Confused about charging options

Looking to lease or purchase but need to understand my charging options on the fifferent Leaf models or add options. From what I think I understand:

(S) comes with a 3.6 kW onboard charger good only for charging 120 volts (about 8 - 10 Hrs for full charge)
You can upgrade to a 6.6 kW charger for roughly $1,300 for charging 240 Volts (about 4 Hrs for full charge)

(SV) Comes with the 6.6 kW onboard charger.

(SL) Comes with 6.6 kW onboard charger and the quick charger port for charging 440 Volts (about 80% charge in 30 minutes)

- So when you purchase the S model you only can charge at 120 volts correct? Unless you upgrade to the 6.6 kW unit?
- Does the SV model have the quick charge 440 Volt port also?
- When you upgrade a S model to the 6.6 Kw unit does that upgrade include a quick charge 440 volt port?

The way it looks is like the quick charge 440 volt port only comes with the S model upgrade or on the SL model. Is that correct?

Can someone set me straight on this?

gmarcucio said:

- So when you purchase the S model you only can charge at 120 volts correct? Unless you upgrade to the 6.6 kW unit?
- Does the SV model have the quick charge 440 Volt port also?
- When you upgrade a S model to the 6.6 Kw unit does that upgrade include a quick charge 440 volt port?
The way it looks is like the quick charge 440 volt port only comes with the S model upgrade or on the SL model. Is that correct?
Can someone set me straight on this?

Click to expand...

- S, SL and SV models can all charge at L1 and L2. The difference is in the OBC. (3.6 vs 6.6)
- The quick-charge port is optional on the S and the SV and standard on the SL.
- According to the Nissan.com website link below, the Charge Package for the S model include the following:
== Nissan 6.6 kW Onboard Charger (6 kW output)
== Quick Charge Port
== RearView Monitor
- According to the website, the Charge package for the SV model includes the following:
== Aerodynamic LED Headlights
== Automatic on/off headlights
== Quick Charge Port
== Fog Lights


http://www.nissanusa.com/electric-cars/leaf/ <<<< CHECK THIS OUT !!!!

http://nissannews.com/en-US/nissan/usa/presskits/us-2013-nissan-leaf-press-kit

http://www.caranddriver.com/news/2013-nissan-leaf-photos-and-info-news

Thanks. So did all of the 2012 models have the 3.6 kW chargers? The reason I ask is I was looking at a 2012 SL and a salesperson at the dealership told me to get the 2013 because it charges in half the time. I have a Volt now and I would use my Volt 220 volt EVSE to charge it.

^^^
All '11 and '12 Leafs only had a 3.3 kW on-board charger.

Besides the earlier URLs and press kit, http://sfbayleafs.org/news/2013/01/2013-nissan-leaf-product-highlights/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; may help.

All 2011 and 2012 Leafs had the 3.3 Kw charger. The 2013 SL and SV has the 6.0 Kw charger. Thus, on 240, the 2013 charges slightly less than twice as fast... On 120, it makes no difference.

gmarcucio said:

Thanks. So did all of the 2012 models have the 3.6 kW chargers? The reason I ask is I was looking at a 2012 SL and a salesperson at the dealership told me to get the 2013 because it charges in half the time. I have a Volt now and I would use my Volt 220 volt EVSE to charge it.

Click to expand...

TomT said:

All 2011 and 2012 Leafs had the 3.3 Kw charger. The 2013 SL and SV has the 6.0 Kw charger. Thus, on 240, the 2013 charges slightly less than twice as fast... On 120, it makes no difference.

Click to expand...

Yep, mostly correct. 6 kW OBC is optional on the S trim level. And Nissan's quoted time to fully charge at 120 volts (regardless of OBC max output) is 21 or 22 hours.

gmarcucio said:

(S) comes with a 3.6 kW onboard charger good only for charging 120 volts (about 8 - 10 Hrs for full charge)
You can upgrade to a 6.6 kW charger for roughly $1,300 for charging 240 Volts (about 4 Hrs for full charge)

Click to expand...

Just to absolutely clarify this so there is no confusion. ANY LEAF can charge on 120V or 240V. Even on vehicles that have the 3.6kw charger, you are still going to charge over twice as fast on 240 as you would on 120. The benefit of the 6.6kw charger is that you can charge even faster, assuming your charging station can supply that much current. As somebody else mentioned, when using 120V you will always be limited to 1.4kw charging, regardless of which model you have.

