Sir, – The deterioration in range exhibited by batteries powering electric vehicles (EVs) seems to be a surprise to many recent letter writers, with Brian Kelleher suggesting that a “well-functioning second-hand market for EVs” must be part of Government strategy (Letters, April 24th).
This seems to me to be one of the many examples of problems that governments cannot fix. As has been famously observed, you cannot change the laws of physics.
Most of the value of an EV is in the battery.
The lithium metal typically inherent to it is by nature rare and, thus, expensive. The battery deteriorates over time. In the example quoted a Nissan Leaf, that costs about €35,000 new will require a €19,000 replacement battery after maybe 10 years. Clearly a 10-year-old car is worth much less than half of its original value. Such a transaction is therefore irrational.
It has been obvious for some time that EVs ought to be regarded as more like domestic appliances than traditional cars – that is, used until they are defunct and then replaced, as with a fridge or cooker. For many people a car with a range of less than 80km to 100 km is essentially useless, as a diversion due to an accident or roadworks on the commute from work will mean you cannot get home, even if you sent off with a full charge.
The Government cannot eliminate that. And given the absence of prestige in driving 10-year-old cars, no one will spend much to reinvigorate them. – Yours, etc,
BRIAN O’BRIEN,
Kinsale,
Co Cork.
Sir, – A correspondent has written regarding the short life and replacement cost of their electric car battery (April 18th).
The Nissan Leaf first-generation battery was early tech and air-cooled. Later liquid-cooled battery packs are likely to fare much better.
As to the astronomical cost of replacement, it may not be necessary to replace the entire battery pack at that €19,000 price.
There are independent companies in Ireland that can replace any defective cells in the battery for a lot less than what Nissan wants to charge for a complete battery pack and restore much of the range in the battery.
They may also be able to source a 30kw or 40kw second-hand battery to install instead, with verified life, which will give a much better range and have an easier life than the 24kw battery which is probably installed in their car. Smaller battery packs will always have a harder life than larger ones, simply because they need to be recharged more often. He may also get some trade-in value for his existing battery pack, if replacement with a larger pack is agreed.
Existing internal combustion energy car manufacturers have been developing combustion engine technology with such excellent lives for over 100 years, while the electric vehicle is only in serious development for the last 20 years and can only improve. In the 1960s, an combustion engine life of over 100,000 miles would have been considered exceptional before needing a complete rebuild or new engine. – Yours, etc,
DAVID DORAN,
Bagenalstown,
Co Carlow.
Sir, – Brian Kelleher (April 24th) notes that the estimate of €19,000 quoted to John Russell to replace the batteries in a Nissan Leaf is an enormous figure (Letters, April 18th) and suggests that this huge cost radically alters the economics of purchasing a used EV for many motorists and therefore makes it more difficult for the Government to achieve its climate plan targets for transport.
As the owner of an ageing diesel vehicle, I have a personal interest in choosing the type of car to buy next. I note that John Russell has quoted an estimate directly from Nissan for a replacement battery. However, Electric Ireland, in its document “Three things to think about before buying an electric car” (2019), while accepting that “replacing or refurbishing a power pack out of warranty can be expensive”, suggests that a “Nissan Leaf battery repair costs around €5,000″.
While this document is now four years old, inflation since then has not run at 400 per cent. Could Nissan and Electric Ireland get together and publish an agreed figure for the cost of a battery replacement? – Yours, etc,
DONAL McGRATH,
Greystones,
Co Wicklow.