs of a large number of buyers, especially those living in temperate regions with cool summer temperatures and daily commutes of around 50 miles.  The shorter the owner's daily commuting needs, the more likely the current LEAF will work well for the owner for several years. These owners can expect a very reliable family car with ownership costs and CO2 and other emissions well below those of the average car, and they'll never need to take it to a gas station for fuel.  If summer temperatures are hot, I recommend leasing the car to minimize risk due to capacity loss.  For those who live in regions where summer temperatures regularly reach three digits, who have longer commutes and who drive the US average number of annual miles or more, I recommend careful research into the LEAF's range capabilities, potential battery capacity loss over time, and consideration of the buyer's required commute range needs over the time period that they expect to own or lease the car.

Capacity loss is a given with any battery.  The rate and degree of loss is dependent on the battery's chemistry, temperatures, mileage driven (which is related to the number of charging cycles), depth of discharge, charging wattage and frequency and other factors.  In my opinion, it is incumbent on EV manufacturers to either warranty battery capacity, or to be very transparent with potential buyers about the car's expected driving range capabilities over time and in the region where the car is being sold.  In public statements and in the video in this thread on MyNissanLeaf.com here, Nissan has admitted to "being a little behind in engaging with our customers and giving credibility to their questions".  In my opinion, improvement in that area is the first step in the direction of correcting an issue that has hinged on customer communication.

Corbin Sparrow EV at Mitsubishi HQ in Cypress, Ca for National Plug-In Day, Sept 23, 2012

The Numbers:
2011 Nissan LEAF SL Placed in Service: March 30, 2011
All Home Charging Done Using: 240 Volt Aerovironment/Nissan Level 2 EVSE
Home Solar PV System: 24 Sunpower 215W panels totaling 5.16 kW DC mounted on a 20 degree South facing roof.
Total Solar PV Power Generated for Net Metering Year Ended February 2012:  8,568 kWh

Our LEAF's Longest Range Full Charge to Empty ("Turtle"): 86.5 miles (at 4.0 mi/kWh on dash), April 2011.

Our LEAF's Most Recent Range, Full Charge to Turtle: 75 miles (at 4.1 mi/kWh on dash), July 2012
NOTE: Longer maximum range is possible if the LEAF is driven more conservatively. Many LEAF owners have achieved range of well over 100 miles.

Month:  August 2012
Total Miles at Month End: 15,879 miles
Miles Driven in Month:  1,009 miles
Electric Power Used for Charging in Month: 294.7 kWh (measured at wall power source, includes public charging)
Public Charging in Month, Power Use: 7.6 kWh 
Charging at Home in Month, Power Use: 287.1 kWh
Energy Efficiency, Month of August:  3.42 miles/kWh (wall to wheels)
Energy Efficiency, Month of August:   4.29 miles/kWh (in car main dash display, battery to wheels)
Efficiency Wall to Wheels in Month at 240 Volts: (3.42/4.29) = 80%

Total Charging Energy Used, Lifetime:  4,874.9 kWh (Includes public charging)

Energy Efficiency, Lifetime:  3.26 miles/kWh (wall to wheels)
Energy Efficiency, Lifetime:  30.7 kWh/100 mi (wall to wheels)
Number of Home Charging Days in Month: 28
Most Electric Energy Used for Charging in a Day in August:  19.5 kWh  (5.1 charging hours)
Most Electric Energy Used for Charging AT HOME in a Day in August: 18.5 kWh (4.87 charging hours)

Least Electric Energy Used at Home for Charging in a Charging Day in August :  1.9 kWh (0.5 charging hours)
Average Electric Energy Used for Home Charging in a Charging Day in August: 10.25 kWh  (2.9 charging hours)
Household Power Used for Month:  726 kWh (without car charging)
Total Power Used for Month:  1,013 kWh (includes car charging)
Solar PV Power Generated for Month:  848 kWh
Net Power Used or Sent to Grid for Month:  165 kWh net used
August Electric Bill, So Cal Edison, Schedule TOU-D-TEV:  $-64.30 
Solar Net Metering Year Total Cumulative kWh Used at Month #6:  1,120 kWh (estimated Total kWh net used for the net metering year. This is total household and EV charging usage minus solar PV generation.  Figures are from my tracking, SCE's tracking is messed up at this time.)
Solar Net Metering Year Total Cumulative Cost at Month #6:  -$137.13 (Total energy and delivery costs for all power usage for the net metering year.)
Cost for Charging Car in August:  $0.00
Cost per Mile:  $0.00
Cost for Charging Car, Lifetime: $0.00
Cost per Mile, Lifetime: $0.00  
(If We Didn't Have Solar Power, Est Cost for Charging Car in August: $37.32)
(If We Didn't Have Solar Power, Est Cost per Mile in August: $0.037) 
Average (Mean) Miles per Driving Day in August:  34.8 miles
Average (Median) Miles per Driving Day in August:  30 miles
Longest Day's Driving in August:  62 miles
Longest Day's Driving in August Without Mid-Trip Charging: 62 miles

