2018 Leaf - One Trick Pony?

johnlocke said:

The biggest advantage of the larger battery is not the initial range but the range left when degraded. Plus the fact that the larger battery will see fewer charge/discharge cycles for the same mileage so will likely last longer under the same conditions. With 30% degradation, a 40 KWH battery has a range of around 100 miles while the 60 KWH battery still has a 150 mile range. May or may not make a difference to you but is a concern to a lot of people.

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LeaferSutherland said:

johnlocke said:

The biggest advantage of the larger battery is not the initial range but the range left when degraded. Plus the fact that the larger battery will see fewer charge/discharge cycles for the same mileage so will likely last longer under the same conditions. With 30% degradation, a 40 KWH battery has a range of around 100 miles while the 60 KWH battery still has a 150 mile range. May or may not make a difference to you but is a concern to a lot of people.

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I considered this but then realized the price difference to go to 60kw is about the same as a battery replacement. So as it ages and loses range, I can buy a new battery with the money I saved on initial purchase. Didn’t make sense for me to pay more than the price of a new battery to make my battery last a little longer. It will still be very useful in my family when it’s down to 50 mile range or less. - assuming it doesn’t electronically shut down at that point and lock me out with a message saying “you need a new battery”- I’m kind of curious if something like that eventually happens when range gets down to a certain low level.

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LeaferSutherland said:

I wasn’t comparing it to 60kw Leaf price, as you said, that doesn’t exist. When I shop for a car I’m looking at current models and comparing them. I had already waited a long time for the 40kw leaf so wasn’t going to then start waiting for the 60 after that. There will always be something on the horizon that’s tempting I think but at same time, we were just ready after 14 years of same car, just ready for something new. I don’t do leases.

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johnlocke said:

I don't do leases either. I put too much mileage on a car to make a lease a good proposition. But in the case of the Leaf, it does make sense for several reasons. First is that the tech is still evolving and what will be available 3 years from now is likely to be much better than today's Leaf. Second is the likelihood of early battery failure, if it happens just turn it back in at the end of the lease. If you buy it outright you're stuck with the car and whatever problems show up. Third is that your residual can likely be negotiated down if you decide to purchase at the end of the lease which would save money in the long run. The fourth reason depends on how much you pay in Federal Income Tax. Since the incentive is a tax credit, you can only use it to the extent that you pay enough tax to offset the credit. Nissan will credit the entire amount off your lease and take the credit against their taxes. It won't matter how much or little you pay in FIT, you still get the full credit. Plus you still have the option to buy out the lease and own the car or walk away and get something else in 3 years.

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