Battery Replacement Program Details

[z0ner]

They wait until the VERY LAST DAY of spring to come out with a well, thought-out strategy, and an infinite battery lease is the best they can come up with?

This "announcement" is confusing, poorly written, and asks more questions than it answers. They've had MONTHS to work on this, but sounds like it was all thrown together last-minute during a lunch that was served with too many cocktails.

It's too bad - Nissan really could have taken the high road, being a dominant player in the game. I have zero confidence in the decision-makers.

 

[evnow]

Reality is that running a car costs money. It is just a question of whether you want to pay upfront or as you go.

uh, no.
they are NOT giving an "upfront" price for a replacement battery
or hadnt you noticed?????
there is just the grift.

Just sell the car and get a new car.

Can you get every part of a cell phone and get it repaired ?

The attitude change needs to be more than just usage of fossil fuels - it needs also be about the way you finance these cars. Yes, in an ideal world everything remains the same - except for the fuel. We may get there one day - but these are very early days for the EV industry. Nissan has invested freaking Billions. Give them a break.

 

[JPWhite]

They have to figure out how to finesse the tax break, which is based on the size of the battery in the car. No battery no tax break. I would think that leasing them together to start would be the way to handle that.

Good point. They may 'use up' the 200,000 $7,500 rebates Nissan vehicles are eligible to receive then switch to a lease battery at purchase.

The great lease rates available today are clearly an attempt to encourage leases and discourage purchasers. When I bought the lease was $389/month with several grand down. Back then purchasing made more sense. I don't have regrets, my commute doubled which would take me way over the lease mileage allowance.

 

[Publius]

Brian, what bet did you lose to be responsible for explaining the details of the battery replacement program here? Did you draw the short straw?

 

[evnow]

Seems like the cost for miles equivalent (not full TCO) would be something like this.

($100 / $4gas) * 35mpg * 12month = 10,500 mile/yr equivalent

35mpg is for the similar sized Versa (I'm only comparing sizes and not the vehicle or features)
(2013 Nissan Versa 4 cyl, 1.6 L, Automatic (variable gear ratios), Regular Gasoline
http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/bymodel/2013_Nissan_Versa.shtml" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; )

And the depreciation of equivalent parts of Versa per month is ....

No, it isn't that easy.

 

[javan]

For the record, let me say as a 2012 Leaf owner, I am appalled at this battery lease policy for myself, and for other owners. If this is Nissan's best attempt at a consumer friendly policy for battery replacement I question their judgement. I don't want to lease a battery. I bought the car for a reason.

 

[cwerdna]

For the record, let me say as a 2012 Leaf owner, I am appalled at this battery lease policy for myself, and for other owners. If this is Nissan's best attempt at a consumer friendly policy for battery replacement I question their judgement. I don't want to lease a battery. I bought the car for a reason.

FWIW, I'd never heard of your city in the state of CA until now. But judging by http://www.weather.com/weather/wxclimatology/monthly/graph/USCA1160" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;, you will have very little temperature-related degradation and may never feel the need to lease/rent a replacement battery...

It seems you're even better off than Seattle, WA (http://www.weather.com/weather/wxclimatology/monthly/graph/USWA0395" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false.

 

[JPWhite]

I agree. Most dealers aren't very fond of the LEAF, low maintenance revenue will eat into their traditional business model. They need a new business model. This program, (especially since a potential technology upgrade maybe made available, big maybe), should provide the dealers with another source of revenue after the initial sale and give profitable work for their service dept to do.

I believe Tesla should be making a battery swap announcement around about now. With swapping clearly battery ownership doesn't really exist, and I doubt Tesla will offer swaps for free forever. It appears that monthly battery payments are coming to an EV dealer near you, regardless of manufacturer.

EV makers are moving away from battery ownership, because folks are skittish about potential battery costs.

Imagine this. Nissan have an epiphany and give you a battery price, say $6,000. You buy said battery and 50 yards out of the dealership you get involved in a wreck and the car is totaled. You just lost the best part of 6K, cash money. No one wants to put 6K into an old car and potentially lose it soon thereafter. Nissan doesn't want to create that kind of scenario for its customers.

 

[rickbecker]

All I want to know is HOW MUCH IT WOULD COST ME TO REPLACE MY PACK WITH A FULL CAPACITY PACK TODAY!! Knowing that cost would allow me to make plans for my EV future.

I bought my LEAF and doubt that I would ever enter into a battery lease such as that being proposed.

You know, shouting isn't a nice thing.

No manufacturer tells you the price of the battery, including Tesla. It would be nice if Nissan did - but they have decided not to (I'd guess for competitive reasons).

But, why did Nissan lie to us and promise a price?

 

[RonDawg]

If you buy a new battery outright, the only warranty you will get is whatever is normally offered for replacement parts. Usually, that is 12 months/12k miles in the case of Nissan.

