Newbie questions - phone app connect issue, charging station

I bought a 2015 Nissan Leaf S model couple weeks ago. Finally I am getting to check out all the features that I have (or don't have). Couple things that I can't seem to find the answer to and hoping this group can help:

1. I downloaded the leaf app on my iphone 6 but can't seem to log in connect to my car. I have already created an online account and added my car to that profile. Is that feature available only SV and SL models that come with navigation or am I missing something completely?
2. How do I know what type of charger is it when I go to public places.. specially I want to find out quick charge locations and how do I know if it is quick charge?
3. Is anyone from DFW area on this forum? If yes, do you know of any charging stations by DFW airport (other than $25 / day valet parking) where I can park the car and get a shuttle to the terminal?

Thank you all in advance and love the car so far!!

Jay

1. The Leaf app requires a working CarWings subscription and the Leaf S does not have CarWings capability. Unless Nissan does something about it, everybody's (in the US) CarWings capability will cease when AT&T shuts off 2G service, expected to happen at the end of 2016.

2. Almost every public L2 (208-240 volt) charging station has a J1772 handle which is what is compatible with recent EV's. There are a few legacy paddle chargers and AVCON units still working out there but they are rare. Leafs with the Quick Charge port use something called CHAdeMO; other Quick Charge ports found in the US but not compatible with the Leaf are the CCS plug (looks like a J1772 plug with two extra pins at the bottom) and the Tesla SuperCharger. PlugShare.com is your friend here and you can go into the settings to limit it to the kind of charging stations you want and eliminate ones that won't work with the Leaf.

3. There are some DFWers here.

sa02000 said:

I bought a 2015 Nissan Leaf S model couple weeks ago. Finally I am getting to check out all the features that I have (or don't have). Couple things that I can't seem to find the answer to and hoping this group can help:

1. I downloaded the leaf app on my iphone 6 but can't seem to log in connect to my car. I have already created an online account and added my car to that profile. Is that feature available only SV and SL models that come with navigation or am I missing something completely?
2. How do I know what type of charger is it when I go to public places.. specially I want to find out quick charge locations and how do I know if it is quick charge?
3. Is anyone from DFW area on this forum? If yes, do you know of any charging stations by DFW airport (other than $25 / day valet parking) where I can park the car and get a shuttle to the terminal?

Thank you all in advance and love the car so far!!

Jay

Click to expand...

1. No connectivity for S models. No BT audio streaming, either.

2. Plugshare.com will identify what type of equipment is available at each charging location.

3. One member maintains a website for all DFW charging locations, found here: https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=zzEcTSkHiFIA.kjEPjfjccASE
It shows that Park N' Fly North has Level 2 equipment. You probably wouldn't want to hook up the whole time you're gone - $1.00 - $1.50/hr. - but maybe they will move your car for you when you're fully charged.

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This page is a recap of various public charging options in DFW Metroplex. The cited map in previous posts has some out of date entries. You will see that DFW is a patchwork of Public options: Blink, NVReGo, ChargePoint, SemaConnect, GE, TXU, Nissan dealers. I exclude the Tesla stations. Each one has separate access procedures with separate cards and fobs. Get started immediately on requesting via the various links on the web page. It took me five weeks to get all of them. That little clip on your visor becomes a good place to store items that are not fibs on your key chain.

None of the DFW airport parking services and businesses have chargers except that DFW Airport valet you cited. A number of stations surround the airport, but none allow for leaving car. I doubt anyone will allow you to just hook up your car and leave for more than a few hours. I expect the DFW service is more for people dropping off or picking up, not long term.

