Leaf / Zoe Service Costs

Author
Discussion

LordFlathead

Original Poster:

9,641 posts

257 months

Sunday 31st May 2015
quotequote all
Can anyone shed some light on the cost of servicing for these cars. As they don't use oil, have plugs or leads etc I presume servicing is just limited to a visual inspection, tyres, bearings, and brake pads?

Interested to know if there are any hidden costs.

gangzoom

6,254 posts

214 months

Sunday 31st May 2015
quotequote all
I was surprised how hard it was to get hold of the official Leaf service schedule, I eventually found one on-line. Nissan charges £90 a year, for what is essentially an inspection. Apart from brake fluid change, nothing else is much needed till 100k.




amstrange1

599 posts

175 months

Sunday 31st May 2015
quotequote all
£90 for brake fluid and pollen filter change plus some other inspection items doesn't sound too bad.

anonymous-user

53 months

Sunday 31st May 2015
quotequote all
Replacing brake fluid every 12 months?!

anonymous-user

53 months

Sunday 31st May 2015
quotequote all
clouded by the deals that have been frequently available on these cars with inclusive servicing for 4 years

gangzoom

6,254 posts

214 months

Sunday 31st May 2015
quotequote all
charltjr said:
Replacing brake fluid every 12 months?!
Too be quite honest I don't think Nissan have any idea, probably just an excuse to give dealers some work...

Any Tesla owners have ideas about what the service schedule on the Model S is like?

Edited by gangzoom on Sunday 31st May 23:40

c2mike

419 posts

148 months

Sunday 31st May 2015
quotequote all
For Tesla, every 12,500 miles or 12 months (whichever comes first) with the pre-paid plan. NB regular servicing is not mandatory!
The plan includes wiper blades, tyre rotation, winter wheel change-over & brake pads (if it ever needs any). £450 per service if prepaid. On balance a reasonable deal IMO.

LordFlathead

Original Poster:

9,641 posts

257 months

Sunday 31st May 2015
quotequote all
Wow that looks great, thank you for the info. By comparison to an ICE, the cost of servicing over ten years would be a heap of cash.

My Jaguar XJ has already accumulated £11k of dealer servicing in the 9 years of its life. This also strengthens the EV case for a commuter vehicle.

Frimley111R

15,538 posts

233 months

Tuesday 2nd June 2015
quotequote all
These are going to have an impact on dealerships and garage in the next 20 years aren't they?

anonymous-user

53 months

Tuesday 2nd June 2015
quotequote all
Yes, it will take another couple of decades to properly filter through but there will be a lot less mechanics around if EVs properly take off.

I suspect that's why Nissan want to replace the brake fluid every 12 months.........

AnotherClarkey

3,589 posts

188 months

Tuesday 2nd June 2015
quotequote all
Frimley111R said:
These are going to have an impact on dealerships and garage in the next 20 years aren't they?
I suppose this is the reason that Tesla are fighting the franchised dealers so hard - take out most of the servicing revenue and there is not really any room for them.

pherlopolus

2,087 posts

157 months

Tuesday 2nd June 2015
quotequote all
I guess with these cars, they only really need servicing on the "Wear and Tear" items like bushes,brakes etc when they are out of warranty and more likely to visit non-franchised garages. I bet the main dealers are going to be unhappy, hence the £90 servicing (45mins? including changing the break fluid) being better than nothing

LordFlathead

Original Poster:

9,641 posts

257 months

Tuesday 2nd June 2015
quotequote all
Well you might not be paying your money to the dealers for servicing but I can see a whole new mega industry based on battery testing and replacement services. Think on it as an exchange engine/gearbox service but for batteries.

I can also predict a massive market for performance ECU upgrades too. Can't bloody wait!

pherlopolus

2,087 posts

157 months

Tuesday 2nd June 2015
quotequote all
or a 50% range extending pack to go in the boot?

vladcjelli

2,962 posts

157 months

Tuesday 2nd June 2015
quotequote all
The service schedule that came with our leaf says pollen filter after the first year, pollen filter and brake fluid only after the second year. I guess they can't charge any less than £90ish, it isn't worth the time to book it in, never mind any actual work!

When the Renault salesman quoted a price, he reckoned £81 per service for the Zoe.

Week and a half in, still enjoying EV life.

OldGermanHeaps

3,801 posts

177 months

Wednesday 3rd June 2015
quotequote all
The brake fluid will need doing more often as the brakes wont get as much heat in them as the would on an ice car so the fluid will absorb moisture quicker.

AnotherClarkey

3,589 posts

188 months

Wednesday 3rd June 2015
quotequote all
OldGermanHeaps said:
The brake fluid will need doing more often as the brakes wont get as much heat in them as the would on an ice car so the fluid will absorb moisture quicker.
I wonder when hydraulic braking systems may be replaced by brake by wire using electric actuators? Or some other technology?

anonymous-user

53 months

Wednesday 3rd June 2015
quotequote all
OldGermanHeaps said:
The brake fluid will need doing more often as the brakes wont get as much heat in them as the would on an ice car so the fluid will absorb moisture quicker.
Never heard that one before. Got a link or any more technical info on why that would be?

blueacid

435 posts

140 months

Friday 5th June 2015
quotequote all
charltjr said:
Never heard that one before. Got a link or any more technical info on why that would be?
I haven't any technical info but I can wildly speculate: after all this is the internet.

On conventional cars, most of the retardation is from the friction of the brakes (yes yes, engine braking exists too, but it's not doing the majority of the work).
Therefore the brake system has to convert a good chunk of kinetic energy into heat.

On a hybrid or EV, kinetic energy suddenly has far more worth: rather than turning that energy into heat, it instead can be captured by using it to run a generator and charge the batteries back up. That's less work for the brakes to do (meaning they stay cooler and the pads are not consumed as quickly).

This staying cooler business is what's been pointed out - with braking components over 100c, any water can be boiled and hopefully move away from the hot bits.. presumably prolonging the life of the fluid versus if this didn't happen.

I can't say I'm anything other than skeptical: the biggest risk is presumably a few corroded brake lines, which can be replaced. I don't think every car gets the brakes right up to 100c on a regular basis: consider commuter cars and ones used around town. They seem to get on okay with changes every couple of years..

gangzoom

6,254 posts

214 months

Friday 5th June 2015
quotequote all
OldGermanHeaps said:
The brake fluid will need doing more often as the brakes wont get as much heat in them as the would on an ice car so the fluid will absorb moisture quicker.
Not sure if I believe this, there are Prius drivers going around on orginal pads/discs at 100K due to regen braking. Toyota service schedule says brake fluid every 24 months - same as any other car.

http://priuschat.com/threads/best-brake-pads-for-p...

http://www.toyota-tech.eu/MaintenanceSchedules/aur...