Nissan Kills Off Remote Functions For Early EVs, Could More Follow?

When the original Nissan Leaf was introduced in 2011, it was one of a tiny handful of mainstream electric cars available to UK buyers at the time. As a result, plenty of early EV adopters got hold of them, and those that still own them are now upset with Nissan, which has suddenly announced the car’s companion app will cease to function.

The app, called NissanConnect EV, allows owners of early Leafs and e-NV200 vans to remotely operate certain vehicle functions, including climate control and charging. It operates over the 2G mobile network, which the UK is preparing to switch off as newer, faster networks have superseded it over the years.

However, the network likely won’t become entirely inactive until the 2030s and most mobile providers plan to maintain support throughout the 2020s. Nissan, though, confirmed in a statement to BBC News that it would be dropping support a lot sooner: "The NissanConnect EV app currently linked to Nissan Leaf and e-NV200 vehicles produced up until 2016 will shut down from 1 April 2024 in preparation of the 2G technology sunset." The move will affect around 3000 Leafs and e-NV200s made before 2016.

Nissan’s decision has sparked concerns that, as outdated mobile networks get closer to retirement, other manufacturers could begin doing the same thing with their own companion apps, leaving more owners of older EVs unable to use certain core functions.

The original Leaf entered production in Japan in 2010, before production in the USA and Nissan’s Sunderland, UK plant began in 2013. At the time, Nissan was one of the only manufacturers to offer a full-size electric car on a bespoke platform, making it a hugely popular model with early adopters of electric power.

It’s many of these early adopters that are likely disappointed with Nissan’s choice to drop support of its app. The app not only allows for pre-heating or cooling of the car’s interior but also for owners to schedule charging routines to take advantage of off-peak electricity rates.

The Leaf itself is about to be retired, with reports suggesting that the second generation of the electric hatchback is ending its European production at Nissan’s Sunderland plant this week. The model will likely be succeeded by a small crossover, following the brand’s confirmation late last year that all its future European-market models would be 100 per cent electric.