Nissan Leaf Battery Can't Take Arizona Heat, Dealerships Knocking $5,000 Off Price
07-19-2012, 02:52 PM
#1
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Nissan Leaf Battery Can't Take Arizona Heat, Dealerships Knocking $5,000 Off Price
Looks like taking the cheap way out is not turning out so well for Nissan. With record heat all over the country, I highly doubt this is limited to Arizona.
DailyTech - Nissan Leaf Battery Can't Take Arizona Heat, Dealerships Knocking $5,000 Off Price
DailyTech - Nissan Leaf Battery Can't Take Arizona Heat, Dealerships Knocking $5,000 Off Price
The problem is likely Nissan's air cooling system used for the Leaf's battery
The Nissan Leaf is a top player in the electric vehicle (EV) industry, but one major issue that sometimes plagues these vehicles is the battery -- and the Leaf's battey seems to be taking a lot of heat.
Leaf owners in Arizona have recently complained that their EVs are losing significant capacity in the desert's hot heat. In fact, Arizona Leaf drivers Scott Yarosh and Mason Convey have both testified to this claim.
"When I first purchased the vehicle, I could drive to and from work on a single charge, approximately 90 miles round trip," said Yarosh. "[Now] I can drive approximately 44 miles on this without having to stop and charge."
Both owners said they've lost about 30 percent of their battery capacity since purchasing their vehicles. Even when their batteries are fully charged, two to three of the 12 lights on their battery capacity gauge are out.
Both owners are very meticulous about how they care for their Leafs. There is absolutely no sign of abuse, as both were able to produce dealership service records with high marks.
"We want to learn more about what's going on, but it's something we've just been made aware of, and we don't have any conclusions yet," said Perry.
The problem is likely Nissan's air cooling system used for the Leaf's battery. Tesla CEO Elon Musk even predicted that Nissan's cooling system would fail the Leaf at some point back in August of 2010.
Musk said that Nissan's Leaf employed a cheaper air cooling system that would make its battery temperatures jump "all over the place," where cold temperatures would degrade the battery while hot temperatures would shut it down. Tesla, on the other hand, uses a high-end liquid heating/cooling thermal management solution.
But for those who are still avid Leaf fans, there's great news if you live in California or Washington. Dealerships in these two states are cutting about $5,000 off the price tag for a new 2012 Nissan Leaf. The MSRP is usually $37,250, but with the $7,500 federal tax credit, the $2,500 California clean-vehicle purchase rebate, and now the additional $5,000 off, the price for a brand-new 2012 Leaf is only about $23,000.
Sources: CBS 5, Green Car Reports
The Nissan Leaf is a top player in the electric vehicle (EV) industry, but one major issue that sometimes plagues these vehicles is the battery -- and the Leaf's battey seems to be taking a lot of heat.
Leaf owners in Arizona have recently complained that their EVs are losing significant capacity in the desert's hot heat. In fact, Arizona Leaf drivers Scott Yarosh and Mason Convey have both testified to this claim.
"When I first purchased the vehicle, I could drive to and from work on a single charge, approximately 90 miles round trip," said Yarosh. "[Now] I can drive approximately 44 miles on this without having to stop and charge."
Both owners said they've lost about 30 percent of their battery capacity since purchasing their vehicles. Even when their batteries are fully charged, two to three of the 12 lights on their battery capacity gauge are out.
Both owners are very meticulous about how they care for their Leafs. There is absolutely no sign of abuse, as both were able to produce dealership service records with high marks.
"We want to learn more about what's going on, but it's something we've just been made aware of, and we don't have any conclusions yet," said Perry.
The problem is likely Nissan's air cooling system used for the Leaf's battery. Tesla CEO Elon Musk even predicted that Nissan's cooling system would fail the Leaf at some point back in August of 2010.
Musk said that Nissan's Leaf employed a cheaper air cooling system that would make its battery temperatures jump "all over the place," where cold temperatures would degrade the battery while hot temperatures would shut it down. Tesla, on the other hand, uses a high-end liquid heating/cooling thermal management solution.
But for those who are still avid Leaf fans, there's great news if you live in California or Washington. Dealerships in these two states are cutting about $5,000 off the price tag for a new 2012 Nissan Leaf. The MSRP is usually $37,250, but with the $7,500 federal tax credit, the $2,500 California clean-vehicle purchase rebate, and now the additional $5,000 off, the price for a brand-new 2012 Leaf is only about $23,000.
Sources: CBS 5, Green Car Reports
07-19-2012, 03:14 PM
#2
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Re: Nissan Leaf Battery Can't Take Arizona Heat, Dealerships Knocking $5,000 Off Pric
I would go a step further and ask how much the temp troubles are going to shorten the service life of the battery.
OEMs know about these problems BEFORE cars are released, there are testing grounds in all kinds of extreme weather areas just so they can find these problems. Bean counters just decide what to roll the dice on ans it appears this time they lost.
I used to live in a much snowier area and there was a testing facility a short way down the road. When we were shoveling the road at work we could see some of the testing, some of it was cars, a lot of tires, snowblowers and heavy equipment.
OEMs know about these problems BEFORE cars are released, there are testing grounds in all kinds of extreme weather areas just so they can find these problems. Bean counters just decide what to roll the dice on ans it appears this time they lost.
I used to live in a much snowier area and there was a testing facility a short way down the road. When we were shoveling the road at work we could see some of the testing, some of it was cars, a lot of tires, snowblowers and heavy equipment.
07-19-2012, 04:23 PM
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Location: northeast Miss.
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Re: Nissan Leaf Battery Can't Take Arizona Heat, Dealerships Knocking $5,000 Off Pric
I still think Chevy marketing needs to make a commercial. Volt on one side of the road dead. Leaf on the other.
Leaf owner has an extension cord in his hand as he kicks around in the dirt.
Volt owner observes an old man in an old Chevy truck bringing him a gallon of gas....
Commercial ends with the leaf on a roll-back hauler with a greedy looking driver.
Leaf owner has an extension cord in his hand as he kicks around in the dirt.
Volt owner observes an old man in an old Chevy truck bringing him a gallon of gas....
Commercial ends with the leaf on a roll-back hauler with a greedy looking driver.
07-19-2012, 06:29 PM
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Posts: 225
Re: Nissan Leaf Battery Can't Take Arizona Heat, Dealerships Knocking $5,000 Off Pric
I still think Chevy marketing needs to make a commercial. Volt on one side of the road dead. Leaf on the other.
Leaf owner has an extension cord in his hand as he kicks around in the dirt.
Volt owner observes an old man in an old Chevy truck bringing him a gallon of gas....
Commercial ends with the leaf on a roll-back hauler with a greedy looking driver.
Leaf owner has an extension cord in his hand as he kicks around in the dirt.
Volt owner observes an old man in an old Chevy truck bringing him a gallon of gas....
Commercial ends with the leaf on a roll-back hauler with a greedy looking driver.
A lot of the public doesn't realize that you dont stop with a volt if your battery goes dead (well if you have gas in the tank)
GM hasn't done the best job at least in my state, marketing the volt effectively
07-20-2012, 06:55 AM
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Re: Nissan Leaf Battery Can't Take Arizona Heat, Dealerships Knocking $5,000 Off Pric
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