Install Double Batteries on Nissan LEAF Increasing Range to 160 Miles?

Interesting ....

This Company Offers To Install Double Batteries on Nissan LEAF Increasing Range to 160 Miles

http://www.torquenews.com/1/company-offers-install-double-batteries-nissan-leaf-increasing-range-160-miles

My initial thought is that they must be using wrecked car battery packs for this to be a profitable business venture. It will be interesting to see if it proves out.

Who will be the first to take the risk on an unproven $6500 battery pack? I think I'll save my money for an OEM 60kWh Leaf (or similar)

It's certainly possible. We just need a guinea pig!

It would be great to double up the capacity but... we also need to address the durability of the batteries that are without cooling in warmer climates. Even on a 2015 battery in Arizona, we are only getting maybe 3.5 years to a drop of 4 bars.

Sure, if you have double battery a car can degrade a bit more before only being able to go 40 miles, but still sitting or moving there are those constant calendar losses especially from heat. If I could only go 5 to 7 years before complete battery replacement with a drop to 4 bars, it would cost $13,000 to start fresh again with a double battery. Is that worth it?

A double battery will only be worth the added expense if both batteries can be cooled IMO. Which also brings me to the 30kWh battery pack. It needs to be cooled or it needs have a better chemistry than the lizard. We don't know if the chemistry is better for heat. The lizard is not proving better in the heat of Arizona.

That's going to be a very heavy Leaf too.
With all of the 200-mile range vehicles coming out in a couple years, I can't imagine that it would be worth it.

With the weight increase, you are not going to get near double the range...

Regardless of range claims the price point is far too low to build a reliable and safe system. How is the weight increase and weight distribution handled, packaging, safety systems, etc? This is pretty comical and scary. I wonder who will actually be the first person to fall for this.

That's going to be a very heavy Leaf too.
With all of the 200-mile range vehicles coming out in a couple years, I can't imagine that it would be worth it.

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If you buy a new car (Say you pay at least $24,000) you'll be paying over $2,000 just in sales tax alone. Throw in delivery/prep & there's a few hundred more. Count that cost down off the new pack/installation.

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Sent to me via the contact form, so not really a reliable/confirmable source, so take it as is:

Adding an EXTRA Leaf Battery in trunk from Hybrid Industries!
You had a forum that addressed this upgrade.
The company is a scam basically! I had it done. WHAT A MISTAKE A huge battery higher than the back seat was put in. Unenclosed FIRE HAZARD
By your gas peddle was 2, 2 " cables installed. You had to manually switch to go from 1 battery to the next. SAFETY ISSUE
When you switched the cables the car computer wouldn't talk to the new battery unless you disconnected the car battery to reset the cars computer.
DOESN'T WORK
They picked it up and delivered it to my house. When I saw it, I told them I would not pay for the hack job! The owner Patrick Hossein, said he would take my car back and take out the battery and give me my car back. The next day I got a text saying If I don't give him $1000. then I will never see my car again. I went to the address in Costa Mesa from my receipt and there was no company at that address. I don't think they have a location in Las Vegas either. I now have a reported STOLEN CAR REPORT and they are looking for my car. Please post this so no one else gets scammed.
I should have read your posts first! Lowell

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After reading the May 2017 post, I Googled the name of the proprietor of Hybrid Industries; I found this interesting web page from Hybrid Haven. It suggests that doing business with Hybrid Industries may not be advisable.

https://thehybridhaven.com/fraud-alert-hybrid-haven-not-affiliated-hybrid-industries/

HybridHaven said:

Public Notice:
The Hybrid Haven, Hybrid and Automotive Repair Shop in Petaluma, CA is in no way affiliated with Hybrid Industries.
It has come to our attention that a gentleman by the name of Patrick Hossein of Hybrid Industries has been performing unlicensed hybrid battery repairs in the Bay Area to unsuspecting vehicle owners. Hybrid Industries uses The Hybrid Havens’ license number and address of 660 Lakeville St. Petaluma, CA 94952 as his business reference.
We are in no way affiliated nor condone his actions. The Hybrid Haven only uses certified hybrid repair technicians at our location. We do not use affiliates, independent contractors or mobile mechanics. All repairs are performed in our hybrid repair facility in Petaluma, CA. Please note that The Hybrid Haven will not send technicians to your home for onsite repairs or service.
If you have received service by Patrick Hossein or anyone affiliated with Hybrid Industries, you are to contact the Petaluma Police Department at (707) 778-4372 to report the service.

