A naïve novice's questions

[kwasnicka]

Dear LEAF Forum members,



thank you for admitting me to your forum.


I am seriously considering buying a LEAF or an i-MiEV and was hoping that you could help me getting answers to some of my questions.
Please forgive me, if these questions have been discussed previously in your forum.


I am planning to use the electric vehicle for my 40 km (roundtrip) commute to work. At the moment I am doing this in my 18 year old Hilux, which is a reliable and indestructible car and good for kids, bikes, camping and towing but environmentally crazy.

I will have to get a second-hand electric vehicle as a new one is out of reach for me.


I understand that the condition of the battery is the key consideration for every electric vehicle owner.
Somewhere I have read that Nissan offers an option where the end-user owns the vehicle and leases the battery. Does this option exist in Australia? How would this work when buying a second-hand car? Would the lease be transferred to the new owner?

Then I have read on your forum that the condition of individual battery cells can be diagnosed and cells can be replaced. Has anyone of you experience with that? What are the costs involved?


I am asking these questions to get an understanding of my risk as a potential e-vehicle owner around battery life. I don't want to spend 25k on a second-hand e-vehicle and find in two years that I need to spend a similar amount on a battery replacement.


Any comments will be highly appreciated.

Thank you.



Peter

[caskings]

Hi Peter,

Nissan haven't done the battery lease option in Australia.

Can't comment on cell replacement and costs. However most (if not all) used leafs still should be under the battery warranty period.

You can get data on the individual cells using a ODBII adaptor and a smartphone app. Where are you based, you might be able to borrow an adaptor from another leaf owner to asses any cars you maybe looking to purchase.

[Datsun2000]

Hi Peter, I can't answer any of your questions but I can tell you that I'm a new Leaf owner and I absolutely love it. I look for any excuse to go for a drive. I bought mine secondhand with 18,000km on the clock. I figured I've saved so much money on a new one I could afford to but a new battery and still be $10,000 in front. As it turns out, my battery seems in perfect condition. Good luck with your search.

[hieronymous]

Feb 4, 2016 21:23:45 GMT 11 kwasnicka said:

Dear LEAF Forum members,



thank you for admitting me to your forum.


I am seriously considering buying a LEAF or an i-MiEV and was hoping that you could help me getting answers to some of my questions.
Please forgive me, if these questions have been discussed previously in your forum.


I am planning to use the electric vehicle for my 40 km (roundtrip) commute to work. At the moment I am doing this in my 18 year old Hilux, which is a reliable and indestructible car and good for kids, bikes, camping and towing but environmentally crazy.

I will have to get a second-hand electric vehicle as a new one is out of reach for me.


I understand that the condition of the battery is the key consideration for every electric vehicle owner.
Somewhere I have read that Nissan offers an option where the end-user owns the vehicle and leases the battery. Does this option exist in Australia? How would this work when buying a second-hand car? Would the lease be transferred to the new owner?

Then I have read on your forum that the condition of individual battery cells can be diagnosed and cells can be replaced. Has anyone of you experience with that? What are the costs involved?


I am asking these questions to get an understanding of my risk as a potential e-vehicle owner around battery life. I don't want to spend 25k on a second-hand e-vehicle and find in two years that I need to spend a similar amount on a battery replacement.


Any comments will be highly appreciated.

Thank you.



Peter

Hi Peter

A Leaf is a excellent choice for a 40km (return) commute, though you will want to use it more than that!

World-wide there have been only a handful of complete battery failures - apart from that the Leaf has proven to be a very reliable vehicle. Some Gen 1 owners have needed to replace the inductive heater. Excessive heat is the worst problem for battery degradation, not a huge issue in our part of the world, but you should avoid unshaded parking on the hottest days, as the super-hot asphalt is right under the battery.

A used Leaf will probably have lost a range bar or be close to it; a 15-20% reduction from new. A new Leaf realistically can achieve 120-125km city use on a full charge, 95-100km on an 80% charge, so a used (2012) Leaf will still have a range of 100+km, a bit more on the highway if driven conservatively. With your modest commute you could expect many years of anxiety-free motoring.

Take a look at this post from MyNissanLeaf.com for the best range chart information - scroll down to charts for different amounts of range loss. There is a huge amount of useful information for prospective purchasers of Gen 1 Leafs on that forum.

When you go looking for a Leaf be aware that the odometer reading is not a great indicator of battery condition - you need to have Leaf Spy and an OBD2 reader to get an accurate picture. Dealers will NOT give you this information! If you find a car that has 12 bars, then at worst the battery is at about 85%. Second (and subsequent) bars are at worst another 7.5% loss each. Leaf Spy also gives a good indication of how well balanced the pack is - expect minor variation between cells as normal.

When you find a potential purchase, ask here for feedback - we will be happy to help!

[caskings]

I'm down a capacity bar and I can still get 120 km without issue around the greater brisbane area. Mix of 100 km/h motoroway and city stop start.