Hi and a few question :)

Hi,

About to buy a Nissan Leaf on Wednesday and have a few questions.

1: Mine is the 24kw version and a 2015 model but only comes with the 3.3kw charger. Do dealers or any uk company offer the supply and fitment of the 6.6kw charger?

2: I did want the 30kw version as it offers more range. I’ve seen a few companies offering aftermarket batteries for approximately £3600 and they are 30kw. Could I just fit that at some point in the future?

Any help really appreciated.

Matt

Short answer is No and No.

Longer answer, possibly yes but WAY too expensive to be reasonable.

Thanks for the reply.

Am I right I’m thinking that if I get a home charge point installed and it’s charging at 3.3kw it would take less than 8hrs from empty to full on the 24kw version? I could still fast charge it if I needed to on a larger run

Matt

The 3.3kw charger is fine for overnight charging. If the car has a fast charge port as well as the regular L-2 port, then it also has the 6.6kwh onboard charger. As noted above you can't upgrade the car after buying it, so make sure it's right for you.

Hi I’ve been told that all uk cars come with the fast charger but the 3.3kw was normal and the 6.6kw was an add on. They say “normal” is 3.3kw port and fast charger port?

mattprinceuk said:

Hi I’ve been told that all uk cars come with the fast charger but the 3.3kw was normal and the 6.6kw was an add on. They say “normal” is 3.3kw port and fast charger port?

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Hmm, Technically, the "charger" is built into the car, either 3.3kw or 6.6kw. The box you connect up the car to is called EVSE (Electric Vehicle Service Equipment). After a bit you will learn the terminology.

In common usage there 3 types of charging L1 (commonly called trickle charging, uses 110vAC in US using the "brick" charger that Nissan supplies with the car- takes about 24 hours from dead to full).

L2 charging is what most people use most of the time. L2 charging in the Leaf is either 3.3 or 6.6kw. Charge time varies depending on depending on the rating of the "charger" in the car. Yes 3.3 kw will charge the car in 8 hours, though likely to take a bit longer if the car battery is really near dead, since the last 10% or so of charging is purposely slowed down by the car computer to help protect the battery. Most people rarely run the battery below VLBW (Very Low Battery Warning= when the miles available on the dash is replaced by "---"). So it is fine to think that 8 hours will fully charge the battery.

L3 charging is what is meant on these forums when referred to as fast charging. Also called DCFC (Direct Current Fast Charging). This requires a special station, not available for home use, and charges the car with over 400 volts of high amperage direct current. On the Leaf you know you have that if there is a large (3inch or so) diameter charging port to the left of the smaller, regular charging port. It typically will charge the car to 80% in 20-30 min.

Now back to your question: in the US, I believe that all Leafs that have the DCFC port also have the 6.6kw charger, though I'm not 100% sure.

Yes, all North American Leaf S cars with a QC port also have the 6.6kwh onboard charger. I would be surprised if Europe were different. As noted above, it appears that the OP is confusing charging cable ratings with onboard charger ratings. If so, then all they need is an L-2 capable charging cable - which they should have anyway, as the UK uses, IIRC, either 220 or 240 volts.

I thought 2013 was the last year you could get a leaf limited to 3.3kw?

Battery capacity is measured in kWh, Charging rate (and that of the on-board charger) is measured in kW.

See http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?p=540845#p540845.

Oilpan4 said:

I thought 2013 was the last year you could get a leaf limited to 3.3kw?

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No.

You could get a 3.x kW OBC on US-market Leafs all the way thru model year '17. See Specs tab of https://nissannews.com/en-US/nissan/usa/presskits/us-2017-nissan-leaf-press-kit. Change the URL to point to earlier model years to see the specs on those.

I can't speak to markets outside the US.

Kind of defeats the purpose of getting one made after 2013.
Well if I buy another leaf I will look out for that. But I doubt that I would get one with out chademo.

Oilpan4 said:

Kind of defeats the purpose of getting one made after 2013.

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All US market '13 to '17 SV and SL come with 6.6 kW OBC. To get the 6.6 kW OBC on '13 to '17 US market S trims requires you get one equipped with the "charge package" that includes an upgrade to the 6.6 kW OBC and adds the CHAdeMO inlet.

(All '12 to '17 SL come with CHAdeMO inlet.)

I just fixed an mistake I made earlier. All S Trim Leafs with a QC port have the 6.6kw charger. Before 2013 there was no S, but all Leafs made then had the 3.3kw onboard charger.

I won’t be doing more than 40 miles a day usually anyway so charging it at home, even at 3.3kw is more than adequate. The only thing I’m a bit worried about is if I do plan on a day out and can only find normal speed points as I’ll be there 8hrs then waiting for a charge instead of 4

Matt

mattprinceuk said:

I won’t be doing more than 40 miles a day usually anyway so charging it at home, even at 3.3kw is more than adequate. The only thing I’m a bit worried about is if I do plan on a day out and can only find normal speed points as I’ll be there 8hrs then waiting for a charge instead of 4

Matt

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That is the main disadvantage of the 3.3 charger. I'm unclear: does your car have one charging port, or two...?

Well I called the dealer today as it’s still being delivered and asked him to double check and he looked on his systems and put the number plate on and said “no it’s definitely CHAdeMO and 6.6kw so they must have listed it wrong on the website”

Result !!

Went to see the car and it Is a 3.3kw version. Still having it anyway. Will probably me more than enough for my needs but if it does become an issue I'll do the DIY or pay someone to do it for me to take it to 6.6kw

Matt

mattprinceuk said:

Went to see the car and it Is a 3.3kw version. Still having it anyway. Will probably me more than enough for my needs but if it does become an issue I'll do the DIY or pay someone to do it for me to take it to 6.6kw

Matt

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The car cannot be a Leaf S with QC and a 3.3kw onboard charger. It can't be made after 2012, be an SV or SL, and not have the 6.6 OBC. I suggest you check again. Does it lack the second QC port?

EDIT: I had forgotten you are in the UK. I find it odd that they would have newer Leafs with 3.3 OBC and QC, but I can't say it's impossible...

Yeah in the UK. Definitely has the chademo but time remaining to charge only says one time. Doesn't say both which shows its 3.3kw

mattprinceuk said:

Yeah in the UK. Definitely has the chademo but time remaining to charge only says one time. Doesn't say both which shows its 3.3kw

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Sorry for confusing things, then! Nissan must have cheaped out on the OBCs in the EU, or at least the UK.