Reddy said:
I don't normally answer surveys, but I might have to this time. It's good to see Nissan trying to understand the future market. That said, please don't tell them that "you'd be willing to spend a lot more."
fwiw, IMO, Nissan made a mistake in offering only 24 kWh for 2011 and has compounded the error by not moving to offer more since then. They seem to be afraid to ask if they can offer us 24 kWh or so more for more than $5k? Really? Of course they can ask us for $5k to $10k for 20+ more kWh.
I'm not sure why Nissan hasn't heard us more clearly, but if part of the reason is that those of us who wanted more range tempered our comments too much, then I guess I'm belatedly shouting to some extent with my answer on the survey (perhaps even exaggerating a bit, but not much), and I kind of feel like I have to stand by that here:
24 kWh is not enough for some of us. .... I won't lease another 24 kWh BEV. .... I will gladly consider leasing another Nissan BEV if Nissan significantly ups the kWh. ... I have to be honest, I'd gladly pay more than $5k for another 75 miles of EPA range. Exactly how much more is hard for me personally to say, and subject to change, but in 2014 I'd definitely pay more than $5k for 75 more EPA miles.
That said, I think regardless of what prices and specs we may talk about now, I think basically the question is overall:
If Tesla actually comes out in 2016 or so with an under $40k BEV with 125-200 miles EPA range, what will happen to everyone else? If they are serious about being in and profiting in the volume and high-quality BEV business in the US, can they consider staying in the 24 kWh range for their max range vehicle? I don't think so. I suppose a changing public EVSE landscape, with both fast DC and faster AC, does change the equations, and it's something I will need to consider, and I may have to retract some of my views, but for now my view is that Nissan and other BEV makers will have to offer well more than 100 miles EPA, and if Tesla follows through) then they'll have to do it for below $40k. My thought has been that if Tesla follows through, then the other BEV makers may really not have that much choice.
Another nearby related development was that Infiniti's proposal to do a luxury BEV a few quarters ago I think with only 24 kWh, was in my view a non-starter (and they seemed to rescind it), but I think could be successful if Nissan would be willing to roll with the answers on the surveys and adjust its thinking and move on to a higher kWh BEV. It would be really interesting if we were to get a true BEV luxury competitor to the lower end Tesla 60 kWh vehicle. I couldn't afford it, but it would be interesting.
Happy to admit I could be wrong as to the overall balance between higher-kWh vehicle issuance and more-better-faster-EVSE issuance, but I think for now, the need to issue higher kWh higher range vehicles seems strong.
Reddy said:
For Nissan to be successful with the EV they should target current ICE pricing and range without any subsidies. By the time this "future EV" (new Leaf, infinity, 3-seater, or whatever) comes to market, Nissan will likely be close to the 200,000 vehicle limit on the $7500 tax credit. They need to produce the EPA rated 150-mi vehicle at the same cost as today's Leaf without the credit, so somewhere around $25k-$30k. Sure, I don't need the range, but others seem to. Given this, I think having multiple battery options would be useful and perhaps they could offer the smaller battery for $20k-$25k. As for charging, most commuters will be fine with L2 (either 3.3 or 6 KW) at home. However, as others have said, charging on the road will require the "fastest" charging that technology can generate. The Tesla model seems to be the way to go. Given that Nissan is behind in this regard, I'd say they had better plan on DCQC at 50-100 KW, even though it will be overkill for many situations (e.g., at work, theater, dinner) where a 3-6 KW L2 is sufficient.
It's funny how our "needs" seem to change with what is possible. I just "need" a small NEV that can get me 10 mi in the winter (pre-heating, and enclosed of course). But now that I have the Leaf, I try to drive it everywhere, including outside of it's range and sometimes farther than I need. Given my past experiences, perhaps I will eventually go for the 150 mi version and end up "needing" a quick charger so that I can travel to Seattle, Portland, or Spokane (150 to 200 mi away).