NISSAN 2011 LEAF - Owner's Manual - Manual (Page 46)

. Release the accelerator pedal to slow down
and do not apply the brakes when traffic and
road conditions allow.
— This vehicle is equipped with a regen-
erative brake system. The primary pur-
pose of regenerative brake system is to
provide some power to recharge the Li-
ion battery and extend driving range. A
secondary benefit is “engine braking”
that operates based on Li-ion battery
conditions. In the D (Drive) position,
when the accelerator is released, the
regenerative brake system provides
some deceleration and some power to
the Li-ion battery.
LI-ION BATTERY LIFE
The Li-ion battery’s ability to hold a charge, like
all batteries, decreases with battery age and
usage which results in decreased vehicle range
when compared to the vehicle range when the
vehicle was new. This is normal and expected,
and does not indicate a malfunction of the
vehicle or Li-ion battery.
The Li-ion Battery’s ability to hold a charge can
be affected by how you drive the vehicle, store
the vehicle, how you charge the Li-ion battery
and Li-ion battery temperature during vehicle
operation and charging.
NISSAN recommends you use the following
driving and charging habits, where possible, to
help maximize the battery’s useful life:
. Avoid exposing a vehicle to ambient tem-
peratures above 120
8F (498C) for over 24
hours.
. Avoid storing a vehicle in temperatures
below
−138F (−258C) for over 7 days.
. Avoid leaving your vehicle for over 14 days
where the Li-ion battery available charge
gauge reaches a zero or near zero (state of
charge).
. Allow the vehicle and Li-ion battery to cool
down after use before charging.
. Park/store your vehicle in cool locations out
of direct sunlight and away from heat
sources.
. Use the normal charging or trickle charging
methods to charge the Li-ion battery and
minimize the use of public Fast Charge or
Quick Charger.
. Avoid exceeding 70-80% state of charge
when using frequent (more than once per
week) public Fast Charge or Quick Char-
ging.
. Allow the battery charge to be below at least
80% before charging.
. Moderate driving.
. Use of ECO mode.
. NISSAN recommends charging the bat-
teries using the long life mode unless the
vehicle is going to be driven a long distance.
See “Charging timer” in the “CH. Charging”
section.
. If vehicle will not be used for long period of
time:
— NISSAN recommends charging with
long life mode.
— Charge once every 3 months.
The power of the Li-ion battery can be
checked on the Li-ion battery available
charge gauge. See “Li-ion battery available
charge gauge” in the “2. Instruments and
controls” for details.
LI-ION BATTERY MAINTENANCE
In addition to the regular maintenance recom-
mended by NISSAN, the LEAF requires some
special Li-ion battery inspections.
. See the NISSAN Warranty Information
Booklet for significant limitations, exclusions
and possible voiding of your warranty
EV Overview EV-23