Why so many Leafs? (Leaves?)
The 2013-2015 Nissan Leaf is perhaps the most common car on the road in Juneau, next to the Subaru Outback. But why? Compared to other EVs on the market, this car is nothing remarkable–that’s why. This older Leaf is a solid, dependable, and likeable car, don’t get me wrong. I am a proud owner myself. You simply don’t need much more in Juneau.
Before we made the switch to an EV, we were driving a used Chevy Spark. A bright blue, subcompact, four-seater roller skate that was just what we needed and nothing more. It was super efficient, but we wanted to be off gas entirely (motorcycles excluded). When I got pregnant with our daughter, we decided we had to put our money where our mouths were and start driving an EV, in part to remind ourselves the sustainability values we wanted to raise our children with. We toyed with the idea of getting a new Bolt, but just couldn’t justify dropping $30,000+ on a car that provided little more than our Spark aside from a couple feet of trunk space and a middle back seat–battery powered or not. So we opted for a $9,500 used 2013 Nissan Leaf. While this car is only slightly bigger than Spark on the outside, it is surprisingly more roomy on the inside–owing to the car’s wider base. (It’s bigger on the inside–anyone?) Very recently, we took a road trip in a Bolt we rented off Turo when we were visiting the lower 48, and I can say from experience, there is not a very noticeable difference in interior size between the Bolt and the Leaf.
The max range on my Leaf ranges anywhere from 60-80 miles (depending on driving conditions), which pales in comparison to the Chevy Bolt. But Juneau only has 40-ish miles of road, so in a typical day, you don’t need more. And if you do, the charging infrastructure in Juneau is built specifically for the Nissan Leaf, so charging is a non-issue. Because its battery is outperformed and its exterior is a bit quirkier than other comparable EVs, it’s also cheap. Couple that with the free public charging in town, and a used Leaf suddenly becomes a better prospect that most gas powered used cars.
Charging Infrastructure
Did I mention the charging infrastructure in Juneau was built for the Leaf? Because it is. Drive a Bolt or Spark EV? You will not be able to fast charge. Drive a Tesla? You will need two different adapters. Partly due to the Leaf’s short range, and mostly due to the Juneau Electric Vehicle Association‘s contributions to the city, there are free public Level 2 chargers all over town. All of these Level 2’s are the J-1772 type connector, seen in both the Bolt and the Leaf.
However, all three Level 3 (DC Fast Charge) stations in town have the ChaDeMo connector, which is only compatible with the Leaf. The Leafs capable of DC Fast Charging have two different ports: a J-1772 port for Levels 1 and 2, and a second ChaDeMo port for Level 3. Chevy’s Level 1, 2 and 3 charging capabilities are integrated into a single port, the CCS-1 port (North American Standard). The top half of this port is the J-1772 port, while there is an expansion on the bottom to allow for Level 3. To my knowledge, Chevy does not sell a ChaDeMo adapter for its CCS-1 port. In Asia, ChaDeMo is the standard combined charging system that can charge Levels 1, 2, and 3 with one port. Tesla does sell adapters for both types of plugs, but like the rest of its brand, they are pricey.
Charging Locations
There are chargers all over town. The most reliable and current map of chargers can be viewed on the PlugShare app or website. I cannot guarantee this list to be 100% up to date.
Douglas Island
Library/Fire Station parking garage (Level 2)
Treadwell Arena at Savikko Park (“Sandy Beach”) (Level 2)
Eaglecrest Ski Area (Level 2)
Lemon Creek
Alaskan Brewery Tasting Room (Level 3)
AEL&P (electric company) (Level 2)
The Valley
Kootsnoowoo Plaza/Canton House/Juneau Froyo (Level 2)
Fred Meyer (Levels 2 and 3) – Frequently out of service
Mendenhall Valley Library (Level 2)
Auke Bay
Statter Harbor/Across from Devil’s Hideaway (Level 2)
Univeristy of Alaska Southeast (Level 2)
Out the Road
Eagle Beach State Recreation Area (Level 2)
Downtown
Library parking garage (Level 2)
Alaska State Museum (Level 2)
KTOO Radio Station (Level 2)
Rock Dump (Level 2) -Closest to furthest cruise ship dock
Transit Center Parking garage (Level 3)
Charging Culture
On the whole, Juneau is a friendly and safe town. And the EV drivers of Juneau tend to look out for each other. If you pull up to a charger and it is in use, just park next to the person and pop the charging hatch. If the person finishes before you come back to the car, they might just plug you in when they leave. Similarly, when you leave, pay attention to any cars parked near you asking to be plugged in. I do not recommend locking the charging cable to the car if you can help it–I would rather someone take my charge than damage the car trying to pull the cable out of a locked port.
If a car is idling at the plug and you are SURE they are finished charging, and you are desperate, it would not be unheard of to take their plug. However, please be courteous. Do not take anyone’s plug who is still actively charging, unless the driver is around to ask and it is an emergency. Also, while you are charging, don’t be alarmed if someone approaches you to ask how long you plan to plug in for. We EV drivers need to make alternate plans if someone else intends to be plugged in for 30+ mins.
Icing the chargers has become less and less common. (That’s when gas powered cars park in EV spots with the intention of being douche bags.) If it happens, usually it’s on accident. More and more EVs are seen on the road every day it seems. The city has even recently debuted its first electric bus!