Replacement LEAF battery cheap compared to i3

[surfingslovak]

Here is a video battery teardown report from Munro & Associates. Although it's promotional in nature, perhaps it offers some welcome unusual visuals and couple of insightful points. I'm not quite clear how the modular architecture differs from the LEAF or other EVs on the market. The brick-like nature of individual cell modules is clearly visible however. Most other EVs I have seen on the market use pouch cells or in the case of Tesla cylindrical cells.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZ9UpLkVJlo[/youtube]

 

[GetOffYourGas]

I have not replaced an engine either but why is that? simply because I get rid of it before that time happens just like most of us...

Well said

Go look at used adds for 90s VW's or Honda civics. There are many of them out there on a second engine or even third.

That seems crazy to me. The only cars I would replace an engine on are true classics / collectors cars. Of course, I also wouldn't drive those cars during the winter. Road salt rusts cars to death long before the typical engine dies around here.

 

[EVDRIVER]

I have not replaced an engine either but why is that? simply because I get rid of it before that time happens just like most of us...

Well said

Go look at used adds for 90s VW's or Honda civics. There are many of them out there on a second engine or even third.

I have a friend with more than 1 million miles on his VW bug, rebuilt many times. BMW parts expensive and so are the car options, they found a long time ago if they raised prices in the US it would create the perception of a better high-end product. It worked.

 

[DaveinOlyWA]

I have not replaced an engine either but why is that? simply because I get rid of it before that time happens just like most of us...

Well said

Go look at used adds for 90s VW's or Honda civics. There are many of them out there on a second engine or even third.

That seems crazy to me. The only cars I would replace an engine on are true classics / collectors cars. Of course, I also wouldn't drive those cars during the winter. Road salt rusts cars to death long before the typical engine dies around here.

ya, lived in MI where it was common to see rust holes in cars 5 years old but in WA, we have 50 YO cars that are completely rust free.

I think a better question is how many cars have you gotten rid of cause you knew there was a major repair in the near future?

for me? that is a tough question but have to say probably 10-12 or so maybe?? take out the crap I drove before aged 25 and it drops to like 4 or 5...

FYI; despite the generality of the statement; other than one car which I had when I was 20 with front end issues, all the others were engine based problems

 

[GetOffYourGas]

ya, lived in MI where it was common to see rust holes in cars 5 years old but in WA, we have 50 YO cars that are completely rust free.

I think a better question is how many cars have you gotten rid of cause you knew there was a major repair in the near future?

for me? that is a tough question but have to say probably 10-12 or so maybe?? take out the crap I drove before aged 25 and it drops to like 4 or 5...

FYI; despite the generality of the statement; other than one car which I had when I was 20 with front end issues, all the others were engine based problems

I like to keep cars around rather than buy a new one every 3 years. I'm young enough that I haven't been through too many cars. So for me, it would be one. The problems weren't engine related at all, though. They were all rust related. The entire exhaust system was toast. Brakes and suspension were on their last legs. The entire engine compartment was rusted, so any minor repair job turned into a major one - something as simple as removing a bolt could cause hundreds - if not thousands - of dollars worth of damage. But this car was 15 years old and had over 200,000 miles on it.

Every other car was sold because I grew out of it when I had kids (I had a summer convertible, and my wife and I each had beater 2-door civics).

If I extend that to friends and family, I know of two cars that were gotten rid of for a blown head gasket. In both cases, it was not worth replacing the engine in such an old car, so the entire car was scrapped. Which brings me back to my original point - it's just not usually worth replacing the engine in something like a Civic. By the time it needs it, the car is 15+ years old, 200k+ miles, and is generally falling apart.

Other locales would certainly be different. In my travels to Arizona, I am frequently surprised at the age of the cars running around.

 

[bnwarner]

http://insideevs.com/bmw-i3-battery-module-costs-1715-60-8-modules-per-car-total-cost-13725/

Check out the article above. Nearly $14,000 for an i3 battery pack which has nearly the same capacity as the LEAF. If I owned an i3, I'd be freaked out! This is making the $5500 Leaf battery replacement look like a steal!

I find it interesting. We all complain about the cost of the replacement batteries, but when you consider they run (on average) about $57 a month (considering 8 year life span) plus the $18 a month it costs me to charge my Leaf, I find it a LOT less expensive than my old car at $300 a month for gas. And, yes, I'm putting the money aside to replace the batteries when the time comes.

This is my second Nissan Leaf. I leased the first one because the tech was new and I was concerned that I might not be able to live with it in the long run, but I've made a couple of 100+ mile trips with planned charging stops and have had no problems at all. The charging infrastructure has changed radically over the last few years as well. I can find DC Quick Chargers just about everywhere I might consider taking my Leaf from Richmond, VA to Baltimore, Md.

It is uber reliable and more comfortable then comparable gas powered vehicles.

 

[abasile]

You'd better believe that if there are 100,000+ Gen1 leafs that are unsellable because the battery costs too much to replace, there will be a lot of bad PR. How does that speak toward the environmental issues? I can't imaging an electric car that is basically scrap at 100K miles is better for the environment than an ICE car (with low mpg) that will go for 200,000+ miles. Not a chance!

While I'm not inclined to defend Nissan's handling of Gen1 LEAF battery issues, I do believe an EV that is "scrap" at 100K miles is generally better, environmentally, than an ICE that runs to 200K+ miles. While the environmental impact of manufacturing an ICE is lower, my understanding is that this is far outweighed by the emissions resulting from driving it. Of course, this comparison only works in favor of the EV if the electricity used to charge it is not too dirty, such as in California or many other areas of North America.

 

[ishiyakazuo]

I find it interesting. We all complain about the cost of the replacement batteries, but when you consider they run (on average) about $57 a month (considering 8 year life span) plus the $18 a month it costs me to charge my Leaf, I find it a LOT less expensive than my old car at $300 a month for gas. And, yes, I'm putting the money aside to replace the batteries when the time comes.

Wow, what were you driving before that used that much gas that you could replace all of that cost with a LEAF for $18/mo?
My previous car was a Sonata (about 27mpg average), and it cost me around $130/mo., and switching to a LEAF for similar usage dropped it down to about $30/mo... I'm assuming your previous car got like 10mpg?

 

[XeonPony]

Try mine at 400 a month, I drive over 120Km a day, and with a tow truck it aint cheap, the leaf does the same for a meer 50 a month! and technicaly I am only paying half that as the other half is charging at work!

I'd happily pay 12k if I got to keep the old battery! 6k if I hand in the old battery!