Shortest Day's Driving in August:  4 miles
Number of Times we Took the Prius Instead of the LEAF Due to Low Charge: 5
Unexpected Low Charge and Unable to Reach Destination:  Never

10 "hidden gem" cars I don't see enough of on the road

Cadillac CTS Coupe

I saw a Cadillac CTS Coupe in town the other day, which reminded me how well-designed it is. The wedge shape is distinct, aerodynamic, and downright sinister...love it! But I don't see enough of these cars on the road for some reason. Click through for some other examples of great cars that people should buy more of.

Lexus CT

The CT is based on the Prius but sooo much cooler looking. LED lights, an interesting computer mouse-like dashboard controller, and the Prius-like gas mileage make this car a true unsung hero. My guess is that the CT's more traditional station wagon-like roof scares people off? Americans prefer sedans and fastbacks to station wagons, which would suggest that the Prius' more sloped trunk (and lower price point) have led to its success.

Hyundai Veloster

Having driven the Veloster through Zipcar, I am an instant fan. A lot of people complain about its space-age styling, but I think that's what makes it so interesting. The hidden third door makes getting in and out of the backseat easy, while retaining the car's coupe-like looks. I haven't seen too many of these cars on the road despite its attractive price...

Honda CRZ

The CRZ channels the CRX's awesomeness of the late '80s, but with updated technology, a sleeker body, and a hybrid engine. The CRZ's two seats and evidently sluggish engine are what I believe have made it a slow seller, but it's a shame, because I thought it would be a huge hit -- the next de facto teenager car. Maybe the article I recently read saying that fewer teens are driving works against the CRZ's favor.

Buick Regal

The Buick Regal, which is based on the European Opel/Vauxhall Insignia, is one good looking car - inside and out. GM failed to bring the Opel Astra to Saturn - probably because they had to sacrifice so much of its technology for the Saturn's low price point - but the Buick doesn't have to make those sacrifices. Despite this car's awesome looks, I don't see many on the road. Hopefully younger car buyers will get over the fact that it's a Buick and see the car for what it is!

Ford Fiesta ST

I see a lot of Focuses (Foci?) on the road, but not many of the smaller Fiestas. I drove the Fiesta off-road last year and had a BLAST. It is peppy, attractive -- even more so now with the Aston Martin grille -- and uses high-quality interior materials. Owning this car doesn't make sense in rural territory, but in urban and suburban environments, it is a great alternative to the ancient Smart car or drab Yaris. Americans should give the Fiesta a chance!

Audi A3

I see many more A4 Sedans than I see A3 Sportbacks, even though the A3 has a similar engine, is cheaper, and uses many of the same interior materials. Having driven the A3 through Zipcar, it has become one of my favorite "hidden gems".

Ford Taurus

This may strike you as an odd choice, but for some reason I don't see too many Tauruses on the road. I think it is a handsome looking car, has a well-appointed interior, and is a far cry from the Tauruses of last decade. I'd like to see more on the road -- other than Police cars.

Cadillac SRX

The SRX is, for all intents and purposes, a strong contender in the entry luxury SUV market. But for some reason, I see many more Lexus RXs and Infiniti FXs than SRXs. Having driven the SRX myself, I was quite impressed by the quality of the interior, the faux-hand stitched dashboard, etc.

VW CC

The CC was supposed to be VW's attempt at knocking the Mercedes CLS off its throne at a much lower price point. While the CC arguably does not cause nearly the same emotional impact that the CLS has, it is still a looker in today's world of mostly boring midsize sedans. I see many more staidly Passats than the expressive CC. What gives?

