Should I hurry up and get a new pre-lizard LEAF?

[LTLFTcomposite]

My lease is up later this year and was thinking that the timing would work out well for the next one having the new heat-resistant battery. Now I'm wondering if I should try to get a new LEAF with the old battery, this time buying instead of leasing, with the expectation that the battery would be replaced under warranty with the new heat-resistant version.

Dumb idea?

 

[kubel]

I find it highly unlikely that Nissan will retrofit a 'pre-lizard' LEAF with the new battery chemistry. So you'll be stuck with the old chemistry over and over. I don't think it's worth it.

 

[smkettner]

If you are on track to get a new battery with your current LEAF why not just buy out what you have?
Or even ask to extend for another year? (depending on residual)

The test lizard or lizard lite could already be shipping for all we know.

 

[LTLFTcomposite]

Residual on the one I have is $16.5 k, a new one base model with the 6.6 charge rate, backup camera (which we would like) and chademo (who knows if we'd ever use that) looks like it would be around $20k, not sure it's worth it for a three year old car.

Curiously though, the last couple bits of junk mail I've gotten from Nissan have prominently mentioned that buying out the car is an option. That's something I previously thought they weren't promoting, instead favoring selling/leasing me a new one. Maybe they know it isn't worth the residual, and would like to see if I'm the patsy (a second time).

 

[keydiver]

I find it highly unlikely that Nissan will retrofit a 'pre-lizard' LEAF with the new battery chemistry. So you'll be stuck with the old chemistry over and over. I don't think it's worth it.

What??? What do you base this on? :? Why would they increase/change the warranty, start testing a new, heat-resistant chemistry, promise that even those who get a new battery now can get it swapped to the new "lizard" battery later, when they have no intention in putting anything but the same battery back in our cars? That would be horrible PR, besides the fact that they would be shouldered with producing 2 different battery chemistries. Maybe you have just lost all faith in Nissan, but I haven't yet. If they can come through with a new, improved pack for me next year, when I'm down to 66%, they would get my business again.

 

[DaveinOlyWA]

My lease is up later this year and was thinking that the timing would work out well for the next one having the new heat-resistant battery. Now I'm wondering if I should try to get a new LEAF with the old battery, this time buying instead of leasing, with the expectation that the battery would be replaced under warranty with the new heat-resistant version.

Dumb idea?

i am willing to bet the heat resistant battery is already being used.

 

[TomT]

You live in a hot climate. I would not buy ANY Leaf until I was assured it actually did have the Lizard battery or that a warranty battery swap was right around the corner and included it!
Unlike some, having heard absolutely nothing official from anyone in quite some time, I don't have that much faith in Nissan any more...

 

[JeremyW]

Yeah this sounds like a really bad idea. Nissan has made it pretty obvious they want you to get something new every few years, why do you think that will change in a "round" of 'em?

 

[Stoaty]

i am willing to bet the heat resistant battery is already being used.

How much do you want to bet, and why are you so confident? Is there a stealth release of the Lizard battery?

 

[LTLFTcomposite]

I should probably stick to the game plan and lease again, this time perhaps with a stronger possibility of buying out at the end. Before the next three years is up it should be clear whether any silent improvement was made to heat resistance, and whether warranty replacements are any better. Who knows maybe there will even be some clarity on battery replacement by then although honestly I've given up on that.

I guess I was just tempted by a recent promo for $2500 discount and 72 mo zero percent. I should know better than to pay any attention to such nonsense. Perpetual payments are getting tiresome though.

Besides three years from now everything may have switched over to hydrogen.

 

[smkettner]

If you are on track to get a warranty battery consider what the vehicle is worth with a BRAND NEW battery.
Then it is your choice to sell for top dollar or enjoy it for a few more years. Maybe a lot more if you get a lizard.
Or sell to get the options you want. But the buy strategy will put you out one more year to reach for a 2016 with possible larger battery option.

 

[nosuchthing]

Never hurry to buy a car. You may get into an accident. :lol:

 

[DaveinOlyWA]

i am willing to bet the heat resistant battery is already being used.

How much do you want to bet, and why are you so confident? Is there a stealth release of the Lizard battery?

seems to me that all articles read about the batteries stated there would be no announcement. that it would be a running upgrade, etc. is this not true? do you have a link stating that Nissan would announce the implementation of the hot pack into new cars keeping in mind; the difference between 2011's and 2014's?

 

[Stanton]

I find it highly unlikely that Nissan will retrofit a 'pre-lizard' LEAF with the new battery chemistry. So you'll be stuck with the old chemistry over and over. I don't think it's worth it.

