Future of Battery Assurance Plus?

1927 Views 3 Replies 3 Participants Last post by hurricanes, May 19, 2017

hurricanes

Discussion Starter · Mar 13, 2017

Rather than hijack an existing thread, I thought I'd start with a new one. I was speaking with Mercedes Benz Finance today; they are the folks that administer the SMART BAP plan. I mentioned I heard a rumor that the 2018 ED will no longer be covered by BAP. Without hesistation or surprise at the question (which tells me that she was familiar with what I was asking), she replied that it will not. I mentioned I heard a rumor that an 8 year warranty would be offered instead; she said she knew nothing about it (understandable as she runs BAP; she is not a salesman). I asked whether BAP would be discontinued for current ED owners. Again, no hesitation or surprise at the question and said she was unsure; that hadn't been decided yet.

None of this should be regarded as gospel. To my knowledge, nothing official has come out from headquarters, but the folks that run BAP probably have their ear closer to the ground regarding BAP than MB salesmen, used car salesmen or any of us.

If MB decides to kill off BAP for future ED models, it is logical they would also do so for existing ED models. Lots of administrative cost to run a program for just perhaps 4000 or so existing cases, not to mention the well mentioned difficulties they've encountered with resales. However, it just doesn't seem logical for them to abandon existing BAP owners; bad public relations could cost them millions in lost sales of high end MB cars. It would be more logical for them to offer an extended warranty to replace BAP at a reduced monthly price to current ED owners. Money lost in so doing is offset by administrative costs, repossession costs, cost of lawyers to chase down wayward ED owners, better public relations, improved resale prices of off-lease ED, etc.

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svaraman

· #2 · Mar 13, 2017

Thanks for posting this information. I expect that BAP will be discontinued sooner rather than later for the reason you cite. I just hope they do it before I get the $5010 discount I received paid up.

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Woody14619

· #3 · May 19, 2017

I'd be shocked if they discontinued BAP. It's a rather strict contract on their side. On the customer side, you can exit as you please, at the cost of the $5K discount. (And yes, per my previous conversations with BAP folks, that's right up to year 9, day 364, no pro-rate.)

My be will be they'll offer a cost-free exit to BAP owners, since we're all still below the $5K limit still. Think is, being the first BAP activation in the US, I'm right near that cusp, and would debate holding them to it. I plan on having my EV for at least another 6 years (my 2008 ICE just turned 9), and I don't think the battery has another 6 years in it.

And really... another $5K is a lot cheaper than what they're still quoting for the battery. Yet alone the labor of replacement (which per another thread would run over $5K on it's own...)

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hurricanes

Discussion Starter · #4 · May 19, 2017

Woody14619 said:
I don't think the battery has another 6 years in it.

This caught my eye Woody; is there a reason you question the longevity of your battery? As one of the earliest adopters, perhaps you are seeing something that would interest all of us?

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