Battery Upgrades are very possible

[Daklein]

@Daklein

I've followed your 62kWh conversion on this forum. Impressive. Respect!
I'm thinking about a similar project but are concerned about the reduced ground clearance.

What is your experience from the lower ground clearance? From your pictures it looks to be at risk of scratching even the most gentle speed bump...

Did you consider any type of suspension lift spacers? [mod: link removed from first post by author]

Did you mount the pack as high as possible, or is there some space above it?

Sure it's a little lower, but seems similar to some sportier cars. The extra weight lowers it some, and then the battery has the extra 40mm depth to it. There is no extra room above the battery, the top of it fits similar to the original pack, the extra depth is in the bottom of the pack. I haven't hit anything yet, but it's good to be aware of driveway rises, roadside shoulder drop-offs, etc. I don't want to mess around with springs and spacers.

 

[LeftieBiker]

Wouldn't just going with taller tires be enough to offset the lowered ground clearance? How much room is in the wheel wells for additional tire height?

 

[camasleaf]

I just talked with this outfit in Portland, OR:

EV Rides LLC
3230 NE Columbia Blvd
Portland OR 97211
DL0827 call or text 360-674-4545

Currently they offer the 40kWh for $6k and the 62kWh for $8k. Tempting, but I need to pay off the Tesla first.

 

[DaveinOlyWA]

I just talked with this outfit in Portland, OR:

EV Rides LLC
3230 NE Columbia Blvd
Portland OR 97211
DL0827 call or text 360-674-4545

Currently they offer the 40kWh for $6k and the 62kWh for $8k. Tempting, but I need to pay off the Tesla first.

That is a very nice price. Wondering where they are getting their battery packs? Must be a cheaper market in OR

 

[Daklein]

Wouldn't just going with taller tires be enough to offset the lowered ground clearance? How much room is in the wheel wells for additional tire height?

Or that, yes, once the current tires are shaved off. But, really, it's fine and fun with lower clearance, it's sporty.

 

[estomax]

I just talked with this outfit in Portland, OR:

EV Rides LLC
3230 NE Columbia Blvd
Portland OR 97211
DL0827 call or text 360-674-4545

Currently they offer the 40kWh for $6k and the 62kWh for $8k. Tempting, but I need to pay off the Tesla first.

is that including the battery? so drop off your car with 6k and get a 40kwh battery? thats pretty good.

 

[camasleaf]

I just talked with this outfit in Portland, OR:

EV Rides LLC
3230 NE Columbia Blvd
Portland OR 97211
DL0827 call or text 360-674-4545

Currently they offer the 40kWh for $6k and the 62kWh for $8k. Tempting, but I need to pay off the Tesla first.

is that including the battery? so drop off your car with 6k and get a 40kwh battery? thats pretty good.

That is what I understood. They did ask what the status of my current battery is. They are on Portland Craigslist under auto parts, search "battery".

 

[DaveinOlyWA]

I just talked with this outfit in Portland, OR:

EV Rides LLC
3230 NE Columbia Blvd
Portland OR 97211
DL0827 call or text 360-674-4545

Currently they offer the 40kWh for $6k and the 62kWh for $8k. Tempting, but I need to pay off the Tesla first.

is that including the battery? so drop off your car with 6k and get a 40kwh battery? thats pretty good.

That is what I understood. They did ask what the status of my current battery is. They are on Portland Craigslist under auto parts, search "battery".

Yep, its a new company run by one. I am thinking the price is not well thought out. The real issue with salvage packs is you never know what the price is going to be from pack to pack.

 

[Latrans]

is that including the battery? so drop off your car with 6k and get a 40kwh battery? thats pretty good.

That is what I understood. They did ask what the status of my current battery is. They are on Portland Craigslist under auto parts, search "battery".

Yep, its a new company run by one. I am thinking the price is not well thought out. The real issue with salvage packs is you never know what the price is going to be from pack to pack.

I've been keeping an eye on Copart.com. That's a little under the going rate for wrecked Leafs. They're making their money by re-selling your old battery (check the going rate for gen1 cells on ebay) and probably parting out the donor car your new battery is coming from.

Anyways, the reason I've been watching Copart, is because I've been meaning to upgrade my leaf (2013). I was originally going to go with a 40kwh (or 62 if I could swing it) but then I punched in the doors when I sideswiped a pole (no frame damage). Since the cost of professional repair was almost the cost of a wrecked leaf, I'm now looking at getting a 2016-17 for both the doors and battery (just shot off an email to muxsan requesting a CAN bridge).

This will leave me with an extra drive train and battery. I'm thinking of building an old-school style trike out of them. Is there any precedent for downgrading a battery? And does anybody know just how much of the electronics I can trim away before I start breaking things?

 

[DaveinOlyWA]

That is what I understood. They did ask what the status of my current battery is. They are on Portland Craigslist under auto parts, search "battery".

Yep, its a new company run by one. I am thinking the price is not well thought out. The real issue with salvage packs is you never know what the price is going to be from pack to pack.

