LEAF Performance tuning

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Dala

Well-known member
Leaf Supporting Member
Joined
Oct 28, 2018
Messages
464
Location
Finland
Making a new thread here to be the de-facto one for people interested in tuning the LEAF for more power to the pavement.

Please note that a battery upgrade is needed. The tiny 24kWh pack has a 225A fuse inside it that limits continuous load to 90kW. So upgrading to a 40kWh pack is kinda mandatory unless you are willing to live on the edge with burning fuses!

The basic idea is to retrofit a 110kW 2018+ inverter into the older AZE0 LEAF. Sorry ZE0 owners, this mod is not for you! A CAN-bridge is needed to solve the fault codes and NM-demand messages, more explained in the videos.

Here's a three-part video series:

https://youtu.be/Of2vCYgblY4

https://youtu.be/VGBA8VPWwIg

https://youtu.be/SidQ0vyxeos
 
Some updates on this, I helped a local LEAF owner to do the same mod, so we now have 2x LEAFs that are confirmed to work with the 110kW inverter. Both cars received a 40kWh pack previously, so it will be interesting to see if any 30kWh owners are daring enough to do this mod. Theoretically it should be fine with that pack fuse size!

Love seeing Leafspy when accelerating hgard :lol:
zMnNpE7.png
 
It might be very interesting if the hardware is the same and only the software limits the output power.

If so it is possible to do a real 'chiptuning' for the 150hp model
 
Here's a list of inverters for ZE1 incase you are buying one:

ZE1 inverters (2018-2022)
291A0-5SA1A - 110kW inverter
291A0-5SA1B - 110kW inverter
291A0-5SA0A - 110kW inverter
291A0-5SN0A - 160kW inverter
291A0-5SN1A - 160kW inverter
 
Dala said:
A customer sent back these pics, 110kW inverter upgrade on a 2013 LEAF, putting out 120kW to the wheels :cool:
Nice! So either the inverter is under-rated or their dynamometer is calibrated to make every vehicle seem more powerful. :lol:
 
Depends upon the torque which is a function of the motor current. Both before and after dyno traces have nearly the same torque curve, but it is unreadable to determine any difference. The main difference would be a slightly higher top speed.
 
nlspace said:
Depends upon the torque which is a function of the motor current. Both before and after dyno traces have nearly the same torque curve, but it is unreadable to determine any difference. The main difference would be a slightly higher top speed.

Nope, I didn't include the before, here it is, stock LEAF power figures on that particular dyno:
gouXAkO.jpg


And then the after, 110kW inverter and CAN-bridge mounted:
HJ9VYsE.jpg


Top speed is not affected by this mod. The VCM cuts power once the vehicle approaches the top speed.
 
The control modules limit the maximum RPM of the motor to keep it from disintegrating. A stock LEAF will go as fast uphill as it will on the level. You can get a few miles per hour (km/hr) faster top speed with larger diameter tires.

I keep hoping for a "performance chip" or "performance module" that will give full acceleration by suddenly flooring the accelerator (like the 2011/2012 cars would do) instead of having to carefully modulate the pedal.
 
Changing the final drive ratio isn't hard - provided that the gear case was designed with that possibility in mind, and provided that pairs of gears with different ratios exist or can be made. A lot of the differential assemblies used in cars from the last century were also used in trucks and even farm equipment, so they were designed to have swap-able gearing. Others were designed to be swap-able for racing or towing. I remember that Ford came out with a "line" of cars that consisted of their Maverick, Pinto, and IIRC Mustang II - all with "Pony" decals and taller final gearing for better fuel economy (and lousy acceleration). For almost a decade, tall final drives were Detroit's cheapest answer to higher fuel economy standards.
 
DougWantsALeaf said:
Dala,
So you are saying the Leaf does have the power to go faster...looks like we need an unlimited Autobahn version of the VCM.

Not sure how you came to that conclusion as Dala stated:

Top speed is not affected by this mod. The VCM cuts power once the vehicle approaches the top speed
 
By "Autobahn version of the VCM" he meant one that allows a higher top speed. As noted elsewhere, though, that would likely also require higher final gearing, to protect the motor.
 
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