by abasile (Posted Wed, 24 Apr 2013 22:56:26 GMT)
You don't have to guess - some people have put a lot of thought into modeling battery degradation: wiki/index.php?title=Battery_Capacity_Loss#Battery_Aging_Model
It appears that the rate of "calendar" degradation drops with time. If the above-referenced model proves to be accurate, then in 15 years there should be a fair number of LEAFs in moderate climates that still possess enough battery capacity to be useful. A cheap, aged LEAF could be a great commuter car for someone with a moderate commute. It should be more reliable and cheaper to run than an ICE beater. Of course, only time will tell for sure.
Iowa92x wrote:
I'm guessing a 15 yr-old battery will have significantly less than 50% capacity. An iPhone purchased today will likely have 20 minutes of runtime in 15 years. Degradation comes from both usage and time, battery gets a smack-down from the clock alone.
You don't have to guess - some people have put a lot of thought into modeling battery degradation: wiki/index.php?title=Battery_Capacity_Loss#Battery_Aging_Model
It appears that the rate of "calendar" degradation drops with time. If the above-referenced model proves to be accurate, then in 15 years there should be a fair number of LEAFs in moderate climates that still possess enough battery capacity to be useful. A cheap, aged LEAF could be a great commuter car for someone with a moderate commute. It should be more reliable and cheaper to run than an ICE beater. Of course, only time will tell for sure.