What is inside the Nissan Leaf ZE1 battery pack
The Nissan Leaf ZE1 carries a 40 kWh pack built from LMO / LMO-NMC Pouch cells arranged in 24 serviceable modules at a nominal 350 V. Pack mass lands near 324 kg including the enclosure, cooling plate, contactors and BMS harness.
Because the cells are LMO Pouch, the recoverable value profile is dominated by nickel and cobalt, with lithium and copper adding a meaningful second tranche. That decides whether a retired pack is worth repurposing, refining, or both.
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Chemistry | LMO / LMO-NMC Pouch |
| Cell format | Laminated pouch |
| Energy / voltage | 40 kWh · 350 V |
| Modules | 24 |
| Estimated pack mass | 324 kg |
| On sale since | 2018 (Global) |
Step 1 — Removing and shipping a passenger pack
Packs are dropped on a vehicle lift using the OEM procedure and a rated battery table, then isolated at the service disconnect. Retired packs are UN 3480 or UN 3481 dangerous goods, so the pack must be below 30% state of charge and any deformation, swelling or thermal history declared before pickup.
One pack per UN-rated pallet box, strapped and restrained, with terminals capped and coolant ports sealed. Dealer and workshop returns are consolidated into full truckloads, typically eight or more packs per run.
- Pull the service disconnect and record pack voltage
- Drain or cap coolant lines before lifting
- Photograph the pack casing and any impact damage
- Keep the VIN and pack serial together on the manifest
Step 2 — Module-level state of health grading
Each of the 24 modules is tested independently — a whole-pack SOH figure hides the spread that decides second-life eligibility. We run a full capacity cycle, DC internal resistance measurement and impedance spectroscopy.
Our degradation model for the Nissan Leaf ZE1 shows how value falls with age. Measured results replace these estimates once the pack is on the bench.
| Service year | Modelled SOH | Grade | Residual value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year 2 | 95.4% | A — BESS ready | USD 1,450 |
| Year 4 | 91.1% | A — BESS ready | USD 1,394 |
| Year 6 | 86.8% | A — BESS ready | USD 1,339 |
| Year 8 | 82.5% | B — Second life | USD 1,223 |
| Year 10 | 78.2% | B — Second life | USD 1,132 |
Step 3 — What you actually recover
For modules routed to refining, a pack of this size and chemistry typically yields about 5.3 kg lithium, 11.4 kg nickel, 1.6 kg cobalt and 21.0 kg copper.
At 80% SOH our model sends about 47% of the pack to second life, worth USD 620, and credits USD 547 for the remainder as black mass. Avoided emissions come to roughly 1,815 kg CO2.
Field note
Step 4 — Where to send it and what paperwork you get
Nissan Leaf ZE1 packs are received directly at 7 intake sites in its markets, including Detroit, Michigan, Dallas, Texas, Toronto, Ontario, Monterrey, Nuevo Leon. From there, modules move to the nearest grading bench and refinery.
Every consignment closes with a certificate showing quantity processed, recovery percentages achieved and downstream vendor disclosure, in the form used for EU and US producer-responsibility reporting. Fleets retiring several Nissan Leaf ZE1 units should book one consolidated pickup to cut per-pack cost.