Capacity Loss on 2011-2012 LEAFs

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Lothsahn said:
My understanding is that the 2015+ Leafs support bidirectional Chademo, although I've seen posts of 2013+ and 2014+. If that's correct, I think a compatible V2G charger shouldn't require any special hardware or converters in the EV itself.

Details from Nuuve are quite light as they're still in startup mode. I don't know if they're only offering time shifting or if they also are providing disconnect/transfer for backups.


Having recently visited Nuvve's DC bidirectional installation, I know that they have used Hitachi CHAdeMO units with various older model Leafs. It will be interesting what they offer to the public. The AC units appear have the functionality of a charge controller - however going bidirectional certainly presents some interesting questions!
 
Hope this isn't a repeat. https://www.facebook.com/groups/437741293059829/permalink/1179040505596567/?comment_id=1179059532261331 is another 7 bar loser (5 bar left). Initials are RK. He has a '12 w/61K miles. Unknown location.
 
While trying to look thru a dealer's inventory (related to another post in another thread), I stumbled across this "gem".

It's an '11 Leaf at Honda of Stevens Creek in San Jose. From the looks of it, it only has 4 capacity bars left (8 bar loser) at 74K miles.

https://www.autobahnmotors.com/used/Nissan/2011-Nissan-LEAF-belmont+ca-7e8b96120a0e0adf78159edea066f91e.htm

I archived two of the pics from the ad showing only 4 bars.

https://web.archive.org/web/20190323083634/https://pictures.dealer.com/s/sonichondastevenscreek/0750/45b96a1e894cdf5cd42f5184d5aa5ac1x.jpg?impolicy=resize&w=650
https://web.archive.org/web/20190323083729/https://pictures.dealer.com/s/sonichondastevenscreek/0479/21dc56940e6bfd4dde08e52ccd271a23x.jpg?impolicy=resize&w=650

Hilarious that they want $5,791 for it! :lol: Hope some poor sucker doesn't buy it for more than $1K or $2K.
 
^^^
Yep, I noticed. If that Hon-duh dealer is leaving it at full charge like that... oh boy.

I noticed there's a free Carfax link that works: https://www.carfax.com/VehicleHistory/p/Report.cfx?partner=DLR_3&vin=JN1AZ0CP6BT005470. Those aren't the coolest parts of the Bay Area but not the hottest. I guess the previous drivers just took lousy care of the battery. I wonder if they had any clue about the factors that speed up capacity loss or cared...
 
cwerdna said:
Yep, I noticed. If that Hon-duh dealer is leaving it at full charge like that... oh boy.
What choice do they have?

Suppose someone wanted to take it for a test drive: "You can take the car out but don't stray more than about five or six miles from the dealership. Otherwise, you might get stranded on the highway!"
 
Someone at https://www.facebook.com/groups/NissanLeafOwners/permalink/2381407638623878/ bought from Carmax what turned out to be a 5 capacity bar car. (Ignore what they said about 3, it's 5.) As so many people chimed in, it's got to go back.

It is unfortunate that a couple folks there also passed along info that had to be corrected about the length of capacity warranty on 24 kWh batteries.

I really wonder what's going to happen to these cars w/crap chemistries. Will they just end up in the hands of clueless (and then pissed off people)? Will they got disposed of or parted out? Will someone (e.g. Nissan) swoop in and buy them for cheap then replace their batteries?
 
The 2011 Leaf lost the 4th bar at around 86000 miles. Still does the job for in town drving. Would be even more helpful if the QC was not so espesive. Is cheaper and more convenient to drive the Honda Clarity than to quick charge the Leaf.
 
I really wonder what's going to happen to these cars w/crap chemistries. Will they just end up in the hands of clueless (and then pissed off people)? Will they got disposed of or parted out? Will someone (e.g. Nissan) swoop in and buy them for cheap then replace their batteries?

If Fenix Power is a success, I think we have the answer.
 
Is there any indication that Nissan might finally be switching to larger capacity packs for older Leafs perhaps software-limited? I mean, even 30kWh is no longer an option for the current production models. 2-3k for a low-mileage 11/12 Leaf with a sad battery + 9k for a new 30kWh pack can be a reasonable strategy if they discontinue the 24kWh variant.
 
Nissan will not provide anything but 24kwhr packs, period.

