Coming back from the EVA/DC meeting yesterday I almost achieve what I thought impossible: entry into the elusive 100 mi club. Normally when I attend the EVA/DC in CO2 Fre Nissan LEAF I need to top off but thanks to my LogCARWINGS.py script I was able to verify after a half-hour of battery leveling my LEAF settle on 70.091 mi (112.800 km) range under normal drive (though I drive ECO) or 58.876 mi (94.752 km) with climate control. In the spring I generally don't use climate control and a quick check on Google showed that the trip home with the stop off in Silver Spring would only be about 54.1 mi (87.1 km) so I should be able to make it.
This, after all, is the ideal option because when I charge at Silver Spring, I have to use the Sema Connect stations at the Blairs and pay $3.00 for three hours of charging when I only need about one. Of course, that assumes they're actually able to communicate with the network that night, otherwise I don't get to go home! And yes, that had happened but my friends at the EVA/DC had helped me out so of course I had arrived home and am able to tell you about it. Thanks to Bryan and Rob (that's Bryan's Volt in the picture to the left), we had been able to get CO2 Fre the necessary electricity even though the sun had long since set at the solar EVSE at Suntrust in Bethesda. Needless to say I don't like those EVSEs at the Blairs.
Yesterday I got home with 9 miles (14 km) left in ECO mode and one bar remaining. I didn't even get to the first low battery warning. But the car did report 6:30 of Level 2 Charging (18 hours of Level 1, 19 after the battery leveling 40 minutes later). Since I try to keep my charge window at 01:00–06:00 to avoid higher electricity rates, my car finished charging with 30 minutes of Level 2 (50 minutes of Level 1) remaining and eleven of twelve bars. Knowing that I could probably manage a normal commute with ninety percent battery charge I decided to risk leaving without topping off. I'm guessing I should have no problem getting home as my car now reads seven out of twelve bars and 3:00 hours of Level 2 charging (8:30 of Level 1), more than half a pack.
The official registrar of the 100 mi / 161 km club is the MyNissanLEAF community which works on the honor system. As I can't say what I started with nor remember exactly what I ended with even if I had driven 100 mi I wouldn't post it unless I could be sure. But it's nice to know even with my mostly highway driving that goal is possible. Who knows, maybe someday.
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