Tesla Model S Sighting in Santana Row

I wish I had the chance to snap more pictures - I saw a Model S in Santana Row, San Jose, CA the other night. This car is probably one of the best looking cars on the market today. I love how aerodynamic it is; there are practically no protrusions on the body (door handles, taillights, front fascia). It kind of looks like a next-gen Kia Optima, with an iPad-like dashboard that I'm sure will catch on amongst the other car manufacturers in the next 5-10 years. At ~$50k, I would seriously consider this car against buying my favorite Mercedes C/E Class, Audi S4, or Jaguar XF - for the ecological benefits, but also for the coolness factor. I was not the only one stopping and taking a picture of this car...

Test drive: A week with the Mercedes C250 in Los Angeles

Mercedes C250 in front of Hollywood Sign

If you look closely in the background, you can see the Hollywood sign, haha. I cashed in some of my Hertz points and rented a Mercedes C250 on vacation this week in LA. As a Mercedes enthusiast, I loved the car, but even if I wasn't an enthusiast, the car was a lot of fun. Click through for my review.

Mercedes C250 in front of Griffith Observatory

The C250 is Mercedes new turbocharged I-4 base model. Having previously driven the C300 with its V6, I could definitely tell the difference. In "Economy" mode, the car was sluggish, but in "Sport" mode, the turbo kicked in quicker and reminded me of my old Saab 9000. It is a blast to drive in Sport mode, and handles exceptionally well given the RWD setup. At times, the car's burst of speed was a little too much to handle on LA's terribly clogged 405 and 10 Freeways. The suspension soaked up potholes and the brakes were very responsive in stop-and-go traffic. It was truly a pleasure to drive on highway and local roads.

Mercedes C250

The C250, like the rest of the C-Class, is a sharp-looking car. One of the many design features that sticks out to me is the LED DLRs, which look menacing during the day. The new CLS-style headlights and LED taillights look fantastic - a large improvement over the last-generation's taillights. I don't really get the space-age side-view indicator lights, but I don't mind them either.

Mercedes C250 interior

The interior of the C250 was, for Mercedes standards, bare-bones. Having driven the C300 and E350, I instantly noticed the lack of in-dash navigation, which almost made the COMAND stick useless. I also didn't love the sparse layout of the steering wheel buttons. Thankfully my car had Sirius radio, which was a godsend while sitting in traffic. My model had aluminum trim, which I never like in cars because it always has a plasticky feel. Wood, despite often also being plastic, just looks better. Also, who uses the little phone buttons on the dashboard? Most Mercedes owners probably have Bluetooth-enabled phones, no? I thought the ambient lighting could have been more dramatic; the E350 is clearly outfitted better, but then again, it costs more. Some of the plastics used in the car were a little disappointing, notably the flip-up armrest, which would have better in leather as opposed to hard plastic.

Mercedes C250

Little touches like the aluminum gas and brake pedals, power lumbar support, power headrest, and of course the sunroof really stood out for me. Despite the minor gripes of the C250 being a bottom-trim model, this car is exceptionally good. Many will argue that the Audi A4 and BMW 3-Series are a better buy, but I would get the C250 over either of them. The exterior styling is more distinctive, the engine is more brutish (yes, even for a turbo-4, it had an awesome grunt), and the interior layout is pleasing. While the interior material quality probably isn't up to par to either the Audi or BMW, the other factors would win me over.

What Are The Reasons I Should Change To Winter Tyres?

Winter tyres are commonly used in countries around the world that have severe winter weather conditions of snow, ice, rain and slush. The majority of large manufacturers sell rubber designed specifically for winter conditions, which are known as either winter or snow to reflect their standard times of use. A small snowflake or snow covered mountain is depicted on the tyre-wall to ensure confusion does not arise between winter and summer compounds.

Rubber designs have been created as a compound that maintains its flexibility in temperatures falling below 7C; these compare favourably with summer designs that are harder, and can become brittle in freezing winter conditions. Winter versions can be designed as narrower than regular summer wheels that cut through deep, unploughed snow; other designs include those that are wider than summer wheels that increase the amount of rubber available to grip snow covered roads. Alongside the more flexible rubber, the tread is often deeper to allow the rubber to spread across patches of snow and ice for increased grip. Braking and stopping times are often increased with a winter compound.

Many drivers believe the inclusion of electronic traction and gripping devices of their vehicles will increase the ability of the vehicle to stay on the road on snow covered roads. Although the ability of a vehicle to keep control is increased, it is not possible for a motor vehicle to stay safe on a winter road when the rubber used cannot grip the road surface. One of the main advantages of using winter compounds is the increased grip offered during dangerous driving conditions.

