With the current second-generation ongoing, Nissan has been able to prove itself again with the new hot topic of the town, BEV, or simply, Battery Electric Vehicle.
This is still a new concept, think about it, battery toy car, that’s one thing, but a life revolving around a battery-electric car?
How crazy is that?!
The thing with EV or BEV cars is that they are in many cases, better than traditional ICE (Internal combustion engine) cars.
They produce less wastage, a little more ‘hush’ in the neighborhood, and also, the emission rates are tolerable.
But batteries also do have a decay point.
And hence comes in the questions of battery charging, battery life, factors that influence the battery life, and all the worrying stuff.
Fortunately, there are us, who don’t want you to worry.
So here we are, making all the boring and factory secrets revealed and letting you enjoy your EV!
If you go for a serious driving campaign in a busy city for about 90 miles, how much charge do you think the battery will discharge?
The answer, none. With good care and nurturing, the Nissan Leaf will be expected to serve you for a maximum of 10 years.
But if you do things that will heat the engines (driving 4-5 hours daily without a rest in the mid-point), you ought to expect a battery life that will be slightly higher than half of the maximum number of years.
But while you calculate the total life years of the Nissan Leaf battery, keep in mind that the new 40kWh Nissan Leaf will provide miles better than what we just estimated (170 miles on average).
Summers and winters do matter.
In summers, the milage measure will be a bit off because of the heat interacting with the car; but in the winters, you might get another extra 20 miles added to that.
To conclude, we will doze off with some must-known attributes.
The 2017 30 kWh battery’s range is diminished by around 20 miles at the first bar or 15% of its original level.
6.25 % of capacity is lost for each subsequent bar that is eliminated.
The 12th bar is valued far more than the bars down the bottom.
In the Leaf’s battery management indicator, the 12th bar slips off when the SoH (State of Health) decreases to approximately 85%.
Contents
Nissan Leaf Battery Specifications
Because this gem is available in only two generations, we’ll be specifying some factors that represent the value of the car.
01. 1st Generation (ZE0), Velucia E30, (2010-2017)
- Battery: 24 kWh and 30 kWh (lithium-ion battery)
- Electric motor: synchronous, 110 HP, 210 ft-lb
- Transmission: 1-speed fixed gear; ratio is 8.2:1 for years 2013-2017
- Range: Highest- 200 km (achieved with MY 2013) & lowest- 70 miles (with MY 2011/12)
- Plug-in charging: outputs of 3.3 kW & additional 6 kW (optional)
- Length: 4500 mm
- Width: 1790 mm
- Height: 1530 mm
- Curb weight: 1550-1650 kg
- Wheelbase: 2700 mm
02. 2nd Generation (ZE1), 2018-Present
- Battery: 40 kWh and 62 kWh lithium-ion battery
- Electric motor: synchronous, 148 HP, 240 lb-ft
- Transmission: 1-speed direct drive
- Range: 250 km with 40 kWh and 370 km with 62 kWh
- Length: 4500 mm
- Width: 1790 mm
- Height: 1530 mm
- Curb weight: 1550-1650 kg
- Wheelbase: 2700 mm
All Everything About How Long Do Nissan Leaf Batteries Last
Aforementioned, a maximum of 10 years.
Please also make sure that you take an in-depth look at the specifications given before and also do some research on the internet.
As you might have noticed, depending on the kWh, you will have different mileage coverings.
So take a look back at your lifestyle and then decide which one it is going to take.
With datasets provided by trusted resources, we do have some numbers to represent to you.
And all analyses should be taken into account with an initial of 12 bars.
First is the analysis of mileage per capacity bars.
It shows that even with 8 bars, the Nissan Leaf can drive a whopping 60,000, but the degradation is radiant when losing one bar at a time.
Eventually, you’ll end up with 15,000 miles when you stand on the last bar.
And with that same 8 bars, and the same amount of mileage, you can expect another 4 years on the hold.
But with time, the number is almost halved when it all comes down to the last bar.
Under average driving styles, you’ll start with a subtraction of 0.2 from the bars on the first year of driving.
