Vehicules Electrique in Montreal swapping batteries

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sendler2112

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 6, 2016
Messages
279
Location
Syracuse, NY USA
Vehicules Electrique in Montreal seems like they are working toward swapping 40kWh batteries into 2011- 16 Leafs.
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https://m.facebook.com/ve.simonandre/
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Scroll down to see a video describing their work with the new 60 kWh pack.
 
Not exactly Montreal, but Trois-Rivieres, about 140km northeast towards Quebec City. This is interesting news. I've been there to recharge on their level 3 DCFC. I'll make a point of stopping there again to find out more.
 
I contacted VE Simon Andre to request information on the battery upgrade. They have a registration form on their web site.
I received an immediate response that there are no 62 kWh battery packs currently available, however there were 40 kWh packs or I can be notified when a 62 kWh pack becomes available. If I want to replace the battery sooner, then I can:

1. Identify a 62 kWh battery pack,
2. Test it and purchase if suitable,
3a. Ship battery pack to VE Simon Andre and execute the swap
4a. Hope that VE Simon Andre can resell the original 24 kWh battery pack
3b. Purchase the Battery CAN Gateway device from VE Simon Andre
4b. Locate a local garage that can swap the battery pack
5b. Execute the battery swap
6b. Find a way to resell the original 24 kWh battery pack

Clearly VE Simon Andre is reselling the original batteries recovered after the swap since the price of the battery swap depends on the battery health of the original battery pack. IMO I would prefer letting VE Simon Andre handle all aspects of the battery swap.

I'll visit them in person in early 2020 to get more info.
 
ColdLeaf2015: Thank you for that very informative (and terse) post! I might add for those who might be slightly confused: you were laying out a Plan A course of action (1,2,3a,4a) and a Plan B (1,2,3b,4b,5b,6b).

One of the questions I have is the importance of initializing the CAN gateway device. It was not clear to me from their video if this needed to be done a) before disconnecting the old battery pack or whether it could be done b) after the old battery pack was disconnected. (I must really like your a,b usage!). If a), then it makes me wonder if there might be an initialization problem in the future if their gateway device failed (or needed its firmware to be updated) and had to be replaced with a another (or newer firmware) one.

A second question I have is related to my noticing that as my 24kWh battery pack ages its ability to accept regen power becomes less and less. I wonder how well the gateway device sellers are able to test for that with a limited set of (perhaps relatively new) battery packs. Perhaps they would be willing to use volunteer Leaf owners to use their EXISTING battery packs together with the gateway device to test it now, especially if it were easy to remove the device to restore original battery pack functionality if a problem arose.
 
You can get 62kwh battery if money is no object.

I'm just going to look and wait.
 
MikeD said:
A second question I have is related to my noticing that as my 24kWh battery pack ages its ability to accept regen power becomes less and less. I wonder how well the gateway device sellers are able to test for that with a limited set of (perhaps relatively new) battery packs. Perhaps they would be willing to use volunteer Leaf owners to use their EXISTING battery packs together with the gateway device to test it now, especially if it were easy to remove the device to restore original battery pack functionality if a problem arose.

I would suspect that the reduction in regen with the older pack in due to (and controlled by) the increase of internal resistance of the battery.
It probably operates by a voltage limit to protect the battery. If the battery can not take the power, the voltage will go up, therefore a new battery that can take the power will not have the regen reduced.
 
Since I just did a pack swap on my car with a local mechanic, if anyone is in the Kansas City area and wants to go the b) route (getting the CAN gateway and having a local shop install it), I have a local shop familiar with battery swaps that would be willing to do this work. You would still have to source the new pack and sell & ship the old pack.

Feel free to send me a PM if you're interested.
 
MikeD said:
ColdLeaf2015: Thank you for that very informative (and terse) post! I might add for those who might be slightly confused: you were laying out a Plan A course of action (1,2,3a,4a) and a Plan B (1,2,3b,4b,5b,6b).

One of the questions I have is the importance of initializing the CAN gateway device. It was not clear to me from their video if this needed to be done a) before disconnecting the old battery pack or whether it could be done b) after the old battery pack was disconnected. (I must really like your a,b usage!). If a), then it makes me wonder if there might be an initialization problem in the future if their gateway device failed (or needed its firmware to be updated) and had to be replaced with a another (or newer firmware) one.

From the 1st video VE SimonAndre posted, it appears that the CAN gateway device is connected through the OBD2 port while the original battery is still installed. 5 flashes of the 1st charging LED will confirm that the Can gateway is programmed. Then it is put between the new battery and the vehicle.
 
