Owners of the BMW i3 and Renault Zoe can probably shrug their shoulders. Leaf owners are dependent on a third-party supplier and lots of duct tape. No one knows what happens to e-golf sweepers…
Buy now or wait?
All the mentioned electric car models have received new and better battery packs that make it possible to drive round trip to Oslo Main Airport, but not to the cabin at Geilo. Maybe it will come in the next round? Because the Opel Ampera-e and Tesla are already there.
I think many people wonder whether they should buy an electric car access, or wait until the next upgrade. Realistically, there will always be a "next upgrade". If you are unlucky, the car you bought this year may be difficult to sell in two years. The fear of exactly the can well be called upgrade anxiety.
Imagine if the car manufacturers could guarantee the possibility of upgrading the batteries afterwards?
Nissan Leaf
And if not the car manufacturers does that, then maybe other battery manufacturers will offer independent solutions? If you have a Nissan Leaf 24 KWH, you can put 4 USD on the table and double the battery capacity and range. The disadvantage is that the extra batteries fill the luggage compartment and cause a significant increase in weight of 500-150 kg. The news has spread online, but the manufacturer, Hybrid Industries, seems somewhat reticent about information. The only thing we've seen so far is a prototype installation on YouTube that looks like a proper "redneck solution" with a manual switch to switch between the two battery packs. I wouldn't sacrifice the trunk on min Leaf, - and I hardly think the Norwegian authorities will ever approve the solution, either.
The problem for Leaf owners is that there will probably be no opportunity to upgrade from 24 KWH batteries to the new ones with 30 KWH. Nissan is working hard to complete the new Leaf that will arrive next year. It has been reported that it can be supplied with several battery options, 24, 30, 48 or 60 KWH. Then I think Nissan could offer a 48 KWH battery pack for older Leaf models. But Nissan has never indicated any intention to offer upgrades.
BMW i3
BMW, on the other hand, has a goal of being able to upgrade previous models. The future for BMW i3 owners thus looks brighter. It is rumored that BMW will offer to upgrade cars with 21,6 KWH batteries to new 33,4 KWH with an extension of the range from 130 km to 183 km (EPA), - enough to drive round trip Gardermoen. The price will be relatively high in relation to the power increase, - as much as 7 euros *).
BMW has not announced an exact date for when upgrades will be available. They have also never carried out any similar update program. The i3 update will be a pilot project.
Volkswagen e-Golf
Volkswagen has never made any official statements that they want to offer battery pack upgrades. Car owners with 24,2 KWH batteries currently do not know whether it will be possible to increase to 35,8 KWH with a range increase from 133 km to 199 km (EPA). It is not improbable that Volkswagen will eventually declare the same political goal as BMW, namely to offer upgrades for environmental reasons. But in order to be able to upgrade older models, it must be taken into account already during the planning of the model, as BMW did with the i3.
Did Volkswagen do it?
Renault Zoe
Renault has chosen a more open and honest line for its customers, including customers in Norway. If you rent the battery pack, upgrading the battery pack from 22 KWH to 41 KWH will cost 3 euros *) in a lump sum plus adjusted rent. If you eier the batteries cost 9 euros *). The price includes shipping, working hours and administrative work, mainly related to changing information in the vehicle registration card. The price is high, but then you will get an electric car that can actually take you all the way up to the cabin at Geilo on one battery charge. The upgrade will be possible from the second half of 2017. A closer date has not been specified. The weight of the batteries is increased from 290 kg to 312 kg. The change not only requires changes to the vehicle license but also the associated insurance agreements.
More unanswered questions.
*) So if you own a Renault Zoe or BMW i3, you don't have to worry about upgrading the batteries. There is an upgrade program in Europe, but it is somewhat uncertain how it will be handled in the electric car country of Norway. It remains to be seen what this will cost. Will the battery change be subject to VAT, and will exemption from one-off tax still apply after upgrading? It is also uncertain which changes are required in the vehicle license. How does it affect the guarantees, and what about the insurance?
Wondering who will be the first to upgrade their electric car in Norway?
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