New 3kW Modular Add-On Battery Pack for LEAF

[thedak]

Keep one on charge half way to work. Just trade cars and continue on your way like the Pony Express of the 1800's.
If you could own a fleet of LEAFs at the right location maybe you could make some money

Actually, I've mentioned this before. Anytime people start in on the ludicrous idea of battery swap stations, I always point out that it would be more economically feasible to swap the whole car instead of the battery.

I'll buy a 40kWh Tesla Model S before I start adding more battery to this **** shaker.

 

[klapauzius]

Essentially this is like a portable L2 charger. There are so many here in Seattle, plus you could use an upgraded EVSE to charge almost anywhere were you can find a 240V outlet, I dont see much use for this.

Plus through all the conversion losses you dont get the full 3 kWH anyway. Paying > $ 3k for an extra 10 miles (after an hour of waiting) seems like a doomed business model to me.

A better and cheaper alternative, which has been extensively discussed elsewhere, might to be to bring along a generator.

 

[camasleaf]

I'll buy a 40kWh Tesla Model S before I start adding more battery to this **** shaker.

I was thinking the same thing, I have two Leafs. Maybe I should have bought a Tesla Model S. But interesting enough, I feel more confortable now with only 2 electric cars then when I had two additional ICEs one for commute and one ... as a backup. The reason is simple:

- during the week one Leaf gets charged every other day (15 miles RT daily)
- during the weekend one Leaf goes to 100% the other one stays at 80%
- before the second Leaf I always had "gas anxiety": I will have to come home and get the ICE since I was too low to get to a QC charger
- now in weekends if I come home and I am low on battery I always have the other Leaf at around 80%
- even at 80%, from home, I can cover 150miles a day with 2x20 minutes stops at QC stations
- I will rent for any trip longer than 1 QC each way, or borrow my sister in law car

Life is good .

 

[dgpcolorado]

This could be quite helpful for me. While most of my miles are from short 18 and 41 mile trips, every eight to ten days I use my LEAF for 65-73 mile grocery shopping trips. When my battery gets degraded enough that I can't use the LEAF in winter for grocery shopping, an extra boost from this sort of battery pack could allow me to keep doing those long trips for several more years before needing to take the ICE car or change out the LEAF battery pack. A few extra years of use on the original LEAF battery pack would be worth a lot of money (unless Nissan sells them cheap).

Of course the best solution would be L2 charge stations in the destination city, but that seems unlikely to happen for the foreseeable future.

 

[camasleaf]

Of course the best solution would be L2 charge stations in the destination city, but that seems unlikely to happen for the foreseeable future.

Is not there one 240V place that you can plug in with an upgraded EVSE? Before your battery degrades, you might still have time to make some friends in that town .

 

[dgpcolorado]

Of course the best solution would be L2 charge stations in the destination city, but that seems unlikely to happen for the foreseeable future.

Is not there one 240V place that you can plug in with an upgraded EVSE? Before your battery degrades, you might still have time to make some friends in that town .

No, although I can charge at a 240 V plug in town nine miles and 1000 feet below my home, so that's an option that may work for an additional winter or two (it has been "plan B" since before I bought my LEAF). I consider myself fortunate that I had an easy winter range of about 80 miles with 2500 feet of elevation change in my new LEAF. That was a bit better than expected!

Although I have several friends in the destination city, accessible 240 V outlets are rare; clothes driers are essentially never found in garages in the snowbelt since laundry rooms are always located in the heated space of a house, for obvious reasons. RV parks close down in the winter and they aren't conveniently located anyway.

 

[TonyWilliams]

A Chademo battery pack was offered to AAA, which they advertised a bunch, but failed to buy.

Well I don't know what they did implement, but they do have CHAdeMO on the one rescue truck out of the downtown LA office. But don't need it when there is a green event they're attending, because it's more than likely going to be at that event instead of servicing members.

Have you physically seen this? I saw the prototype on Saturday, in the vendors shop. None were delivered.

 

[TEG]

I guess with 3kWh at 3.3kW, it would take less than an hour to transfer its charge to the car anyway so CHAdeMO really would be a marginal benefit. I think I would rather have it integrated into the car rather than stop for only 3kWh extra. But if it works for someone else, this is a great addition to the EV world.

Having it directly in the car would be a lot more efficient too.
When charging from the aux battery to the car pack, I think around 300W of overhead happens. So over 10% of your charge might be lost during the transfer.