DFW is a great place for an EV. Two things to note:
- Metroplex creates its own hills with the numerous bridges and elevated roads. I think we have more elevated roads than any other city. Those on freeways eat charge and you do not get it back on short regen on other side. Blasting through something like the High Five takes a lot of kWh.
- going south to north in Metroplex is almost always a long uphill trip. What seems like a gentle slope requires almost 3 buttons on your dash meter, no coasting. It is great going north to south. Consequently reserve limited access travel to going south. Stay on city streets for going north, if possible.
- Metroplex is not a nice place to do driving. Typical commute will have you burning charge to stay alive in frequent situations. These CA owners seem to have situations that offer long periods of coasting. Not going to happen in Dallas except at 2AM, if you avoid the drunks that are 50% of drivers at that time in Dallas.

mjblazin said:

None of the DFW airport parking services and businesses have chargers except that DFW Airport valet you cited. A number of stations surround the airport, but none allow for leaving car. I doubt anyone will allow you to just hook up your car and leave for more than a few hours. I expect the DFW service is more for people dropping off or picking up, not long term.

Click to expand...

The NRG/eVgo website (linked from your page) shows:

Park N Fly (Parking lot fee)
800 Royal Lane, Coppell, TX, 75019
Available only to Park ‘N Fly customers who subscribe to eVgo. Additional parking fees may apply.

1. I have no problem using bluetooth on my S model. No, carwings doesn't work, but my bluetooth works fine. Perhaps this is just due to the fact that I'm plugging the phone in via USB?
2. Like they said, use plugshare and select the type of plug.

tkdbrusco said:

I have no problem using bluetooth on my S model. No, carwings doesn't work, but my bluetooth works fine. Perhaps this is just due to the fact that I'm plugging the phone in via USB?

Click to expand...

All Leafs have Bluetooth phone connectivity, but the Leaf S lacks Bluetooth audio streaming. If you're referring to billg's post, the "connectivity" he's referring to is CarWings.

billg said:

mjblazin said:

None of the DFW airport parking services and businesses have chargers except that DFW Airport valet you cited. A number of stations surround the airport, but none allow for leaving car. I doubt anyone will allow you to just hook up your car and leave for more than a few hours. I expect the DFW service is more for people dropping off or picking up, not long term.

Click to expand...

The NRG/eVgo website (linked from your page) shows:

Park N Fly (Parking lot fee)
800 Royal Lane, Coppell, TX, 75019
Available only to Park ‘N Fly customers who subscribe to eVgo. Additional parking fees may apply.

Click to expand...

My search on NRG site did not show it, but the Park N Fly page for that site does indicate a charging station. Maybe they switched providers or created an independent.

mjblazin said:

My search on NRG site did not show it, but the Park N Fly page for that site does indicate a charging station. Maybe they switched providers or created an independent.

Click to expand...

I will check query again. Mine came up with blocks of stations, but same input parameters. Must be operator error of some kind. Maybe I have a filter set in profile.

mjblazin said:

I will check query again. Mine came up with blocks of stations, but same input parameters. Must be operator error of some kind. Maybe I have a filter set in profile.

Click to expand...

Curiously, it doesn't show up unless you restrict "Charger Type" to Level 2.

I have unsuccessfully used the charger at Park 'n Fly 3 separate times with two different EVs. I have a keyfob that works, but I'm not an evgo subscriber. Charging starts, I leave for my trip, and return (even if the plug is still in the car) with no additional battery power. :evil:

aarond12 said:

I have unsuccessfully used the charger at Park 'n Fly 3 separate times with two different EVs. I have a keyfob that works, but I'm not an evgo subscriber. Charging starts, I leave for my trip, and return (even if the plug is still in the car) with no additional battery power. :evil:

Click to expand...

So, are you going to keep trying, even though the eVgo website says you have to be a subscriber for it to work? :?

Maybe you're lucky that it didn't work. It probably would have charged you $1.00/hr the whole time you were plugged in. Did you ask an attendant about moving your car after some period of time, say 4-5 hours?

Those parking employees do not impress as the sharpest tools in the shed. They make minimum wage, probably no benefits and are solely responsible for getting people on and off the shuttles. They have literally hundreds of cars on the lot. Making them responsible for removing the plug seems a high risk assignment.

I did notice, having used multiple public charging stations, that the meter starts when the plug goes on, not when I click the timer off. It looks like one of those situations that when you screw up, you kick yourself for being stupid.