What will be interesting is what happens near the end of the warranty period in 5 years for 2015 lizard cars.

I am uncertain how many spares Nissan has but they will be scraping bottom by 2024 if someone has a pack collapse, also it’s very curious that we haven’t had any of the old sub 50% capacity pack start developing fully failed cells bricking cars.

I’ve been in the EV conversion side of things a long time and in every case once lithium packs age below 50% you start getting a whack a mole of cell failures.

Very curious we haven’t seen any 2011/2012’s without outright cell failures, although we have until 2021/22 in California to find out I guess.
 
Became aware of this '12 at https://www.carmax.com/car/17145958. What a fricking joke! It's allegedly a '12 SL with 82K miles down 6 capacity bars (skip to picture 10) and they're asking for $6,998! Hope no sucker falls for that high a "no haggle" price.

That's a maybe a $3.5K car or less, if you ask me. Or, maybe it's a parts car for another '12.

It's another disturbing trend that someone at https://www.facebook.com/groups/nissan.leaf.owners.group/permalink/2657912467612911/ asked about this. They said that had a '17 Leaf that was a lemon and they instead were looking into '12 and they posted the above car. Seriously?

It's very disturbing to me the # of people I've seen seeing on FB groups poking around about '11 and '12 Leafs w/o knowing about capacity bars, the chemistry of the battery it came with, etc. At least this person asked and got the proper responses of run away and it is out of capacity warranty.
 
Thanks to a post at https://www.facebook.com/groups/437741293059829/permalink/1258761964291087/, it appears this '11 Leaf is down to 4 capacity bars remaining (8 bar loser): https://www.carmax.com/car/17117709.

I think the car's fully booted but am not 100% positive. Pic at https://img2.carmax.com/img/vehicles/17117709/9.jpg (copy at https://web.archive.org/web/20190713200619/https://img2.carmax.com/img/vehicles/17117709/9.jpg). Also, If you click on LOOK INSIDE, you can also see only 4 capacity bars.

They're asking for $7,998!!! HAHAHAHA. I sure hope no sucker takes them up on this. It's worth maybe $1.5K and maybe only for parts for another Leaf.
 
Sondy132001 said:
Lost another bar yesterday, down to 6, with 61, 247 miles on my 2012 Nissan Leaf
The exact reason I gave my 2011 Leaf to my nephew (who lives in Seattle) and bought a used Tesla model S 85 kwh. No detectable battery capacity loss in the two years I have owned the Tesla.
 
Valdemar said:
Is there any indication that Nissan might finally be switching to larger capacity packs for older Leafs perhaps software-limited? I mean, even 30kWh is no longer an option for the current production models. 2-3k for a low-mileage 11/12 Leaf with a sad battery + 9k for a new 30kWh pack can be a reasonable strategy if they discontinue the 24kWh variant.

No, Nissan wants to sell new cars. It makes no sense for them to keep the older models on the road for longer than necessary, it hurts their sales.

I upgraded my 24 -> 30, and it is very mechanically possible to do it. It is just the software that prevents it from being plug'n'play. Upgrade to 40kWh is also possible, I got a pack coming in next month that will go into a customer car.
 
Just lost our 7th bar on our 2011, just shy of 71k miles.
SOH 47.38 with 132 GIDs at SOC of 95%. AHr of 31.08 and Hx of 25.77. Our effective driving range is about 30 miles, mostly on side streets. Luckily my wife's roundtrip commute is under 15 miles.
 
My 2011 is down one bar at 30,000 miles; the car is an SV with no fast charge port...always garaged. The bar lost I attribute mostly to aging. Maintenance has been light to date; I have had to replaced the 12 volt battery and two fob batteries.

I disagree vehemently with Nissan's policy of not offering range upgrades and raising the price of their 24 kWh battery to a value that forces the Leaf off the road. They will most surely lose those customers and their friends as buyers.

There is a growing market of 400,000 used Leafs out there and every one that isn't wrecked will need at least one replacement battery. Seems to me that's a pretty health growing market for an enterprising company, with a low overhead, to exploit; Nissan should try to work out a way to offer batteries to existing customers. Perhaps a secondary company with access to Nissan's IP, including the software, would work. I think Nissan has built a nice little EV in the Leaf; but, their customer policies and practices have negated the high praise they deserve for innovation.
 
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