What Differences Should I Make When Driving in Deep Snow?

It can be very scary having to drive when there is lots of snow out, but most of the time you'll have no choice. That's why it's so important that you are prepared for when snow strikes.

You'll need to make sure you have the necessary items ready for your car. Here are a few things you can do to get ready for deep snow driving, these will all help lessen the risk.

Make sure you have a 50/50 mix of water and antifreeze inside your cooling system, this needs to be done for all cars during winter months. The majority of cars have special long life anti freeze already put in the car, you can't mix this with any other kind of anti freeze. If you're not positive what type of anti freeze your car uses, stop by your dealer to find out.

Studebaker Wagonaire and GMC Envoy XUV: separated at birth?

Studebaker Wagonaire

I visited the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles this week and noticed this interesting '63 Wagonaire with a retractable roof, which reminded me of GMC's failed XUV about 10 years ago. What an odd idea...why would anyone need this feature? Click through for a few thoughts.

GMC XUV

The Studebaker was only around from '63-'66. It was plagued with leaks and quality issues, but even more importantly, I can't imagine too many people wanted to pay extra for this peculiar sliding rear roof feature. Fast forward 40 years, and GMC offered the Envoy XUV with a power sliding rear roof...it was only around from '03-'05.

If you are a carpenter that needs to haul long pieces of lumber, you'll get a pickup truck. For the rest of the likely buyers--families--the tallest things they would haul would be a Christmas tree (put it on the roof, Mitt Romney-style) or Ikea furniture boxes (if they don't fit in the rear, have them delivered). What other tall things do normal people haul around?

Note to automakers: in another 40 years, please don't go through the trouble of reviving this concept again!

Sixteen Months in Our Nissan LEAF

Through July of 2012 we have completed sixteen months of happy driving in our LEAF, with total miles traveled of 14,870.  July was one of our shortest driving distance months, with only 770 miles driven and only 26.6 average (mean) miles driven per driving day and a median of 26 miles driven per driving day.  These low driving distances were due only to our choosing to stay close to home during July, to our having no need to drive any long distance in the car, and had nothing to do with the usefulness of the car, which has stayed the same for us throughout the sixteen months of driving.

Our LEAF continues to be completely reliable, having never needed to return to the dealership for a repair of any kind in about 15,000 miles of driving.  Our driving costs have remained very low due to our ability to drive partly on solar energy generated by our home's solar power system and because of our utility's Time of Use rates for EV charging combined with that solar power. Our fuel costs continue to be zero, as they have for the life of the car.

I had occasion to gas up our Toyota Prius hybrid the other day, my wife being the one who usually drives it and fuels it, and it was rather an unfamiliar feeling to drive into a gas station.  One tends to forget that that unpleasant little piece of daily life can be so easily forgotten.  I don't miss the gas station at all.

The car continues to be as silent, powerful and zippy to drive around town as it was when it was new, and I enjoy the open and airy interior and the attractive blue paint job whenever I drive it.  The flexible interior continues to be very useful for our family of four, fitting four adults and a child car seat when necessary, and able to carry cargo of some bulk with the rear seats folded.

Driving range remains in the area of 75 miles if we drive at a dashboard-indicated economy of 4 mi/kWh, which is easy to achieve. This range capability reflects a reduction of 13% as compared with the car when it was new, measured by a careful driving range test conducted in July.  For our driving needs, this capacity reduction due to battery aging hasn't yet become a problem because the range capability remains within our usual driving range needs.

Electric Bill
With summer rates in effect we are enjoying maximum solar power generation from our home's rooftop solar "power plant".  We are seeing the expected electric bill benefits of credit balances rather than actual bills.  For our July/August bill, our bill is a credit of $58.30.  Added to our previous credit balance of $14.53, we now have a total cumulative balance of  -$72.83 for the net metering year to date after month #5.  We expect this credit balance to grow for the two remaining months of the summer, which will contribute to a very low actual cumulative bill due at the end of next February of close to zero for all of our electrical use for the year.

On August 13, SCE installed a Smart Meter, replacing our previous digital interval recording meter.  The change has been pretty much a non-event for us so far.  The new meter, like our previous one, displays the cumulative energy used by our household from our utility on one register ("register 1") and the energy sent back to the utility on a second register ("register 71").  I use these readings, along with the power usage readings from our TED energy monitoring system and the readings from our solar PV system's power inverter, to track our energy usage and generation.

