Charging i is the ultimate Plug'n Play

[barryc]

I got an email from Mitsubishi title "Charging i is the ultimate Plug'n Play"

The email talks about the battery warranty being 8-years or 100,000 miles. I don't see how anyone could be too concerned about the battery pack depleting over time with a warranty like that!

It explains about the 3 ways to charge your Mitsubishi i.

Standard 120 Volt
The Mitsubishi i fully charges in about 22 hours at 120V

Home Charging Station
Installing a 240V charging station at home qualifies owners for a $1000 tax credit and fully charges the Mitsubishi i in 7 hours.

Public quick charging port
Charge the Mitsubishi i to 80% in 30 minutes! Apparently 12,000 of these stations will be installed in the U.S. in the next year.

 

[FiddlerJohn]

I don't see how anyone could be too concerned about the battery pack depleting over time with a warranty like that!

I agree. Great warranty, but is the level of functionality defined?

EV L-ion batteries derate at 2% per 10,000 miles under the best conditions. So the i should have 80% of its 16 kWh at 100,000 miles. If the i only has 60% (4% derated, that's twice the 2% norm) will Mitsubishi replace it?

My guess is that they will. Mitsubishi is now in the battery business. Mitsubishi will swap out the 60% pack, replace bad cells, rebalance and test for at least 80% of 16kwh, and install the repaired pack in the next 60% car.

That means that the 62 mile EPA range will be 42 (or maybe 50%, 31) miles before Mitsubishi fixes the battery to get 80% or 49 miles of EPA range. I am making this up. This is only a guess.

Does anybody have any facts that verify or amend this conjecture?

 

[Wee John]

I think it will be prorated just like a regular battery warranty. They will still give you a brand new battery pack but will give you a percentage decrease in your warranty coverage depending on time and/or miles driven. For example the pack goes bad after six months and 6,000 miles you'll likely get 100% warranty coverage but after six years and 70,000 miles you'll likely get 30% warranty coverage and you pay the remaining 70%, the labour may still be 100% covered.

 

[FiddlerJohn]

after six years and 70,000 miles you'll likely get 30% warranty coverage and you pay the remaining 70%, the labor may still be 100% covered.

A prorated warranty could work. The pack cost $15k (at today's prices). That would mean the owner pays $5,000 instead of $15,000 for a new pack.

Now the old pack is still worth several thousand dollars, but has a few bad cells. Mitsubishi or a third party could refurbish the pack and/or sell it (cell it, ha ha). Mitsubishi could offer the owner a new (smaller, more range and lighter) 120% pack for $5,000 or a refurbished 85% pack for free. At today's cost the free pack would save the owner $5k, and Mitsubishi saves $10k minus their refurbishment cost.

We all know the battery (really energy use & storage) is the key to EV success.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0BEAIKKhwU&feature=results_main&playnext=1&list=PLF2E75D74E296460E

Modern batteries seem to improve only 5% per year.

 

[Dan O]

Holy Cow!!!!! Is that a guess or is it a fact that a new battery pack for the "I" is $15,000.00? That is half of the MSRP of the car. I'm not sure I would have ordered one if I knew the cost to replace the batterys was that much. I asked my dealer before I ordered one and he said that he didn't know. Mabey he didn't want to tell me. Dan O

 

[JoeS]

Speculating how Mitsubishi will honor their warranty is raising unnecessary concerns, IMO. For example, on my first-generation Insight, Honda has been unconditionally honoring their 10-year 150,000-mile battery and associated drive electronics warranty, no pro-rating and no questions asked. I would hope that Mitsubishi will be similarly honorable. If that fails, reasonably-priced third-party battery pack rebuilders will spring up, just as they have for the present-day hybrid NiMH cells. Or maybe I need to re-read that lawyerish Mitsubishi Disclosure Form before offering any more opinions... :roll:

 

[Wee John]

on my first-generation Insight, Honda has been unconditionally honoring their 10-year 150,000-mile battery and associated drive electronics warranty

that's pretty impressive that Honda had an unconditional warranty for their battery, I guess I shouldn't be speculating on the Mitsubishi battery warranty, it could very well put some people off buying an incredible little car.

 

[FiddlerJohn]

Is that a guess or is it a fact that a new battery pack for the "I" is $15,000.00?

My dealer told me the i battery represents $15000. I think that is a conservative number. My guess is that Mitsubishi is taking a loss on their i electric car just like Toyota did with the first Prius. They will make up their loss when the large scale production allows for reduced manufacturing cost. It's the way all cars are make. The first car off the assemble line cost millions of dollars to make.

Big EV batteries are expensive because they are currently "hand make." The little, less than a dollar, lithium batteries are mass assembled at a very low cost. Most informed people believe that high volume manufacturing plants will halve the price of EV batteries in the next few years. Nissan has committed $6 billion dollars to the Leaf and Li-ion battery.

Right now big EV Li-ion batteries cost about $1k per kWh. From:
http://www.cars21.com/content/articles/52720110310.php"A123 expects median battery prices to decrease dramatically over the next three years, i.e. the prices will halve by 2015 to around $700/kWh."

Speculating how Mitsubishi will honor their warranty is raising unnecessary concerns, IMO.

JoeS, We share a love for this fantastic little i car. I feel a need to share that love as you do. I respect your insight and opinions. Thank you for sharing.

I love my wife's cute little dimples when she smiles. Others may see these as flaws.

Mitsubishi is willing to take a loss to make the jump to the mass EV market. That makes the Mitsubishi i a great deal for me. The parts are worth twice the price of the car.

Mitsubishi will do the right thing with their battery warranty. They are heavily invested in the EV future.