Using 2011 120V leaf trickle charger with 2013 Leaf

I just bought 2013 used nissan leaf SV and am super excited.

Unfortunately, the car did not come with 120v charging cable and am looking for some options now. Wanted to get some recommendations from experts I am very novice and amount of information out there is overwhelming. I have tried to research and understand different concepts as much as I can before coming here, but apologies in advance if there are any dumb questions. And thank you for your time in advance!

Background:
SV I got has quick charge package. My daily commute is going to be around 40 miles round trip. I have another regular car also as backup, and my work has CHAdeMO charging option. My garage has 15 AMPs breaker "without" any heavy equipment (i.e. washer/dryer, refrigerator, garage door, heater, AC, etc.) attached to circuit - just has some power outlets and couple of tube lights. I do not run any power hungry tools also in garage. There seems to be separate 240 V plug behind the dryer on separate circuit breaker with 30 AMPs, which seems to be unused too as the new dryer is running on gas - I cannot see clearly right now as it's behind extremely heavy washer / dryer in a hard to see corner, and whole setup is from previous owner. But either way, there seems to be some potential for moving/upgrading that circuit for level 2 charging, but I will need to do some work (may be move the plug somewhere accessible, etc.). With my current budget, I do not want to spend any extra money then necessary - of course, safety is non-compromisable. My current thinking is I will start with level 1 charging at home given my requirements.

Questions:
- I looked around for Nissan OEM level 1 charging cable. From dealers, they are $500+. I am able to see some used ones from craigslist for $200-300 dollars from people who have purchased level 2 EVSEs. My question is, do all Nissan OEM level 1 charging cables work with all models of Nissan leaf? Or do I have to be careful here? For example, this one guy is selling his 2011 Nissan leaf level 1 charge cable, which I was thinking about getting.

- Any other cheaper options out there for level 1 charging cable? I really could not find anything by looking around at different places.

- Now if I am going to shell out $300 or so for level 1 charging, I was wondering if I can just spend bit more and get something that will be more future proof. I could not clearly find any options that support both 120V and 240V, and can ***also*** work with standard 120V NEMA 5-15 outlet? And also support 240 V outlet in the future in case I decide to upgrade? This way I do not have to get any work done from electrician now, but can make investment in something that will be usable in the future.

Any suggestions would be welcome. Once again, thanks for your help.

I would consider this:
http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=42&t=22372#p467280

They are working on group buy for $249.

And use the 240V dryer outlet.

It has 25 foot EVSE cord.
Depending on plug and vehicle location might be able to use the dryer plug without moving receptacle.

There are dual voltage options.
See evseupgrade.com which has a couple.
But both are $650.
Possible you might find some on craigslist, ebay, amazon, etc.

But in general 120V is poor choice due to speed and safety.

Your 2013 SV has 6 kW charger.
Best to have 240V EVSE that can do that in case you need the speed sometime.
120V has had some safety problems.
See http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=27&t=15784&hilit=fire&sid=4debcdeec268fe72bd5836ffa4b0532e#p352567 about potential risks.

If you can find a good L-1 EVSE of any year (although some early ones weren't asreliable) and can just plug it directly into that garage outlet and leave it, that should work fine. Most of the danger from L-1 charging comes from worn outlet sockets, bad outlet wiring, and underrated extension cords. I've been charging on L-1 at home now, mostly with an outdoor-rated Clipper Creek L-1 station, for three years.

Hello, congratulations on your new purchase. I have my Leaf for almost 2 years (bought new). I went through your experience, so I understand the issues.

Your 40 mile daily trip is covered if you get a 120 volt evse. It will charge back to 100% with about 8-10 hours of charging before the morning. Consider that you will charge about 5 miles of range (or 5% capacity) per hour with the standard Nissan level 1 charger. DO NOT buy a level 1 charger of ANY OTHER BRAND. There is no reason to, and if you later decide to sell it, the Nissan one will be worth a lot more. This charger uses 12 amps out of 15 of your regular garage line, which will not be a problem.... PS - Ive seen them on ebay for $2-300.

I think it is A MUST to get the 240v level 2 chargers when you have a chance to have it done or have the money. The level 2 charger charges at 6x the speed as the 120v evse (or about 30 miles of range per hour!). So, you can use the car to go to work (40 miles), come home, and charge for a little over an hour, and then be back at 100% for you to go anywhere for the evening....

Since you have a 240 line available already (30 amps) you can easily use this line for a Level 2 charger. You need to get a level 2 charger that is of 30 AMPS (and 6.6kw/h) rating. This is the maximum charging capacity of your car, so anything less is wasting the capacity of your new car. HOWEVER, what you need to do is have an electrician or handy person change the 240v breaker from 30 amps to 40 amps. This is an easy swap of a breaker in the electrical box, with no additional wiring. The reason for this is that most evses (mine included) require a 40 amp breaker for their 30 amp evse. I would imagine this is so that an initial powersurge (chuckle) when you plug in the car does not trip the breaker. When you have the 240 volt evse working, put away the 120v volt in a safe place at home, don't sell it, because you never know if your 240 line will have trouble, and you can later sell the car with the factory Level 1 charger. Good luck!

