One of the things that age the battery more quickly is heat. Nissan Leaf owners in Arizona are complaining of a 10% loss in battery capacity after a year. Battery testing has shown that lithium batteries when exposed to temperature above 90F showed premature deterioration. The Leaf has forced air cooling, while the Focus Electric has a liquid cooling system for the batteries. The Leaf and Focus also have different battery chemistry. A study also showed that liquid cooling did a better job of protecting the battery from heat.
To decrease battery aging you should do following for hot climates.
1. Vehicle should be a light color like white, or silver.
2. Park the vehicle in the shade during the hottest part of the day. 10AM - 4PM
3. When parking in a parking structure park on the basement level.
4. Recharge at night when temperature are cooler.
5. Don’t park in a building were temperature can be elevated inside from the sun.
In cold climates it’s best to garage the vehicle to help protect it from the cold.
http://green.autoblog.com/2012/10/10/nissan-andy-palmer-leaf-battery-degradation-crisis-video/
http://www.technologyreview.com/view/429282/are-air-cooled-batteries-hurting-nissan-leaf-range/
To decrease battery aging you should do following for hot climates.
1. Vehicle should be a light color like white, or silver.
2. Park the vehicle in the shade during the hottest part of the day. 10AM - 4PM
3. When parking in a parking structure park on the basement level.
4. Recharge at night when temperature are cooler.
5. Don’t park in a building were temperature can be elevated inside from the sun.
In cold climates it’s best to garage the vehicle to help protect it from the cold.
http://green.autoblog.com/2012/10/10/nissan-andy-palmer-leaf-battery-degradation-crisis-video/
http://www.technologyreview.com/view/429282/are-air-cooled-batteries-hurting-nissan-leaf-range/