Vehicules Electrique in Montreal swapping batteries

[sendler2112]

Vehicules Electrique in Montreal seems like they are working toward swapping 40kWh batteries into 2011- 16 Leafs.
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https://m.facebook.com/ve.simonandre/
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Scroll down to see a video describing their work with the new 60 kWh pack.

[ColdLeaf2015]

Not exactly Montreal, but Trois-Rivieres, about 140km northeast towards Quebec City. This is interesting news. I've been there to recharge on their level 3 DCFC. I'll make a point of stopping there again to find out more.

[Oilpan4]

It would appear they were able to install a 62kwh battery in a 2015 leaf.

[ColdLeaf2015]

I contacted VE Simon Andre to request information on the battery upgrade. They have a registration form on their web site.
I received an immediate response that there are no 62 kWh battery packs currently available, however there were 40 kWh packs or I can be notified when a 62 kWh pack becomes available. If I want to replace the battery sooner, then I can:

1. Identify a 62 kWh battery pack,
2. Test it and purchase if suitable,
3a. Ship battery pack to VE Simon Andre and execute the swap
4a. Hope that VE Simon Andre can resell the original 24 kWh battery pack
3b. Purchase the Battery CAN Gateway device from VE Simon Andre
4b. Locate a local garage that can swap the battery pack
5b. Execute the battery swap
6b. Find a way to resell the original 24 kWh battery pack

Clearly VE Simon Andre is reselling the original batteries recovered after the swap since the price of the battery swap depends on the battery health of the original battery pack. IMO I would prefer letting VE Simon Andre handle all aspects of the battery swap.

I'll visit them in person in early 2020 to get more info.

[MikeD]

ColdLeaf2015: Thank you for that very informative (and terse) post! I might add for those who might be slightly confused: you were laying out a Plan A course of action (1,2,3a,4a) and a Plan B (1,2,3b,4b,5b,6b).

One of the questions I have is the importance of initializing the CAN gateway device. It was not clear to me from their video if this needed to be done a) before disconnecting the old battery pack or whether it could be done b) after the old battery pack was disconnected. (I must really like your a,b usage!). If a), then it makes me wonder if there might be an initialization problem in the future if their gateway device failed (or needed its firmware to be updated) and had to be replaced with a another (or newer firmware) one.

A second question I have is related to my noticing that as my 24kWh battery pack ages its ability to accept regen power becomes less and less. I wonder how well the gateway device sellers are able to test for that with a limited set of (perhaps relatively new) battery packs. Perhaps they would be willing to use volunteer Leaf owners to use their EXISTING battery packs together with the gateway device to test it now, especially if it were easy to remove the device to restore original battery pack functionality if a problem arose.

[Oilpan4]

You can get 62kwh battery if money is no object.

I'm just going to look and wait.

[brunohill]

A second question I have is related to my noticing that as my 24kWh battery pack ages its ability to accept regen power becomes less and less. I wonder how well the gateway device sellers are able to test for that with a limited set of (perhaps relatively new) battery packs. Perhaps they would be willing to use volunteer Leaf owners to use their EXISTING battery packs together with the gateway device to test it now, especially if it were easy to remove the device to restore original battery pack functionality if a problem arose.

I would suspect that the reduction in regen with the older pack in due to (and controlled by) the increase of internal resistance of the battery.
It probably operates by a voltage limit to protect the battery. If the battery can not take the power, the voltage will go up, therefore a new battery that can take the power will not have the regen reduced.

[Lothsahn]

Since I just did a pack swap on my car with a local mechanic, if anyone is in the Kansas City area and wants to go the b) route (getting the CAN gateway and having a local shop install it), I have a local shop familiar with battery swaps that would be willing to do this work. You would still have to source the new pack and sell & ship the old pack.

Feel free to send me a PM if you're interested.

[ColdLeaf2015]

ColdLeaf2015: Thank you for that very informative (and terse) post! I might add for those who might be slightly confused: you were laying out a Plan A course of action (1,2,3a,4a) and a Plan B (1,2,3b,4b,5b,6b).

One of the questions I have is the importance of initializing the CAN gateway device. It was not clear to me from their video if this needed to be done a) before disconnecting the old battery pack or whether it could be done b) after the old battery pack was disconnected. (I must really like your a,b usage!). If a), then it makes me wonder if there might be an initialization problem in the future if their gateway device failed (or needed its firmware to be updated) and had to be replaced with a another (or newer firmware) one.

From the 1st video VE SimonAndre posted, it appears that the CAN gateway device is connected through the OBD2 port while the original battery is still installed. 5 flashes of the 1st charging LED will confirm that the Can gateway is programmed. Then it is put between the new battery and the vehicle.

[leafnor]

Hi.
Yestersday I managed to do a sucessfull swap to a 40kWh battery in my 2012 Leaf, with the use of the sollution from Simon Andre. Needed remote help, as the first attempt failed due to a fault in the first unit/wiring I received. But they made very good service, so all went well.
The car now got a 40 kWh battery from a 2018 donor, only done 28000km before it ended it's life in a crash.
Battery I had were at SOH 77,. Now this one got SOH 95.
Mye 2012 have made close to 160.000km, and now it will last for another 8 years, at least!
From what i know, two others in Norway have installed 40kWh in their Leaf. One Generation 1, the other Generation 2 from 2013. That Gen2 is made in UK, and also needed some adjustments as it was the first UK made Leaf they installed a GW in. The CAN info is different from the US models, so the GW need to "fake" information a bit different in order to have the car to accept the "transplant".