Battery exchange for Nissan Leaf owners in Japan

Nissan Leaf owners in Japan can soon exchange old batteries for refabricated ones under a new, fee-based system.

The 24kWh refabricated batteries for the oldest Leafs will be offered for 300,000 yen apiece (NZ$3893) – less than half of what a new 24kWh pack costs.

The carmaker plans to expand the line-up. “Exchange costs for new Nissan Leaf batteries are 650,000 yen for 24kWh, 800,000 yen for 30kWh; and 820,000 yen for 40kWh,” Nissan says.

Nissan is using the battery refabrication capabilities of 4R Energy Corp., a company established through a joint venture with Sumitomo Corp, with a new factory in Namie, eastern Japan, serving as a global centre for 4R.

Old batteries are planned for energy storage systems and possibly for uses such as electric forklifts.

Nissan says it’s Japan’s first factory specialising in the reuse and recycling of EV used lithium-ion batteries.

“As demand for electric vehicles grows, the number of used batteries will increase significantly. Nissan hopes that by reclaiming these batteries, it can help lower battery replacement costs and heighten the used-car value of electric vehicles. This will enhance the electric-car ownership experience, which in turn will help promote their use, ultimately contributing to lower CO2 emissions,” Nissan says

More than 300,000 Leaf electric cars have been sold worldwide.