As far as battery-life, replacement cost, and possible collision-safety concerns, exactly what information is available at this time?
Replacement cost
Replacement cost is the question to be avoided in EV showrooms. The Nissan Canada website is very clear on this subject: we are unable to provide an estimate of the replacement cost of the battery at this time (March 2013). Everyone is left to their own devices.
In a recent Wall Street Journal article, Mark Perry, North-American Director of product planning and advanced technology for Nissan, stated that the actual cost of the battery was in the neighborhood of $ 750 /kWh. When you take into account that this battery has a 24 kWh capacity, we are looking at a replacement cost of approximately$ 18,000.
However, this battery was initially designed to allow the replacement of certain individual cells, limiting the replacement cost to a couple of hundred dollars (see Battery basics article).
Another factor has been recently added to make these cost estimates even more difficult. Hydro-Quebec recently announced that as of 2015, the new materials that will be used to make batteries will extend EV autonomy to 250 kilometers. What will these ''older'' batteries, with their 160-kilometer autonomy be worth? When you take into account the speed of the advancements in battery technology and materials, it is safe to assume that it will follow the same path as computers and smartphones: today's technology will be very affordable tomorrow.
Battery-life
Batteries certainly don't last forever. Their charging capacity diminishes with time. Batteries tend to lose more charging capacity in their first year, depending on the materials used, before stabilizing. This is the case for the Nissan LEAF. The Japanese manufacturer says that the battery capacity diminishes approximately 20 % in the first five years. In spite of this fact, the Nissan warranty for the lithium-ion battery is 96 months or 160,000 kilometers.
Nissan obviously has a whole series of pointers and tips on their website http://www.nissan.ca/ms/leaf20/en/driving-electric.html to help you manage your energy consumption. In a nutshell, avoid aggressive driving and never go beyond 80 % charge when doing a ''quick ''re-charge''.
Safety
Remember when Dell recalled its laptops which could potentially catch fire because of an overheated battery? Bit of a shock for the user, as you can see on this YouTube video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mlZggVrF9VI LAX laptop fire.
Fortunately, battery security is at the forefront of battery research, which explains why, in the name of public safety, certain high-performance batteries are not widely sold. Impact, perforation, and temperature tests are rigorously applied to ensure public safety.
If you would like to know more about your own vehicle's IIHS safety rating, visit the IIHS website and go to the ''Vehicle ratings'' section.
Replacement cost
Replacement cost is the question to be avoided in EV showrooms. The Nissan Canada website is very clear on this subject: we are unable to provide an estimate of the replacement cost of the battery at this time (March 2013). Everyone is left to their own devices.
In a recent Wall Street Journal article, Mark Perry, North-American Director of product planning and advanced technology for Nissan, stated that the actual cost of the battery was in the neighborhood of $ 750 /kWh. When you take into account that this battery has a 24 kWh capacity, we are looking at a replacement cost of approximately$ 18,000.
However, this battery was initially designed to allow the replacement of certain individual cells, limiting the replacement cost to a couple of hundred dollars (see Battery basics article).
Another factor has been recently added to make these cost estimates even more difficult. Hydro-Quebec recently announced that as of 2015, the new materials that will be used to make batteries will extend EV autonomy to 250 kilometers. What will these ''older'' batteries, with their 160-kilometer autonomy be worth? When you take into account the speed of the advancements in battery technology and materials, it is safe to assume that it will follow the same path as computers and smartphones: today's technology will be very affordable tomorrow.
Battery-life
Batteries certainly don't last forever. Their charging capacity diminishes with time. Batteries tend to lose more charging capacity in their first year, depending on the materials used, before stabilizing. This is the case for the Nissan LEAF. The Japanese manufacturer says that the battery capacity diminishes approximately 20 % in the first five years. In spite of this fact, the Nissan warranty for the lithium-ion battery is 96 months or 160,000 kilometers.
Nissan obviously has a whole series of pointers and tips on their website http://www.nissan.ca/ms/leaf20/en/driving-electric.html to help you manage your energy consumption. In a nutshell, avoid aggressive driving and never go beyond 80 % charge when doing a ''quick ''re-charge''.
Safety
Remember when Dell recalled its laptops which could potentially catch fire because of an overheated battery? Bit of a shock for the user, as you can see on this YouTube video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mlZggVrF9VI LAX laptop fire.
Fortunately, battery security is at the forefront of battery research, which explains why, in the name of public safety, certain high-performance batteries are not widely sold. Impact, perforation, and temperature tests are rigorously applied to ensure public safety.
If you would like to know more about your own vehicle's IIHS safety rating, visit the IIHS website and go to the ''Vehicle ratings'' section.
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| Photo: Nissan |