Picked the electric car over the hybrid and my commute got worse

I live in Phoenix and drive about 40 miles each way to work. Last year I had to choose between a Nissan Leaf and a Toyota Prius for my new car. Everyone told me go full electric, save the planet, all that. So I got the Leaf for $28k after tax credits. But here in summer the AC drains the battery so fast I barely make it home without stopping to charge. The public chargers near my office are always taken by other Leaf owners too. Plus my home charger install cost $1,200 and my electric bill jumped $60 a month. I shoulda just got the Prius and called it good. Has anyone else regretted going full electric in a hot climate city?

3 comments

3 Comments

fiona_hunt712d ago

Oh man, that's rough. Ngl, reading this gave me secondhand heat stroke. Honestly it sounds like you traded one kind of range anxiety for another, just with a side of $1,200 install bill and a Thirsty Leaf that can't handle the triple digits. I mean you coulda been rolling in a Prius sipping gas and laughing, but instead you're playing musical chairs with chargers at lunch. TBH maybe the planet will have to wait until Phoenix turns into an actual sauna.

nancy_king293d ago

Wait are you saying you lose that much range just from AC? Seems like you gotta plan your route better or something. My buddy runs a Leaf in Vegas and swears it's fine if you pre-cool it while plugged in.

thomasgonzalez3d ago

My 2019 Model 3 drops almost 30% range with the AC blasting in Phoenix traffic @nancy_king29. Pre-cooling helps a bit but once you're on the road it's brutal. Vegas is hot but Phoenix is a whole different level of heat soak on the battery.