Oh, and is the inverter really 3.3kW? It might transfer at a slower rate... (?)

 

[mwalsh]

Have you physically seen this? I saw the prototype on Saturday, in the vendors shop. None were delivered.

Yes. It was at Alt Car last month.

 

[TonyWilliams]

Oh, and is the inverter really 3.3kW? It might transfer at a slower rate... (?)

I believe it is 1.5kW (standard 120v 12 amp) and optional 3.0 kW (240v 12-13amp), with a further option for 3.3 (full 240v 16 amp).

 

[abasile]

Thanks, Tony, for making us aware of this add-on. In the event I do not get permission to charge at work or within easy walking distance of work, I will have to consider this. I like the simplicity and the fact that no vehicle modifications are necessary. I would connect the add-on to the car's J1772 port upon arrival at work, and set a charging timer with an end time corresponding with the end of the workday. My charging LEAF would also make for an "interesting" display in the company parking lot. :mrgreen:

 

[DaveinOlyWA]

this will work for some. as you know, get the basics here and someone will mod it to work better. 3 Kwh is a bit borderline small but at $3400 it is a price that is doable. now, someone will figure an easy way to wire it up to the pack to essentially extend the pack. As for me? if I was in a situation where I needed it, it would be a tough call. portability means not lugging it around using valuable space when i dont need it which would be probably 50% of the time or more.

but, then again, i have preached public charging and its really all about money.


back in the day, i drove a Datsun (yep that what it was) 280 ZX. it was cool and first 5 speed i ever had. but it was also known as the "poor man's vette"

it was sporty, sharp looking and fun to drive but MUCH cheaper (and slower!) that a Corvette

the LEAF to me is basically the same thing. all the fun and benefits of EV driving but at an affordable price. adding $3400 (and as we all know that cost just STARTS there...) to the price of a new car to add range is like buying a car brand new and then pulling the engine out and putting in a bigger one right away.

now, i used to know people who did EXACTLY that and i never understood it then and i dont understand it now.

but public charging is not created equally. I am almost embarrassed to complain about the lack of quick charging (only have about 15 in the region) when some people here dont even have 15 L2 options. so ya, extra pack, its a good thing. this one is $3400 but it opens the door. maybe the next one will be $3,000 and have 5 Kwh... (then i might change my mind!)

 

[TonyWilliams]

this one is $3400 but it opens the door. maybe the next one will be $3,000 and have 5 Kwh... (then i might change my mind!)

This could be cheaper, with physically larger and less safe chemistry. There is a very good reason that both GM and Nissan used it; safety was important.

 

[GerryAZ]

I am watching this thread. When my battery deterioration gets bad enough, some of these modules in the back should allow me to continue to make my round trip commute without worry. If Nissan is not willing to sell replacement batteries in the future, maybe this company will offer retrofit solutions for the Leaf.

Gerry

 

[mkjayakumar]

.. but still $1100 per kWh is bit too high.. don't you think ?

 

[abasile]

.. but still $1100 per kWh is bit too high.. don't you think ?

Yes, it's high. Gives me motivation to try to push for other options, i.e. charging at or very near work, first.

 

[garygid]

Something like this for a rescue pack would be nice.

With a wired in two-way DC-to-DC Converter, it could
charge when the car is charging, and supply energy
when the car is driving.

"We" are working on making an inexpensive push-on
connector for experimenting with the Chademo port.

 

[eHelmholtz]

It's good to have options and from its website, it looks like this company is wise to make this option available (albeit pricey) because its main business of converting the Prius at over $13K to add 6.1 kWh may not be viable with plugins like the Volt now readily available. http://www.pluginconversions.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

 

[dgpcolorado]

.. but still $1100 per kWh is bit too high.. don't you think ?

Yes, it's high. Gives me motivation to try to push for other options, i.e. charging at or very near work, first.

I agree. I've considered approaching a friend and asking for permission to install a 240 V outlet at my expense and then pay for electricity. Cheaper than a new battery pack!

 

[Herm]

.. but still $1100 per kWh is bit too high.. don't you think ?

It was rumored that GM was paying $1000 per kWh for the Volt's batteries a couple of years ago, and that is with major OEM volume.. pretty good that a small company can come so close now.

They could always use cheap Chinese laptop cells at $200/kWh and drop the prices.