Is it time to stop being careful with the battery?

[LTLFTcomposite]

Even though I'm leasing, all along I've taken some care to be a nice guy with the battery, never letting it sit at 100% SOC, only using 80% when possible, leaving it at 50% when going out of town, etc. I did this for a few reasons; maybe I wind up buying out the car at the end of the lease, being thoughtful to the next owner even though I'll likely never know who they are, and it's my nature to treat things with some care, particularly expensive things.

Given how the story is unfolding it's time to reassess. With two bars gone and 16 months left to go, the introduction of the battery capacity warranty, and now the news that an improved replacement battery will be out in a few months, I'm thinking I want two more bars to go away faster, not slower, at least by the end of the lease. So a couple months before the lease ends I get a new improved pack and buy the car out for $15k residual.

Not that I'd start parking the car in a paint booth or anything blatant, but maybe at least stop worrying about the 80-100% stuff.

 

[mwalsh]

LOL! I was just going to post the same thing in the other thread. Not that I would advocate charging to 100% even when you know you're not going to be using the car, and leaving it sat baking. OR daily Quick Charges when you are (not that I think those are a good idea, since the car documents them).

 

[surfingslovak]

How hard would it be for an owner determined to game the system to raise the temperature in the garage by about 10 degrees? I think it would be best if there was a way to take care of three bar and two bar losers to disincentivize this type of behavior.

 

[LTLFTcomposite]

How hard would it be for an owner determined to game the system to raise the temperature in the garage by about 10 degrees?

If you have a Volt it's quite easy.
http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=27&t=13307" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

 

[surfingslovak]

How hard would it be for an owner determined to game the system to raise the temperature in the garage by about 10 degrees?

If you have a Volt it's quite easy.
http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=27&t=13307" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

:lol:

 

[Weatherman]

After being extra careful for the first 11 months (and still losing a bar), I'm not taking any special actions anymore. I still charge to 80%, because I don't need to charge to 100%, yet, to give me the miles I need in a day. I, also, don't want to lose the regen for the first few miles, which is what happens when I charge to 100%. But, I've still been taking the LEAF to work and having it sit in the warm, South Florida sunshine all day, while my Volt stays home in the garage.

The LEAF battery temp hasn't exceeded 100F, even once, this summer. But it does stay in the 90s almost all the time. Might just as well use it, if it's rapid decay is inevitable. It has been losing capacity at a rate of about 1 Ahr a month for the past few months.

As long as I can still get five stars on the next battery report in June 2014 (which is what I got on the June 2013 report, right after bar #12 fell), I'm good.

 

[mksE55]

I took care of mine and it still didnt matter, I am forced to charge to 100% daily and put it back on the charger the minute I get home , or I will be left with a paper wt if I suddenly have an emergency pops up or I needs the other 20 miles on the day I drive to 30-35. Drive it like you need it and like Nissan said it would last. I am about to hit the 4th bar loss . at 1 yr left on my lease, I am in a crux of do I try and sell with the new battery as soon as I get it , or just drive it till the lease ends and hand it back. I dont think I will get one of the NEW HOT batteries or I would consider buying the vehicle. So go for it drive it like a Car. imagine that.

 

[Weatherman]

I am about to hit the 4th bar loss . at 1 yr left on my lease, I am in a crux of do I try and sell with the new battery as soon as I get it , or just drive it till the lease ends and hand it back.

When the time comes to ask for a battery replacement, just ask them if they would be willing to take the car back immediately and release you from the rest of the lease. That's what I plan to do.

 

[Stoaty]

Good question. I am re-evaluating after the discussion in the other thread. Probably will wait another month (until after it cools down), so I will have until next summer to think about it. If I change my habits, I would still be careful with the battery (keeping SOC low), but would take the Leaf whenever and wherever no matter the temperature and wouldn't take the trouble to keep it in the shade during the day if shade wasn't readily available in the same block I was planning to park.

 

[smkettner]

I was charging at 80% until the bars and range started dropping. Now it is 100% using end timer every day.
Not to game the system. I need the range as I hit low battery 2 to 5 times per week. VLB every week or two. I really need 130%+
I even added a fan to get more cool air in the garage. Still the garage is always about 8 or 10 degrees warmer than the morning air.
If I get a new battery maybe DD will drive it as a first car in a few years. Either way I think I will be trading up for more range at that time.

 

[LTLFTcomposite]

If they're going to wind up replacing these batteries anyway maybe they should offer a temporary SW modification to "eat" more into the high and low SOC margins, as the Volt purportedly does... although if the Leaf has less to play with to begin with that's probably only going to speed the demise.

 

[TimLee]

I had been considering a garage ventilation fan. Reversible, to pull in outdoor cooler air in the summer and occasionally put hotter attic air into the garage in winter.
Now you're saying it should be putting hotter attic air into the garage year round, so the battery will hit 70% in 4 1/2 years and ~25,000 miles instead of the 7 years, 45,000 miles the battery model predicts!!! :shock:
What a strange turn of events!! :shock:

 

[mwalsh]

What about a hiring a hacker to make bars disappear. I mean, it's all a software problem anyway, right?

 

[Nubo]

How hard would it be for an owner determined to game the system to raise the temperature in the garage by about 10 degrees?

The car comes with a heater. :lol:

I won't be trying to age my pack. But I have worked on the car in a cold garage in winter. Rotating tires, installing seat covers, etc. The temperature in the attached garage was probably in the low 40's. Opening the LEAF's windows and letting the heat run for awhile made the garage shirtsleeves-comfortable.

 

[TimLee]

The car comes with a heater. :lol:

Heat plus battery cycles!! :lol: :lol:
Conceptually you could push a LEAF battery to warranty replacement in less than a year, <10,000 miles! Of course they may look at you a little funny with that 0.7 m/kWh lifetime reading! :lol: :shock:

 

[DaveinOlyWA]

Not sure I understand your concern. U have lost a bar and after it starts they go pretty quick. I think u will lose them in plenty of time. Wouldn't hurt to add a few Sunday drives to the mix. Remember the car probably can detect "some" abuse