After 3 Years +++++++++++++++++++

[Berlino]

Is this Real?

This [a replacement pack for 2k] is not real, but that car is going to qualify for a new battery under warranty soon.

 

[DarkDave]

Is this Real?

This [a replacement pack for 2k] is not real, but that car is going to qualify for a new battery under warranty soon.

I'm tempted to call them and see what $2000 actually buys. For 2012 and 2013 model years, the battery is listed at $4300.

 

[BraveLittleToaster]

Is this Real?

This [a replacement pack for 2k] is not real, but that car is going to qualify for a new battery under warranty soon.

I'm tempted to call them and see what $2000 actually buys. For 2012 and 2013 model years, the battery is listed at $4300.

I recall that Nissan has said it will replace cells with "appropriately degraded" cells if any of them die. I have to wonder if the price difference between new and old models of the car are due to this "appropriate degradation". And how the heck do they manage that, anyway? It would basically qualify as a used battery.

Alternatively, since there have been no changes to the battery since the 2011 model, you should be able to buy the 2013 battery. Either way, $4300 still half of what people have been claiming the battery costs.

 

[BraveLittleToaster]

Another source (nissanparts.cc) quotes the pack at $5100:

http://www.nissanparts.cc/parts/2012/Nissan/Leaf/SV/?siteid=218242&vehicleid=377207&section=ELECTRIC%20PROPULSION%20SYSTEM" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Still, this is a long ways from the $8000 I've heard in the papers.

 

[Randy]

Alternatively, since there have been no changes to the battery since the 2011 model, you should be able to buy the 2013 battery. Either way, $4300 still half of what people have been claiming the battery costs.

fyi, there have been changes to the battery...The Service Manual points them out...One difference is that most of the 2011's don't have the battery heater and associated wiring...But I believe that I've also read that the TN-produced packs are slightly different or have slightly different cells physically, even though they essentially perform about the same...

So when a 2011 needs a battery replacement under warranty, a specific 2011 pack must be ordered up...

 

[CayenneSJLEAFy]

After 29 months, I still love our LEAF, but the battery degradation has started to really wear on me. I lost my first bar at 35K, and I'm close to losing my second. I am at 52 Ahr, and 210 GIDs. I have to charge to 100% on a regular basis to go 47 miles (before I hit LBW). This is without HVAC use. At this rate, I'm very likely going to miss the 60K cut-off before I lose all 4 bars.

Losing all 4 bars would be very stressful--the car would be virtually unusable. The lack of recent communication and updates from Nissan has been incredible.

I've used frequently used public L2s and QCed (once every month to 2 months) during the first 2 years. I haven't QC'ed since 35K, since I was concerned about further degradation.

The huge sales of EVs in the Bay Area have also taken a toll on the # of public L2s that are now available. Initially, it wasn't too difficult to find available L2s. But now, with so many EVs around, finding an available L2 is a real gamble. With a degraded battery, I need an available L2 for half my trips.

I've tried every way to baby the battery for the past 2 years; driving 90% on Eco, parking the car outside overnight in the summers and plugging in L1. That did slow the degradation, but the battery was still degrading rapidly.

Last weekend was the last straw. Went from San Jose to Mountain View with a stop in Cupertino in between. Traveled 48 miles (but this time with 3 passengers, versus just myself on Hwy 85). Needed to run defroster for 5 minutes as we had high humidity that day. Chargers at downtown Mountain View were occupied. Came back home with VLBW.

The next day, I started looking at the Chevy Volt (the last time I looked at one was 3 years ago). Now I'm deep into the research (forums, wikis, etc). Saw a few Volt owners have crossed 100K with minimal degradation. Liked the engineering of the TMS on the battery. Was amazed at the reliability (though I also read through a few niggling issues). Started calling dealers. Dug up my pink slip. Truly on the fence if I should sell our beloved LEAF, but it may be time to simply cut the losses and move on. My LEAFy's battery is already silently "waving the slow good-bye" to me.

