Ghosn makes it official: LEAF will get a better battery

[ItsNotAboutTheMoney]

I'll take any increase we can get in the battery department! I also agree with tboult that details are sketchy. I'm thinking less than a 50% increase, maybe even only 25%, in 2013 for MY 2014 cars. I wouldn't be surprised to see the same advances for the Volt in the same time frame, though for the Volt we might see more of an emphasis on cost rather than range (cheaper battery same range). I can see practical value in increasing the Volt range somewhat but doubling the range would not significantly increase the number of EV miles you'd put on the car. The advantages of a larger battery would begin to drop off precipitously after the point when you'd get 40 miles in adverse conditions.

I think GM will keep the 40 mile target. So, another density or stability improvement similar to the 2012 to 2013 jump would allow them to increase the capacity but once there battery improvements would reduce costs or pack size.

However, I think they'd keep the Volt as an innovation platform at a "near luxury" price point and offer a Cruze plug-in with more of a focus on lowering cost.

But you're right, there isn't any detail other than saying the LEAF battery will, at some point fairly soon, be cheaper, but it doesn't say when or whether it'll be any denser or more stable. At least cheaper would allow them to cut the base price and perceived costs and that would leave more space for the additional cost of a heat pump, which is where, I think, a jump in rated range could come from for the 2013 model. A heat pump wouldn't help in extreme cold, but could make a big difference for a lot of drivers: it's not just about winter range, it would also be significant for winter efficiency.

[BAZINGA]

I would think NISSAN would want to protect their's and the Leaf's reputation and they should consider a "buy back" program similar to what GM did on the Volt. Give the owner a fair deal and keep them in the family. Thrown them to the wolves and the PR could be brutal from which the Leaf could never recover.

[USe-car]

wonder what "better" means?

"Better" usually means more expensive. To the consumer.

[USe-car]

Thrown them to the wolves and the PR could be brutal from which the Leaf could never recover.

The "wolves" would never be critical of an Asian mistake, only GM gets their attention.

[montgom626]

The "wolves" would never be critical of an Asian mistake, only GM gets their attention.

The liberal press hates anything American. Liberal self loathing has been around for decades. Nothing new here folks, as they say, just move along.

[Koz]

Not knowing all the details, Paul appears not to have done due diligence before buying a Leaf. Not the Leafs fault, not at all. The Leaf is a good car, Paul made a bad choice.

Nissan said 100 miles
EPA said 73 miles
Very cold weather reality with heater running more like 45 miles

Plenty of blame to go around beyond just the individual consumer.

[montgom626]

Nissan said 100 miles
EPA said 73 miles
Very cold weather reality with heater running more like 45 miles

Plenty of blame to go around beyond just the individual consumer.

Wow, lesson learned is he trusted one agency from the US Government. Like I said, he made some bad decisions. Nissan's numbers are drived from Gov data. GiGo. Leaf is a good car.

[AySz88]

The liberal press hates anything American. Liberal self loathing has been around for decades. Nothing new here folks, as they say, just move along.

Wow, lesson learned is he trusted one agency from the US Government. Like I said, he made some bad decisions. Nissan's numbers are drived from Gov data. GiGo. Leaf is a good car.

Alright, this is the third thread in a row with this, and I've had enough of it. The forum doesn't exist for the purpose of hijacking every other thread to push your personal politics. It doesn't contribute to discussions to go through unrelated threads and flame liberals/government/etc. Please cut it out and keep it to where it's relevant.