Poll: How Important Is a Price for Replacement Battery Pack?

[WetEV]

I want to know the price because I may need to replace my battery pack in the future. But that is probably 10+ years in the future, so I didn't pick the first choice.

It will influence my recommendation of a Leaf to others. Might influence the next car my wife buys. That's about correct.

I expect something around $7000. Best case would be about $5000. Doubt if over $10,000, all including core exchange.

Cost of battery per mile, 12,500 miles per year
$5000 Phoenix = $0.085
$5000 Seattle = $0.031
Cost of gas for a 30 mpg ICE at $3.50/gallon would be $0.117

 

[thankyouOB]

I want to know the price because I may need to replace my battery pack in the future. But that is probably 10+ years in the future, so I didn't pick the first choice.

It will influence my recommendation of a Leaf to others. Might influence the next car my wife buys. That's about correct.

I expect something around $7000. Best case would be about $5000. Doubt if over $10,000, all including core exchange.

Cost of battery per mile, 12,500 miles per year
$5000 Phoenix = $0.085
$5000 Seattle = $0.031
Cost of gas for a 30 mpg ICE at $3.50/gallon would be $0.117

WetEV,
how many years are you figuring for the useful life of the battery?
the battery cost of 5k alone divided by 12500 miles is 40 cents per mile.
I assume your variations for AZ and WA are based on the lowest applicable EV charging rates?

 

[WetEV]

I want to know the price because I may need to replace my battery pack in the future. But that is probably 10+ years in the future, so I didn't pick the first choice.

It will influence my recommendation of a Leaf to others. Might influence the next car my wife buys. That's about correct.

I expect something around $7000. Best case would be about $5000. Doubt if over $10,000, all including core exchange.

Cost of battery per mile, 12,500 miles per year
$5000 Phoenix = $0.085
$5000 Seattle = $0.031
Cost of gas for a 30 mpg ICE at $3.50/gallon would be $0.117

WetEV,
how many years are you figuring for the useful life of the battery?
the battery cost of 5k alone divided by 12500 miles is 40 cents per mile.
I assume your variations for AZ and WA are based on the lowest applicable EV charging rates?

Cost of battery /(miles per year * Life from the Battery model to 70% http://www.mynissanleaf.com/wiki/index.php?title=Battery_Capacity_Loss#Battery_Aging_Model" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; )

$5000/(12500 miles per year * 4.7 years in Phoenix)

To this would need to be added electric rates, tires, insurance, taxes, etc..
To the ICE cost per mile would need to add oil changes, tires, insurance, taxes, etc..

 

[RegGuheert]

The current price for the LEAF battery is really irrelevant to us since our LEAF battery is currently under warranty and will be for many years to come. I suspect that today's price will not be a good proxy for the price we will eventually need to pay.

 

[thankyouOB]

i dont follow your statement about warranty negating battery price.
the warranty is very limited in terms of replacement or repair for loss of range over time.

what if you want to maintain or restore range after five years, or three or six?
would price be irrelevant then?

 

[RegGuheert]

i dont follow your statement about warranty negating battery price.
the warranty is very limited in terms of replacement or repair for loss of range over time.

what if you want to maintain or restore range after five years, or three or six?
would price be irrelevant then?

Today's price would be irrelevant then.

 

[caffeinekid]

i dont follow your statement about warranty negating battery price.
the warranty is very limited in terms of replacement or repair for loss of range over time.

what if you want to maintain or restore range after five years, or three or six?
would price be irrelevant then?

Also, it is relevant to those MANY original lessees who got the Leaf with the intent of buying out at end of term. Certainly Nissan knows the replacement cost here and now. This is simply strategic (lack of) disclosure.

 

[Petecomp1]

Great thread, thanks STOATY! No I don't suspect you of any anti-Leaf conspiracy; au contraire, I applaud your various efforts to develop important information for me and other Leaf owners.

My view on this topic has changed since I picked up the car in March (on lease) at which time I felt that there was no doubt I would turn in the car at lease-end. After 3 months (just turned 3,000 miles) my pack shows absolutely no indication of range loss. Now that is "anecdotal" (wish I had one of those GID meters) but it gives me some confidence that it will be serving my needs for at least until my lease expires (10% range loss won't affect me much). And yes, I still recommend Leaf to others who ask my opinion, but I don't hesitate to discuss "battery facts".

The real question is, what will I want to do in March 2015? Battery replacement cost will then become an issue, assuming my pack follows the charts in terms of "normal" degradation. Bottom line: I can never go back to ICE driving, ever (besides, my granddaughter is in love with the car; she would have a fit). So I'll be either keeping the Leaf and saving for a replacement pack, or looking at leasing up, if the choices then are appealing to me. It is definitely more than a strictly "price" decision for me; the Leaf is good enough to make me want to keep it. Nissan could encourage that feeling by coming out with a replacement battery policy.

 

[Nubo]

It will be an important data point for me when my lease finishes up.

 

[KillaWhat]

I bought my Leaf.
I'm interested, but not so much.

I'm figuring that nature abhors a vacuum, and we have a lot of very smart people in this country.
In a few years, when these things start going south, I'm sure that we will have little companies springing up that will rebuild whole packs, or individual cells.

Why replace a $5000 ($6000?) pack, when the system will tell you the status of each cell pair, and you can just deal with what is broken, not the whole shebang.

Anyway, that's my plan.

