Could also have bought a used Chevy Bolt in this price range, with CCS, ~250mi range, and CarPlay.

alchemist1e9 4 days ago | parent | next [-]

For some reason when I charge at public chargers a very common vehicle next to me are those Chevy Bolts. If you’ve never compared them side by side you will be surprised, the Leaf is a MUCH nicer car, the Bolts just look way cheaper and lower quality vehicles.

I also don’t get this CCS drama, I have yet to come across an actual fast charger station that doesn’t have CHAdeMO in addition to the CCS connection. Maybe in my area of midwest all the charger stations were installed during the dual standard being the standard.

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WorldMaker a day ago | parent | next [-]

The 2026 Bolt moving to the Ultium platform may also improve some of the interior quality (because the battery platform will be cheaper again). It is probably a couple months still before we can easily test drive one to get a good feel, but I am curious to see what they do with the new model, especially because GM is especially returning it to be their cheapest EV.

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vannevar 3 days ago | parent | prev | next [-]

I drove both before I bought the Bolt. The Leaf does have a nicer interior. While I wouldn't say it's a huge gap, it was noticeable. But the Leaf also felt heavier and more sluggish. In the end, the extra range, the CCS charge port, and the better driving feel (at least to me) made me prefer the Bolt.

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alchemist1e9 4 days ago | parent | prev | next [-]

I’m wrong about CCS, can’t edit this long after so replying here to myself to clarify.

I’m dumb, of course I always see CHAdeMO because my charger app is set to that for DC fast. Duh … a friend said unset filters and yeah there are more CCS DC fast.

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geerlingguy 4 days ago | parent [-]

Yeah, in St. Louis metro, I think there are only like 2-3 CHAdeMO chargers, period.

On the trip to Chicago, I only see 4 plugs on the way, and those are all at dealerships... which often have cars parked in front of them, so I can't really rely on those being available :D

	▲	alchemist1e9 4 days ago \| parent [-]
		I’m looking on the Chargepoint App and I see some CHAdeMO DC Fast in both Springfield and Bloomington. They tend to be in strip mall parking lots near Home Depots and Walmarts. That said having a CCS adapter working is very interesting and I will be following your experience as I have similar a Leaf to you (2021 SV Plus) https://github.com/geerlingguy/electric-car/issues/9 I am very happy with my 2021 Leaf. It’s a very solid around town and commute vehicle. Anyone comparing it to Bolts doesn’t understand the Nissan build quality is just much better, Leaf is in a different league of design, refinement, and reliability. One thing I would recommend is a set of winter wheels and tires if you’re in St Louis. I’m on the fence about buying a comma.ai Comma 3x to try with it. The ProPILOT Assist built in is pretty helpful on long distance highways and the Comma 3x adds a bunch of interesting capabilities. My hesitation is partially insurance related, I’m not sure what Geico will say about it if you’re in an accident for example when it was engaged. fwiw I’m confident after reading your post and watching you video you made the right choice for you and your objectives.

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turtlebits 4 days ago | parent | prev [-]

The Bolt EV has 100 miles more range and IMO a better interior.

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dzhiurgis 4 days ago | parent | prev [-]

Safety rating and HEPA air filters?

Tesla isn’t excellent with kids in back either.

	▲	vannevar 3 days ago \| parent [-]
		NHTSA crash ratings for the Bolt are slightly better than the Leaf. I don't know about the HEPA air filters.