I haven't seen the data on SCE's (our utility's) web site as yet, but I've been told to expect to be able to see our power usage per hour for each day as recent as the previous day.  Perhaps SCE needs a few weeks to get that display functioning on their web site for new Smart Metering customers.


The Numbers:
2011 Nissan LEAF SL Placed in Service: March 30, 2011
All Home Charging Done Using: 240 Volt Aerovironment/Nissan Level 2 EVSE
Home Solar PV System: 24 Sunpower 215W panels totaling 5.16 kW DC mounted on a 20 degree South facing roof.
Total Solar PV Power Generated for Net Metering Year Ended February 2012:  8,568 kWh

Our LEAF's Longest Range Full Charge to Empty ("Turtle"): 86.5 miles (at 4.0 mi/kWh on dash), April 2011.

Our LEAF's Most Recent Range, Full Charge to Turtle: 75 miles (at 4.1 mi/kWh on dash), July 2012
NOTE: Longer maximum range is possible if the LEAF is driven more conservatively. Many LEAF owners have achieved range of well over 100 miles.

Month:  July 2012
Total Miles at Month End: 14,870 miles
Miles Driven in Month:  770 miles
Electric Power Used for Charging in Month: 222.3 kWh (measured at wall power source, includes public charging)
Public Charging in Month, Power Use: 0 kWh 
Charging at Home in Month, Power Use: 222.3 kWh
Energy Efficiency, Month of July:  3.46 miles/kWh (wall to wheels)
Energy Efficiency, Month of July:   4.12 miles/kWh (in car main dash display, battery to wheels)
Efficiency Wall to Wheels in Month at 240 Volts: (3.43/4.2) = 84%

Total Charging Energy Used, Lifetime:  4,580.2 kWh (Includes public charging)

Energy Efficiency, Lifetime:  3.24 miles/kWh (wall to wheels)
Energy Efficiency, Lifetime:  30.9 kWh/100 mi (wall to wheels)
Number of Home Charging Days in Month: 22
Most Electric Energy Used for Charging in a Day in July:  17.9 kWh  (4.7 charging hours)
Most Electric Energy Used for Charging AT HOME in a Day in July: 17.9 kWh (4.7 charging hours)

Least Electric Energy Used at Home for Charging in a Charging Day in July :  5.1 kWh (1.3 charging hours)
Average Electric Energy Used for Home Charging in a Charging Day in July: 10.1 kWh  (2.65 charging hours)
Household Power Used for Month:  785 kWh (without car charging)
Total Power Used for Month:  1007 kWh (includes car charging)
Solar PV Power Generated for Month:  887 kWh
Net Power Used or Sent to Grid for Month:  120 kWh net used
July Electric Bill, So Cal Edison, Schedule TOU-D-TEV:  $-58.30  (A credit in this amount will be added to our net metering total charge for the year.)
Solar Net Metering Year Total Cumulative kWh Used at Month #5:  954 kWh (Total kWh net used for the net metering year. This is total household and EV charging usage minus solar PV generation.)
Solar Net Metering Year Total Cumulative Cost at Month #5:  -$72.83 (Total energy and delivery costs for all power usage for the net metering year.)
Cost for Charging Car in July:  $0.00
Cost per Mile:  $0.00
Cost for Charging Car, Lifetime: $0.00
Cost per Mile, Lifetime: $0.00  
(If We Didn't Have Solar Power, Est Cost for Charging Car in July: $28.90)
(If We Didn't Have Solar Power, Est Cost per Mile in July: $0.0375) 
Average (Mean) Miles per Driving Day in July:  26.6 miles
Average (Median) Miles per Driving Day in July:  26 miles
Longest Day's Driving in July:  75 miles
Longest Day's Driving in July Without Mid-Trip Charging: 75 miles
Shortest Day's Driving in July:  5 miles
Number of Times we Took the Prius Instead of the LEAF Due to Low Charge: 3
Unexpected Low Charge and Unable to Reach Destination:  Never

Taillights - the best and the worst

Mitsubishi Mirage

I saw an article on Autoblog yesterday reporting that Mitsubishi was considering bringing the new Mirage (pictured above) to the US to "reinvigorate" its ailing lineup. While I agree that Mitsubishi needs to inject some excitement into its lineup, this Mirage certainly isn't going to do it. There are a lot of things I don't like about this car, but most importantly its nondescript, blobby taillights, which make the car look 10 years old. The styling of the Mirage looks instantly dated compared to other subcompacts on the market, especially those from Hyundai and Kia. The Mirage inspired me to think of some other automakers who haven't paid enough attention to taillights, and some that did. Click through for some examples:




First some boring taillights:

Toyota Corolla

The Corolla's taillights could be on any car. There is nothing distinct about them that would allow me to instantly identify the car as a Corolla.

