By: Michael J. Walsh
Those of us patiently waiting on the new generation of mass-produced EVs are already fretting issues like battery warranty and replacement cost. Coy manufacturers are really not helping alleviate this anxiety all that much.
Sure, Chevrolet has announced on the Volt, and it’s a rather pleasing 8 years and 100,000 miles. But that doesn’t help those of us waiting on the Leaf, where it would appear that Nissan is still trying to decide what they can get away with offering.
When surveyed, a majority of those reserving a Leaf indicated that they would prefer a battery warranty at least equal to that of the Volt, with the numbers being mostly evenly split between those willing to accept 8 years and those wanting 10 years. Some even indicated that if the longer warranty were to be an extended one, at reasonable additional cost over a standard 5 year/60,000 mile warranty (which appears to be where Nissan was headed before being trumped by GM), life wouldn’t be so bad.
Well this fretting might well be for naught, as the DOE has released a report indicating a 100 mile battery pack will cost just $5000 to replace in 2020, right around the time many of the new breed EVs will be coming off their factory battery warranties, and owners looking to get back to full range consider replacing partially depleted packs.
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- GM set to announce warranty program for Volt batteries
- USA: Plug In America Refutes Obama Auto Task Force Conclusion on GM Volt
- Why The Chevy Volt Doesn’t Qualify for California $5,000 Rebate
It is time for Nissan to step up to the plate and match or better GM’s warranty.