Nissan Offers Battery Replacement Program For Leaf

Nissan has unveiled a new program for owners of the Nissan Leaf who are concerned about the performance of the battery that powers their electric automobiles.  Starting soon, it will be possible to trade in the Leaf's stock battery for a new unit featuring the latest in lithium ion technology, a design that promises faster charging times as well as other benefits.

The cost to Leaf owners is stated to be $100 per month.  Somewhat strange is Nissan's statement that the company is not sure whether there will be an end date to the payments or not, which means that Leaf drives might actually be leasing, and not purchasing the new battery.  Nissan also made it known that stopping payments on the battery would be tantamount to defaulting on the agreement signed by the Leaf customer.  The new battery is transferable to another individual should the compact car ever be sold, but this assumes that the second owner is willing to should the $100 month battery cost.

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Currently, Nissan offers a warranty on all stock Leaf batteries that guarantees them for 100,000 kilometres or 5 years until they fall to 70 percent of their capacity.  At that point, Nissan replaces the battery free of charge.