Nissan Loses Money On Every Leaf Replacement Battery Sold

by Cameron Aubernon

Published: July 25th, 2014

nissan loses money on every leaf replacement battery sold

In June, Nissan announced that Leaf owners could obtain a replacement battery pack for $5,500 upon trading in the old unit. While a boon to said owners, the automaker is losing blood on the deal every time a pack is sold.

Green Car Reports interviewed Nissan vice president of global communications Jeff Kuhlman, who explained that the low price for the new pack was the result of his employer subsidizing the price, though he declined to state how much Nissan spends per replacement. Thus, no profit is being made at this time off of the exchange.

However, Nissan isn’t yet hurting on this “customer-first” initiative. According to Kuhlman, no one has taken the automaker up on its Leaf battery replacement program.

#Battery-packReplacement #JeffKuhlman #Leaf #Nissan #Subsidies

Cameron Aubernon

Seattle-based writer, blogger, and photographer for many a publication. Born in Louisville. Raised in Kansas. Where I lay my head is home.

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Conslaw on Jul 25, 2014

I recall when the Volt (and the Leaf) first came out, there was talk of what to do with the batteries after they were no longer suitable for automotive service. More than one source said that even after the batteries weren't good enough to be put in a car, they would be more than fine for household use as a back-up or supplemental power supply. In other words, a used automotive battery could provide peak and back-up power to a solar or wind powered home. Even in a grid-connected house, the household battery could be charged off-peak and provide power during peak time. You could stick one in your basement and use it to power your sump pump during a power outage.

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- Redav on Jul 25, 2014
  
  My house's baseline electric consumption (i.e., no HVAC) is only 5 kWh/day. A very real scenario is a hurricane blowing through and taking out grid power for a few weeks. So, if I installed solar panels to provide for my baseline usage (going without AC is tough, but the alternative is going without AC *AND* going without refrigeration, some cooking, fans, lighting, communication, etc.), I wouldn't even need that much battery backup to meet minimal needs--I only need enough to last when the sun doesn't shine--maybe 3 kWh. The Leaf battery is somewhere around 25 kWh when new, so even at 50%, it's 4x my baseline needs. Alternatively, there is an electric provider here that has free electricity at night (10PM - 6AM). Using the Leaf's battery, even at 50%, to soak up power at night for use in the day could eliminate my electric bill for nearly 8 mo of the year without any other modification. Repurposing a Leaf battery, even degraded, for home use certainly seems feasible.
  
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Shockrave Flash Has Crashed on Jul 25, 2014

I was thinking about one these bad boys as a commuter car. I live in the Midwest and it gets really cold. Do and any of the B&B here have one? I'd like to know range, charging and performance when it's way cold. My local Nissan dealer is run by idiots. How long will the heater run if you end up in the ditch (my wife thinks she's indestructible?) How is it it in the snow? How does it work on snow tires? I was going to wait and see what the new little truck from FCA was like before I bought something, however I've seen Leafs kinda cheap used. I could take the $5K hit if I had to(I'm cheap not poor.) I'm looking for something interesting to drive. The 200 mile Sonic would be perfect, except I don't trust GM to roll out new technology nor to stand behind it.

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- Krhodes1 on Jul 25, 2014
  
  I have a friend who has one here in Maine. He loses about 25-30% range in the winter when it is really cold. He does not have a garage, so the car sits out in the cold, I don't know if that makes it worse. I assume it would if only due to cold bearings and tires and whatnot, even if the battery is kept warm by the charging.
  
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- SCE to AUX on Jul 25, 2014
  
  There are a few Leaf drivers here, but I'm probably the most vocal - to the chagrin of the B&B. For starters, I'm not a tree-hugger, so you'll not get the save-the-earth thing from me. I live in western PA, so my Leaf has seen two winters since September 2012. Fortunately, we don't have the blistering heat of Phoenix, which has killed some early Leaf batteries, and Nissan has allegedly fixed this problem anyway - with new chemistry. I've posted some battery comments above. The EV mfrs should be more honest about EV ranges. Filling to 80% is recommended (rather than 100%) for longevity, so the advertised ranges are always artificially high. The Leaf's guess-o-meter is notoriously inaccurate, but I've learned how to interpret it. The first rule of EV buying is this: DO NOT take the mfr's claimed range and assume that can be your daily commute. You have to derate for everything. Speeding is deleterious to range, but the car can certainly keep up with traffic. I've become more of a law-abiding driver with the EV (mostly - heh), and I arrive happier. I installed a Level 2 charger at home myself, so that's an extra expense - but very convenient. Cold weather idling only consumes heater power - not motor power - but the heater power is significant. Newer Leafs use a heat pump which supposedly is much more efficient. As for a used Leaf, I'd be cautious. It will be much cheaper than new, but you won't get any of the tax breaks offered for new ones, and obviously it won't perform like new.
  
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- Redav on Jul 25, 2014
  
  @SCE to AUX Heat pumps are considerably more efficient than resistance heaters, but they are limited to the temperature differential they can create. So if it's bone-achingly frigid outside, the car will be merely stone-cold inside.
  
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Master Baiter on Jul 25, 2014

"While a boon to said owners, the automaker begs to differ." Learn how to write. This is phrased to imply that the automaker differs that it's a boon to owners.

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- Corey Lewis on Jul 25, 2014
  
  I said that already!
  
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- Master Baiter on Jul 25, 2014
  
  @Corey Lewis I couldn't wait until reading the comments before pointing out that nonsense. You are correct sir.
  
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- Corey Lewis on Jul 25, 2014
  
  @Master Baiter LOL
  
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- Cameron Aubernon on Jul 25, 2014
  
  @Corey Lewis Fixed!
  
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DrGastro997 on Jul 26, 2014

Why do Leaf owners need to exchange old for a new pack???

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