I think it is great that Tesla is doing this and I wish that other, lower base cost, manufacturers would do the same. Everyone is different and has different driving needs. So let the consumer decide how much battery they each need. I think the adoption of EVs would happen a lot faster if we didn't need to spend all our time talking about the range limitations of 100 miles.

Another thing to take into account is that what a cycle does to a battery pack in terms of life reduction is a function of how deep that cycle is compared to the total capacity of the pack. So people who invest in larger packs are going to see their packs last longer, given the same driving cycle. This may allow more people than you might think to invest in a bigger pack. There is a penalty in terms of greater energy consumption to drive, but there is also a benefit in greater battery life. And possibly the elimination of a whole other ICE car.

Naturally these issues will eventually go away as batteries get better. But for now they are important.

I think a pertinent question to ask oneself when considering the options is at what additional range can you justify selling off the ICE car. If it costs 10 grand more for the extra range but you can get rid of a car because of the extra range then the extra dough is certainly worth it. Even if that second car doesn't cost too much to keep around there are still quality of life benefits in getting rid of an extra car, especially for those in this price bracket.

I still think most people who opt for maximum range will find they really didn't need it if they care to look at actual daily usage.

@ Londo - If a particular person thinks that $10k is too much for an additional 100 miles then they don't have to buy it. Offering it as an option doesn't hurt anyone. It just allows each person to evaluate their needs and their budget and make their own decisions.

And the graduations don't need to be that steep. If there was a $5k option for the LEAF to go 150 miles I bet that would be a pretty popular option.

It would open the LEAF up to many whose commutes are just a bit too long.

@ Steven - Each of the cells in a modern EV is wired to circuitboards that monitor each cell and adjust the current during charging to try to bring up the lower performing cells. In other words, the car is designed to have a certain number of cells. It is not simple to add more even if there is space available. Any cells need to be "engineered in" to the car.

As your pack looses performance over time that loss can either be due to the overall pack declining or due to one to a few cells declining sooner than the rest. I think as early as we are in the production of EVs this loss in the performance in a small number of cells may be common after a few years. The LEAF is designed for quick evaluation and swaping of bad cells at the Nissan dealer. So look for that in a few years if the performance declines. You may be able to get it back up.

The good news is that all that I have seen out there on battery performance of LEAF packs is that they seem to be aging pretty well. These packs may beat expectations.

@Londo Bell "Tesla is a semi-luxury brand"

Haha. Musk won't be pleased !

Tesla is definitely a luxury brand. Not a "near luxury" brand like Infiniti or Acuar. Tesla is aiming straight at luxry cars like BMW 6 series (for S) and X6/Porsche Cayenne (for X).

From reading the Tesla forums - there are two types of people buying Tesla. Ones who are in the 1%. Others who can't really afford a 60k car, but still are streatching. The 1% people are all going for the 85kWh model and a lot of them even for the Signature & performance ones that can cost almost $100k. The non-1 percenters who are buying above what they normally spend on cars are caught in a bind (like me). We want to buy the base model - but the base model is severely handcapped. It doesn't support quick charge. I want an upgrade from Leaf, not a downgrade.

Coming back to the range question, my next car will have more range than Leaf's 73 EPA miles. I need more range in winter. I'm willing to pay upto $10K for 50 or more miles (+ getting a more "near luxury" car) i.e. spend a couple of hundred more per month on lease.

If I remember correctly, the Nissan Esflow was touted to have a range of 150 miles using Leaf technology, and, reportedly, at a similar price point as the Leaf. Does anyone think this car is anything more than vaporware? And if it is produced, will the composites of the concept be retained, crucial for light weight (and greater range), or will it be built to a price point at the cost of range?

Depends on how much range you need, how much you want, and how much you can afford. It's a great idea to offer customers the option. One thing should become clear though: The law of diminishing returns kicks in when it comes to more and more range in an EV. Making up some numbers here: The base range might cover 90% of your driving needs, you pay 10k more to cover another 6% of your needs, you pay 10k more to cover another 3% of your needs. Regardless, having more range is more about convenience and piece of mind.

@alt-e · "The last I heard was that Nissan is still working on what the next model will be, the Esflow or something else. ..."

Actually, Nissan hasn't decided what their 4th EV will be.
- Leaf
- e-NV commercial van
- Infiniti EV
- ?

http://www.plugincars.com/tokyo-nissan-weighs-three-choices-next-electri...

"Mark reminded me that Nissan has committed to making and selling four distinct all-electric models, and three of the slots are taken—by the LEAF compact; an upcoming Infiniti mid-size EV; and a small commercial delivery truck."