And again, the 0.2 will too, whip up as the years pass by.
There’s a clear connection between the bars, the mileages, and the years.
Keep these things in mind, and take care of that car!
What Makes Nissan Leaf Battery Life Deteriorate Faster?
Batteries do have a life, (you know what we mean), and the more delicately it will be handled, the less it will be exposed to exacerbation.
However, if you know what makes your Nissan Leaf’s battery life prone to deterioration, the process of taking care of it will be easier.
Even though the Leaf battery is engineered to make life easier, it hasn’t reached the apex.
Consequently, it all comes down to two factors. Charge and heat.
Now, charging. The process of regular charging in any electronic device should be monitored as carefully as possible.
This means you should never keep charging the battery after it’s reached 100%.
Furthermore, you should also never go down 20%.
Expert teams suggest that the percentage should always be between 20%-80% to avoid any mishaps or predicaments.
Tuck in your car with a blanket whenever you live in a location with lengthy stretches of subzero weather.
To keep the battery at optimum temperature and prepared for refreshing in the cold season, always keep it at least 20% charged throughout all costs.
The battery’s endurance can be restricted by chilling or stalling of the electrolyte solution in its power pack, if not affecting the lithium-ion reactions directly.
As a result, your LEAF’s ion propulsion system may not be able to recuperate as much power exactly as intended.
Substantial temperature changes can always have a detrimental effect on the life of the Leaf.
If conceivable, learn to keep the car in the shadow, and not under the scorching sun for extended periods; since it can impose a new set of issues on the pack and shorten its durability, not to mention the heinous effect on the thermal runaway.
How To Maintain Nissan Leaf Battery Life?
Check out these maintenance tips if you want to overcome the possibilities of an EV battery.
# Just like we mentioned in the previous point. Don’t overcharge your battery, additionally, do not reach the maxima daily.
# When your battery reaches the ground level (0%), please don’t leave it for a long time.
# You need always be careful of charges and ions. So don’t expose the battery to any flame or liquids, remember, the reactions are of Lithium-ion and they can be very reactive.
# If you chill your car or heat your car for longer than 14 hours, you know what will happen!
# Any damage on the surface and playing around with the battery pack can also make a bad thing happen.
# If you go for servicing, make sure the technician is ‘BEV certified’. Remember these cars are different from traditional cars, and hence need to be treated differently.
And the list is expanded to quite a great stretch.
Our suggestion will be to read the user’s manual whenever you are in for doing something new with your Nissan Leaf (Treat the manual like a Holy book!)
We are emphasizing it so much because battery damage can cost a fortune.
Also, make sure that you understand and then accept the T&Cs when you get the warranty card.
How is The Nissan Leaf’s Battery Life Compared To The Contemporary Evs’?
Compared to the market EVs, Nissan Leaf’s battery life falls in almost the same range.
So, we are talking 8 to 10 years.
But a lot of factors also influence the results, and we can’t say that enough.
But there’s a slight thing that most of the customers will overlook, and that’s when the Nissan Leaf, with undeniable pleasure, will say, ‘Told you so!’.
Okay, here’s the thing, contemporary ones can hold in 70% of the initial power for eight years at best and 1600 charge cycles are feasible.
Well, as of the Nissan Leaf, they will be able to retain 76% of their power for almost ten years, and the charge cycles, as normal mathematics suggest, are also increased (2010 cycles).
Nissan Leaf Battery Replacement
It is the most chaotic part of the whole system, we mean, look at the size and the weight of that thing!
But rest assured, you can only beat the devil when you know the details.
Benefits of The New Battery in Old EV
Well, firstly, your car will be resurrected and given a second lease of life, how good is that!?
And have you thought about the range, how does a jump from 60 miles to 160 miles range increase sound like?
So altogether, your car will be having a range increase, better performance, an ecstatic resurrection, in one change.
And that’s the benefits, wrapped up.
Photo Credit: Wikimedia.org, C.C
Is it a Feasible Idea From a Cost Standpoint?
Not so much. So, an electric car costs around $50,000.
