[kwlug-disc] Open Cars?

[Khalid Baheyeldin]

On Sun, May 31, 2026 at 2:09 PM Gordon Dey <gordon.dey at happydeys.ca> wrote:

> On 2026-05-30 19:25, Khalid Baheyeldin wrote:
> > The LEAF is a so-so car though. It does not have battery heaters at all,
> > and its range is very limited.
>
> Fascinating. My 2012 leaf most certainly DOES have a traction battery
> heater which cuts at -15. Car has reliably started and driven almost
> every day these 14 years around here. Even the February morning that
> dropped to -35.
>

That is good to know.
There are plenty of used ones in Montreal for sale.
And their winters are harsher, so it is a good city car.

The issue is the range (depending on the use case, more below).
Also, from what I was told, it did not have pre-conditioning of the battery
prior to charging, but they added that in 2026.

The poor 24 KW battery is down to maybe 50% now. Good enough for around
> town, but not London or Toronto.
>

Exactly ...

Here is the background.
A family member commutes to the GTA several days a week.
Her gasoline car was overdue for replacement, and around 5 months ago, she
got a used EV. The Leaf was not an option because of the range.
The used 2021 Mustang Mach-E fit the bill. In winter she had to use only
the heated seat and heated steering wheel, but not the regular heaters
because it cuts into the range. That model has resistive heaters, not
a heat pump as some later years have (though not sure how much of a
difference this will make).
Her energy bill dropped to about 25 to 30% of what she was paying,
even before the stupid war.

Another family member is looking at EVs.
The 2026 Nissan fits the bill nicely, but it is very expensive.
She is considering a Mach-E as well, since there are not much options with
good range, other than Tesla (which is annoying with no buttons, all touch
screen, ...etc).
-- 
Khalid M. Baheyeldin
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