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"Hybrid Industries" came up in another thread and I made these remarks about all the images he lifted from all over the place.

http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?p=460259#p460259
http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?p=460337#p460337

Unfortunately, some of the links on webs.com are dead now and due to the robots.txt file there, I couldn't submit them to http://archive.org/web/ for preservation.

Actually there is another way to increase the range too. What about Leaf Box Range Extender?

https://www.torquenews.com/3618/how-can-you-extend-nissan-leaf-range

TomT said:

With the weight increase, you are not going to get near double the range...

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Is that also true if you put a couple tall guys is the rear seat and one in front?

IssacZachary said:

TomT said:

With the weight increase, you are not going to get near double the range...

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Is that also true if you put a couple tall guys is the rear seat and one in front?

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Weight affects range in stop/go driving and uphill driving. It has minimal impact on steady speed level road highway driving. Safety would be a major concern for adding batteries to an existing car (weight distribution, secure mounting in case of accident, electrical concerns for batteries in parallel, etc.). Just to be clear, passengers are not a safety concern because the car is designed for them, but they would likely reduce the range a small amount (especially in stop/go driving or sustained hill climbing).

GerryAZ said:

Weight affects range in stop/go driving and uphill driving. It has minimal impact on steady speed level road highway driving. Safety would be a major concern for adding batteries to an existing car (weight distribution, secure mounting in case of accident, electrical concerns for batteries in parallel, etc.). Just to be clear, passengers are not a safety concern because the car is designed for them, but they would likely reduce the range a small amount (especially in stop/go driving or sustained hill climbing).

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Yes agreed! Maybe put the extra batteries in seat belts! :lol:

It's just that as far as range goes, yes it won't be quite double with double the batteries, but it will be close. However, it seems like some make it sound like adding batteries would only reduce range, like adding an anchor.

IssacZachary said:

GerryAZ said:

Weight affects range in stop/go driving and uphill driving. It has minimal impact on steady speed level road highway driving. Safety would be a major concern for adding batteries to an existing car (weight distribution, secure mounting in case of accident, electrical concerns for batteries in parallel, etc.). Just to be clear, passengers are not a safety concern because the car is designed for them, but they would likely reduce the range a small amount (especially in stop/go driving or sustained hill climbing).

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Yes agreed! Maybe put the extra batteries in seat belts! :lol:

It's just that as far as range goes, yes it won't be quite double with double the batteries, but it will be close. However, it seems like some make it sound like adding batteries would only reduce range, like adding an anchor.

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Some continue to overlook the fact that added weight contributes to rolling resistance losses, and that at speeds less than
40-50 MPH, is greater than aerodynamic drag losses. The 24kWh Leaf battery weighs over 400 lbs, and adding a second
one would not have an insignificant effect on rolling resistance losses, i.e. 10-15% increase.

lorenfb said:

Some continue to overlook the fact that added weight contributes to rolling resistance losses, and that at speeds less than
40-50 MPH, is greater than aerodynamic drag losses. The 24kWh Leaf battery weighs over 400 lbs, and adding a second
one would not have an insignificant effect on rolling resistance losses, i.e. 10-15% increase.

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Yes, it should be accounted for. But there's no reason to exaggerate the disadvantages.

If you take a 3,300lb Leaf and add a driver and his stuff you get around 3,500lbs total. A 600lb battery would represent an 18% increase, and so you'd have at most an 18% increase in rolling resistance. But as you said rolling resistance is many times less than half the total drag. Now I'd argue that 40 to 50mph is quite high, I usually figure 25 to 30mph as the point in which aerodynamic drag begins to take more power than rolling resistance, but there are several variables that could put it that high. Still, that would mean at 50mph a 600lb increase would represent only a 9% increase in total drag at most. Yes, it could increase energy usage going up hills or accelerating, but that depends a lot on how you drive.

I know from experience that weight doesn't make you "not get near" your normal range. This whole summer I drove down to Montrose and back on a weekly basis. That's around 65 miles with a total hill climb of 6,000ft and a total drop of only 4,000ft with zero charging points in between. There were times when I'd go there and back quite empty. Other times with the car quite loaded with both a few passengers and all their stuff. I hardly noticed any difference in range. Would losing the passengers and adding a 600lb battery help? You bet it would because I'd be able to drive down there and back without charging in Montrose.