Nissan LEAF Update from Andy Palmer

[DaveinOlyWA]

Just stumbled upon this thread after reading about the extended warranty. Seems like most folks are happy but Im curious why they are deciding warranty based on capacity bars which can be manipulated - rather than battery capacity measured by actual charge held in a battery that is charged to 100%

Also- why restore it to 9 bars? If more than 3 bars are lost in the first year, shouldnt they replace or prorate and replace the battery according to usage?

I agree it is better than nothing, but not anything to rave about.

my feeling is that they will give you a new or near new pack. doing anything else would be extremely strange. its a major undertaking to warranty something that expensive so it would not be done lightly.

i think the clause is thrown in there to prevent people from complaining that they only get 5 miles on the first bar when the other pack got them 6 miles and that kind of stuff. maybe they have finally got the "under promise, over deliver" message

 

[LEAFfan]

Also- why restore it to 9 bars? If more than 3 bars are lost in the first year, shouldnt they replace or prorate and replace the battery according to usage?

My belief is that Nissan will restore the battery to AT LEAST 9 bars. They could add more at their discretion depending on the individual circumstances. I think all they are saying is that you most likely won't get a brand new battery. I believe if it comes to a battery refresh they will be mildly generous so as to prevent another refresh prior to the extended warranty expiring.

It's probably a mistake to assume they will ONLY restore a battery to 9 bars in EVERY case.

+1!

 

[saywatt]

My biggest bother is that stupid bluetooth that will recognize only the last user and goes chasing it's tail first before it lets you TELL IT who's phone is in the car. Lately I just gave up on it and don't even bother to check in with the dumb thing. So it's set for wife's phone and that's it.

DUUUUMB!

Nissan - how about addressing THAT!!!

I find this annoying too but don't think it's a Nissan issue. I think it's a Bluetooth (the technology) issue. I recently put a Jabra in my ICE and it does the same dang thing. Prior, I had a cheap Plantronics earpiece that also did this. A short run-over with the car solved that problem!

 

[LEAFguy]

I, for one, am somewhat perplexed at all of the discussion in this thread over Nissan replacing depleted batteries with 9 bar batteries. This is the salient sentence direct from Mr. Palmer's letter in the first post:

"For LEAF vehicles whose batteries have fallen below nine bars during this period, Nissan will repair or replace the battery under warranty with a new or remanufactured battery to restore capacity at or above a minimum of nine bars."

Emphasis added by me.

To think that Nissan (or any manufacturer, for that matter) is going to monitor, inventory, and ship batteries in a depleted 9 bar state is not really worth considering (other than for refurbishment of said batteries). They have just given themselves an out, should that possibility present itself to a right dealership in the right situation, or more likely to account for any remanufactured batteries that might be inventoried at a dealership that could lose capacity prior to installation.

I fully expect that the norm will be to install remanufactured batteries with near new capacity in most cases.

 

[surfingslovak]

EVTV segment on the capacity warranty from December 28, 2012. It starts at 33:52 and is about six minutes long:

Click to open

 

[JPWhite]

EVTV segment on the capacity warranty from December 28, 2012. It's about six minutes long:

I liked the comment about tucking everyone into bed at night

 

[JRP3]

Unfortunately Jack still seems to be in denial that the packs have lost any actual capacity, and as usual blames it all on a faulty BMS :roll:

 

[thankyouOB]

Unfortunately Jack still seems to be in denial that the packs have lost any actual capacity, and as usual blames it all on a faulty BMS :roll:

which one is jack. i assume the skinny guy and not the beer drinker.

 

[palmermd]

EVTV segment on the capacity warranty from December 28, 2012. It's about six minutes long:

I liked the comment about tucking everyone into bed at night

...and take every complaint as an opportunity to demonstrate superior customer service...

Even with his misunderstanding about the actual problems going on, he is correct in that there are not that many cars and Nissan could have handled this much better and actually come out looking good if they got out in front of it. Instead they have come out looking terrible and have lost the confidence of their number one sales staff (the owners of the vehicles...not the dealers). Most owners are now not recommending the car, and reluctantly recommending it only if you lease. This in comparison to rave recommendations that were happening in the first 12-14 months.

 

[LEAFfan]

EVTV segment on the capacity warranty from December 28, 2012. It's about six minutes long:

Click to open

What a mean joke George! I thought this was a show about EVs! Instead, this moron shows his ignorance about other things (politics included) and just rambles on and on like an uneducated fool. I doubt he had anything intelligent to say about the warranty based on his stupid rant at the beginning. They need to change the title of their show. So it takes almost 40 minutes into the show before they begin talking about EVs? :roll:

 

[palmermd]

What a mean joke George! I thought this was a show about EVs! Instead, this moron shows his ignorance about other things (politics included) and just rambles on and on like an uneducated fool. I doubt he had anything intelligent to say about the warranty based on his stupid rant at the beginning. They need to change the title of their show. So it takes almost 40 minutes into the show before they begin talking about EVs? :roll:

His link did take you directly to the start of the discussion at 33:50...sorry that you somehow backed up to the beginning. Every 2 hour weekly show has 5 minutes of great insight. Some shows are more about electric cars that others...this one was definitely in the political rant side of things. He pretty much just rambles about what is on his mind that week, and this week it is not any specific project.

