Photo: Screenshot from Youtube - Modified by autoevolution
We previously reported that many Nissan Leaf owners from Arizona were reporting the loss of one of the 12 battery capacity bars, after only a year of use, despite Nissan’s official claims that the battery pack will still have 80% capacity after 5 years of normal use - it is becoming ever-clearer that the official statement is dangerously close on the verge of being wrong, even with the ‘non-linear’ loss of capacity cited by Nissan, which is quick at first, but then slows down, thus making this whole 80% thing semi-plausible.
According to greencarreports.com, though, the problem is no longer isolated to the ‘warm’ state of Arizona, as a Texan Nissan Leaf owner is also reporting the disappearance of the first battery bar - this means that it is, in fact, the warm climate which is putting the Leaf’s battery pack under added pressure. Some owners from Arizona have even said that they have already lost the second bar as well, however, this information cannot be verified, yet. If it is true, though, Nissan had better start pondering for a solution to this problem, which is bound to be faced by owners who will operate their Leafs in warm climates around the world, not just in the US - so it may become a ‘global thing’, which would be catastrophic for Nissan’s credibility as an EV maker.
The 2013 model Nissan Leaf is expected to feature an improved battery pack, and it may be offered as a no cost swap, under warranty for the owners who have reported problems, as well as a stand-alone upgrade for cars without the problem. - Source unavailable. Turned out to be false, anyway.
Google News