Does DIY Cold Weather pack exist?

[rmay635703]

I am looking at buying either a 011 Leaf $22k or 011 volt $25k

The trouble with all the less expensive leafs is that they lack the cold weather package, being in Wisconsin this would likely cause issues. (what is the winter range on a non-cold weather leaf? 30miles 40miles?)

On my existing ev's I always insulated the battery box with foam and put in a blanket heater and thermostat.

On FLA I usually would heat them up to about 80 degrees just prior to departure then they would cool down while the car sat at work but performance was amazingly improved.

I am curious if the 011 leaf would tolerate a bit of winter heating and what wattage & temperature I would need to heat these SAFELY.

Thanx for any ideas
Ryan

 

[davewill]

The cold weather package consists of seat and steering wheel heaters and a battery heater. The battery heater protects the battery from freezing and is only useful if your car will be subjected to sub-zero temperatures, which might well happen in Wisconsin. The only impact on range of the cold weather package is to the extent that the seat and steering wheel heaters will allow you to keep the main heater off or set to a lower temp. Cold weather users have reported ranges down around 50 miles for winter conditions. There are numerous threads detailing cold weather issues on the site.

The 2013 model will be available with a new heat-pump based heater with should significantly reduce the load that heating the interior places on the battery.