Dave Roperss Future Driving the Nissan LEAF

DaveRoper’sFutureDrivingtheNissanLEAF
http://www.roperld.com/science/NissanLEAF.htm
http://www.roperld.com/science/LEAFRoper.pdf
http//www.roperld.com/science/LEAFRoperDrive.pdf
Future Trip to Salem VA
From Blacksburg VA (2080’) to Salem VA (1081’) (71 miles, elevation change -999 feet going & +999 feet
returning. (No problem going from Christiansburg to Salem: 56 miles roundtrip.) The trip back from
Salem could be at a slower speed on Rt. 11 instead of on I-81.
Future trip from Blacksburg to the Grandin Theatre in Roanoke:
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It is 36.1 miles or 72 miles round trip. The range on the level for 55 mph is ~89 miles or ~7.4 miles per
battery bar. However, there is about a 2200’ change in acceleration (see elevation chart below), which,
for the round trip costs ~1.1 bars or ~8 miles. So the effective miles are ~83. If half of the trip was 50
mph (~97 miles range), there would be no problem making the round trip on one charge.
The vertical line is the Ironto exit on I-81.
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Future Trip to Lynchburg VA
After I get LEAF Roper I may take a two-legged trip from my house in Blacksburg (2080’) to my
granddaughter’s house in Lynchburg (761’) by charging for a few hours at the Virginia Museum of
Transportation (http://www.vmt.org , 303 Norfolk Avenue SW, Roanoke, VA 24016, 540.342.5670, 939
feet) going and coming back. (Lynchburg Nissan is at 18588 Forest Rd, Forest VA 434-385-7733. There
should be two level-2/240-volts chargers there.)
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The LEAF driven in ECO mode at the speed limit with 2 hours of charging at VMT/Roanoke would
allow travel on to Lynchburg. Because of the fact that most of the trip is downhill, it probably
could be made without charging in Roanoke.
Overnight charging at Lynchburg and 1 hours of charging at VMT/Roanoke both going and
returning would allow travel back to Blacksburg.
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The distances and elevation changes are:
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Blacksburg to Lynchburg (~103 miles, ~-1315 feet)
Lynchburg to Blacksburg (~103 miles, ~+1315 feet)
Blacksburg to Roanoke (~44 miles, ~-1140 feet)
Roanoke to Lynchburg (~53 miles, ~-180 feet)
Lynchburg to Roanoke (~53 miles, ~+180 feet)
Roanoke to Blacksburg (~44 miles, ~+1140 feet)
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Future Trip to Lexington VA?
Blacksburg VA (2080’) to Lexington VA (1060’) (~162 miles, elevation change -1020’ feet going & +1020’
feet returning):
The trip going can probably be done with one charge in ECO mode and at the speed limit because of the
elevation decrease. Apparently, the nearest Nissan dealer is in Staunton VA, 36 miles farther. I am trying
to find out if there are level-2/240-volts chargers in Lexington. Coming back one could charge at VMT in
Roanoke.
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Future Trip to Princeton WV?
Blacksburg VA (2080’) to Princeton WV (2433’) (~104 miles round trip, elevation change +350’ feet going
& -350’ feet returning):
There are two high peaks that have to be crossed: ~2500 feet and ~2600 feet separated by a valley at
~2200 feet and another high peak in WV; so the elevation change between Blacksburg and Princeton is
not really the elevation change between the two places; it is really closer to 2000 feet similar to the
Roanoke trip.
Apparently the Nissan dealer for the area is in Bluefield WV (1698’, ~126 miles round trip); it would be
iffy to get there from Blacksburg with one charge.
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Future Trip to Covington VA and on to Hot Springs VA
Blacksburg VA (2080’) to Covington VA (1257’) (~136 miles round trip, elevation change +825’ feet going
& -825’ feet returning):
There is a high peak that has to be crossed: ~2780 feet; so the elevation change between Blacksburg and
Covington is not really the elevation change between the two places; it is really closer to 2000 feet
similar to the Roanoke trip.
There is a Nissan dealer in Covington (Covington Nissan, 1915 Hot Springs Rd, Covington VA 24426, 540962-7853) where a LEAF can be charged for the return trip.
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Farther on for ~20 miles is Hot Springs VA, home of the Homestead Resort
(http://www.thehomestead.com/ ) It is 87 miles from my home in Blacksburg:
One could recharge for an hour or so in Covington and then go on to Hot Springs.
Farther on ~21 miles from Covington is Greenbrier Resort WV (http://www.greenbrier.com/ ):
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The vertical line represent the location of Covington VA.
Future Trip to Greenbrier WV
This is the home of the Greenbrier Resort (http://www.greenbrier.com/ ). There are three possible
routes:
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ItIt
It appears that the best route is the longest one (83 miles) because it does not include the two very high
mountains.
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Future Trip to Danville VA?
There are two level-2/240-volts chargers at Advanced Vehicle Research Center at 500 Stinson Drive (450
feet) ~122 miles from Blacksburg VA and at Robert Woodall Nissan at 132 Union St Bridge Rd.
Subtracting off the ~44 miles to Roanoke, the distance from there to Danville is ~78 miles. So, it is
possible to charge at the VMT in Roanoke both ways in a drive from Blacksburg to Danville.
Details about Driving a LEAF up and down a high mountain
http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=4952
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