Nissan UK is stripping key functionality from some of its earliest electric vehicles, with several convenience features being turned off from April 1st. The controversial move has owners up in arms, with some claiming that the company is prematurely dumping the first adopters of electric cars.
The affected models include Nissan Leaf and Nissan e-NV200 models produced before 2016. The convenience features in question include the ability to remotely pre-heat the vehicles in the winter months or cool them in advance in the summer via the car’s companion phone app. Additionally, the ability to set charging schedules via a smartphone will also be discontinued — a critical feature that allows owners to take advantage of off-peak charging rates when demand on the grid is at its lowest.
In a statement to the BBC, Nissan said: “The NissanConnect EV app currently linked to Nissan Leaf and e-NV200 vehicles produced up until 2016 will shut down from April 1st 2024 in preparation of the 2G technology sunset.”
Related: 2026 Nissan Leaf To Be Reborn As A Sleek SUV With Concept Styling
The affected vehicles communicate via the app with a 2G network connection. While the UK’s telecommunications companies plan to turn off 2G networks, they won’t do so until the end of the decade, raising questions as to why Nissan has decided to end support so early.
Owners can still set a climate control timer or charging timer, but this must be done via the car’s infotainment system.
Users have also complained about being caught off guard with the announcement’s minimal warning. Owners of affected cars started getting emails earlier this month, with the shutdown coming into place roughly 30 days later. There appears to be no option from Nissan to upgrade the hardware either.
For those who use the features regularly or even bought their cars dependent on these convenience features, it’s no doubt disappointing. But is this the future of EV (and other connected vehicle) tech? Are cars becoming like phones, where when OTA updates cease, features become obsolete?
