NISSAN 2012 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.
. Avoid sustained high battery temperatures
(caused, for example, by exposure to very
high ambient temperatures or extending
highway driving with multiple quick
charges).
. 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 sustained high battery state of charge
(caused, for example, by frequently charging
to 100% state of charge and/or leaving the
battery above 80% state of charge for long
periods of time).
. 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 the vehicle will not be used for an
extended period of time, charge the Li-ion
battery using the long life mode once every
3 months. Do not operate the charging timer
repeatedly while the charge connector is
connected to the vehicle after the Li-ion
battery charging is completed. Doing so may
discharge the 12-volt battery.
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.
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