You can easily get a 30 amp ext cord and up to a 24 amp EVSE. As you have the outlet you won't need any additional labor.

powersurge said:

... This is an easy swap of a breaker in the electrical box, with no additional wiring. ...

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Depending on the gauge of the 240V cable the cable may also need to be replaced.

Phatcat73 said:

You can easily get a 30 amp ext cord and up to a 24 amp EVSE. As you have the outlet you won't need any additional labor.

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OK if the gauge of the 240V extension cord is sufficient AND if the cord is out of the way like against a wall where it isn't a trip hazard and also won't be damaged.

I definitely recommend purchasing a portable L1 or combined L1/L2 EVSE to keep in the car. The Nissan-provided Panasonic unit is really intended for "emergency" or "opportunity" charging, so not being tempted to leave it at home is a good first step to having it when you need it.

While you can certainly purchase new/used Panasonic / NISSAN OEM L1 "trickle charge" unit, there are plenty of other options thanks to the J-1772 EV charge connector standard. AeroVironment makes a combined 120V/220V portable unit. If you are into DIY electronics assembly, there are also options from OpenEVSE.

All any of these EVSE's do (including the OEM trickle cable) is provide some safety features such as GFCI, advertise via a simple low-voltage signal to the car how much current (amps) is available for it to use if it so chooses, and a safe and orderly startup and shutdown of the AC power to the J-1772 cord end that plugs into the front of your LEAF. Additionally, the newer portable Panasonic / NISSAN units have a temperature sensor molded into the 120V AC plug for additional safety.

You could get that 30A dryer outlet inspected for safety and appropriate wiring, and if deemed to be up to snuff, use it as-is with an L2 EVSE configured to advertise 24A of available power (80% of 30A for continuous load). That's not much slower than the max 28.5A the LEAF will draw from a 30A+ EVSE, and certainly much faster than the 120V L1 unit.

Congrats on your new ride!

Before settling on a 24 amp evse, have an electrician check your set-up to see if your wiring can handle a 30 amp evse and 40 amp breaker... That is a cheap way to be sure, and it may only cost you only $20 for the 40amp breaker... Otherwise, you will be kicking yourself every time you plug in your car that... "I should have gotten the 30 amp charger/ evse".

DO NOT buy a level 1 charger of ANY OTHER BRAND.

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If you can find a Clipper Creek outdoor rated L-1 station, this is a better unit than the OEM, and will hold a $200 resale value. Messing with a portable EVSE gets old really fast.

I own a Ebusbar EVSE that does both L1 and L2 at 16a. The problem is you need a 20a circuit for either and it sounds like you may only have a 15a@120v which would not work with the Eubsbar, although it would work on your 30a dryer circuit.
No in your case I'd do as some others have suggested, purchase either a used OEM Leaf EVSE and at some time have it upgraded to L2 by Phil at EVSEupgrade or purchase a already upgraded one by Phil.
The reason I think that would be your best option is it will draw a max of 12a @ 120v(can be set as low as 6a) and will charge at a max of 20a @ 240v, which won't max out your 30a circuit but will be close to it's maximum of 24a continuous. Phil also sells various outlet adapters for converting from the upgraded units L6-30p (plug) to either a standard 120v plug to whatever dryer plug you have.
Another option might be a OpenEVSE from someone like VegasBrad. They start around $400 and do both 120v as well as 240v as various amperages up to 30+(you set the maximum output). Brad also sells almost every plug you'd need to convert his EVSE to other outlets. I don't personally have one but do have a JuiceBox which I believe is similar to the models he sells and I really like it's flexibility. If I can talk myself into purchasing a 4th EVSE I'd probably get one of the nicer models Brad sells, around $500 I believe, looks like a real nice unit.

Personally I'm not fond of the TurboCord models as I feel they are a bit overpriced and most if not all ClipperCreek models are either L2 or L1, not both which you'd really need as you are missing your OEM Leaf EVSE.

^^^^^ Very good input.

Whether you need an L1 EVSE to carry around in the LEAF might be questionable depending on how far you plan to drive from home.

I've had 2011 LEAF five years and four months.
I have never had the L1 emergency / convenience EVSE in the LEAF.

Of course I've only made about four long trips.
A 180 mile roundtrip to Knoxville.
Two trips to Lafayette, GA.
One 100 mile trip to my aunt's funeral about 20 miles north of Cleveland, TN.
Have never needed the L1.

I do now have the non-adjustable current evseupgrade that a generous person on mynissanleaf.com swapped me at no cost other than shipping for the original when their lease ended.
That is now my backup if my L2 quits.
But unlikely I will use it on L1.