I was surprised, but heartened to have comments on My Electric Ride. I'd be happy to answer any questions people have about my experiences so far. First I'll update my week 2 costs and then hopefully answer the questions people have asked.
I only drove 129 miles this week. As of this morning the car is recharged back to the 80% level that I keep it at to increase battery lifespan. Total charging cost for the week $2.56. The equivalent gas charge for that same mileage compared to the car this is replacing (2008 Honda Fit 31 mpg city) would have been $17.67 at $4.246 (San Diego average as of today). My cost for the week is 14.49% of what it would have been. I'm averaging about 4 Miles/Kwh. I've calculated a mpg of 252mpg by the following formula ((M/kwh * $G)($/Kwh)).
Here is some more information and details.
I live in San Diego which negates much of the negatives associated with cold weather affects on the battery. Working from home, we drive mostly short errands and dropping the kids off at school. My home has PV Solar panels and with the exception of the winter months, I produce more electricity than I use. This was before the addition of the Leaf, so we'll see how much that changes.
As a part of a pilot program with San Diego Gas & Electric, I am charged different rates for electrical use at different times of the day. I'm not sure if there is a tier for additional usage, but SDGE led me to believe that there isn't.
Peak (Noon - 8pm) $0.3839 per Kwh
Off-Peak(Other hours) $0.15356 per Kwh
Super Off-Peak (Midnight - 5am) $0.06723 per Kwh
The Leaf comes with a built in timer that starts charging the car at Midnight. When we are done driving for the day, we just plug in the car and the system charges it at Super Off-Peak rates. Based on our usage, it is taking about 2-3 hours to charge which keeps us within the Super Off-Peak range.
I'm assuming that SDG&E will be paying me for the electricity and create at the rates at those times, but I have to wait until I get my bill to confirm.
The car drives great. I always drive in Eco mode which lessens the responsiveness a bit. I have no problem getting up to speed quickly if needed and hills are no issue at all. There is a surprising amount of power when needed. You can check your M/kwh at any time on the dash so you can see that freeway driving and hills are less efficient.
Let me know if you have any questions. I'll get a picture and post it soon.