How To "Break In" The Leaf?

[GaslessInSeattle]

Does anyone have knowledge on how breaking in an electric car differs from breaking in a gas/diesel car?

-how long does it take to break the car in?
-Should I be babying the car during break in or avoid babying it? I know with diesel cars especially, some claim that babying during the break can cause reduced gas mileage permanently, while overdoing it can hurt the engine as well. I know an electric engine is an entirely different beast, but I don't know if there are any particulars I should be careful of, especially with the batteries?
-Should I avoid cruise control till broken in like on a new internal combustion engine car?
-should I use the accesories liberally and not try and max out the range initially?
-are there any fluids, filters etc that should be changed early in the first cycle, earlier than manufacturer suggests?
-Does the MPK improve once broken in? I would think once the friction of all the new parts reduces that there would be less resistance and at least some improvement in range...maybe that explains some of the difference between Nissan's stated range of 100 miles and new owner's experience of real world 70-80 miles? Anyone noticing improvements in range after 5-10K?
-Any suggestions on breaking in would be great, like not revving the engine too high for the first X miles... especially anything that would lead to optimal range?
-With new rechargeables, I've always been told to charge them for extra long the first couple of charges to "stir up" the chemistry and improve longevity... does anything like this apply to the Leaf's batteries?

I searched the forums for this, I'm guessing since no one has brought it up that it really doesn't matter on an EV or we just don't know yet.

thanks,
George

 

[Rake]

Electric cars are a whole new animal.
Traditional break in practices for ICE cars don't apply, since there are no piston rings that need to seal, or possible scoring of cylinder walls. The main bearings for the EV motor's rotor are sealed (so I've heard), and should operate at 100,000 miles just like they do at 1 mile. The motor does not have the many moving parts that an ICE has.
Just drive it.

I have heard rumors that things will improve as you charge the car a few times, promoting cell balancing, but those more experienced with the car should clarify that for us. The biggest dangers IMO will be running the cells too low, or keeping them maxxed (overcharge).
Things that cause the battery pack to run hot seems to be the killer. (ie: Prolonged exposure to extreme heat, full throttle driving for extended periods, fast-charging many times in a day, etc.)

 

[TimLee]

Electric cars are a whole new animal.
Traditional break in practices for ICE cars don't apply, since there are no piston rings that need to seal, or possible scoring of cylinder walls. The main bearings for the EV motor's rotor are sealed (so I've heard), and should operate at 100,000 miles just like they do at 1 mile. The motor does not have the many moving parts that an ICE has.
Just drive it.

I have heard rumors that things will improve as you charge the car a few times, promoting cell balancing, but those more experienced with the car should clarify that for us. The biggest dangers IMO will be running the cells too low, or keeping them maxxed (overcharge).
Things that cause the battery pack to run hot seems to be the killer. (ie: Prolonged exposure to extreme heat, full throttle driving for extended periods, fast-charging many times in a day, etc.)

I concur. I'm a professional mechanical engineer, and almost everything about the traditional break-in period recommended driving practices is related to wear / sealing components of the internal combustion engine.
I'm much less knowledgeable about the batteries of the Leaf, but I think the practices to achieve maximum life of avoiding excessive battery temperature, are the same throughout the lifetime of the battery. As the battery gets older and approaches the steep part of the curve where battery charging capacity begins to degrade faster, an event of high battery temperature may have a more easily identified impact, but I don't think the practices to maximize battery life are any different between day one and the end of year eight, or ten or twelve.
I just received the Leaf, and plan to drive it the same now as later.
I'm still looking for more information on the quantified benefits of only charging to 80% versus 100%.
My 40 mile daily driving allows for 80% charging, but 100% charging would add around 15 miles of range to reduce any range anxiety.
So is not as clear whether poorly quantified "longer battery life" of 80% charging is worth the 15 miles range reduction.

 

[Herm]

Break-in of ICE and BEVs are totally different, but the main difference is that you do it once for an ICE and many times for a lithium-ion BEV that has been sitting unused for a month or so... in other words wake up a lithium-ion cell gently.

BEV: full gentle cycles to wake up the battery, no heavy acceleration to keep amps down, dont load the car down with 5 people plus luggage.. perhaps 3-5 full cycles from previous lithium-ion experiences. This is supposed to increase the total number of cycles you will get out of the battery. Its possible Nissan designed the system so that the battery is never abused (high C rate discharges), thus perhaps we can ignore break-in.. Range should improve after 3-5 cycles. I think the hardest you can discharge a Leaf is at a 1C rate, 60 miles driving hard for about an hour... 1C is not much, if you can dissipate the heat.

ICE: hard running for the first 20 miles so that the oil rings expand hard and wear to fit precisely.. after 20 miles or so you have permanently lost this opportunity as most of the initial roughness of the bore has worn off.. forevermore affecting long term oil consumption and compression. Lately this need has largely gone away since manufacturers rev the heck out of engines during testing before they are installed in cars, and parts are made to a more precise size. You also want to back-off the throttle hard to generate high vacuum in the crankcase, this sucks out metal chip residue from behind the oil rings.. many people change the oil/filter after the first 200 miles to flush out the metal chips but this is probably unnecessary.

 

[DarkStar]

Nissan LEAF break-in procedure:

1) Break seal.
2) Drive it like you stole it.
3) Recharge.
4) Goto step #2.

The EV Grin will come to you naturally!

 

[Rake]

You also want to back-off the throttle hard to generate high vacuum in the crankcase, this sucks out metal chip residue from behind the oil rings.. many people change the oil/filter after the first 200 miles to flush out the metal chips but this is probably unnecessary.

Typically, I changed oil at 500 miles, but my secret was sticking a "cow magnet" (a strong one) to the bottom of the oil pan to collect any metal the filter didn't catch. Works well.

