Maximizing the range of an EV is a priority for most motorists. After spending money to charge it up, making those batteries last as many miles as possible means you make every penny count.
Many EVs and new cars, including the Nissan Leaf, come with an ECO mode (or equivalent). These tend to automatically reduce the responsiveness of the drive components, controlled by the accelerator pedal.
With less harsh acceleration, you’ll get improved mileage. The downside? Your car won’t be as quick and might struggle in certain circumstances.
This article will explain how to turn on ECO mode in the Nissan Leaf. In short, press the ECO button – and that’s it! You’re ready to go.
Before operating your Nissan Leaf’s ECO mode, read the owner’s manual. This contains all the information you need to drive safely.
Table of Contents
What is Nissan Leaf ECO mode?
The Nissan Leaf ECO mode is a way to reduce charge consumption when driving. As a result, the batteries last longer, and the range increases.
In essence, all ECO mode does is reduce the accelerator pedal’s responsiveness. For example, at the same position, the Leaf will speed up less quickly compared to the standard Drive mode.
It’s most advantageous when you want to reduce power usage. It’ll have the most significant impact on city driving. That’s because it’s here that you often have to accelerate and decelerate constantly.
ECO mode is controlled by a switch. This means it stays on or off all the time, even when you restart your Nissan Leaf.
How do you make Nissan Leaf ECO mode as effective as possible?
Practice good car maintenance to make your ECO mode as effective as possible.
- Keep tires inflated to the pressure recommended in the owner’s manual.
- Ensure the wheels are aligned correctly.
- Drive gently – don’t stamp on the throttle pedal. This will even have a negative effect in ECO mode.
- Have your car serviced at the recommended intervals.
How to turn on Nissan Leaf ECO mode
Turning on ECO mode in the Nissan Leaf is about as easy as it gets.
Follow the below instructions to activate it.
- Push the ECO switch.
After you press this switch, the display will show an ECO mode indicator. This indicates that your Nissan Leaf is now in ECO mode.
That’s all there is to it!
How to turn off Nissan Leaf ECO mode
You turn ECO mode off in the Nissan Leaf in the same way. The straightforward instruction is listed below.
- Push the ECO switch again.
The ECO mode indicator will come off from the in-car display. This means ECO mode has now been deactivated.
When shouldn’t you use Nissan Leaf ECO mode?
Although the Nissan Leaf ECO mode is brilliant, it’s not for use all the time. It prioritizes energy consumption over performance – great for your bills, but perhaps not so ideal for road safety.
Below is a non-exhaustive list of situations where ECO mode might have a negative effect (or be futile):
- When any cruise control systems (including Intelligent Cruise Control) are active, the car’s only focus is maintaining the set speed. This means it discards the ‘ECO’ instruction in favor of a smooth journey.
- When your Leaf is full of passengers or heavy luggage, you might need to be able to accelerate quickly.
- Deactivating ECO mode will increase acceleration if you want to overtake another vehicle.
- ECO mode may not provide sufficient power for driving uphill. Consider turning it off.
- The car’s behavior will change when you switch between normal Drive mode and ECO mode. Nissan recommends releasing the accelerator before pressing the ECO button. This allows you time to adjust to how the Leaf reacts under its new settings.
Check out this PDF of the Nissan Leaf owner’s manual below. This gives you all you need to know about ECO mode, including all the risks and benefits.
Never neglect to read your owner’s manual before operating your car!
