Cost to replace an i-miev battery?

[iwatson]

Not trying to start something here, and excuse me if this question has already been asked, but does anyone have any information about the cost of a battery replacement for the US spec I-miev?

This is our second EV, and of course we are big fans of electric cars. Many friends and relatives have taken note of our decisions to go almost totally electric and they do ask questions. Of course, I think maybe I'm viewed by some as a nut. A question that always stumps me is how much would it cost to replace the battery. In the past, my answer has always been "nobody really knows because the cars have an 8 year/100,000 mile warranty and no owner has reached that realm yet".

Lately I've read some alarming reports regarding our "other" EV, about owners that have had batteries damaged by running over debris in the roadway. Prices thrown around have ranged from $3000 up to $34,000 dollars. A lot of this appears to be hype and people trying to stir up stuff, however it is hard to completely de-bunk. The only actual price I've seen in black and white (Actually red and white) is from a GM parts website that lists the 2011 Volt battery at just a hair under $2600 dollars.

Trying to compare I searched several Mitsubishi parts sites, but none listed parts for an i-Miev. I suspect that since I-miev sales are so few in the U.S. that the battery would have to be ordered from Japan and shipped to the U.S. The I-miev battery is slung under the floor of the car, whereas the Volt battery is under the car but up inside the tunnel that runs between the seats. The design of the i-miev allows for more interior space but may make the car more vulnerable to damage by road debris?

Anyone know of an owner who's had their I damaged in this way or anyone who's had to have their battery replaced outside of warranty (if that's even possible) or anyone who's done any research, please comment.

 

[PV1]

a GM parts website that lists the 2011 Volt battery at just a hair under $2600 dollars.

That's actually very inexpensive, considering their battery holds the same energy as ours.

Here's some technical information on the i-MiEV battery cells. Apparently, they can handle twice the discharge current of what the i-MiEV pulls at full throttle (300 amps output, i-MiEV pulls 155 amps at most).
http://www.atip.org/atip-publications/atip-news/2009/7804-gs-yuasas-commercial-lithium-ion-battery-for-ev.html

60 Ah LiFePO4 prismatic cells are around $100, so ~$8,800 to repack an i-MiEV battery. These cells wouldn't work in the i-MiEV, but its the closest I could find that is available to the public in a quick search.
http://www.batteryspace.com/lifepo4-prismatic-module-3-2v-60-ah-10c-rate-192-wh-----un38-3-passed-dgr.aspx

 

[HParkEV]

Another data point is from Nissan: They have just introduced a replacement 24kWh battery for the Leaf, priced at $5500 with the mandatory return of the old battery.
Nissan claims to be selling this replacement battery slightly below their cost.

 

[fjpod]

There isn't a lot of experience replacing iMiev batteries outside of warranty as the car is still so new.

On here we have heard of maybe two owners with defective packs, but it doesn't seem to be as rampant as the degradation problems we have been hearing about on the Leaf.

 

[PV1]

On here we have heard of maybe two owners with defective packs

Also, when you consider the defective packs were really only caused by one or two bad cells, the defective/failure rate for the LEV50 battery is well below 1%. For 200 i-MiEVs, 176 cells would have to fail just to hit 1% failure rate.

 

[siai47]

The problem to be faced is pack replacement for something other then a battery cell or module. If anything at all fails within the battery pack assembly, then the only option you will have is a "remanufactured" pack. It could be something inexpensive like a failure of a contactor or the ground fault module. Or even something as simple as the battery fan. The bottom line is that the manufacturer isn't going to let you inside the pack---and likely not let you remove and install it yourself. It will be a one size fits all program that won't take into account what the reason for the pack replacement was (or cost of repair). All this will be under the cover of liability protection for the manufacturer and the dealer. This is a coming problem that will affect all EV's. The only EV (mainstream) that had a way of buying replacement modules was the old RAV4-EV. Before the consent degree prevented Toyota from selling them, the EV-95 modules were about $1000 each with 24 in each vehicle. The only way in the near term to get pack parts (Mitsu won't even sell the interlock plug) is to buy parts from a wreck. That's where I got all my spare parts.

 

[Don]

With the 8 year, 100K warranty, the purchase of a new or remanufactured pack for any of us is still more than 5 years away and by then prices will certainly fall well below what they are now, especially if we replace our worn out pack with a factory remanufactured one

Not something to worry over at this point - I suspect many of us will still be running around on our original packs well beyond 100,000 miles

Don

 

[iwatson]

With the 8 year, 100K warranty, the purchase of a new or remanufactured pack for any of us is still more than 5 years away and by then prices will certainly fall well below what they are now, especially if we replace our worn out pack with a factory remanufactured one

Not something to worry over at this point - I suspect many of us will still be running around on our original packs well beyond 100,000 miles

Although I agree and I know you are correct, one issue that is possible is damage to the battery caused by running over something in the road. Insurance would come into play, however in my case I purchased my wife's I for $10,500 (gently used) and if the battery is more than that (which is possible) the Insurance company would total the car! It would be nice to have some idea.