Was concerned about charging options before buying a leaf, and then was pleasantly surprised that 120V charging is good enough. So if your commute is short or you can charge at work, then 120V may be good enough.

What are you charging the Volt with? If it is 16a 240v you are limited to 3.3kW charging anyway. ALL Leafs will charge at this speed and for overnight you will be fine.

smkettner said:

What are you charging the Volt with? If it is 16a 240v you are limited to 3.3kW charging anyway. ALL Leafs will charge at this speed and for overnight you will be fine.

Click to expand...

Here is what I am charging the Volt with now. Will this work on the "S" model and what will the charge time be roughly?

http://www.pluginnow.com/content/gm-voltec%E2%84%A2" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

gmarcucio said:

Here is what I am charging the Volt with now. Will this work on the "S" model and what will the charge time be roughly? http://www.pluginnow.com/content/gm-voltec%E2%84%A2" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Click to expand...

That's 15A at the wall, which at 240v will give you a bit more than 3 kW to the battery every hour. (This is assuming the charger in the S has about the same efficiency as the ones in the 2012-13 LEAFs. It might possibly be as high as 3.25 kW, but I can't imagine anything higher than that.)

Obviously "charge time" depends on how new the battery is, how much you have discharged it, and what you are charging it to. If you run a new battery down to the Low Battery Warning and charge to "100%", it should take about 6 or 7 hours.

Both the car and EVSE claim to meet the J1772 standard, so there should be no incompatibility between them. If it doesn't work (and their have been some curious incompatibilities between certain EVSEs and certain cars) then you have a claim against the manufacturer of either the car or the EVSE or both.

Ray

I have a Q about charging times on the 2013 leaf:

I have the Ecotality Blink EVSE charger which is 30A, I got it when I bought my chevy volt.
specs: http://www.pluginamerica.org/accessories/ecotality-blink-evse" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

My Qs are:

1) will this 220v charger be able to charge the 6.6A nissan leaf at the fastest speed the leaf can take? or do i need a better charger to achieve this?

2) if I get a 2013 leaf with only the 3.6A charger (base model S) , how much slower will it fully charge than if I pay for the Quick Charger (QC) option?

Thanks!!!

sirtom said:

I have a Q about charging times on the 2013 leaf:

I have the Ecotality Blink EVSE charger which is 30A, I got it when I bought my chevy volt.
specs: http://www.pluginamerica.org/accessories/ecotality-blink-evse" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

My Qs are:

1) will this 220v charger be able to charge the 6.6A nissan leaf at the fastest speed the leaf can take? or do i need a better charger to achieve this?

2) if I get a 2013 leaf with only the 3.6A charger (base model S) , how much slower will it fully charge than if I pay for the Quick Charger (QC) option?

Thanks!!!

Click to expand...

1) Yes. The 6.6 kW charger would draw about 27.5 Amps at 240 Volts. [240 V x 27.5 A = 6600 Watts = 6.6 kW] ("220 Volts" is something of a myth, most home electrical service is 120 V and 240 V. But commercial service is often 208 V.)

2) The 3.8 kW (3.3 kW to the battery) charger on the S model will charge a bit more than half as quickly as the 6.6 kW (6.0 kW to the battery) charger with the charge package upgrade. I presume that you understand that DC Fast Charge ("Quick Charge") is much faster but requires special charge stations that are rare and have nothing to do with home charging.

The main advantage of the 6.6 kW charger is when Level 2 (240 V) charging away from home. The advantage at home is minimal: Does it really matter whether it takes four hours or six to seven hours to go from "empty" to "full"? When charging overnight at home, most people would say no. But having the 6.6 kW charger for opportunity charging away from home, not to mention the "Quick Charge" option, could be quite a convenience.

Wasn't there something about Blink EVSEs having their amperage turned down due to melting of the connectors upon high current draw? If sirtom has one of these Blink units, it won't take full advantage of the upgraded charger.