Hi.
Yestersday I managed to do a sucessfull swap to a 40kWh battery in my 2012 Leaf, with the use of the sollution from Simon Andre. Needed remote help, as the first attempt failed due to a fault in the first unit/wiring I received. But they made very good service, so all went well.
The car now got a 40 kWh battery from a 2018 donor, only done 28000km before it ended it's life in a crash.
Battery I had were at SOH 77,. Now this one got SOH 95.
Mye 2012 have made close to 160.000km, and now it will last for another 8 years, at least!
From what i know, two others in Norway have installed 40kWh in their Leaf. One Generation 1, the other Generation 2 from 2013. That Gen2 is made in UK, and also needed some adjustments as it was the first UK made Leaf they installed a GW in. The CAN info is different from the US models, so the GW need to "fake" information a bit different in order to have the car to accept the "transplant".
 
LeftieBiker said:
Great news. I assume that the "GW" is the CAN bridging device?
Hi, yes , GW=GateWay, the CAN bridge device. To save work for me I bough the T wiring from SA. The battery contact is different between Gen1 and 2. Easiest to buy a T-connector wiring from SA with the contact maching the Gen2 battery. Same contact for all Gen2 types, 24, 30, 40 and 62.
For those with a Gen 2 car you cut some lines and solder the wirings to the GW.

Links bellow to pictures of the dashboard before and w/new battery and the way I installed the GW under the car.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1xhnllAj1tr4aWqlVxmAQJPknfOKBMvcJ/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1PguSwN-sS4kiJyIE8iU5rfVktNss6Abs/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Jcc52i8_K7sSnjLc_LaUxtgb6Ke-Y3Rf/view?usp=sharing
 
leafnor said:
LeftieBiker said:
Great news. I assume that the "GW" is the CAN bridging device?
Hi, yes , GW=GateWay, the CAN bridge device. To save work for me I bough the T wiring from SA. The battery contact is different between Gen1 and 2. Easiest to buy a T-connector wiring from SA with the contact maching the Gen2 battery.

I'm confused now: I believe you have a Gen1 Leaf (2012?), but you mention a Gen2 battery with the "T wiring" adapter.
Do you use that adapter "as is" for a Gen1 Leaf? I am a bit worried about mounting the bridge device under the car: is there no room to for a more "weather protected" spot?
I appreciate your post/pics as this is something I'm seriously considering (just need to find someone local to do the work).
 
Stanton said:
leafnor said:
LeftieBiker said:
Great news. I assume that the "GW" is the CAN bridging device?
Hi, yes , GW=GateWay, the CAN bridge device. To save work for me I bough the T wiring from SA. The battery contact is different between Gen1 and 2. Easiest to buy a T-connector wiring from SA with the contact maching the Gen2 battery.

I'm confused now: I believe you have a Gen1 Leaf (2012?), but you mention a Gen2 battery with the "T wiring" adapter.
Do you use that adapter "as is" for a Gen1 Leaf? I am a bit worried about mounting the bridge device under the car: is there no room to for a more "weather protected" spot?
I appreciate your post/pics as this is something I'm seriously considering (just need to find someone local to do the work).
Note, all versions (24, 30, 40 and 62) of batteries after Gen1 have the same wiring plug. The CAN plug in a Gen2 car fit to any battery from a Gen2. I have a Gen1, and it have an other plug. Either you need to get the CAN plug from the donor car, and solder your self, or do as I did, buy a T connector with the plug that fit to the new battery in one end, and to the plug on the car in the other end.
I do not see any better place to install it.
 
Oilpan4 said:
How much did that cost?
The GW from SA $1000, the battery from the salvaged car $4500. I sold the old battery for $1600. My workhouers $0. Total $4600.
The 2012 Leafs similar to mine is sold for $4500-$5500. So the "value" or cost for my 40kWh Leaf Is $9100-10000.
I could have sold my Leaf for $4500, and added $14000 and bought a 2018 40kWh instead. Now I can spend 10000 on something else.
 
I had heard their battery interface was going to run $1000, but that was before they had sold any. Didn't know if the final price was higher or lower.
 
We install the Muxsan CAN-bridges inside the car instead to lower the risk of water damage, but if the case is properly IP-classified I see no problem with installing it under the car. Just makes for a pricier product.
 
Dala said:
We install the Muxsan CAN-bridges inside the car instead to lower the risk of water damage, but if the case is properly IP-classified I see no problem with installing it under the car. Just makes for a pricier product.

Where exactly do you do it? My guess was that you'd use the under-car channel for wires and mount the actual bridge behind the glovebox (near the TCU) or somewhere similar.
 
coleafrado said:
Dala said:
We install the Muxsan CAN-bridges inside the car instead to lower the risk of water damage, but if the case is properly IP-classified I see no problem with installing it under the car. Just makes for a pricier product.

Where exactly do you do it? My guess was that you'd use the under-car channel for wires and mount the actual bridge behind the glovebox (near the TCU) or somewhere similar.

I usually mount them under the cupholders.
 
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