Additionally, One of our jobs as EV Enthusiasts is to educate those within our spheres of influence so that we can help sell these cars. Nobody knows more about EV's than we do. We must win new converts to the EV ranks or else when our machines wear out, we will not be able to replace them. Manufacturers will decide it's not in their best interests to make them if they don't see steady growth.

I always stress the positives about EV ownership to any ear that will listen -- Low operating costs, low maintenance costs, 8 year/100,000 mile battery warranty. Friends that I talk to are excited about these benefits, but of course there are always negative aspects that must be answered. One of those is "How much would the battery cost if it was out of warranty"? and the best answer so far is "no one really knows?" I for one feel uneasy not knowing the answer to that question. It wasn't enough to stop me from owning two EV's, but it likely stops others. We should know "worst case" what a battery replacement would cost if we somehow had to replace it out of warranty and delight in the knowledge that these prices will come down.

 

[Don]

Although I agree and I know you are correct, one issue that is possible is damage to the battery caused by running over something in the road. Insurance would come into play, however in my case I purchased my wife's I for $10,500 (gently used) and if the battery is more than that (which is possible) the Insurance company would total the car!

What you paid for the car has no bearing on the number the insurance company would use to 'total' the car - That number comes from the book value at the time of the incident/accident. You may have only paid $10.5K for it, but the 'book' might very well be closer to twice that number

Don

 

[Barbagris]

Incredible! :shock:
From Peugeot's rate, (for one of the European clones):

Seen here (spanish):
http://forococheselectricos.com/2014/08/sustituir-la-bateria-del-peugeot-ion-cuesta-22-002-euros.html

 

[PV1]

That can't be right. That's more than the i-MiEV cost (at least US version in USD).

https://www.google.com/search?q=26008.02+euro+to+usd&client=opera&prmd=ivns&source=lnms&sa=X&ei=s-nsU8e_CuPmsAS974CQDw&ved=0CAQQ_AU

 

[mradtke]

Hello,

Is there a chain covering defective pack replacement? I can't seem to find it with a search. I just replaced my pack under warranty with just over 2,000 miles on the car. I can post the details if someone can point me to the appropriate place.

Thanks,

Mike -- Phoenix, AZ

 

[iwatson]

I posted a question regarding what it would cost to replace the i-Miev pack if it were not replaced under warranty. The only scenario that I can envision is if an owner ran over some type of debris in the roadway causing damage that would require the pack to be replaced. As far as I know this has never happened and all packs that have been replaced so far have been under warranty, such as yours. Your welcome to start a new thread and tell about your experiences, or if the servicing dealer revealed the cost that you would have paid had it not been under warranty, please share that here!

 

[mradtke]

Sorry, the price column on the work order is full of zeroes. I'll post my pack replacement experience under a new topic.

Mike

 

[jumpjack]

I subscribe the thread... and I wait some years... :roll:

 

[mixmike6]

mradtke why did your battery pack need to be replaced? What was/were your issues with the car ? Do you have the 2014 model?

 

[mradtke]

mixmike6,

I don't know why the battery pack failed, but a some people in this forum said that they did. In Summary, they said, that:

1) I should never leave the car plugged in except when charging.

2) I should never leave the car sit for two weeks with a full charge.

3) I should only charge the car before a trip. Sort of like driving a steam car without a flash boiler.

I bought the car as a main stream electric. I am willing to leave the car at a lower charge if I don't use it for an extended period of time, but I don't think of two weeks as an extended period. I will continue to plug it in when I get home and expect it to be ready to drive whenever I am. If the car can't do this, then the experiment is over and I'll just keep driving my 35 year old electric which doesn't need such babying.

The car is a 2012 model.

Mike

 

[Don]

I don't know why the battery pack failed, but a some people in this forum said that they did. In Summary, they said, that:

1) I should never leave the car plugged in except when charging.

2) I should never leave the car sit for two weeks with a full charge.

3) I should only charge the car before a trip. Sort of like driving a steam car without a flash boiler.

I can't find that discussion anywhere - You've only made 8 posts and I searched them all and didn't find where anyone here told you why your battery failed . . . . :?

Specifically, who said to never leave it plugged in except while charging? - Lord knows what that could have to do with a battery failure :roll:

I would bet that probably 50% of the iMiEV's on the road today have violated all 3 of those 'rules' many times without a single battery failure - I myself have done #1 and #3 many, many times over the past 2 1/2 years and not experienced any problems

It disturbs me greatly that someone gave you those 3 as a possible reason why your car needed a new pack . . . . especially since your car only had a couple thousand miles on it

Don

 

[mradtke]

Please see the chain at:

http://myimiev.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=2301

Thanks,
Mike

 

[jumpjack]

Only weird recommendatin I remember I've read in the manual is to avoid full discharging of secondary 12V battery, as this would prevent from starting the car.