 

[GaslessInSeattle]

clip:

... BEV: full gentle cycles to wake up the battery, no heavy acceleration to keep amps down, dont load the car down with 5 people plus luggage.. perhaps 3-5 full cycles from previous lithium-ion experiences. This is supposed to increase the total number of cycles you will get out of the battery. Its possible Nissan designed the system so that the battery is never abused (high C rate discharges), thus perhaps we can ignore break-in.. Range should improve after 3-5 cycles. I think the hardest you can discharge a Leaf is at a 1C rate, 60 miles driving hard for about an hour... 1C is not much, if you can dissipate the heat....

Herm, so are you saying to charge up the battery fully, then without pushing the car too hard and with moderate use steadily run it down to turtle and then recharge to 100% in one steady charge and repeat that several times? do you think there is a benefit to doing that on L1 vs L2? Theoretically L1 should be the really gentle way of charging, but I have read that is debatable. There is a dealer with L2 down the street but we do not have an L2 charger yet at home so we are not getting full charges before wanting to drive it again. If there is a good reason to run it all the way down and then all the way back to 100% in one charge, I can make that happen by either running it up to the dealer or using our other car while it charges for the full 19 hours on L1.

Of course having put 400+ miles on the car already... is there any point in trying to "wake up the battery" any more or have we missed the window? I'm not too worried, as I kind of did what you suggested out of luck, just not exactly. Also, there's the reality that with the level of complexity apparently in the charging system, and with the number of actual cells we are talking, maybe there is no way of truly gauge the charge/discharge of the cells.

G

 

[Coffee_Slurry]

Once you've signed the paperwork, drive it like you stole it!

There's nothing to break in, and the battery will take care of itself.

I'd hate for this to turn into another cauldron of mythical "procedures" and "optimizations" with no basis in science or results, where everyone starts worrying about if they did it right, or what the original owner did, blah blah..

Just drive.


As opposed to Breaking Into The Leaf, which is probably done in the traditional way of shattering the driver's side window.

 

[greenleaf]

I just followed the traditional ICE car's recommendation not to brake hard in the first 300 miles.

 

[gbarry42]

I just followed the traditional ICE car's recommendation not to brake hard in the first 300 miles.

If you did that, you probably didn't use the brakes at all for the first 300 miles. It was all regen. Fortunately, it doesn't matter anyway.

 

[Herm]

Herm, so are you saying to charge up the battery fully, then without pushing the car too hard and with moderate use steadily run it down to turtle and then recharge to 100% in one steady charge and repeat that several times?

Just take it easy driving it for the first 3 cycles... either L1 or L2 charging should be fine, both are very gentle. You dont need to discharge it to 0% either, but the lower you go the deeper you are going into the battery, exposing virgin active material, so perhaps its a good idea to fully discharge it. Two 50% discharges would count as a cycle. Also you may need to repeat the break-in if you put your Leaf in storage.

This is all theoretical and based on other lithium ion chemistries, and perhaps Nissan designed any benefit to this out.

 

[smkettner]

I just followed the traditional ICE car's recommendation not to brake hard in the first 300 miles.

x2

 

[palmermd]

I had a friend ask me today, "what was it like when you bought the car, and for the first time you "turn over a new leaf" (gesturing turning a key to start a car)." Haha very funny.

 

[jwatte]

exposing virgin active material

I think that is a myth. I think all of the battery chemistry is "exposed" (actively participating) all the time.

 

[LEAFguy]

From the 2011 Nissan Altima Owner's Manual (from the break-in schedule in the Starting and Driving section):

CAUTION
During the first 1,200miles(2,000km), follow these recommendations to obtain
maximum engine performance and ensure the future reliability and economy of
your new vehicle. Failure to follow these recommendations may result in
shortened engine life and reduced engine performance.

• Avoid driving for long periods at constant speed, either fast or slow, and do not
  run the engine over 4,000rpm.
  Do not accelerate at full throttle in any gear.
  Avoid quick starts.
  Avoid hard braking as much as possible.
  Do not tow a trailer for the first 500miles (800km).Your engine, axle or other parts
  could be damaged.

From the Starting and Driving section of the LEAF Owner's Manual:

There is no Break In Schedule

 

[GaslessInSeattle]

In retrospect I still don't know if it really matters how one "breaks in" the leaf but I went with Herms suggestion of several full charges, gentle driving, nearly running down to turtle each time. I can say that having put just under 2K on the car that I'm pretty certain that the range seems to be improving appreciably. It appears that I'm getting from an 80% charge what I was getting from a 100% charge in the beginning (73 miles of highway driving at 60 MPH). I highly recommend that folks not freak out about range at first, to get used to the new dynamics as best you can and be patient, between habits and thinking patterns shifting and perhaps the car breaking in, it gets much more relaxed. My driving habits have either gotten a lot better or the performance of the system has improved or both. Once the charging stations are in place the focus on "limited" range will virtually disappear, IMHO. I still can't get over how i'm paying around the equivalent of 50 cents a gallon for the electricity!
g

 

[suresnoi]

I'd hate for this to turn into another cauldron of mythical "procedures" and "optimizations" with no basis in science or results, where everyone starts worrying about if they did it right, or what the original owner did, blah blah..

Just drive.

I couldn't agree more. How to break-in a car is just one of the most full of speculation subject found on earth. Many "procedures" are completely baseless no matter how people try to make it look like the engine is going to like it. It seems people actually *need* a procedure to follow in order to feel good and secure about their car, eventhough there is nothing to do right or wrong as far as we know, in a LEAF.

If I had a leaf and if I absolutely *had to* do something special about the first miles put on it to feel better, I would simply drive normally and only use shallow discharge. The "fully cycle" thing is baseless AFAIK on these batteries.