 

[greenleaf]

The next day, I started looking at the Chevy Volt (the last time I looked at one was 3 years ago). Now I'm deep into the research (forums, wikis, etc). Saw a few Volt owners have crossed 100K with minimal degradation. Liked the engineering of the TMS on the battery. Was amazed at the reliability (though I also read through a few niggling issues). Started calling dealers. Dug up my pink slip. Truly on the fence if I should sell our beloved LEAF, but it may be time to simply cut the losses and move on. My LEAFy's battery is already silently "waving the slow good-bye" to me.

I am in the bay area and I'm thinking about the same -- time to cut the losses and move on. Have you looked at the approximate resale value you can get? The listings on Craiglist suggest that it will be only in the $15k ~ $16k range.

 

[davewill]

The next day, I started looking at the Chevy Volt (the last time I looked at one was 3 years ago). Now I'm deep into the research (forums, wikis, etc). Saw a few Volt owners have crossed 100K with minimal degradation. Liked the engineering of the TMS on the battery. Was amazed at the reliability (though I also read through a few niggling issues). Started calling dealers. Dug up my pink slip. Truly on the fence if I should sell our beloved LEAF, but it may be time to simply cut the losses and move on. My LEAFy's battery is already silently "waving the slow good-bye" to me.

If it's not working out for you, then it's not. I'm all for BEVs but the car has to meet your everyday needs. Go Volt in peace, I say.

 

[DarkDave]

After 29 months, I still love our LEAF, but the battery degradation has started to really wear on me. I lost my first bar at 35K, and I'm close to losing my second. I am at 52 Ahr, and 210 GIDs. I have to charge to 100% on a regular basis to go 47 miles (before I hit LBW). This is without HVAC use. At this rate, I'm very likely going to miss the 60K cut-off before I lose all 4 bars.

Losing all 4 bars would be very stressful--the car would be virtually unusable. The lack of recent communication and updates from Nissan has been incredible.

I've used frequently used public L2s and QCed (once every month to 2 months) during the first 2 years. I haven't QC'ed since 35K, since I was concerned about further degradation.

The huge sales of EVs in the Bay Area have also taken a toll on the # of public L2s that are now available. Initially, it wasn't too difficult to find available L2s. But now, with so many EVs around, finding an available L2 is a real gamble. With a degraded battery, I need an available L2 for half my trips.

I've tried every way to baby the battery for the past 2 years; driving 90% on Eco, parking the car outside overnight in the summers and plugging in L1. That did slow the degradation, but the battery was still degrading rapidly.

Last weekend was the last straw. Went from San Jose to Mountain View with a stop in Cupertino in between. Traveled 48 miles (but this time with 3 passengers, versus just myself on Hwy 85). Needed to run defroster for 5 minutes as we had high humidity that day. Chargers at downtown Mountain View were occupied. Came back home with VLBW.

The next day, I started looking at the Chevy Volt (the last time I looked at one was 3 years ago). Now I'm deep into the research (forums, wikis, etc). Saw a few Volt owners have crossed 100K with minimal degradation. Liked the engineering of the TMS on the battery. Was amazed at the reliability (though I also read through a few niggling issues). Started calling dealers. Dug up my pink slip. Truly on the fence if I should sell our beloved LEAF, but it may be time to simply cut the losses and move on. My LEAFy's battery is already silently "waving the slow good-bye" to me.

I'm sorry to hear that you are getting less than 50 miles of range to VLBW on a 100% charge. It's amazing how much a person's typical daily commute directly correlates to the range you can get in a Leaf. My Leaf is at 71% battery capacity, nearing the warranty threshold, and I can still get over 60 miles of range on a 100% charge driving at the 45mph speed limit of the city streets here in metro Phoenix. I hardly ever drive on the freeways with my Leaf, given that the range of my Leaf on the freeway is abysmal. I don't remember the source, but they said the Leaf is most efficient at 38mph. The Leaf really is a city car and not a freeway car.

