Saturday, June 6, 2015

Will Nissan's New 30 KWh Battery Be Compatible with 2011-2015 LEAFs?

Next to the price, this has become one the most popular and debated subjects. I say yes because..

First off, according to this article , The idea of a 30 KWh pack is nearly 3 years old. Based on the article, we can assume that the 30 Kwh pack will be nearly the same in size and weight with the existing 24 kwh pack which means no significant design changes required.

Now, the other thing to think about is batteries are created in batches and I am guessing they are very large ones at that. So there is an issue of using up what is already in the supply line along with a question of shelf life.  As I understand it (which is little) unactivated battery packs can lie dormant for a relatively long time like over a year or more. Now, how much more? Good question! and if anyone knows, please chime in.

The way I see it is that Nissan will stop (if they haven't already) creating the 24 kwh packs altogether. It will simply be a question of guesstimating how many they will need to cover the 2016 S trims plus a few for warranty purposes. It will be this demand plus people simply replacing battery packs long after their warranty that will mean Nissan will have to provide a workable solution PLUS

US Law states manufacturers must supply parts for the "full warranty period." Which means that Nissan must supply a 24 kwh battery pack or substitute at least up to the year 2025, right? After all, what happens if you have a battery pack failure in your 2015 LEAF?

 Now, I tried to get some definitive answers about this law from various people in the biz but most were pretty evasive about it stating "they knew" some less popular models had no real parts supply when they were discontinued. But even whole companies that have disappeared like Oldsmobile and others, parts are still available for the cars. Just not very cheap ones!

Since the 30 Kwh pack is the same size and weight, its pretty much a no brainer!!

**Just a reminder** Remember in a previous blog, I predicted a replacement battery pack of 30 kwh will be going for $3999 by the end of 2018 and "that is my words and I am sticking to it!!"

2 comments:

  1. You were right on with your prediction about the battery. I think in the next few years, the price will reach $4000 easily. I wonder about the warranty package and what happens if our battery dies next year. I sent a letter to the manufacturer but have not heard back yet as to their intentions for replacing batteries down the road.

    Paul @ Viva Nissan

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    1. Technology marches on! Have you heard anything about a 40 kwh battery pack? Rumors (started in France of all places!) state that might be in the 2017 model for release late fall of this year!

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