I've been keeping an eye on Copart.com. That's a little under the going rate for wrecked Leafs. They're making their money by re-selling your old battery (check the going rate for gen1 cells on ebay) and probably parting out the donor car your new battery is coming from.

Anyways, the reason I've been watching Copart, is because I've been meaning to upgrade my leaf (2013). I was originally going to go with a 40kwh (or 62 if I could swing it) but then I punched in the doors when I sideswiped a pole (no frame damage). Since the cost of professional repair was almost the cost of a wrecked leaf, I'm now looking at getting a 2016-17 for both the doors and battery (just shot off an email to muxsan requesting a CAN bridge).

This will leave me with an extra drive train and battery. I'm thinking of building an old-school style trike out of them. Is there any precedent for downgrading a battery? And does anybody know just how much of the electronics I can trim away before I start breaking things?

So you're asking what is extraneous? Hmmm...

 

[Latrans]

Pretty much. A trike isn't exactly going to have room for an infotainment system or need of climate control.

 

[Oilpan4]

A lot of the crashed 62kwh cars are coming from the west coast.

I can't touch a wrecked leaf plus for less than $10,000.
My absolute max budget is about $8,000 delivered. I can just wait for the price to come down. Even on a sport model, both ends smashed, air bags deployed, ect, ect...
My wife will probably still eat me alive if I spend $8k on a wrecked car.
Nissan offering the replacement gen1 battery for $5,500 has kind of killed the market for my recently 11 bared 2011 battery (that was replaced in 2014).

 

[Anonymous]

A lot of the crashed 62kwh cars are coming from the west coast.

I can't touch a wrecked leaf plus for less than $10,000.
My absolute max budget is about $8,000 delivered. I can just wait for the price to come down. Even on a sport model, both ends smashed, air bags deployed, ect, ect...
My wife will probably still eat me alive if I spend $8k on a wrecked car.
Nissan offering the replacement gen1 battery for $5,500 has kind of killed the market for my recently 11 bared 2011 battery (that was replaced in 2014).

Totaled 30 kWh models (1N4BZ0 VIN) are selling for under $6k at various salvage auctions; you could buy one of those and either repair it (with parts from the 2011) or swap the battery and part the wreck out. I imagine 120 miles of range would be a substantial upgrade over your 2014 gen1 battery.

 

[Oilpan4]

Yeah have been tempted to get a cheap 30 or 40kwh wreck as a place holder and to use as an unsuspecting lab rat..

 

[LeftieBiker]

I wouldn't touch a 30kwh pack unless I could verify that it was a good one, as the battery warranty would be voided by the swap. 40kwh would be a much safer bet.

 

[DaveinOlyWA]

A lot of the crashed 62kwh cars are coming from the west coast.

I can't touch a wrecked leaf plus for less than $10,000.
My absolute max budget is about $8,000 delivered. I can just wait for the price to come down. Even on a sport model, both ends smashed, air bags deployed, ect, ect...
My wife will probably still eat me alive if I spend $8k on a wrecked car.
Nissan offering the replacement gen1 battery for $5,500 has kind of killed the market for my recently 11 bared 2011 battery (that was replaced in 2014).

For 62 kwh? $10K would be a bargain. Pack with less than year of wear still well over 200 miles of range? I would have done that without hesitation on my 24 kwh.

 

[dean]

So, I've been watching this space enthusiastically for a while, and really hopeful I could find a 40 kWh battery.

But, hypothetically speaking, if I caught that rabbit, found a battery, and installed it in my Leaf... Then WHAT do you do with the 24 kWh? Anyone have any idea how to find a market for that? For anyone wishing to weigh in, my Leaf is a 2013 with (i believe) a lizard battery, 10/12 bars, 46k miles.

 

[LeftieBiker]

The Lizard pack wasn't manufactured until 2015. If your 2013 was built AFTER March of 2013, then you have the still-good "Wolf" pack. The modules can be sold to EV builders on Ebay. If it's the old Canary pack chemistry used through March of 2013, then you can still sell them, but they have less value.

 

[dean]

If your 2013 was built AFTER March of 2013, then you have the still-good "Wolf" pack.

Thank you Leftie! I knew it was something newer because it has a late 2013 manufacture date.
Is the AZ0 in the VIN indicative of the AZE0 designation, does that make it an AZE0, that indicates the later manufacture date and "wolf" pack? Thanks, just trying to get it all straight.

 

[Oilpan4]

A repairable leaf plus typically goes for $14k to $18k depending on the trim level.
If they're only smashed up a little I don't even bother keeping tack of them.

I don't have to have the 62kwh so can't justify spending many thousands on the upgrade.
Since I'm thinking I can only get $4k to $6k back on selling the wheels, interior, motor, gear box, body and traction electronics, assuming the front and back bumpers are smashed in and maybe get $2k for my old 11 bar battery.
A fresh 30kwh battery makes more sense for me.