 

[cwerdna]

Eek, re: CayenneSJLEAFy's situation. Yeah, the Almaden Valley part of San Jose gets quite hot during the summer (is a few degrees hotter than the usual temps quoted for San Jose) and rather cold at night/morning during winter.

 

[CayenneSJLEAFy]

@cwerdna--I agree. During the past summer, I would park the LEAF outside, overnight, and recharge at L1. It's the best way I could think of to cool off the battery. That may have helped reduce the battery degradation a little. The car is parked in a shaded area during the day.

Car says I get 4.4 miles/kwh. Carwings says I get 4.8 miles/kwh (I don't believe I'm That efficient), but regardless, I've primarily driven in Eco during the past 2.5 years, and almost never at 65 on the highway (mostly between 58 to 62). For 2 years, the car took us everywhere in the SF Bay Area (which kind of explains the 44K miles on the car). QC'ed very rarely--used mostly L2.

The LEAF DD tool was very revealing. I had expected no changes to the aH or GIDs in Autumn and Winter. But there's been a steady decline for the past 3 months. I understand the cooler temps may have something to do with it, but the difference this time is more dramatic. I'm sure to lose the second bar bar soon. It would be too stressful once I get down to 3 or 4 bars.

It's too bad, because I love the car otherwise. It has worked for us for 2 years. Had trusted Nissan in 2011 that the battery will last at least past 100K miles (and beyond). Didn't expect the rapid degradation--even for temperate SF Bay Area. From how it looks, I won't make the 4 bars lost prior to 60K and will have to fork an exorbiant amt of $ for a new battery within 2 years. Or face the SYB option, which would likely prevent me from selling the car. I don't want to compete with returning lease cars if I wait to sell the car in the next 2 years.

I applaud the exploding increase of EV owners in the SF Bay Area. But the caveat is that the L2 charging stations are becoming more occupied now with these new EV owners. DCQCs are also becoming busier (if they are working), but I've stayed away from QCs once the first bar was lost.

 

[dgpcolorado]

...I don't remember the source, but they said the Leaf is most efficient at 38mph. The Leaf really is a city car and not a freeway car.

The LEAF efficiency peaks at ~12 mph IIRC. Not that anyone would want to drive at that speed.

 

[Cinnabar]

Today is my third year anniversary of LEAF ownership. I’m just shy of 44k miles. I am still glad I bought the car. It kept me in the car pool lane after my Civic Hybrid with the yellow stickers expired. It has been perfect for my 32 mile one-way commute. My work installed 2 ChargePoint units within 3 weeks of my taking delivery of the car, so range has not been an issue, at least so far.

I have had zero mechanical issues, which has been very unexpected given it’s the first model of a very different vehicle. CarWings usually doesn’t work, nor does the iPhone App, but that’s not even an annoyance. My tires lasted 35k and I replaced them with the same brand from Costco. Maintenance costs have been negligible, and with the TOU rates from PG&E, the cost of ownership has been great.

It was my only car for the first two years of ownership. I bought a Volt 14 months ago as I was going to be taking several trips outside the range of the LEAF, so I decided to buy the Volt and get the Green stickers that come with it.

I still use the LEAF as my daily driver. When I charge it to 80%, it gets about the same e-range as the Volt does. I expect it will remain good through the fall, but expect I will either have to start charging to 100% daily or give it up once winter comes and the heater is needed.

The only upgrade I purchased was the “Extend my Seat” brackets which have spoiled me for life. I’m disappointed they haven’t made the product for the Volt as they have made the ride in the LEAF so much more comfortable.

My advice is lease, don’t buy. I was expecting faster improvements in battery technology to be the justification for this advice, but it turns out that degradation and the lack of clarity in cost for replacing an aging battery is the cause.

