Quick Charge Ports - add later

[garygid]

Where did you find a Nissan statement about
changing an existing QC-Port to an SAE-L3?

 

[surfingslovak]

Where did you find a Nissan statement about
changing an existing QC-Port to an SAE-L3?

Gary, I remember reading or hearing this somewhere. All I could find on a short notice is a quote from Mark Perry, but this only covers the charger, not the vehicle.

“A Chademo charger could conceivably be reconfigured as an SAE charger,” said Mark Perry, product planning director at Nissan North America. “It could even have both plugs to accommodate all electric vehicles.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/28/automobiles/electric-car-makers-quest-one-plug-to-charge-them-all.html?pagewanted=all" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

 

[Vlad]

One atypical case in no way invalidates your points, but it is a curious exception.

Ray

Ray,

I'm glad you will have a QC that you'll be able to use. I'd rather be wrong than right with my predictions

Vlad

 

[garygid]

One working QC near 91 and 55 (or 91 and I-15) would allow me
to take the LEAF comfortably to see my surgeon in Riverside.

 

[essaunders]

If it is (even theoretically) possible to add a QC port, will it be (theoretically) possible to change said port to the SAE standard if it wins out over CHAdeMO?

I believe that Nissan stated that they will offer this retrofit if the SAE standard gets adopted, and presumably it would be just a software update (if needed), a new port and changes to the wiring harness.

The docs I signed at purchase clearly stated that Nissan couldn't assure me that chademo would be standard and that risk was mine. I'll have to go dig out the paperwork if anyone wants a direct quote.

 

[planet4ever]

Here is what I signed:

Nissan is encouraging the development of public charging infrastructure and compatibility between public charging stations and vehicle charging ports but we cannot ensure this will occur. DC Fast Charge or Quick Charge is being developed by others commercially and if available will provide a 440V charge. Nissan cannot assure you that public charging stations will be available in locations where you operate the vehicle, nor can Nissan predict the period of time it may take for public charging infrastructure to be developed. A 2011 LEAF equipped with a Quick Charge port will be compatible with most, if not all, CHAdeMo (Japanese industry standard) connectors on the charging stations. Charging stations using this industry standard connector will be UL certified and safe to use in the US. While supported by Nissan, this connector may not become the US SAE standard. If you attempt to charge from a non-compatible charging station you may not receive a complete charge or may not be able to charge at all due to hardware and software differences.

Ray

 

[Deleted member 3147]

In addition, there have been photos/drawings in the forum of the proposed SAE connector which is a J1772 with an extra section of connectors below. It looks like Nissan would need to turn the whole connector 90 degrees to fit it under the charging cover.

I'm very doubtful on a retrofit.

 

[EVDrive]

I think the reality of using a 440v QC in the next few years is super high given the fact Nissan is selling them now for under 10k and just annoumced plans to sell 2k in the us in the next 2 years. Not getting the QC port is a huge mistake. 6 -7 hours vs ~30 minutes to fully charge is no joke. We are even getting them at my place of work soon. Buy Leafs' with the QC port and the infrastructure will come.

I am going to be so happy when I can go from the SF Bay to Tahoe a few times a year in my Leaf with no gas. We are almost there.

Yes - the story was that if you order without the QC, you can't add it later.

So - my impression is that the vast majority of at least the initial wave of purchasers ended up buying a Leaf with the QC port. Of all of those people, I'd bet less then two handfuls have actually used the QC to date.

While it seems like a must have item - the chance of actually being where you can use it regularly in the next couple of years is pretty small...

I'd base my decision not on some perceived resale value, or some hope of what might be - but rather on what QC's are already installed where you can use them, and what has been announced and funded that you can use.

 

[Ingineer]

The on-board charger controls the CHAdeMO charger directly, it uses information sent out by the battery ECU to regulate the charging session, whether J1772 or CHAdeMO. It appears that they use the same charger on both versions of the Leaf, so that would not need to be changed.

As others have postulated, yes, you can retrofit a QC port, but it is in the multi-kilobuck range, and is labor intensive.

Personally, I would advise spending the extra $ now on a QC, whether or not you can get the EV Project rebate. There's also a good chance that I may be offering an affordable medium charge rate QC in the future. (don't ask when though!) It would be usable at home (in most cases) and could top off your leaf in under a few hours.

-Phil

 

[edatoakrun]

...Personally, I would advise spending the extra $ now on a QC, whether or not you can get the EV Project rebate...

-Phil

Agreed. Think about both how lacking a DC port will limit your own use, or the resale value of your LEAF, if DC is widely available in the future.

...There's also a good chance that I may be offering an affordable medium charge rate QC in the future. (don't ask when though!) It would be usable at home (in most cases) and could top off your leaf in under a few hours.
-Phil

Good luck. IMO, there will be a huge market for a low-cost public DC that can be installed (also at low cost) pretty much everywhere there is sufficient capacity in the existing 240V service.