That.... and a Tesla X :roll: :roll: :roll: :roll:

 

[surfingslovak]

The real question is, what will I want to do in March 2015? Battery replacement cost will then become an issue, assuming my pack follows the charts in terms of "normal" degradation. Bottom line: I can never go back to ICE driving, ever (besides, my granddaughter is in love with the car; she would have a fit). So I'll be either keeping the Leaf and saving for a replacement pack, or looking at leasing up, if the choices then are appealing to me. It is definitely more than a strictly "price" decision for me; the Leaf is good enough to make me want to keep it. Nissan could encourage that feeling by coming out with a replacement battery policy.

Way to go, Pete. The sentiment is likely shared by many. I can certainly relate. I wouldn't worry much about the battery in Washington state. That said, first reports about loss of capacity would typically come in after 12-14 months of ownership.

 

[Stoaty]

With almost 100 votes, looks like about 70% of respondents would really like to know the price as they may be replacing their packs in the future, and 60% say it would also affect their recommendation of the Leaf to others. The remaining 30% have little or no concern about the price of a replacement battery pack. There's some data for Nissan to chew on.

 

[DaveinOlyWA]

There are a lot of leasers that would love to know the replacement price and i am one of them for SEVERAL reasons

1) my residual is reasonable. its a 2011. as much as i "overpaid" for my lease is how much more reasonable my residual is. at 15K and change, its actually a pretty good deal IF

2) How well my range matches my needs. When the LEAF was new, it was well within my range to the point where i charged to less than 80% about 3-4 days a week. That has changed to where I could use all the range i can get and its more of wanting to move all my transpo needs to electric AMAP (still have two commuter needs) by using the LEAF for the longest commute of the day

3) How long the rate of degradation affects #2

4) TCO after inputting battery replacement costs determined by #3 verses a new lease/purchase of a longer range car.


without hard numbers i am forced to lease a car that i will never buy due to very high residual. right now, i am leasing a car that i would buy if the battery replacement costs were right. sure it does not have a lot of the stuff i wish i had, heat seaters, steering wheel, efficient heater, etc but i have a lot of money into it and that "half thing" of 2013'ers are paying less than half of what i am paying for my lease means i can buy my LEAF for less than half of what it would cost to buy a 2013... that is a lot of green on the TCO side

 

[thankyouOB]

With almost 100 votes, looks like about 70% of respondents would really like to know the price as they may be replacing their packs in the future, and 60% say it would also affect their recommendation of the Leaf to others. The remaining 30% have little or no concern about the price of a replacement battery pack. There's some data for Nissan to chew on.

actually, i read it as 5% have no concern.
95% want to know and that includes leasers who some might think wont care at all.

Almost All LEAFers Want A Battery Replacement Price -- MNL Survey
Ninety-six percent of LEAF drivers (as well as a few LEAF fans) have told Nissan they are concerned or want to know what it will cost them to replace a battery pack on their car, according to a survey just released.
just 4% of Leaf drivers and fans say they dont care at all about the issue. The survey adds pressure on the EV-breakthrough company, which has been promising a pricing structure release this spring. There are just a few days to meet that self-imposed deadline before summer begins.
In the survey, done at the website MNL.com, three out of four drivers say they want a price because they believe they will need to replace the battery pack as it degrades and they car loses range. Just four percent said yes when asked: "I don't give a rats (sic) ass about the price."

story has been edited to reflect discussion below, especially around who was surveyed; i.e. no criteria other than being a LEAF fan but weighted to drives.

 

[evnow]

actually, i read it as 5% have no concern.
95% want to know and that include leasers who some might think wont care at all.

No - 30% have no concern and the price is a curiosity. We don't know how many of the 100 are leasers - since the options were not split.

 

[thankyouOB]

actually, i read it as 5% have no concern.
95% want to know and that include leasers who some might think wont care at all.

No - 30% have no concern and the price is a curiosity. We don't know how many of the 100 are leasers - since the options were not split.

badly worded poll, as i said.

--yes, you are right, we dont know whether they even own a leaf, lease it or have ever driven one; driver or other status is not a polling criteria.

-- on "interest"; you read it your way, but it reads another way, too.
but for sure, you cant say the 25% "have no concern", as you put it. that is just wrong. :lol:
you cant, as you do, discount "mildly interested" - which means "wants to know," especially with an "I dont care" choice just below it.

so they poll is even odder as an information tool as it omits basic questions and the choices are poorly designed.

 

[DaveinOlyWA]

actually, i read it as 5% have no concern.
95% want to know and that include leasers who some might think wont care at all.

No - 30% have no concern and the price is a curiosity. We don't know how many of the 100 are leasers - since the options were not split.

better options would have made a clearer picture since i voted for the "curiosity" since my "current" options are very clear. i simply lease again at bargain basement prices (if they last till next Jan and i have serious doubts they will) if the price is too high.

but my post above is still valid in that the price WILL change my mind if its the right price and i am thinking that will be the same for many here. so ya, i am curious but i also have concrete options

 

[evnow]

better options would have made a clearer picture since i voted for the "curiosity" since my "current" options are very clear. i simply lease again at bargain basement prices (if they last till next Jan and i have serious doubts they will) if the price is too high.

The current price will last. The money factor isn't too good at some 3% (subsidized would be less than 1%). The lease price is low because the price is low and we get that 7.5k tax credit (which is like a huge down payment).

 

[Stoaty]

so they poll is even odder as an information tool as it omits basic questions and the choices are poorly designed.

Sounds like a lot of criticism from the peanut gallery, since after all this time no one else bothered to create a poll on this subject which many deem to be important. I created a quick and dirty poll which gives a general idea of where people stand on the issue. That's all it was intended to do; it has served its purpose.

PS I voted for option #2.

 

[evnow]

Sounds like a lot of criticism from the peanut gallery...

Right. Note to all forum supporters - you can all create your own polls.