EVs Enhanced, an organization in Christchurch, New Zealand, will introduce its 16 Blade battery, an entire alternative platform for the Nissan Leaf, starting in March of 2023. The corporate says it needs to take early electrical automobiles just like the Leaf and make them higher. The Leaf was a groundbreaking automobile when it was new, however the battery was all the time it weakest hyperlink, primarily as a result of Nissan determined to not use liquid cooling. Air cooling works fairly OK more often than not, however not so nicely in very popular areas and hardly in any respect throughout quick charging.
The 16 Blade battery makes use of an energetic thermal administration system and has been designed to suit inside the confines of the unique Nissan battery pack enclosure. The corporate says its mission is “to develop and provide upgrades that allow present electrical automobiles to stay usable, related, and fascinating as they age. By making use of present expertise, it’s doable to make these automobiles considerably higher, sooner, and with longer vary than after they have been new.”
“The intention is to increase the usable lifetime of those automobiles as a lot as doable, firstly for the early adopters that initially bought these automobiles after which for the next homeowners as they’re able to embrace this superior expertise. We love electrical automobiles and think about any steps in the direction of selling their adoption to be a worthy trigger,” EVs Enhanced says. Amen to that.
The 16 Blade battery shall be made obtainable for all 24, 30, and 40 kWh Leaf fashions from 2011 by to the newest 2022 fashions. Upgrades for Leafs initially fitted with a 62 kWh battery should not being pursued attributable to bodily mounting variations. The primary mannequin to obtain 16 Blade help would be the 2013 onward 24 and 30 kWh Leafs, shortly adopted by the 40kWh Leaf. Assist for the unique 2011-2012 mannequin Leaf is deliberate to observe.
The 16 Blade battery improve won’t work for the e-NV200 electrical vans, nonetheless, the corporate says it’s engaged on an answer that can permit homeowners of these automobiles to replace their automobiles as nicely.
Vary & Charging With The 16 Blade Battery
The 16 Blade battery can have three deliberate variants named RED, BLUE, and GREEN. These signify completely different cells with completely different chemistries and traits, however inside the similar sixteen module kind issue. The preliminary focus is on the GREEN variant utilizing lengthy lifespan LFP chemistry and a capability of roughly 40kWh. The BLUE variant focuses on most vary with over 70kWh. The RED variant is for top efficiency purposes (a Spec LEAF racing collection, maybe?) and shall be produced in low portions.
Due to its energetic thermal administration system, the 16 Blade battery can obtain constant DC quick cost charges even when a number of quick fees are wanted in a single day, resembling on an extended street journey. The GREEN, BLUE, and RED variants all have completely different most cost charges, however the GREEN variant shall be restricted to a quick cost present of 125 A, similar to the inventory battery. Due to the cooling system, this peak present will be held as much as 80% SOC. The charging time is diminished in comparison with a inventory 40 kWh Leaf battery, which tapers rapidly above 50% SOC.
The 16 Blade GREEN has a goal single cost vary of 270 km WLTP, which is almost equivalent to the unique battery. It makes use of the unique battery enclosure from Nissan, which permits it to bolt proper in, though there are some minor modifications required within the motor bay to accommodate the thermal administration system.
The corporate factors out that the LEAF has all the time been able to V2G operation attributable to its use of the CHAdeMO charging normal. Nonetheless, frequent use of that functionality had a unfavourable impact on battery life. “16 Blade GREEN with its lengthy lifespan LFP chemistry implies that V2G purposes shall be a really sensible possibility for Leafs fitted with this battery answer.”
How A lot Will All This Value?
Naturally, the primary query most individuals can have is, how a lot will the 16 Blade battery from EVs Enhanced value? The corporate says, “Our goal sale worth for 16 Blade Inexperienced has been and continues to be roughly a 3rd of the price of a brand new 40 kWh Leaf earlier than any authorities incentives. That excludes the trade-in worth that you may be provided to your authentic battery pack.”
“Whereas world inflation is constant to work in opposition to us all, our choice to not announce a set worth earlier this yr has turned out to be the precise one. We’re sticking with that concept for a little bit longer till we begin accepting orders. Nonetheless, no one ought to be underneath any phantasm {that a} completed 16 Blade Inexperienced pack will undercut the retail worth of US$11,225 that Nissan USA fees for a brand new however inferior 40 kWh battery. Our focus from the outset has been on making a superior product with a greater design resulting in improved efficiency and an extended life-cycle.” In different phrases, you get what you pay for.
EVs Enhanced can even provide trade-ins for the unique battery, which ought to assist decrease the worth of the alternative. “The trade-in worth provided will rely upon the situation of your authentic pack, however taking this feature will cut back your remaining value of an improve. As a result of we reuse the unique battery enclosure when creating a brand new 16 Blade pack, there shall be no possibility to purchase 16 Blade with out buying and selling in a pack in alternate. Nonetheless, there shall be choices to maintain your authentic modules/cells and have them repackaged right into a extra handy kind for stationary storage purposes.” These guys have considered the whole lot.
The 16 Blade GREEN battery is roofed by a 160,000 km or 3-year producer’s guarantee with an possibility to increase that to eight years with a coverage underwritten by a global insurer. The corporate suggests clients ought to regulate the acknowledged worth of their automobile with their insurance coverage firm following the completion of the improve.
Availability
The 16 Blade Nissan Leaf battery shall be obtainable first in New Zealand, with Australia being subsequent in line. “We’re planning for Australia to be our check case for supplying 16 Blade Inexperienced in kit-set kind the place the completed battery packs shall be assembled there by a crew that we’ve educated to construct the product to the excessive requirements that we count on.”
“As a result of we re-use the unique battery enclosure when creating a brand new 16 Blade pack, it’s best to have the pack enclosure modifications and meeting accomplished comparatively near the place the tip clients are. The unique battery modules can then be re-purposed however keep within the nation they’re already in. In any other case you find yourself delivery a whole lot of donor battery enclosures backwards and forwards all over the world which is pointless and avoidable.
“As soon as manufacturing is underway at full steam, we’re planning to focus our efforts on offering accomplished packs for our native New Zealand market and offering kits to assist worldwide companions produce the product for his or her native market. Subsequently, the supply of 16 Blade in your nation will rely upon us reaching adequate manufacturing volumes to satisfy demand in addition to rules in your nation, but additionally on an organization [that is properly trained] near you.”
The Takeaway
We’ve got to applaud the dedication of EVs Enhanced to design and construct a greater battery for the Nissan Leaf. Construct a greater mousetrap and the world will beat a path to your door, in response to an previous adage. We surprise if that knowledge applies to higher batteries?
A tip of the CleanTechnica hat to Dan Allard, who first introduced this story to our consideration.
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