Battery leasing from Nissan is never going to happen. Neither is installation of a larger battery in an older Leaf. If anybody does either of those things, it will be a third party. There are a couple of companies flirting with the idea but nobody has actually done it yet.
The new 60 KWH leafs stand a chance of lasting 10 years in a moderate climate. The larger battery allows for fewer cycles per given distance. If you assume 150 mi/charge and a battery lifespan of 1000-1500 cycles then 150,000 mi - 225,000 mi lifespan for the car seems pretty reasonable. For the average driver that's 10-15 years of driving. The bet is off for anyone in the south or southwest because the car lacks a TMS for the battery. TMS might not be a big factor if the battery spends a significant amount of time at partial charge and gets charged at night. I wouldn't take that bet but others might.
Nissan is a lot more interested in selling you a new Leaf than it is in repairing your old one. Nisan's price to replace that battery is going to remain high to encourage you to replace your Leaf with a new one.
The new 60 KWH leafs stand a chance of lasting 10 years in a moderate climate. The larger battery allows for fewer cycles per given distance. If you assume 150 mi/charge and a battery lifespan of 1000-1500 cycles then 150,000 mi - 225,000 mi lifespan for the car seems pretty reasonable. For the average driver that's 10-15 years of driving. The bet is off for anyone in the south or southwest because the car lacks a TMS for the battery. TMS might not be a big factor if the battery spends a significant amount of time at partial charge and gets charged at night. I wouldn't take that bet but others might.
Nissan is a lot more interested in selling you a new Leaf than it is in repairing your old one. Nisan's price to replace that battery is going to remain high to encourage you to replace your Leaf with a new one.