 

[gbarry42]

Evita's third birthday was Cinco de Mayo (that's how she got her name). Maintenance Free for three years, and the only reason she saw the service shop was to get the rear camera changed out under warranty before it expired. Although I expect my cars to never need repairs, that's just wishful thinking. But what better way to enhance the chances than to own something with very few moving parts? I didn't appreciate just how good a job Nissan had done, until I realized how many stories I've heard about Rav4's, BMW's, even the Teslas, making regular trips to the shop, and not for minor things, either.

Early adopter, bought it so they couldn't take it from me. Reality is what it is, but unless I go back to working in a far away place, I realize that the range I get and will get in the future will still work fine for me, as I've always represented that statistic of "less than 40 miles a day".

Electric driving is just so wonderful, I wouldn't have it any other way.

 

[TomT]

Not much to say about it... Other than the AC shutdown firmware problem (I still have the wingnut on the battery from that), it has been basically trouble free. Just a few TSBs here and there to fix some minor annoyances... Well, other than the Ecrapia tires... Far and away the most bitter disappoint is the battery degradation. That alone (and, secondarily, no real range improvement) may very well keep me from buying another when my four year lease is up...

 

[DarkStar]

I guess I'm way late checking in, but I passed 60k miles on Mikiko's 3rd birthday (03/25) - with all 12 bars intact. I got new Yokohama YK580 tires at 50k miles, otherwise very uneventful!

I estimate that I've lost about 7-10% of my actual original range, but the P3227 reprogram really threw a monkey in the wrench so it feels more like 15-17%...

 

[patrick0101]

I just hit the 3 year mark on May 18th 2014.
Here are all the details of my three years of ownership:

Part 1 :: The fun of owning an EV


Part 2 :: Battery Aging


Part 3 :: Lost a Capacity Bar

 

[Rat]

Mine won't hit 3 years until June 6, so I'm jumping the gun a little, but since I noticed this thread today, I'll chime in now. I still have 12 capacity bars and the car stills performs exactly like I hoped for the vast majority of our driving. My wife prefers it to her Acura, so it is our main car. Since we're retired and have no commute, it only has 15,076 miles on it. It still has the original tires on it and rotating those one time is the only maintenance expense we've had. The only real complaint I have is that I spent the money to upgrade to the SL and that has turned out to be worthless. My few encounters with QC's have been mostly disasters ("Unable to communicate with car"). So for any trip over 65 miles or so we just take the Acura. All in all the Leaf has been a great car and we expect to hold onto it for at least another 7 or 8 years.

 

[FastEddys]

My 2011 SL has 29k miles, and just replaced the Ecopia tires because the outer edges on all four tires were very worn, and well worn overall. I think that part of the problem with tire wear is not keeping the inflation between the 36psi-40psi that others here seem to be using. I am doing that now.

I'm very happy with the LEAF, have not lost capacity bar yet. Have had no issues with the car - best new car I have ever owned.

HAS ANYONE EXPERIENCED THIS ECO Mode change? >>
Background: Last week we had several days with high wind, power glitches, below freezing temps, where I live outside Portland. This created havoc with our Blink home charger which I had to regularly reboot. This may have caused the 12V battery to deplete as I found it dead on Saturday. Luckily, I was able to recharge the 12V battery and LEAF worked fine after that.
Issue: I've noticed though, that ECO Mode is no longer providing the instant drag when foot goes off the pedal. It's functioning exactly like D mode, with 1 to 2 regen circles if heading down slight hill.
Nissan dealer is not familiar with this happening, want me to bring it in. I know the car has reset to defaults since power was lost and I'm wondering if there are any "preference" settings affecting ECO Mode that may be the cause.

Any ideas?

thanks,
Ed

 

[TimLee]

...
I've noticed though, that ECO Mode is no longer providing the instant drag when foot goes off the pedal. It's functioning exactly like D mode, with 1 to 2 regen circles if heading down slight hill.
...

Did you of have P3227 done :?:
A lot of people lost regeneration with that which is why I have told the dealer not to do it.
See http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=30&t=14807&hilit=+regeneration#p334016" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;.

If not, how cold is the battery :?:
That might cause it too.