And that’s just the base price and DST sum (let’s leave the TAX alone for a bit).
And the higher-end brand you want, the price will go up ($200,000 for Porsche).
A battery for the Nissan Leaf costs $10,000 (all included).
As for the battery replacement, it is not so straightforward, as a plethora of factors make it complex.
For instance, if you are in the warranty period and need a replacement, the price will be $0.
But when you are not in the warranty time (that’s the more normal case) and need a replacement, you will have to pay $163 per kWh.
So, for the Nissan leaf, for 62 kWh battery replacements (2nd gen), the fair will be around $10,000, which is not so easy to count!
Is This Process Difficult?
Insanely. Yes, the process can take starting from 4 hours to 8 hours; but nobody knows what happens inside those workshops.
First, the health statement of the whole battery pack is reported (that includes every cell), and then they install a communications interface with the main office of the brand.
This helps the technician to modify and fit in the dataset that was previously used as the customer always wants the number of kWh s increased.
After the new dataset has been turned in, the technician fits in the whole model, swishes his magic wand to make a few tweaks, and hence the process is done.
The most marvelous thing about technology that’s been used here is no matter how many kWh s you want to add in, the size of the battery will always be the same.
So, the chassis of the Nissan Leaf EV will be the same.
People Also Ask For
Please check out these points in case we or you overlooked any important notes.
When Does My Nissan Leaf Need A Battery Replacement?
So, in most cases, batteries start wearing out when the time of warranty is about to end.
But it can occur beforehand, too.
Wear and tear are also visible when the kWh s are degraded.
What is The Amount of Loss in Miles Per Charge?
The first bar will make you lose almost 12%, but then the number will decrease and it will be a constant of 6.25% loss per charge.
What is The Lithium-Ion Battery And What Makes it Rechargeable?
The answer lies in chemistry.
It’s named lithium-ion because of the movement of the ions from a negative electrode to the positive one through electrolytes for discharging and recharging respectively.
And since the configuration of Li-ion is found fidgeting from one place to another, and since they can move around charges as well.
Are Electric Vehicles and Hybrid Vehicles The Same?
Nope. Electric cars are one of a kind for the zero-emission concept.
But hybrid cars are a marriage of gas and electricity, but emissions are present.
On a Single Charge, How Long Should My Nissan Leaf Get?
200 miles, and 100 more if you are decent. But there’s more to it.
Regenerative braking, a scheme that enables the kinetic energy of the brake to recharge whilst commuting, can increase the capacity of an electric vehicle dramatically.
And that can add another 100 miles to the numbers we just discussed.
How Long Will it Take For Charging The Car?
So, the period can be divided in two ways. Suppose, you have a long trip tomorrow, and obviously, you’ll want a full charge.
Based on your Leaf model, it will take 6-8 hours for a full charge.
But you need to take a small commute, maybe to the grocery store, or the nearest picnic spot, as the experts suggest, you should keep the charge between 20%-80%, and currently, you are in the 20% zone.
And you want it to be in the 75%-or-so range.
And that will take, 30 minutes max.
This can also be referred to as a partial charge.
Guaranteed now you know all the insider businesses!
That was quite an interesting ride, you must admit.
But now, manufacturers and production houses are trying to implant what more new technologies they can bring in to make the EVs more fun and accessible to everyone.
If you own a Nissan Leaf, surely you know what type of riding lifestyle you lead.
So make sure you make the charges, maintenance practices, changes, and replacements according to that to save you the extra work and money.
Before we leave you, we wang you to refer to these videos to make the experience a bit sweeter.
Last Words
Considering the percentage of benefits and the cost factors, our recommendation will be to go for it if the situation calls for it.
It can be a bit costly, but we are sure none of you will make the monetary works weigh down these beautiful advantages.
Just think, if the powertrain of a conventional car is faulty, you have to go through changes in the engine, changes in the transmission, and sometimes in the drivetrain.
But if the battery on your EV wears off, just one change, and you’ll be offered a 100% improvement.
We wish you all the luck with the Nissan leaf and the battery!