Newporttom
Well-known member
The "Buy a Bar" Plan
The proposed $100 battery lease program has a lot (most?) current owners of Leaf's unsatisfied/concerned. It also negatively impacts future owners. Including potential end-of-lease owners and potential purchasers of our vehicles.
The problems seem to fall into 4 areas:
1. There was no "end-game" in the battery lease, except to lose both the old batteries and the new batteries, and end up with a car with no battery.
To keep the batteries you end up with a perpetual payment. And to sell it you have to find someone who will take on the payments. It's like you bought a rolling timeshare.
2. The $100 a month pretty much negates the financial benefits of driving an electric.
3. The guaranteed minimum battery level on both the lease plan and the warranty plan is 9 bars, and for many people, 9 bars renders the cars useless for their needs.
4. It lumped all Leaf owners regardless of their driving needs into the same basket.
Here's a proposed plan that eliminates all those issues:
The Buy a Bar Plan:
At ANY point, an owner (or lessee) of a Leaf can buy a bar of capacity that is guaranteed for 6 months for $250.
That capacity will come from any source Nissan wants, and in fact will probably be from used/refurbished/refreshed/replenished batteries.
The 6 month guarantee is like a tire guarantee. If if fails at 5 months, Nissan doesn't owe you a new 6 month fix, just 1 month
Here's why this is beneficial to both Nissan and current/future owners:
1. There's no "end-game" problem anymore. Nissan never has to get into the battery confiscation business
2. No obligation is ever passed on to a future buyer. No rolling timeshares. You can actually sell your used Leaf.
3. Worst case scenario for an owner is that whatever level he/she decides to keep their Leaf at it would only cost them $500 a year (versus $1200)
4. Since an owner would like to extend the life of the bar they bought and maybe get 9 months, 12 months or more...... they will treat their battery with care.
Do all the right things (80%, no long full charges etc.) With both the warranty and lease situations, once you hit 9 bars, you have no incentive to keep it above eight. And if Nissan bumps you higher than 9...... you have an incentive to get it below 9.
5. This eliminates the problem for many owners that a Leaf with 11, 10, or 9 bars is no longer a viable vehicle. Every person that owns (or leases) a Leaf can decide what level they want to maintain.
So if I own a Leaf and my commute is 12 miles, I am happy as a clam with 9 bars. While under warranty I stick with the 9 bars. When out of warranty I'll buy a bar anytime it falls below 9. But then the 2017 Leaf comes out and I must have it.... I sell my Leaf to someone who needs 11 bars, so he buys 2 bars at $500 and he maintains 11 bars from that point.
Let's say you trade it in on a non-Nissan (crazy as that sounds). It has 9 bars. The dealer takes it over to Nissan and they spend $1500 and now they have a 12 bar Leaf and the new owner can decide what level to maintain.
6. Nissan will get money SOONER in many cases. If a current owner HAS to have 12 bars, or 11 bars, etc., they can buy a bar while still under the warranty or still under the lease !! I have 42 months left on my purchase. I hate to tell you how under water I am or how high my payments are. Nissan will not getting any money from me for the next 42 months no matter what. And I am going to slowly watch my vehicle become non-viable for my needs. (I lost my first bar 2 days ago.)
But if you had a Buy a Bar plan in place now, I would do it to keep my car at 12 bars. And I would do it every 6 months from here on out.
Lessees can do the same thing!!
7. Nissan has just ensured no battery warranty costs for owners under warranty that buy extra bar(s). If I am maintaining my bars at 11 and paying $250 every 6 months to do so..... barring some kind of catastrophic failure, the car will never get below 9 bars
In short I think this plan would keep everyone happy, and protect their investment in their Leaf.
The proposed $100 battery lease program has a lot (most?) current owners of Leaf's unsatisfied/concerned. It also negatively impacts future owners. Including potential end-of-lease owners and potential purchasers of our vehicles.
The problems seem to fall into 4 areas:
1. There was no "end-game" in the battery lease, except to lose both the old batteries and the new batteries, and end up with a car with no battery.
To keep the batteries you end up with a perpetual payment. And to sell it you have to find someone who will take on the payments. It's like you bought a rolling timeshare.
2. The $100 a month pretty much negates the financial benefits of driving an electric.
3. The guaranteed minimum battery level on both the lease plan and the warranty plan is 9 bars, and for many people, 9 bars renders the cars useless for their needs.
4. It lumped all Leaf owners regardless of their driving needs into the same basket.
Here's a proposed plan that eliminates all those issues:
The Buy a Bar Plan:
At ANY point, an owner (or lessee) of a Leaf can buy a bar of capacity that is guaranteed for 6 months for $250.
That capacity will come from any source Nissan wants, and in fact will probably be from used/refurbished/refreshed/replenished batteries.
The 6 month guarantee is like a tire guarantee. If if fails at 5 months, Nissan doesn't owe you a new 6 month fix, just 1 month
Here's why this is beneficial to both Nissan and current/future owners:
1. There's no "end-game" problem anymore. Nissan never has to get into the battery confiscation business
2. No obligation is ever passed on to a future buyer. No rolling timeshares. You can actually sell your used Leaf.
3. Worst case scenario for an owner is that whatever level he/she decides to keep their Leaf at it would only cost them $500 a year (versus $1200)
4. Since an owner would like to extend the life of the bar they bought and maybe get 9 months, 12 months or more...... they will treat their battery with care.
Do all the right things (80%, no long full charges etc.) With both the warranty and lease situations, once you hit 9 bars, you have no incentive to keep it above eight. And if Nissan bumps you higher than 9...... you have an incentive to get it below 9.
5. This eliminates the problem for many owners that a Leaf with 11, 10, or 9 bars is no longer a viable vehicle. Every person that owns (or leases) a Leaf can decide what level they want to maintain.
So if I own a Leaf and my commute is 12 miles, I am happy as a clam with 9 bars. While under warranty I stick with the 9 bars. When out of warranty I'll buy a bar anytime it falls below 9. But then the 2017 Leaf comes out and I must have it.... I sell my Leaf to someone who needs 11 bars, so he buys 2 bars at $500 and he maintains 11 bars from that point.
Let's say you trade it in on a non-Nissan (crazy as that sounds). It has 9 bars. The dealer takes it over to Nissan and they spend $1500 and now they have a 12 bar Leaf and the new owner can decide what level to maintain.
6. Nissan will get money SOONER in many cases. If a current owner HAS to have 12 bars, or 11 bars, etc., they can buy a bar while still under the warranty or still under the lease !! I have 42 months left on my purchase. I hate to tell you how under water I am or how high my payments are. Nissan will not getting any money from me for the next 42 months no matter what. And I am going to slowly watch my vehicle become non-viable for my needs. (I lost my first bar 2 days ago.)
But if you had a Buy a Bar plan in place now, I would do it to keep my car at 12 bars. And I would do it every 6 months from here on out.
Lessees can do the same thing!!
7. Nissan has just ensured no battery warranty costs for owners under warranty that buy extra bar(s). If I am maintaining my bars at 11 and paying $250 every 6 months to do so..... barring some kind of catastrophic failure, the car will never get below 9 bars
In short I think this plan would keep everyone happy, and protect their investment in their Leaf.
