lee88

I wouldn't be surprised if "Turbo" remains the branding of the top of the line Porsche cars, EV or not. Most non-enthusiasts don't even really understand turbocharging or forced induction, they just think "turbo" denotes fast or speed boost. We've seen it with the Macan, Cayenne, Panamera, and now even 911 (991.2) lines... all of which now have turbocharged engines from base to top of the line but "Turbo" still designates the top.

We enthusiasts are most excited about Taycan for now, but once they hit production a lot of buyers will be mainstream folks similar to Panamera or SUVs.

Brett - 1996 C4

Actually, untrue. We leased a Leaf for a year while waiting for the new model Subaru Outback to come along a few years ago. Would never buy a Leaf again, but seriously considering the Cross Turismo ("unannounced" Taycan wagon version).

Think about it. Come home with an ICE, walk in the door (but go to the gas station occasionally). Come home with an EV, pop the charge door, get the charging cable, plug it in (every day). Doesn't sound like much, but I think when you add it up, it comes out as a wash in terms of actual time spent at the gas station.

dhirm5

IDK man -- if they name it turbo, that would be egregious enough for me to pass on it. I think enough of the people excited about this car would be bothered by that that it would be an easy call for Porsche not to risk it.

cluster_fsck

2000se

I hear what you are saying (and do agree that the time spent is equal) -- until induction charging hits then you just park over the induction charger and walk in.. no charging cables..but I do hear you.

Raek

I'm worried about induction charging, haha. I don't want to walk out to my garage and have to dust off tons of fried bugs and mice

whiz944

Takes about 15 seconds to grab the plug, open the port, and plug it in. Another 15 seconds to do the reverse. Do it daily, you've spent 3.5 minutes/week. It takes me at least 5-10 minutes or more each way to go to a gas station. Depends on whether I go to the close-by one (a little over a mile away with two traffic lights in between) or one that is less expensive (about three miles - with lots of traffic lights in between).

In practice, our Volt is generally always plugged in when home. My wife also takes advantage of workplace charging with it. OTOH, the Model 3 has so much range, I only bother to plug it in two or three times a week.

Needsdecaf

I am currently driving around 500 miles a week for work. My GTI had a 300 mile range, max, because of a small tank. So at least two fills a week for 10 minutes. And that's if I stop at the one right off the road on my way home.

Takes about 30 seconds, max, to plug in the car and 30 seconds to unplug. So 7 minutes a week?

It's close to being a wash. But it's definitely more convenient then having to stop somewhere when you are out or make a special trip. Especially when I found myself low on gas on a Sunday night and didn't want to delay myself in the morning getting gas. That necessitated a special trip, which took about 20 minutes round trip. That was a not-so-infrequent occurrence.

2000se

Brett - tell me more about why you'd never buy a leaf again? They have always intrigued me. Now I'm more curious

whiz944

It is pretty well known that Nissan has had a lot of problems with battery degradation - especially the early cars. They don't do anything to thermally manage the packs. Contrast to Tesla and GM - who do extensive thermal management by routing coolant through the pack for both heating and cooling the individual batteries. As a result, they have seen very little degradation. Other companies are somewhere in between.

Then there is the limited range and the dorky looks...

The new gen Leafs are a solid improvement and at least a little easier on the eye. But the new 40 kWh pack still has essentially no thermal management. The upcoming 60 kWh pack is supposed to be better managed, but details are still sparse.

Brett - 1996 C4

Whiz notes potential battery issues, but that wasn't a problem for us since we only had it a year.

My main issue was poor build quality (we had some kind of seal leak that resulted in water pooling in the front passenger foot well, which then fogged the windows). Leak magically fixed itself at some point. I also think the AC never worked (we picked the Leaf up in the fall and didn't turn it on until late in the next summer; that may also have had something to do with the window fogging if AC wasn't working as a dehumidifier). In the winter, we used to bundle up like we were going outside because using heat killed the range so badly. This was a 2013 Leaf, as I recall.

Also, I don't think front-wheel drive is a good idea with EVs. With high torque and touchy "throttle" response, if you are on an incline and the road is slick, hello, wheelspin!

If they've got the QC problems under control, a Leaf might make a good around-town errand-runner or (short) commuter car, but not much more.

2000se

yikes.. and all along I thought they'd be a decent commuter car for cheap.. sounds like a cheap bucket of headache

SuperUser

A clogged drain is a common problem on a lot of cars. My 2015 958 just had it happen and it burned out the HVAC fan. The dealer said it happens all the time and would not fix it under warranty, which is nuts, looking on Rennlist and seeing how many other folks are having the same issue it is clearly a design flaw in the drain plugs. I sorted it out myself with a part from Pelican for a few hundred bucks the dealer wanted $800!

umwolverine

Cpoarchy