LeafSpy stats on used 2015

[etalk]

Hello, new to this forum and in the market for a used Nissan Leaf. I bought the LeafSpy app and was wondering if someone on here can take a look at the stats I pulled from a recent car I test drove from a private party. It has 7 bars. 73k miles.

https://screenrec.com/share/MGovnRI3Hk

https://screenrec.com/share/FdP4e6ODmh

https://screenrec.com/share/1QCX8orObi

https://screenrec.com/share/2FBi16cUDk

Ah were 33 before I started at full charge.

They only want 5k for it, and will only be using it for around town commuting. Is it normal for an 8 year old Leaf to only have 7 bars left at 73k miles? It does seem to be priced fairly for that range, but wanted some other opinions.

 

[LeftieBiker]

Those stats (aside from the good cell balance) are terrible for a 2015. Someone must have really cooked the battery, doing things like quick charging with it Hot, then leaving it at 100% on hot days. If maybe 30 miles of range works fine for you, and 25 will as well in 2 years, then offer less. Have you read my used Leaf buying guide?

http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?p=538030

 

[Oostenrijker]

Those stats (aside from the good cell balance) are terrible for a 2015.

I don't know much about it? But on thing I have learned from my own Leaf 40kWh: the cell balance at higher SoC does often not look very worrying.

Try going down as much as possible with the SoC, and all of a sudden you would see it the pack is really still in good balance? Or that actually it's just the BMS balancing the weak cells out? Because yesterday I saw my SoC in a matter of mins or perhaps even seconds, plument from 8% all the way down to 0% while in reality I still had 18% Leafspy SoC left.

And because I learned, I can go atleast until 12% Leafspy SoC thats why I didn't worry to much, but after I arrived with 15% Leafspy SoC: I already had and difference in the cell voltage of 250mV, and I wasn't even driving fast. My top speed was 90km/h mostly on the highway.

The first Leaf I test drove: was actually a bit suspicious as well. Because the battery was very low, and the sales person only let me drive on slow roads. Later I realised, that there might have been a reason he did so. SoC could be unstable at lower percentages, just like mine 40kWh is.

 

[LeftieBiker]

That's true. Leafs with bad cells will usually Act Up on a test drive, though - unless the SOC stays high the whole time. It would help if the OP would post how that test drive went.

 

[Oostenrijker]

That's true. Leafs with bad cells will usually Act Up on a test drive, though - unless the SOC stays high the whole time. It would help if the OP would post how that test drive went.

Yes, but unless you drive it to a really low SoC of charge: then you might notice nothing. My biggest mistake has been, not using Leafspy while buying. But then again, I did not have a compatible ODB2 at that time anyway. And even if I did, then I probably would still not have driven it more empty then 20% dash SoC.

I have been monitoring my own Leaf for the couple of days: learning a lot about my own car. And also purposefully had my self get almost stranded, so that I knew at which Leafspy SoC Turtle Mode might kick in. Although it might kick later in, when driving efficiently.

So now I have Leafspy setup, to show me the remaining range until 12% SoC. But I surely wouldn't have dared to do this, during my test drive. Didn't have the time, and I guess when the car would have told me at 10% to find a charging station. That I would already freak out.

If it wasn't for Leafspy, I would still be freaking out at low SoC. But my point being is: you might not be able, to use the full remaining capacity. So it might say 70% SoH, but actually is more like 60% SoH because the SoH doesn't take into account weak or bad cells ( aren't they the same thing? )

 

[etalk]

Thank you all for the great replies. I may offer him 4k and see if he takes it. Part of me wants to just drive it for a few years and hopefully battery packs drop in price a bit, but I haven't seen anything indicating that will happen soon.

The car drove great on the test drive and is in near pristine condition. Not sure what caused the battery degradation. The seller said he has never quick charged it, but he was 3rd owner.

 

[knightmb]

The stats show the battery capacity at 12.4 kWh, but the age and mileage has this one on the very low end of the 2015 battery health spectrum. Given the mileage and the numbers of L2 charging, my guess is that this Leaf is just left at 100% SOC for very long periods of time or the previous owner was obsessed with keeping it at 100% no matter how far they drove for short trips, etc. My guess, if you took the mileage and L2 charging sessions part and just divided it out, the previous only never drove more than 20 miles before plugging in the L2 and leaving it at 100% SOC all the time, probably even in hot weather, etc.

Whatever life the battery has lived, +12 kWh of capacity will give a you range between (4 m/kWh) 48 and 60 miles (5 m/kWh) of which is a very ideal estimate if you have the tires inflated for efficiency, drive Eco-minded, don't use the AC/Heater that much, etc.

Your final question, is it normal to be 7 bars at that mileage, my answer would be No. The 2015 battery is usually shown here to be the best 24 kWh of that generation. I have a few friends and family that both own the 2015 and they have more mileage (but not by much) but still sit at 10 bars or around +16 kWh the last time I checked with LeafSpy.
The battery might remain stable with years of someone else taking care of it and maybe not lose much mileage, but given you know that this Leaf you are looking at is well below the "normal" range of battery health, I would ask them to knock that price way down. Otherwise, the Internet is full of 2015 Leaf with less mileage and hopefully better batteries that were taken care of better by the owner.

 

[GerryAZ]

Is the car (or was it previously) in a hot climate? My 2015 spent its time in Phoenix and was still at 8 capacity bars when I traded it with 82,000 miles, but that was 4 years ago so it would likely have lost another bar by now just from age. I agree with knightmb--the car was likely driven short distances between charges and then charged so the battery spent a lot of time near full charge.

Realistic range to shutdown (assuming low rolling resistance tires inflated to 44 psi) is between 30 and 40 miles with the Leaf Spy screen shots you posted and normal climate control use. The first low battery warning may happen at 20 or 25 miles.