^^^
http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=43&t=12075" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.myrav4ev.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=2039#p2039" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

So, I'm still a bit confused with the onboard 6.6kw charger. nissanusa.com website doesn't specify this question... Can it also charge on a regular 120v outlet I have at work or does it need a different charger? If it needs a 120v charger, does it also come with the 6.6kw-equipped S models? I want to know this before I test drive (and possibly lease one) tomorrow. Thank you! (first post)

I leased the 2013 S Model about two months ago. I went CHEAP and least with the 3.6 kW (110 v) charger. I WISH I HAD LEASED THE 6.6 Charger now :? . One minor adaptation: there is a guy(509 651-8000/ Fax: (509)651-1717) who will modify your 110 cable to 220 voltage for about $300 and four days mailing. WITH A 220V/30 AMP OUTLET AND THIS CABLE, YOU DON,T NEED A CHARGING STATION! I charge in about 6-7 hours on empty. I also bought an adaptor to switch back to 110v, but haven't used it yet. I can carry this cable with the car and charge at work. BUY with the 6.6 kW charger, it will be a good selling point in 2-3 years when you have to compete with those old 2011's and 2012's lease-returns............ Hope this info is not too late.

VoltandLeaf said:

So, I'm still a bit confused with the onboard 6.6kw charger. nissanusa.com website doesn't specify this question... Can it also charge on a regular 120v outlet I have at work or does it need a different charger? If it needs a 120v charger, does it also come with the 6.6kw-equipped S models? I want to know this before I test drive (and possibly lease one) tomorrow. Thank you! (first post)

Click to expand...

ALL LEAFs are set up to charge on 120 volts 12 amps. The portable EVSE included with every LEAF will charge at this rate. This is low power and takes a long time to charge. Practical driving limit is about 50 miles per day with this set up.

The 6.0 charger that is on board the LEAF will also charge faster if the EVSE can present 240 volts at 16 to 30 amps. You will need a 30 amp wall unit and proper 40 amp 240 volt circuit to charge at full speed. Basically the charger will accept any standard power through the L2 connector.

The oem EVSE brick can be upgraded for 240v and 20 amps for a few hundred $$. This is much faster but not quite full speed.

VoltandLeaf said:

So, I'm still a bit confused with the onboard 6.6kw charger. nissanusa.com website doesn't specify this question... Can it also charge on a regular 120v outlet I have at work or does it need a different charger? If it needs a 120v charger, does it also come with the 6.6kw-equipped S models?

Click to expand...

smkettner answered this, but let me try a different way.

All LEAFs have an on-board charger which can accept both 100-120v and 200-240 volts. Some of them are rated at 3.6 kW, others at 6.6 kW. To get the electricity from the wall into the car you also need an EVSE. Most EVSEs pass either 100-120 volts or 200-240 volts. The "trickle charge cord" that comes with the car is only for 100-120 volts. EVSEs that mount on the wall are virtually all only for 200-240 volts. The EVSE Upgrade that Burr referred to is an exception. It is an EVSE that can work at both voltage ranges.

The speed of charging is limited by both the EVSE and the on-board charger. If you are using a 120v EVSE (which is called L1), all of them that I know of run at no more than 12 amps. 12A * 120v = 1440 watts, which is 1.4 kW. That's the limiting factor no matter how fast the on-board charger is. Because of losses in and associated with the charger you end up with not much more than 1 kW going into the battery. So roughly, if you want to add 21 kWh to the battery it will take nearly 21 hours.

240v EVSEs (called L2) are often rated at 16A, 20A, 30A, 32A, or even more. 16A * 240V = 3.84 kW, so a 16 amp EVSE will feed a 3.6 kW charger as fast as it can go. That provides up to 3.3 kW into the battery and can add 21 kWh in less than 6½ hours. It takes a 30A EVSE to feed a 6.6 kW charger as fast as it can go, and that can add 21 kWh to the battery in about 3½ hours.

Ray

planet4ever said:

VoltandLeaf said:

So, I'm still a bit confused with the onboard 6.6kw charger. nissanusa.com website doesn't specify this question... Can it also charge on a regular 120v outlet I have at work or does it need a different charger? If it needs a 120v charger, does it also come with the 6.6kw-equipped S models?

Click to expand...

smkettner answered this, but let me try a different way.

Click to expand...

I think p4e is asking a much more basic question - and it's often the 'really basic' questions that don't seem to get a straight answer:

The on-board 6.6kW charger will happily let you plug the 120V charging lead (supplied) into the car, but it just won't charge at 6.6kW. It will simply charge at up to 6.6kW. The lead is only good for a kW or so at 120V, as described above.

You need to get a 6.6kW charging station to take full advantage of the capability of the charger. This isn't included with the Leaf (unless it is, or you make it, part of the deal), though you might come across 6.6kW public charging stations.