Mazda 5

The Mazda 5's taillights look like droopy, sad eyes. They're too low in proportion to the rest of the back end.

Subaru XV

The XV is a rare example of a Subaru that excites me. The boxy lines mixed with curves are actually pretty cool...so I was disappointed when I saw the taillights, which look like an afterthought. The taillights are so nondescript, that they almost ruin the rear end. The black body cladding on the lower corners of the car saves the day, fortunately.

Subaru BR-Z / Scion FR-S

I know the new Toyotaru RWD project has a lot of fans, but I haven't caught the wave. I'm sure it is a blast to drive and drift, but I don't think Toyota and Subaru pushed the boundaries enough when it came to styling, and the taillights epitomize this. They are too small and seem misplaced with regard to the rest of the design. It's almost like they were aiming to copy the BMW Z4's taillights but had to tweak them enough so as to avoid legal trouble...

VW Tiguan

I like the Tiguan overall, but think VW could have gone further with the taillights. On the next model, make them a little more expressive!

Now for some exciting taillights...

Dodge Charger

The Charger's taillights are easily the most engaging on the market today. Looks great in the daylight and even better at night!

Volvo XC60

I love the curviness of the XC60's taillights, which are easy to see at nighttime, but also look great (just like the rest of the SUV).

Mercedes CLS

Goes without saying, but the CLS' taillights look like a million bucks.

BMW 5-Series

The 5-Series has always embedded LED "stripes" in their taillights, which look awesome at night.

Ford Mustang

Check out the new Mustang's taillights. Against the black plastic, the red LEDs pop at night.

Kia Optima

The taillights are one of many reasons why I love the Kia Optima...one of the first exciting midsize cars available in awhile.

Fifteen Months in Our Nissan LEAF, Let's Discuss Battery Capacity

Another month of smooth, reliable electric motoring and almost 900 mostly solar powered miles in June.  Our LEAF continues to hum along and we continue to love the car.  We have had no mechanical issues for the life of the car and it continues to offer a great combination of space for our family of five, no fuel cost in combination with our home's solar roof panels and our utility's Time of Use rates, and a fun, quiet and rather luxurious driving experience.

Black Nissan LEAF, Pasadena, CA

I don't often mention how great it feels to drive a LEAF, and it is something that often goes unmentioned when folks talk about the merits of electric cars.  Because all of the electric motor's torque is available as soon as the accelerator is pressed, EVs are impressive at moving away from a stop light.  This rush of quiet acceleration becomes addictive, and when we switch to a gasoline (ICE) car, we miss that smooth, calm and quiet push in the back.  It really adds to the fun of owning the car, and it makes an otherwise fairly ordinary car feel more luxurious. This is part of the reason why many who drive electric cars really don't look forward to driving gas cars again.

White Nissan LEAF Testing Against Honda Fit EV, June 2012, Pasadena, CA

Good News from Edison
Our monthly fuel "bill" for June came in as a credit of $75.78 even though we used a net 94 kWh more than our solar PV system generated and we charged the LEAF with 230 kWh of night time power.  That is because days are longer, the sun is shining, summer rates have kicked in and we get a full retail credit of about 20 cents for every kWh we generate in Tier 1 and 56 cents in Tier 2 during Peak hours. These credits strongly offset our Off Peak household usage and our Super Off Peak (midnight to 6 am) EV charging, so that we end up with a substantial credit at the end of the month.  June was month #4 of our net metering year, and we now have a credit balance of $14.53 for the year to date.  That credit balance will grow over the summer months, through the end of September, and will help us to end the year on March 6 with another net bill of around zero for the year.  Note that we do not air condition our home, so we have no heavy electrical usage during the daytime hours, beyond a bit of cooking.  Homeowners who do use a lot of daytime summer power for air conditioning, pool heating or electronic equipment would have different results with Southern Cal Edison's Time of Use rates, so study your own situation carefully before trying to copy our plan.  It may help to consider moving some of that power usage to evenings or better still, late at night.