What??? What do you base this on? :? Why would they increase/change the warranty, start testing a new, heat-resistant chemistry, promise that even those who get a new battery now can get it swapped to the new "lizard" battery later, when they have no intention in putting anything but the same battery back in our cars? That would be horrible PR, besides the fact that they would be shouldered with producing 2 different battery chemistries. Maybe you have just lost all faith in Nissan, but I haven't yet. If they can come through with a new, improved pack for me next year, when I'm down to 66%, they would get my business again.

+10 It neither makes engineering sense OR financial sense (from a volume/COG standpoint) to continue supporting/stocking 2 different battery types for the same function (assumes form/fit is identical).

 

[LTLFTcomposite]

My understanding is the lizard battery was going to be a compatible module that was just more heat resistant. It also looks like they don't want to open up a flood gate of people demanding new batteries; they want to grease the squeaky wheels (4BL) as needed. Furthermore, they are also keeping the whole thing kind of quiet. Making a big deal out of it is an admission of a defect in the original battery they don't want, again to avoid having a line outside the service dept of people demanding upgrades.

Given all this I agree, someone buying a 2014 leaf may not know what they are getting, and won't know for a year or two until the capacity loss is observed or not (or observed to a lesser degree).

 

[Stanton]

My understanding is the lizard battery was going to be a compatible module that was just more heat resistant. It also looks like they don't want to open up a flood gate of people demanding new batteries; they want to grease the squeaky wheels (4BL) as needed. Furthermore, they are also keeping the whole thing kind of quiet. Making a big deal out of it is an admission of a defect in the original battery they don't want, again to avoid having a line outside the service dept of people demanding upgrades.

More and more, I agree with this premise: it doesn't make good business sense to scream "we've got a new battery that's BETTER than the one you just bought a couple of months ago...but you can't have one just yet!". Not only that, it would effectively cannibalize sales of every Leaf currently out there.

 

[Stoaty]

More and more, I agree with this premise: it doesn't make good business sense to scream "we've got a new battery that's BETTER than the one you just bought a couple of months ago...but you can't have one just yet!". Not only that, it would effectively cannibalize sales of every Leaf currently out there.

Yes, but from the customers point of view it is extremely important to know if you are getting a Lizard battery if you are buying (not leasing) your Leaf and don't live in a cool part of the country. Granted a lot of people don't even know that is something they should ask. Nissan already pre-announced the Lizard battery for some time around April if all goes well. I wouldn't buy a Leaf now unless I knew the Lizard battery would be in my Leaf... and I wouldn't buy a replacement battery (couldn't anyway, since Nissan won't sell me one) unless it was the Lizard battery. My guess is that the Lizard battery is a substantial improvement; I don't think Nissan would risk getting egg on their face a second time.

 

[TomT]

IMHO, another reason not to buy a 2014 without some form of official confirmation of the Lizard battery AND its effectiveness... I would not be willing to play battery double or nothing with Nissan again...

Given all this I agree, someone buying a 2014 leaf may not know what they are getting, and won't know for a year or two until the capacity loss is observed or not (or observed to a lesser degree).

 

[LTLFTcomposite]

It's getting pretty frustrating trying to navigate a path that doesn't have me in perpetual lease payments. The original thinking was that EVs were supposed to last a lot longer than other cars but we seem to be at the other extreme. Just picking up another cheap mazda 3 is starting to look attractive, and plan on handing it down when the dust settles on EV batteries in warmer climates.

 

[Deleted member 770]

Not to get too far off topic, but have there been ANY official announcements by Nissan regarding a more heat-tolerant battery pack? I'm not talking about casual conversations with Nissan reps and marketing types, I'm talking about written announcements - something you can point at with authority and say "this is Nissan's official statement".

Lacking that, I'd take all of the talk of a "lizard" battery as rumor and innuendo. Until we see a pack with a different part number and something to say that it's a heat-tolerant unit, it's vaporware.

And as to replacements of 2011-2013 batteries - again, I've never seen anything official to say that they'll replace with a "lizard" battery. Or for that matter, a "new old stock" 2011-2013 battery. All we know is that if your battery loses more than 4 capacity bars, Nissan will do whatever is necessary to get it back to 9 bars or more. IMHO that'll likely mean replacing modules, not entire packs. Either that or they'll buy up wrecked batteries that have 9 or more bars and use them for these replacements. I doubt that they'll have more than 1000 or so owners who can take advantage of the warranty, given the way it's worded.

But I sincerely hope that someone can prove the above wrong. The sooner the better. The clock is ticking on everyone's warranty...