2012 Nissan Leaf Battery Warmer: More Details

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evnow

evnow

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http://blogs.cars.com/kickingtires/2011/06/2012-nissan-leaf-battery-warmer-more-details.html

In this case, the battery heater uses its stored energy to power resistive heating elements that draw less than 0.3 kilowatts (300 watts).
...
When the car is driven or plugged in (even after the battery is fully charged), enough heat is generated to keep the battery warm, Perry said. The Leaf's chief engineer, Hidetoshi Kadota, noted that the Leaf would have to be in the harsh conditions for a couple of days before the battery heater would come into play. The new battery insulation helps retain the heat. For the same reason, the battery heater doesn't stay on full-time even once it starts.

Perry said the need for the heater will be extremely rare. "But what do engineers do?" he asked. "They protect against the 1 percent chance."
Click to expand...
 
thanks, excellent article.

I suspected the Leaf's battery always had insulation..

it would not be hard to mod an existing Leaf to keep the batteries warm.. just use some insulation between the belly pan and the battery plus a water bed heater, they even have a thermostat built in.
 
I suppose that is not unlike the 'engine block' heaters that are sold to keep the oil in ICE engines thin enough to crank the engine. One possible mod for the Leaf might be one of those water pipe heater strips sold at your local hardware store.

I hope I am never in a situation where I have to come up with a mod like that. I have always maintained that if there are electrical outlets outside grocery stores to plug in your engine block heaters, it is way too cold for me to live there anyway. :lol:
 
It would be nice to know how much electricity this battery heater would draw per 24 hours of sitting in a Chicago parking lot in the dead of winter, in say a week of 0F weather, unplugged. It would suck if you drove it to the airport with enough charge to get home, vacationed in Mexico to escape the cold for a week or two, then came home to a dead car that otherwise would have made it home with the charge you left it with- except the battery heater drained your battery.
 
Ualdriver said:
It would be nice to know how much electricity this battery heater would draw per 24 hours of sitting in a Chicago parking lot in the dead of winter, in say a week of 0F weather, unplugged.
Click to expand...
Considering it takes up only 0.3 KW, I'd say not much.

Anyway, I've found it more convinient (and cheaper) to take an airport shuttle than pay for long term parking.
 
working at a dealership near a major airport we have found many an ICE car that can not tolerate being parked for 2 weeks in very cold temps without needing a jumpstart and or a new battery upon the owners return.

the parasitic load from all the modern stuff on the ancient lead acid battery tech just doesnt work well/

so its a problem that affects all cars

I would think a Leaf would do just fine
 

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