We also finally got our check from SCE for the excess net solar power generation that we logged for our net metering year that ended in March of 2011.  Fifteen months later, SCE sent us a check for $72 for the 2200 kWh surplus with which we ended that year.  We were paid at a rate of about three cents per kWh, similar to the wholesale rates that SCE pays to their other energy suppliers, but a far cry lower than the retail rates that SCE charges.  I'm not unhappy with this amount, though, since I do feel that our neighbors shouldn't pay more for the power that their utility buys from us than they pay for the power that SCE buys from other suppliers.  That said, I'd like to think that the power that we sell to SCE is worth more to our neighbors because it is clean, green solar power that only has to travel next door to our neighbor's house rather than hundreds of miles through SCE's grid.

Our LEAF's Dash. The 12 Bars on the Far Right Indicate Battery Capacity. The Adjacent Scale Showing 11 bars Indicates Approximate Current Charge State

Let's Talk About LEAF Battery Capacity
I mentioned last month that reports have started to appear on the My Nissan LEAF online forum and in online blogs Link of battery capacity loss from LEAF owners in the hot summer regions of Arizona, Texas and one in the Mojave Desert town of Ridgecrest, California, who have been driving their cars for about a year.  Some of these folks say that the reduced driving range keeps them from being able to use their LEAFs for the longer trips that they need to make.  The service departments of Nissan dealers have told these customers that their batteries are healthy and that the loss of capacity bars is normal.  Link


When asked in June by Green Car Reports about this issue, Nissan's spokesperson responded that all batteries lose capacity and that most capacity loss will occur early in the car's life and then level out in the remaining years.  She stated that Nissan's internal tests show that under normal use, Nissan expects owners to have 80% of the battery's usable capacity remaining after five years. Link  But some of the Arizona LEAF owners say that they have already lost this much capacity or more.  At the time of this writing, Nissan has responded by asking all LEAF owners who are having apparent heat related battery capacity loss to contact their NOGASEV 800 number and get a case number.  In addition, we now hear that Nissan is planning to take about six of the cars to Nissan's testing facility in Arizona for testing.  Owners will be given loaner cars and compensation for gasoline usage.


To put this in perspective, there have been no reports of battery capacity bar loss on the forum from owners in any state other than Arizona, Texas and one in the high desert of Southern California.  It is important not to generalize this situation and worry that because sometimes it gets hot where we live that our LEAF's battery might behave like the ones in these very hot summer areas.  Compare your city's average summer temperatures to those in Phoenix and Dallas using a web site like Weather.com or other more precise sources. You'll probably see quite a difference.  Drivers in the Northwest and in Northern California are reporting very little, if any loss of range or capacity.  


As for our LEAF here in Southern California, though we haven't lost a battery capacity bar, I've kept careful records and I believe that we are seeing a reduction in driving range of about 13% compared with our LEAF's range when it was new. I determined this by logging the car's range after driving the LEAF from a full charge to empty.  I did this when the car was only two weeks old and again after fifteen months of driving on July 7, 2012 when the car had over 14,000 miles on the odometer.  I carefully controlled my driving so that the indicated energy economy on the dash was 4.0 to 4.1 mi/kWh for both test runs.  My driving range was 86.5 miles when the car was new, in April of 2011, and 75 miles in July.  We have no way to know whether some of this range will return as the weather gets cooler this autumn, but I hope that it will.  Note that driving economy is not affected when battery capacity drops, it just means that each charge, whether it be a full charge or a charge to 80%, puts a bit less energy into the battery pack than it did when the car was new.  

Our LEAF's Dash on Delivery Day

At this point, I'm inclined to assume that this is the early loss of capacity that Nissan is referring to when they talk about the normal aging of lithium batteries.  For us, frankly, this range reduction makes very little difference in our enjoyment of the car and its usefulness to us.  It is important not to lose sight of the fact that the LEAF still has that 75 miles of range every morning after it is fully charged.  Our average day's driving amounts to 28 to 40 miles and we don't even notice a reduction in range of this magnitude.  It's true that we occasionally drive the car several times on some days and that our total mileage can add up to perhaps 60 miles, but this is still within the current range of our car, even on an 80 percent charge.  I'll admit that I'd prefer to still have the full range of the car for another couple of years, when our lease expires, but I have to accept the physics of battery aging and understand that some of it occurs early in the car's life.  I'm still hopeful that Nissan is correct and that we will still have 80% or more of our car's range available when our lease ends in 2014.  I realize that others will have different reactions to this depending on whether they bought or leased the car, the region they live in, and the length of their commutes.

