As always, the Corolla was only used for work purposes and nearly all of it was the last week of the month. Benefiting from gas hovering just over $2 a gallon, it went 717.1 miles for $37.01 or 5.2 cents per mile. Hmmm, this means if gas dropped below $1 a gallon, gas might have a chance!
Well obviously the big news is coming from the Tokyo Motor Show with Nissan's IDS concept vehicle and the 60 kwh power pack. Details are very lacking but a few pictures have popped up including this one where the old pack is in the background with the 60 kwh pack in the foreground.
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| 60 kwh pack
With any picture, size comparisons can be dicey and with the 60 kwh pack in the foreground it will look larger but notice the space between the humps? Hard to deny that the 60 kwh pack is longer and that I believe is done to make the pack compatible with multiple wheelbases including longer ones like SUVs. Also notice the humps are a bit higher which would blend well with higher sitting vehicles. It will have 288 cells as opposed the the 24 and 30 kwh packs which only have 192.
Now, I am all for more range but it has to be in the right price range. 60 kwh is enough to cover a wide range of vehicle sizes and makes including infiniti but again the price has to be right. Tesla has a great niche in the luxury market and I think they should stay there. There is a huge market in the mid 40's range for their Tesla 3 and I hope that Nissan realizes that prices beyond the mid 30's is going to price a huge portion of people out of the market. I would rather "settle" for a 40 kwh pack if it means it can be done for nearly the same price as the 2016 LEAF!
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I too am really excited about Nissan's 60kWh pack - heck, the IDS in general. My biggest fear is that so many people are excited about it and willing to wait (2 years?!) that people stop buying the current car. That would especially be a shame if the price does go way up.
ReplyDeleteBut given that the Bolt and Model 3 are supposed to be $37.5 and $42k before incentives, I am sure Nissan is not targeting a price above there. Plus, this year for the first time they have a choice of battery sizes; it would help if they could continue that.
Exciting times!
I bought a 2015 LEAF knowing that the 2016 will have a 30 kwh battery on the SV/SL trims. The key for me was price, 2015 close out prices ($5k dealer discount via truecar + $5k NMAC cash) was more attractive than paying an extra $2k for a larger battery on a 2016 SV. Since my daily use is only 40-50 miles, the 24 kwh battery is sufficient.
DeleteThanks for reply Chad. I agree that Nissan's best bet is to get in below the Bolt price which is part of the delay I think. their rushing to market at a higher price did not work with the 2011 LEAFs so Chevy beating them to market won't hurt if they come in a few thousand under. I am hoping for an SV with extended range probably something smaller than 60 like 40 kwh or so for under $35,000
DeleteDave, any insights on the ugly gill slits popping out on the IDS and Toyota Mirai and so many other new Japanese vehicles? EV brakes don't need ram air cooling, and how can pushing air into the wheel wells possibly improve aerodynamics? Prehensile fish mouth grilles were bad enough, but now the grilles have gills....
ReplyDeleteDave, any insights on the ugly gill slits popping out on the IDS and Toyota Mirai and so many other new Japanese vehicles? EV brakes don't need ram air cooling, and how can pushing air into the wheel wells possibly improve aerodynamics? Prehensile fish mouth grilles were bad enough, but now the grilles have gills....
ReplyDeleteNo clue Jay other than any venting especially ones near the outer edges of the vehicle profile can reduce wind friction. Allowing the air to flow thru in certain places is supposed to help but how the air gets redirected anywhere is anyone's guess. Remember one of the drag causes is lower air pressure inside the outline of the car. Creating a positive airflow out the sides of the car will help reduce drag I think
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