 

[LEAFfan]

What a mean joke George! I thought this was a show about EVs! Instead, this moron shows his ignorance about other things (politics included) and just rambles on and on like an uneducated fool. I doubt he had anything intelligent to say about the warranty based on his stupid rant at the beginning. They need to change the title of their show. So it takes almost 40 minutes into the show before they begin talking about EVs? :roll:

His link did take you directly to the start of the discussion at 33:50...sorry that you somehow backed up to the beginning. Every 2 hour weekly show has 5 minutes of great insight. Some shows are more about electric cars that others...this one was definitely in the political rant side of things. He pretty much just rambles about what is on his mind that week, and this week it is not any specific project.

I thought it would start at the marked spot too, but maybe because I used my cell instead of my desk which gets little use now.

 

[thankyouOB]

it took me to the right place.
i dont have allota confidence in someone who talks for a living or opinionates, and makes a big show of doing it while getting drunk.
i can get that shizza at the local pub, albeit this guy has one of the great beer bellies of all time, and he makes occasional sense, such as when he is telling Nissan to own the error if it wants to sell into a skeptical marketplace.

 

[Nubo]

I found EVTV awhile back and I do (mostly) enjoy listening to Jack ramble through various subjects even if I don't always agree with his ranting. Oddly enough his is one of the podcasts I listen to most frequently; the other is Rachel Maddow. Strange, I know, but Schizophrenia is mostly only a problem for the spectators. :lol:

When it comes down to electric cars he's got some interesting insights and is walking the talk. Worth a listen if you can get past the occasional right-wing or misogynistic rant. I recommend downloading the podcast entirely from iTunes instead of streaming, so that you can skip through the rough patches.

 

[LEAFfan]

I found EVTV awhile back and I do (mostly) enjoy listening to Jack ramble through various subjects even if I don't always agree with his ranting. Oddly enough his is one of the podcasts I listen to most frequently; the other is Rachel Maddow. Strange, I know, but Schizophrenia is mostly only a problem for the spectators. :lol:

When it comes down to electric cars he's got some interesting insights and is walking the talk. Worth a listen if you can get past the occasional right-wing or misogynistic rant. I recommend downloading the podcast entirely from iTunes instead of streaming, so that you can skip through the rough patches.

Great idea! Thanks!

 

[surfingslovak]

I thought it would start at the marked spot too, but maybe because I used my cell instead of my desk which gets little use now.

Sorry about that! I absolutely tried to start it at the right spot, but not all browsers comply. I should probably have listed the start time as well. Personally, I take EVTV much like Top Gear: it's not always factual, and meant to be entertaining. It's another voice and opinion, and Jack does indeed say something insightful now then, just like Michael wrote above.

I liked the comment about tucking everyone into bed at night

Indeed! I thought the reference to the Nissan LEAF harakiri was pretty funny too, but I do like his idea of customer service. Where can I buy a car like that?

 

[Herm]

Jack can be a bit harsh and opinionated sometimes.. I did not listen to the political stuff but what he said about the Leaf is right on. Infinity should have sold the Leaf from day one.

 

[evchels]

I've started a clean thread re questions for the town hall meeting on the 8th, updating the list with suggestions made on the various related threads:

http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=11136" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

 

[trojanm50]

I, for one, am somewhat perplexed at all of the discussion in this thread over Nissan replacing depleted batteries with 9 bar batteries. This is the salient sentence direct from Mr. Palmer's letter in the first post:

"For LEAF vehicles whose batteries have fallen below nine bars during this period, Nissan will repair or replace the battery under warranty with a new or remanufactured battery to restore capacity at or above a minimum of nine bars."

Emphasis added by me.

To think that Nissan (or any manufacturer, for that matter) is going to monitor, inventory, and ship batteries in a depleted 9 bar state is not really worth considering (other than for refurbishment of said batteries). They have just given themselves an out, should that possibility present itself to a right dealership in the right situation, or more likely to account for any remanufactured batteries that might be inventoried at a dealership that could lose capacity prior to installation.

I fully expect that the norm will be to install remanufactured batteries with near new capacity in most cases.

Fair enough, for what its worth lets assume you even get 12 bars after replacement but why would they tie in the number of bars to the warranty? In this all-digital world Im surprised that they did not opt to go for an absolute measurement of the battery capacity. Think there is any spin to that?

 

[JPWhite]

Jack can be a bit harsh and opinionated sometimes.. I did not listen to the political stuff but what he said about the Leaf is right on. Infinity should have sold the Leaf from day one.

I agree on the Infiniti point you make. I actually questioned an Infiniti employee on that question earlier in 2012 while I was waiting for my LEAF to quick charge at the Nissan HQ. I reasoned that Infiniti purchasers are less price sensitive and the extra 15k for the battery and electrics wouldn't phase them as much. He said Nissan wanted to pick a mark with a global footprint. Infiniti is sold only in selected markets worldwide. It is interesting that both Nissan and GM chose to start at the lower end/economy end of the market, while most 'new features' such as keyless entry, sat-nav, on-star etc started their lives in the luxury models and trickled down to economy vehicles later.

The advantage of starting with the luxury models is that the numbers aren't too high, and providing free battery refresh if an issue turns up doesn't set a precedent for the same service level for the less expensive mainstream vehicles when EV's hit the early majority.

Course had Nissan started at the Infiniti end of the market I'd still be driving a dino burner, so I'm personally glad they did what they did and I have my LEAF, just think it was a strategic error on their part.