Why I started a Blog
My dad told me to be the quiet one, let the other guy do the talking he’d say, that way you know what he knows and also what you know, he only has the benefit of his own knowledge. I couldn’t disagree more. If we all thought that way there would be no blogs and Google would be worthless. The insanity of this selfish attitude is perfectly summed up by Yossarian in Joseph Heller’s Catch 22
“From now on I’m thinking only of me.”
Major Danby replied indulgently with a superior smile: “But, Yossarian, suppose everyone felt that way.”
“Then,” said Yossarian, “I’d certainly be a damned fool to feel any other way, wouldn’t I?”
I simply want to share my knowledge and experiences with anyone willing to read. But back to selfishness, the blog also serves as a memory jogger for myself; often a solution discovered gets forgotten and has to be rediscovered later. At least it may save me the trouble of reinventing one of my own wheels. I hope it can help others also.
About Me
I work in the Nashville, TN area as an IT Professional and am a self-confessed geek. You can check out my LinkedIn profile here, I’m open to offers of employment in middle Tennessee.
I like to take photographs (That’s my photo in the page banner). I also walk and play backgammon when I’m not glued to a computer/droid somewhere.
Oh and I can’t write either. (I consistently came 24th out of 28 in spelling tests at school and got an F on my English literature ‘O’ level). So friendly help and advice is welcome.
JP
Disclosure Statement:
Some of my posts will provide links to products and services I have discussed. In most cases the links are just that, links. In a few cases I have established affiliate accounts with the service or product provider. Links may include a referral code that typically benefits both the reader and myself, often as extended or expanded service for us both at no extra cost. In a few cases the links will benefit me only but will not include any additional charges to the reader.
1,000 Miles of Free Supercharging
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Tesla Model 3 
Dear JP White:
I am a writer who covers mostly the green car space, and I’m doing a piece for PlugInCars.com about the ECOtality Blink charger and people’s experience with it. You seem to be enjoying yours–I do hear that some people have lost the connection when setting a delayed charge and woke up to find the car not charged–you haven’t experienced this? Any issues with Blink?
Jim Motavalli
203-610-0549
jmotavalli@gmail.com
I am looking for some clarification on some of your spreadsheets. Also I am doing some cost analysis. I would love to pick at your knowledge.
Hello JP White,
I’m from the Dutch Nissan LEAF owners blog LEAFhebbers.nl and I would like to use this piture:
https://jpwhitenissanleaf.files.wordpress.com/2012/05/dsc_0001.jpg?w=300&h=198
Are you ok with this?
Kind regards,
David
Hi David,
I have no problem if you wish to use that photograph for your owners blog. Be kind enough to attribute the photograph to me and possibly link back to my blog.
You guys have a good quick charge network for LEAF’s in the Netherlands I believe. Happy LEAFing!!
JP
Hi JP,
I was at a used Leaf store today. They were telling me 2011~2012 models are made with Aluminium. The later models are made with steel. Is that true? I would assume Aluminium will cost a lot more to fix than steel.
Cheers,
Ethan
Yes the 2011/12 LEAFs use aluminium. Aluminium does take a repair shop who is experienced with it. Many 3rd party repair shops are familiar with aluminium used on Audi or Mercedes vehicles. I took my car for repairs to such a shop and I paid just the deductible, premiums are comparable to a regular steel vehicle. It’s not as big a concern as it may first appear.
I’d be more concerned with parts availability down the road since so few 2011/12 vehicles were sold..
Thank you! Yes I would definitely consider to get a 2013 model for now. Nissan said they will make a 2017 Leaf runs more than 500km on a single charge. That is amazing!
Hi JP,
I’m a big fan of the blog. I’ve been a Leaf owner for just over a year now and love the car. I’m perfectly pleased that I haven’t spent a nickel on maintenance (not counting putting on winter tires).
I was wondering if you could do a post about your maintenance costs over the life of your Leaf – what scheduled maintenance you’ve had done and what unscheduled problems you have encountered (besides the window – more focused on power train). I just replaced the water pump in my other ICE vehicle (which is 3 years / 100,000 Km old) and I was wondering what problems my Leaf might encounter by the time its that old. It’s been a year long honeymoon of not paying for oil changes and like, but when something inevitably does break down, what will it be?
thanks
-Nate
Thanks for your kind comments!! Glad you like the blog.
The LEAF maintenance schedule is light. In advance of a separate post on maintenance costs to date I can share the following.
Each 7,500 Miles is a tire rotation.
Each 15,000 Miles Nissan call for the brake fluid to be changed.
Each Calendar year there is the traction battery check (free the first two times, this last time the dealer did it for free anyway).
The biggest expense I am facing is the replacement of the traction battery which is about 30% degraded, out of capacity warranty and barely meeting my daily needs. I’m going to get a quote when I take the car in at 75,000 miles at the end of this month. I’ll probably do a post regarding maintenance at that landmark. I anticipate over $6,000 to replace the traction battery.
Not sure how to post this to the blog. I own a Nissan Leaf 2015. On Wednesday, I charged the car at a chargepoint station for about 51 minutes. In the evening, I tried to charge the car again at home and could not get the plug all the way in.
The next morning, I took the car to the dealer’s service center was told there was a short during my charging in the afternoon and it melt the wiring and one charging hold. They have to replace the harness and the charging port. It will cost a total of $1600. I asked both the dealer and Leaf Customer Support team and they are emphatic it was caused externally.
I called the support center of Chargepoint and they have never received any such complaint from the station but asked me to send in pictures and documentation.
Will keep you posted.
Yawei
That’s the first I’ve heard of something like this at a public charging station. With some of the early Blink stations the plug overheated at 7.2 kWh charge rate so they limited the charge rate in a firmware upgrade.
Good luck getting a remedy via Chargepoint. They are a reputable network and one would hope they will stand by their product and provide compensation. Keep us posted on the outcome.
Great blog. Keep up the good work.