Battery Replacement Program Details

[vegastar]

I think this is not a extended warranty. My understanding is that you can replace the current battery with a new 12 bar battery rented battery. This new battery has a 9 bar warranty without time limit since you always continue to pay the rent.

The only doubt I have is if the old battery must be returned or if we can keep it.

 

[rickbecker]

I'm disappointed. 9 bars isn't enough. I want 13. I want a better than new pack.

I will now persue an aftermarket battery custom made to work with the leafs systems. Good day, sir.

+1

 

[firetrax]

Definitely not an extended warranty. If you choose to replace your old battery with a new one, you are committed to pay $100 (or whatever) a month for the LIFETIME of the car (which has not been defined by Nissan). If you stop paying, they can takeaway the battery (and sue you for breach of contract) and your are left with a useless shell.

 

[Weatherman]

Definitely not an extended warranty. If you choose to replace your old battery with a new one, you are committed to pay $100 (or whatever) a month for the LIFETIME of the car (which has not been defined by Nissan). If you stop paying, they can takeaway the battery (and sue you for breach of contract) and your are left with a useless shell.

If so, then the question becomes how are you going to be compensated for the battery you already bought. Seems to me that, even if it was down to 70% capacity, it would still be worth something. It wouldn't seem right if they just took it away when they gave you your leased replacement.

 

[edatoakrun]

Hi everyone. Brian Brockman from Nissan Communications again...

“The battery replacement option will provide the peace of mind that customers have an economical option should they choose to replace the battery for whatever reason,” says Gottfried.

Nissan will announce additional details of the battery replacement program later this year, including other global markets.

Brian,

I'd just like to comment that you have now outlined almost all the aspects of a program that should give the vast majority of LEAF owners/lessees a great deal more "peace of mind".

Might I suggest you give at least a general response to one question about the "details", sooner than "later this year"?

I really doubt Nissan intended this announcement was an insidious scheme to force LEAF owners into an obligation to make monthly $100 payments for a "70%" range LEAF, forever.

One question when purchasing a BEV is the novel one of the exit strategy.

When or if we want to drive something else in the future (I'm still hoping for an Esflow myself, BTW) what will the total cost be at the conclusion of LEAF ownership?

Just announce the details to assure us that if we enter this agreement we will have an affordable option to regain ownership of the battery again at some point, so we can do whatever we want with our LEAFS if we accept what otherwise appears to be an excellent plan by Nissan.

There are many ways to structure this option.

A purchase option at the battery "lease" residual, a transfer of ownership after a certain number of monthly payments are made, etc.

I like my LEAF so much, and I am old enough, that I may never sell it. Nissan is clearly not going to profit by sending the repo men onto my property to attempt to extract the obsolete-less-than-"9-bar" battery from my 20 year-old LEAF in 2031, after I finally get fed up of paying a $100 a month battery fee on a car I just use to drive to Church (or, more likely, the nearest bar) on Sundays.

I may well be senile by then, but more than likely I'll still be well-armed...

Thanks for the info (so far) from the Late Spring announcement.

 

[BBrockman]

Indeed, LTLFT. Just trying to find the place to jump back in.

Well Mr Brockman, Nissan has claimed it is a company that wants to listen to its customers, you're certainly getting an opportunity here.

 

[TomT]

I can see this being a big hindrance to resale... The new owner has to agree to a $100 higher monthly payment for the life of the car. Good luck with that.

At the end of ownership, the pack does still belong to Nissan. We expect that the program will be transferred to the new owner, who would need to agree as part of any sale to the existing payment terms for continued use and possession of the battery.

 

[TomT]

I think it means that Nissan gets it to use as they see fit. You don't get to keep the old pack.

For those of us who bought our cars...if I opt for this lease program, what becomes of my original pack? I assume I am free to sell it on the open market as I wish? Or maybe I will keep it for some future use? Or perhaps Nissan will buy it from me?

 

[lukati]

The way I read this is that Nissan now allows you to give back your pack at any time and enter their "lease the battery" program. A similar program exists in Europe (http://www.newsroom.nissan-europe.com/EU/en-gb/Media/Media.aspx?mediaid=103768" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false and I would expect that similar program details will apply. The above news release puts the price of a new pack at around €5,900/£5,000.

 

[TimLee]

Quit whining and provide Nissan with some constructive criticism and suggestions to make this program work for the whole LEAF community.

Nissan should do what they said they were going to do, provide a battery price.
So we got some news / communication just before it became summer.
But no real answer to the battery price question.
Just a $100 monthly payment option that is so ill defined no one understands what it means. Basically throwing out an ill defined program and hoping the customer feedback may result in something that Nissan can better define and roll out next year?
It completely fails to address the needs of TaylorSFGuy who is at 80,000 miles.
But it also leaves the 5000 mile per year driver like me confused. Does sound like I could get a new 100% capacity battery at any time by starting to pay $100 per month. But $100 per month would be 24 cents per mile. That wouldn't make any sense. And the only way out would be to sell the vehicle to someone willing to assume the $100 per month. That's never going to happen on a seven or eight year old vehicle, with 60,000+ miles on it.
Seems to reinforce that current battery technology isn't cost effective for a low miles per year driver, due to age related battery deterioration.
And it doesn't work now either for a 40,000+ mile per year driver either because Nissan won't sell a replacement battery.
Strange Nissan. Strange.
Bad communication is sometimes worse than no communication at all.
This does not inspire any confidence in Nissan. :? :shock:
Used LEAF prices will continue to plummet.

