There was an interesting article on the gm-volt site recently about the Nissan battery pack and the thermal management (or lack thereof). It can be found at
http://gm-volt.com/2010/01/28/...ystem/
Nissan's approach to thermal management (that is not allowing the battery to get too cold or too warm) appears to be to pass cabin air around the battery while the car is in operation. Presumably heat is being used when conditions would be too cold for the battery and air conditioning is being used when conditions would be too hot. The position of the gm-volt site appears to be that this is potentially a poor choice.
However, as some readers at that site have pointed out, this may be a good strategic choice. By leasing the battery Nissan can leave open the ability to replace the 1st generation battery pack with newer technology that will undoubtedly require less space and weight for the same or more power. This may allow them to improve their thermal management but still fit the new packs with these improvements in the same space.
For myself, I'll be looking at the Leaf, the Volt, and any other options as they become available. I'll likely be an early adopter. One of the key factors in any purchase decision will be TOTAL cost of ownership:- The cost of the vehicle- Minus government rebates.- Plus the cost of leasing the battery (if any)- and here's an important one that some miss - Plus the cost of maintenance which I expect to be much less than an ICE vehicle- Plus the cost of "fuel."
I just hope electrical vehicles make it to my market (central NY state) reasonably soon after initial rollout to selected markets.