aqn said:
I disagree. More information is always better. But that's just me. I encourage all high mileage (say, > 13K miles/year) LEAF owners to report battery capacity loss/non-loss, along with pertinent info: locale/temperature, charging habit, etc.
Bought my Leaf in March of 2011, now have over 16,000 miles on it, and have no noticable loss of capacity.
Monday through Sat. I charge to 80%, for the first 12 months on L1 primary.
Sunday I charge to 100% twice. I make a 70 mile one way trip over a mountain to the high desert, where temps get into the 100's, and lows get into the single digits. I have always made it to the destination, and I alter speed and heater use to do so without a low battery warning. Normal battery level at destination is just before or at the first low battery alert. Elevation is a factor on these trips, some 3000' or so.
I have no GID meter. Starting a second year of ownership I have not been able to discern any changes in the vehicle at all, but the software updates have made monitoring that a bit difficult. My one year battery check showed no issues.
I am careful not to top off the battery, always forcing the car to go below an 80% charge state before plugging it back in. This is not as easy as it sounds in some areas, but if you tromp on that 80KW motor, it can happen pretty fast, so hard braking and fast starts with the heater on is what it gets if I need the 100% but opted to go out to lunch at a close by eatery. Charging after just a 3 mile drive seems silly to me, just drive a bit slower if you need to, and even an extra 10 miles should not be an issue.
All of this talk about slow charging and fast charging hurting the battery seems silly to me also. Every Sunday I coast down a mountain and regen at the rate of 15 - 30 KW, which is like a fast charge from a 440 line, and I dare say most of you do it when you slow from highway speeds. I don't believe it hurts the battery beyond what one should expect from a battery.
Learning to care for your Leaf is what will make the difference in how long your car will last - just like owners that don't change filters in an ICE - it will have a long term consequence. How much of a consequence? Well that is what this forum is great for, and I hope my 2 cents helps in some way.
