Battery Charge

[RegulusBlack]

I have had my 2013 Leaf S for 500 miles and I noticed something odd this morning. I always charge to 80 percent with a 110 outlet. At first it charged to 75 miles and then it started charging to 72 miles. I figured that the battery heater (I have the cold weather package) brought the range down a bit. But this morning for the first time the range was 80 miles. I'm not complaining but I thought the maximum was 75 miles on an 80 percent charge.

Thanks

 

[davewill]

The distance to empty display is just an estimate. It is based on recent driving efficiency. It's affected by speed, going up or down hills, and braking strategies (plus moon phases, black cats and broken mirrors). It could say (and has) 100 miles or 60 miles, but that doesn't mean that's how far you'll be able to drive. We call it the Guess-o-meter (GOM) around here and mostly ignore it.

 

[RegulusBlack]

Blue Ocean,

Thank you very much! I think my Leaf is the best car I've ever owned. There is one small thing I do miss, however. It is the brake selection on the shifter. Being able to step up the regen when going down steep hills would be great.

I have read here the opinion that the Leaf could save weight. I agree. I think that drive by wire steering would weigh less than rack and pinion. But I am no engineer.

Thanks again,

Regulus

 

[planet4ever]

Thank you very much! I think my Leaf is the best car I've ever owned. There is one small thing I do miss, however. It is the brake selection on the shifter. Being able to step up the regen when going down steep hills would be great.

Do you have a 2013 SV or SL? If so, I was under the impression that B mode was equivalent to the Prius B shift, though I have no personal experience with it. I do always shift my 2011 into ECO going down hill, and that certainly helps, though I'm pretty sure it doesn't provide as much regen as Prius B shift.

Ray

 

[RegulusBlack]

Ray,

I have the 2013 S. There is no B mode. I too find that Eco mode has more regen going down hill than D mode.

Regulus

 

[Robd30]

I just had my first annual battery check-up on my 2012 Nissan Leaf. I got top marks - 5 stars - across the board! I received these marks because 90% of my battery fill-up happens in my garage at the basic level 1 charge at 110V. I haven't been able to afford the level 2 charging station yet, but still hope to get it soon, saving up for that $1,000 expense.
Bottom line, I knew the 440V charge was detrimental to the batteries, but realizing that the basic charging is best for the car, I will continue to use this method whenever feasible even after getting the level 2 charger.

 

[Stoaty]

I just had my first annual battery check-up on my 2012 Nissan Leaf. I got top marks - 5 stars - across the board! I received these marks because 90% of my battery fill-up happens in my garage at the basic level 1 charge at 110V. I haven't been able to afford the level 2 charging station yet, but still hope to get it soon, saving up for that $1,000 expense.
Bottom line, I knew the 440V charge was detrimental to the batteries, but realizing that the basic charging is best for the car, I will continue to use this method whenever feasible even after getting the level 2 charger.

While admirable, your strategy doesn't fit the known facts. A charge rate of C/2 (about 12 kw) may in fact be optimal for battery longevity. Both L1 (C/21) and L2 (C/7) are considered slow charges. No difference is expected between them. For supporting data and a fuller explanation, see the end of this section of the Wiki:

http://www.mynissanleaf.com/wiki/index.php?title=Battery_Capacity_Loss#Factors_Affecting_Battery_Capacity_Loss" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

 

[camiev]

Is this technology for real. Any technical genius in this forum can comment.

Thanks

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r95OI0rD7Dk" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

 

[Ingineer]

Lead-Foam has been tried before, problem is the grid breaks apart in a short time when it's deep-cycled. It would be ok for low depth of discharge, but not for deep cycling as far as I know.

-Phil

 

[Luft]

In preparation for the EV rally at the end of June, I've been allowing my 2011 LEAF to charge to 100% in order to balance the battery pack and also to allow me to get a GID reading so that I know the condition of my pack.

At first the GID reading at 100% was about 272. That's a little better than Tony's 85% - 100% capacity chart so I was pretty happy. In the last few days my GID readings have been getting even better. This morning my meter showed 280 GIDs!

Should I be concerned that these reading can't be trusted. Losing only one GID on a battery pack that is almost two years old seems unlikely to me. I live in the Pacific Northwest so the climate is mild and I normally charge to 80% but I have over 20,000 miles on the pack.