My take on all of this is that this story is still developing and there is much left to be learned.  These reports began to be seen in early May of this year, just about two months ago.  Nissan likely has not had time to study the issue fully and to determine a response.  Nissan's recently announced plan to take some of the affected cars to a testing center is a hopeful sign.  Until we know more, I think that it is premature to draw any conclusions about the LEAF's quality or durability.  But in my opinion, while battery capacity and range loss aren't covered in the LEAF's warranty, Nissan needs to show its early adopter customers and the car buying public that they will take care of them if their cars lose much of their usefulness over a short period of time.  It's the right thing to do and it is in the best interests of the future success of Nissan's EV business, in which the company has made a very large investment.




The Numbers:
2011 Nissan LEAF SL Placed in Service: March 30, 2011
All Home Charging Done Using: 240 Volt Aerovironment/Nissan Level 2 EVSE
Home Solar PV System: 24 Sunpower 215W panels totaling 5.16 kW DC mounted on a 20 degree South facing roof.
Total Solar PV Power Generated for Net Metering Year Ended February 2012:  8,568 kWh

Our LEAF's Longest Range Full Charge to Empty ("Turtle"): 86.5 miles (at 4.0 mi/kWh on dash), April 2011.

Our LEAF's Most Recent Range, Full Charge to Turtle: 75 miles (at 4.1 mi/kWh on dash), July 2012
NOTE: Longer maximum range is possible if the LEAF is driven more conservatively. Many LEAF owners have achieved range of well over 100 miles.

Month:  June 2012
Total Miles at Month End: 14,100 miles
Miles Driven in Month:  853 miles
Electric Power Used for Charging in Month: 248.4 kWh (measured at wall power source, includes public charging)
Public Charging in Month, Power Use: 18.8 kWh 
Charging at Home in Month, Power Use: 229.6 kWh
Energy Efficiency, Month of June:  3.43 miles/kWh (wall to wheels)
Energy Efficiency, Month of June:   4.20 miles/kWh (in car main dash display, battery to wheels)
Efficiency Wall to Wheels in Month at 240 Volts: (3.43/4.2) = 81.7%

Total Charging Energy Used, Lifetime:  4,357.9 kWh (Includes public charging)

Energy Efficiency, Lifetime:  3.24 miles/kWh (wall to wheels)
Energy Efficiency, Lifetime:  30.9 kWh/100 mi (wall to wheels)
Number of Home Charging Days in Month: 25
Most Electric Energy Used for Charging in a Day in June:  22.4 kWh  (6.1 charging hours, includes 12 kWh public charging)
Most Electric Energy Used for Charging AT HOME in a Day in June: 17.6 kWh (4.8 charging hours)

Least Electric Energy Used at Home for Charging in a Charging Day in June :  4.1 kWh (1.1charging hours)
Average Electric Energy Used for Home Charging in a Charging Day in June: 9.2 kWh  (2.48 charging hours)
Household Power Used for Month:  722 kWh (without car charging)
Total Power Used for Month:  952 kWh (includes car charging)
Solar PV Power Generated for Month:  858 kWh
Net Power Used or Sent to Grid for Month:  94 kWh net used
June Electric Bill, So Cal Edison, Schedule TOU-D-TEV:  $-75.78  (A credit in this amount will be added to our net metering total charge for the year.)
Solar Net Metering Year Total Cumulative kWh Used at Month #4:  818 kWh (Total kWh net used for the net metering year. This is total household and EV charging usage minus solar PV generation.)
Solar Net Metering Year Total Cumulative Cost at Month #4:  -$14.53 (Total energy and delivery costs for all power usage for the net metering year.)
Cost for Charging Car in June:  $0.00
Cost per Mile:  $0.00
Cost for Charging Car, Lifetime: $0.00
Cost per Mile, Lifetime: $0.00  
(If We Didn't Have Solar Power, Est Cost for Charging Car in June: $29.85)
(If We Didn't Have Solar Power, Est Cost per Mile in June: $0.035) 
Average (Mean) Miles per Driving Day in June:  28.4 miles
Average (Median) Miles per Driving Day in June:  24 miles
Longest Day's Driving in June:  102 miles (charging mid-trip)
Longest Day's Driving in June Without Mid-Trip Charging: 58 miles
Shortest Day's Driving in June:  5 miles
Number of Times we Took the Prius Instead of the LEAF Due to Low Charge: 2
Unexpected Low Charge and Unable to Reach Destination:  Never