Sorry if this has been asked already, but I just read through this entire thread and didn't see anyone mention it: If regen can effectively charge the battery at a 30kw (or more) rate, then doesn't this mean that we basically have the equivalent of a quick charger on board our cars already?
Obviously, making use of the motor controller / inverter for charging would require some serious "hacking", both software and hardware, but am I right in assuming that it's theoretically possible? It seems as if the external electronics in a DC quick charger, and for that matter, the puny 3.3 kw on-board charger, are unnecessarily redundant if the on-board inverter is already capable of charging the battery at such high rates from an AC power supply like the motor provides in regen mode.
Am I completely missing something here? I've read of Rav4-EV owners doing basically the same thing, and I believe the "Long Ranger" generator trailer connected via the regen circuitry. Although of course there are some important differences with the Rav4-EV, such as the use of a DC motor rather than the Leaf's AC.