After a decade of test drives and aborted purchases, I finally did it!

After years of exploring different EVs, from the i3 to the Kona and now the LEAF, we finally purchased a 2025 LEAF SV Plus! It’s our around-town car, and the heated seats, mirrors, steering wheel, plus the 360-degree cameras make it perfect for daily use. With a $7,500 rebate and another $3,000 from state incentives, we got it for under $30k. Our payment is about the same as what we used to spend on gas and maintenance for our ICE vehicle. We plan to use free Level 2 chargers around town for charging.

When we first got our EV, we thought we’d need to rely on town chargers too, but we’ve managed fine with a Level 1 trickle charger. We use a regular 110V outdoor plug, and it’s been enough for us. No need for Level 2 if your driving isn’t extensive.

Randy said:
When we first got our EV, we thought we’d need to rely on town chargers too, but we’ve managed fine with a Level 1 trickle charger. We use a regular 110V outdoor plug, and it’s been enough for us. No need for Level 2 if your driving isn’t extensive.

I used L1 charging for months and it was totally fine for daily use. As long as you’re not driving over 30 miles a day, L1 charging works well.

jessicah said:

Randy said:
When we first got our EV, we thought we’d need to rely on town chargers too, but we’ve managed fine with a Level 1 trickle charger. We use a regular 110V outdoor plug, and it’s been enough for us. No need for Level 2 if your driving isn’t extensive.

I used L1 charging for months and it was totally fine for daily use. As long as you’re not driving over 30 miles a day, L1 charging works well.

True, but when you have random long drives, it can be annoying. Still, L1 works great for regular commuting unless your commute is far.

Randy said:
When we first got our EV, we thought we’d need to rely on town chargers too, but we’ve managed fine with a Level 1 trickle charger. We use a regular 110V outdoor plug, and it’s been enough for us. No need for Level 2 if your driving isn’t extensive.

How many miles do you drive? How much did your electricity bill go up?

olivia said:

Randy said:
When we first got our EV, we thought we’d need to rely on town chargers too, but we’ve managed fine with a Level 1 trickle charger. We use a regular 110V outdoor plug, and it’s been enough for us. No need for Level 2 if your driving isn’t extensive.

How many miles do you drive? How much did your electricity bill go up?

We drive about 30-40 miles a day in heavy traffic. We use around 16-20 hours of charging daily on our 110V plug. It adds about 0.25 kWh per hour, costing roughly $15/month. While Level 2 would be more efficient and cut down on charging time, the cost of installing one wouldn’t pay off for us.

That’s a bit pricey for a LEAF in USD. They’re going for around $30k NZD here in New Zealand. Maybe tariffs are raising the cost in the U.S.?

abidemi said:
That’s a bit pricey for a LEAF in USD. They’re going for around $30k NZD here in New Zealand. Maybe tariffs are raising the cost in the U.S.?

Yeah, it seems high for a LEAF, especially since it took $10k in discounts to get it under $30k.

Nathan said:

abidemi said:
That’s a bit pricey for a LEAF in USD. They’re going for around $30k NZD here in New Zealand. Maybe tariffs are raising the cost in the U.S.?

Yeah, it seems high for a LEAF, especially since it took $10k in discounts to get it under $30k.

The final price includes sales tax (8%), title, registration, and other fees.

olivia said:

Nathan said:
abidemi said:
That’s a bit pricey for a LEAF in USD. They’re going for around $30k NZD here in New Zealand. Maybe tariffs are raising the cost in the U.S.?

Yeah, it seems high for a LEAF, especially since it took $10k in discounts to get it under $30k.

The final price includes sales tax (8%), title, registration, and other fees.

I would’ve expected the LEAF to start at around $26k, even before discounts.

abidemi said:
That’s a bit pricey for a LEAF in USD. They’re going for around $30k NZD here in New Zealand. Maybe tariffs are raising the cost in the U.S.?

MSRP was $38,335, and after taxes and fees, it was $41,402 before discounts.

olivia said:

abidemi said:
That’s a bit pricey for a LEAF in USD. They’re going for around $30k NZD here in New Zealand. Maybe tariffs are raising the cost in the U.S.?

MSRP was $38,335, and after taxes and fees, it was $41,402 before discounts.

And people wonder why EV sales are low.

olivia said:

abidemi said:
That’s a bit pricey for a LEAF in USD. They’re going for around $30k NZD here in New Zealand. Maybe tariffs are raising the cost in the U.S.?

MSRP was $38,335, and after taxes and fees, it was $41,402 before discounts.

My Model 3 cost less than that, even with taxes and fees. I paid about $39,223 total.

Imani said:

olivia said:
abidemi said:
That’s a bit pricey for a LEAF in USD. They’re going for around $30k NZD here in New Zealand. Maybe tariffs are raising the cost in the U.S.?

MSRP was $38,335, and after taxes and fees, it was $41,402 before discounts.

My Model 3 cost less than that, even with taxes and fees. I paid about $39,223 total.

If I could have gotten a Model 3 for under $30k after incentives, I would have.

olivia said:

Imani said:
olivia said:
abidemi said:
That’s a bit pricey for a LEAF in USD. They’re going for around $30k NZD here in New Zealand. Maybe tariffs are raising the cost in the U.S.?

MSRP was $38,335, and after taxes and fees, it was $41,402 before discounts.

My Model 3 cost less than that, even with taxes and fees. I paid about $39,223 total.

If I could have gotten a Model 3 for under $30k after incentives, I would have.

Yeah, but Tesla’s prices have been fluctuating a lot lately, even with declining sales.

Imani said:

olivia said:
Imani said:
olivia said:
abidemi said:
That’s a bit pricey for a LEAF in USD. They’re going for around $30k NZD here in New Zealand. Maybe tariffs are raising the cost in the U.S.?

MSRP was $38,335, and after taxes and fees, it was $41,402 before discounts.

My Model 3 cost less than that, even with taxes and fees. I paid about $39,223 total.

If I could have gotten a Model 3 for under $30k after incentives, I would have.

Yeah, but Tesla’s prices have been fluctuating a lot lately, even with declining sales.

I pass by a Tesla factory with unsold cars sitting there covered in dirt.

The LEAF is a great city car! The only issue is you might love it so much that you’ll want to take it on long trips, where it doesn’t perform as well.

emma said:
The LEAF is a great city car! The only issue is you might love it so much that you’ll want to take it on long trips, where it doesn’t perform as well.

I have the same issue with my Renault Zoe. I took it on a 4,500 km trip, but it would’ve been better with faster charging.

I had a Leaf SV Plus for two years and loved it! It’s a great intro EV. If you can, get a Level 2 charger at home—it makes things much easier.

martin said:
I had a Leaf SV Plus for two years and loved it! It’s a great intro EV. If you can, get a Level 2 charger at home—it makes things much easier.

I did the math, and it doesn’t make sense for us to get Level 2. We drive around 40 miles a day, and with Level 1 charging, the car would be fully charged after four nights a week. The cost to install Level 2 would take years to break even.