 

[FairwoodRed]

They did as promised and communicated in the spring…

This could only be true with a broad stretch of imagination. In the below video, Nissan was clearly talking about a replacement price, not a lease price. When the audience expressed concern that Spring would be extended to June 21st (or even 2014), they went out of their way to be clear that they would have it by March/April.

Nissan clearly missed what they promised on both counts, and I’m willing to cut them some slack because they did come thru with “something”, but that slack does not include changing the original promise. Key points are at 0:17:12 and 1:11:05 .


[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uuPQe23vP0Y[/youtube]

 

[GregH]

Very interesting. It sounds like a good deal to me... although I hope I never need it.
If you can live with 9 bars then the warranty at least covers you for 6 years.
If you're beyond the 6 years or just plain dissatisfied with you 10 or 11 bar pack then you can get a new (12 bar) pack! So what does such a pack cost? Yeah I wish they'd say.. but it should certainly be cheaper a year or two from now so why scare people with the current cost? If they said it was $8000 for a new pack how many would pay that as compared to leasing a new pack for $100/mo?

Welcome to the world of battery leasing folks.

 

[dgpcolorado]

I can see this being a big hindrance to resale... The new owner has to agree to a $100 higher monthly payment for the life of the car. Good luck with that.

Exactly. Once you commit to the lease program you are stuck with the car, at $100/month, until it is time to scrap it.

The only way this would make sense is if there was a time limit to the battery lease/insurance program, at which time it was paid in full.

 

[Stoaty]

I am underwhelmed. Nissan won't sell you a new battery pack with a trade-in of your old pack. The new program is cleverly structured such that very few people would want to participate in it for the next several years (if ever). Nissan basically gives a non-answer. Would have been better to say nothing at all. Glad I probably won't need a new battery pack for quite a while, because I will never lease a battery pack. I will buy another EV before I do that, and it won't necessarily be another Nissan (but I wouldn't rule out a Nissan either).

 

[mksE55]

Obviously they just want all the Leafs back. How can anyone resell this car. Pathetic at best. Lucky I leased and can just walk , No run away from this and Nissan when the end comes. As fast as I am loosing bars this may be sooner.


sad sad sad

:?:

 

[FairwoodRed]

After my initial shock, I think I’ve calmed down enough to be rational

My main sticking point, giving up ownership to a part on the car, makes this offer practically a non-starter. I’m not saying that I’ll never use it, but no way would it be my first choice and my situation would have to be severe.

I echo TaylorSFguy’s sentiments that a 70% threshold will not meet everyone’s needs. For my 53 mile drive with an efficiency of 3.2 mpk in the winter, my lowest limit would be 79%. The problem here is that Nissan did not set ownership expectations appropriately. Time and again I heard “about 100 miles on a charge” and “70% after 10 years”, so I bought expecting to get at least 70 miles in 10 years – 53 should be a piece of cake and for much longer. Now I, and a few others, own a car that we are a little too close to the limits on. Go ahead and send TaylorSFguy a PM and talk to him about his commute. I’m sure he’d tell you how even though his expectations of 2011 don’t match the realities of 2013, he’d like to continue driving his Leaf. Unfortunately, he needs a full 11 bars to drive one way. He is the poster child for why we need to replace the battery before 8 bars. Please call him.

Back to the terms of this new battery pack lease, please tell me that Nissan has looked at the total life of a car – including the “beater” period. You do realize that no one who buys a used car as a beater is going to pay $100 a month beyond the purchase price, right? You are essentially saying that Nissan does not want LEAF’s to get to the last stage of its life and that removes some of its resale value.

I like that Nissan is intending to make the new technology backward compatible.

 

[GregH]

Obviously they just want all the Leafs back. How can anyone resell this car. Pathetic at best. Lucky I leased and can just walk , No run away from this and Nissan when the end comes. As fast as I am loosing bars this may be sooner.


sad sad sad

:?:

Hmmm.. What do you suppose the value of a 6+ year old Leaf with 9- bars of capacity is?
If you told the prospective buyer they could lease a new battery from Nissan for $100/mo don't you think that would help the sale? I'm sure there will eventually be an announced cost to BUY a new pack but right now that's a scary number :shock:

 

[TomT]

Perhaps, but I read it to mean that you can only get a new battery when it falls below 9 bars regardless of when you enter the program, not that you can enter the program and immediately give your pack back and get a new 12 bar one...

The way I read this is that Nissan now allows you to give back your pack at any time and enter their "lease the battery" program.

 

[TomT]

Just like the 6.6Kw chargers for the 2011 and 2012, right??? :lol:
Don't hold your breath on this!

I like that Nissan is intending to make the new technology backward compatible.

 

[braineo]

At the end of ownership, the pack does still belong to Nissan. We expect that the program will be transferred to the new owner, who would need to agree as part of any sale to the existing payment terms for continued use and possession of the battery.

Holy Sheet!!! NO! NO! NO!

I'm not trading my fixed term payments for a never ending insurance policy. Why can't I buy new parts for my car? Nissan wants to take away my ownership? Only from my cold, dead lithium foot!

I am very underwhelmed.

I think this will be the start of the black market on Nissan battery packs! - Get a few owners together and swap all the bad battery packs from a set of Leaf's and have that "bad pack" be the one traded in - all the other 10 owners just pay $10/month for their share.... Anyone in?