Yep. Some expensive stuff in those batteries, so a market there for the recycle. I also read about
the potential for actually buying the cars...but leasing the batteries. That could solve some of the
doubts from many folks.
"I'm paying for a lease for a Battery with a capacity of more than 70%, etc..." sort'a thing. Owning
part of the car & leasing the rest might be a weird one to wrap ones head around at first, but it
could solve some issues...& again as Ton pointed out, as better Technology comes along, it
would be an upgrade on a leased battery.
Take the $41,000 car, & minus out the $7,000 Gov't hand-out to help prop-up GM & the Union, &
then factor out the $8,000 for the battery.....& the car is now $26,000....
The 8yr or 100,000km warrenty can be ammortized over a (lets say) four year lease (assuming
a realistic 20,000km/yr) and you've got a $170/mo. battery lease, replaced with a new one every
four years upon returning the old one for the core. You'd pay more, but worry less, with an
increased profit to GM and a lower initial sticker price.
You'd have a new battery 4/5th's of the way through its warrenty.
Yep...That would be my guess. Leasing the battery for the Volt would bring the GM
product in at a lower sticker price, and would eliminate the big hit for a new battery
when that time comes. The cost would be spread out over time.
The Nissan looks like (haven't read in detail yet) a much longer range on a charge,
and the question of electrical draw comes up on Nissan's site with respect to the
A/C & cabin heater. That would be a a huge power suck in a Canadian winter
affecting the range of a charge.