fotajoye
Well-known member
Leaf owners, now is the time of your discontent...if you can wait, I think within the next couple of years, when the Leaf batteries start reaching "end of life," there will be an after-market for upgraded batteries. I expect some enterprising company to offer higher density, lower-cost, battery packs at a reduced price than the current Nissan packs. Hopefully you can have your choice of only buying battery packs based on your mileage needs so you don't carry around the extra weight and hopefully if you need to go out of range, there will be a fast-charge station along the way and the battery pack can use it without damage.
Nissan cannot compete in this market because of the ridiculous prices their dealer's charge for parts and service. Remember, the dealer is really in the repair business since he makes most of his money from the service bays by charging sky-high prices.
If you own a Leaf, it's to your long term advantage for Nissan to sell as many of these commuter cars as possible with the current low-energy density batteries. This will help assure a good market for the improved future battery packs that will allow the car to be classified as a true freeway cruiser.
Having said all this, I can only hope this after-market battery upgrade will be the case. EVs don't require the maintenance that ICE cars require, perhaps changing brake pads and batteries will be all that is required in the future. I like Elon Musk's approach when he says "Dealer's are not needed." EVs and Elon Musk are certainly disruptive to the current ways Dealers screw the ICE car buying Public.
And, BTW, do you really want to spend all that time on an extender science project?
Nissan cannot compete in this market because of the ridiculous prices their dealer's charge for parts and service. Remember, the dealer is really in the repair business since he makes most of his money from the service bays by charging sky-high prices.
If you own a Leaf, it's to your long term advantage for Nissan to sell as many of these commuter cars as possible with the current low-energy density batteries. This will help assure a good market for the improved future battery packs that will allow the car to be classified as a true freeway cruiser.
Having said all this, I can only hope this after-market battery upgrade will be the case. EVs don't require the maintenance that ICE cars require, perhaps changing brake pads and batteries will be all that is required in the future. I like Elon Musk's approach when he says "Dealer's are not needed." EVs and Elon Musk are certainly disruptive to the current ways Dealers screw the ICE car buying Public.
And, BTW, do you really want to spend all that time on an extender science project?