Warranties on 12v batteries for Nissan ICE Vehicles come with a better warranty than 12 month/12,000 miles.

12 volt Batteries are one of the few exceptions. Tires have a longer warranty as well. But just about everything else only comes with the 12 month/12k miles warranty. At least that's what it says on the back of my service orders on previous Nissans I've owned (I haven't had the Leaf long enough for a dealer to have seen it yet).

I will correct myself that IF Nissan offers a purchase plan on a new battery pack, it will probably have the same 5 year/60k warranty that is being offered retroactively on pre-2013 Leafs. But, assuming that cost is the $7800 quoted elsewhere, again you'd have to own the car for more than an additional 78 months before purchasing would be cheaper. And I doubt that battery packs that do daily service in Phoenix, Vegas, etc. will retain 9 bars at 78 months, so those people who live in such areas and need 9+ bars for their Leafs to be useful will have to buy another pack anyway.

 

[cwerdna]

I believe Tesla should be making a battery swap announcement around about now.

Judging by http://www.teslamotorsclub.com/showthread.php/18022-Is-anybody-attending-the-June-20th-battery-swap-demo-in-Hawthorne?p=367596&viewfull=1#post367596" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;, it's not for at least another 2 hours or so. I believe (might be wrong) the actual announcement's at 8 pm Pacific.

 

[bradbissell]

Looks like I'll be leasing for the foreseeable future. I can't see how TCO works on a purchase and then this crappy battery rental after you hit 70%. I'd rather have a new car every 3 years. Maybe that is their plan.

 

[smkettner]

I will drive LEAF until no longer useful to me. I will let the next owner deal with the $100 per month.
Nissan, if this is truly the only answer... you are now on my list.

 

[mynameisjim]

I feel mislead and a bit angry about this. This was my first Nissan, and I'm guessing my last. Glad I leased!

 

[LTLFTcomposite]

Looks like I'll be leasing for the foreseeable future. I can't see how TCO works on a purchase and then this crappy battery rental after you hit 70%. I'd rather have a new car every 3 years. Maybe that is their plan.

+1
Like cloud computing, it becomes "car as a service". You don't buy a cow just to get a glass of milk.

 

[mwalsh]

This plan was developed to match the feedback we received on the best way to offer a new pack in a cost-effective manner, and maintain assurance of capacity.

Except I remember the survey that probably generated that "feedback". In no way was battery pack purchasing discussed. You ended up with a lease as the best option because that was the only option presented. Essentialy, you heard what you wanted to hear.

 

[thankyouOB]

Reality is that running a car costs money. It is just a question of whether you want to pay upfront or as you go.

uh, no.
they are NOT giving an "upfront" price for a replacement battery
or hadnt you noticed?????
there is just the grift.

Just sell the car and get a new car.

Can you get every part of a cell phone and get it repaired ?

The attitude change needs to be more than just usage of fossil fuels - it needs also be about the way you finance these cars. Yes, in an ideal world everything remains the same - except for the fuel. We may get there one day - but these are very early days for the EV industry. Nissan has invested freaking Billions. Give them a break.

it is the grift, EV. i want more freedom from contracts not a NEW MONTHLY BILL to go with the phone, the cable,the credit cards for gasoline, the insurance, the ip, the healthcare, the gas co, the mortgage, and on and on.

 

[evnow]

it is the grift, EV. i want freedom from contracts not another monthly bill to go with the phone, the cable,the credit cards for gasoline, the insurance, the ip, the healthcare, the gas co, the mortgage, and on and on.

Put $x in a bank account and arrange auto payment of interest & some principle every month.

Really is it so difficult to wrap your head around this idea ?

BTW, this is only till you want to keep the car - not exactly perpetuity.

Also, let me ask you this. Let us say Nissan says the battery costs $10k. What are you going to do with that information ?

 

[thankyouOB]

it is the grift, EV. i want freedom from contracts not another monthly bill to go with the phone, the cable,the credit cards for gasoline, the insurance, the ip, the healthcare, the gas co, the mortgage, and on and on.

Put $x in a bank account and arrange auto payment of interest & some principle every month.

Really is it so difficult to wrap your head around this idea ?

BTW, this is only till you want to keep the car - not exactly perpetuity.

Also, let me ask you this. Let us say Nissan says the battery costs $10k. What are you going to do with that information ?

ask them: how much are you going to pay for my old one?

 

[klapauzius]

it is the grift, EV. i want more freedom from contracts not a NEW MONTHLY BILL to go with the phone, the cable,the credit cards for gasoline, the insurance, the ip, the healthcare, the gas co, the mortgage, and on and on.

+1. Couldn't say it better.

If this is the only thing that Nissan can come up with for a battery replacement, that will be my first and last Nissan ever.
If my old battery wears out, I want to buy and OWN a new one and use it as I see fit.