Man puts a new battery in his 2016 Nissan LEAF and is left blown away by the new range it gives the 10-year-old EV
Published on Aug 28, 2026 at 7:54 PM (UTC+4)
by Alessandro Renesis
Last updated on Aug 28, 2026 at 7:54 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Alessandro Renesis
Instead of selling his old 2016 Nissan LEAF, this YouTuber decided to change the battery to breathe new life into it.
He did it by myself, which saved him some money, even though the price of the new battery pack was already pretty hefty to begin with.
Not only that, he actually replaced the old battery with a bigger one.
But it was worth it because the result speaks for itself.
The new battery is twice the size of the original
YouTuber MahlerCapital decided to invest a significant chunk of change – a hair under $8,000 – on a new battery for his Nissan Leaf.
He replaced the old, degraded 30 kWh battery with a new 62 kWh one from a company called VIVNE.
The original system lacked thermal management, leading to significant degradation over time, precisely due to shifts in temperature and weather.
The creator said that the real-world range had dropped to about 60 km in cold weather.
That’s less than 40 miles, so that is basically nothing.
The Leaf isn’t exactly a continent crusher, but it’s still supposed to be more than a city car.
It is supposed, in theory, to be good enough for Sunday road trips and, with a 40-mile range, you can’t do that.
Replacing the battery wasn’t easy, but the result was incredible.
His Nissan Leaf is now basically as good as new, in fact even better than new
The installation process was long and complicated.
It involved disconnecting the 12V battery, removing the service plug, and carefully extracting the old pack.
Also, since the new 62 kWh pack was physically taller due to higher cell density, the kit included spacers and longer bolts to maintain the car’s structural integrity.
But when he finally completed the job and started the car, the result was magnificant.
The dashboard indicated 260 km (around 160 miles) of range at only 44 percent charge.
After six months of use, he was consistently achieveing over 400 km (250 miles) of real-world range.
Not bad for a DIY job.
It’s a reminder that when you’re willing to put the time, effort and money into a project like this, even a 10-year-old EV can deliver surprisingly impressive results.
Alessandro is an automotive journalist with 10 years of experience covering supercars, automotive history, emerging vehicle technology, and luxury transportation. He wrote the first article published on SupercarBlondie.com when the website launched in 2022 and has since built a reputation for insightful reporting across the automotive and transportation industries. His expertise is grounded in hands-on experience. Alessandro has driven every Tesla model ever produced, from the original Roadster to the Cybertruck, and regularly covers the latest developments in electric vehicles and automotive innovation. His passion for transportation extends beyond cars, he has even flown a Boeing 787 Dreamliner simulator in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. His reporting spans everything from classic American muscle cars and rare automotive discoveries to luxury yachts, private aircraft, high-end watches, and cutting-edge vehicle technology. Known for his deep knowledge of automotive history and ability to uncover the stories behind iconic vehicles, Alessandro brings readers a blend of historical context, technical expertise, and first-hand experience.
