90% charge needed.

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rubear

Member
Joined
Mar 30, 2013
Messages
20
Location
Sequim, WA
Or user programmable level. I live on a hill. I never want to charge to 100%. I charge to 80%, but if I need extended range, I have to interrupt charging, otherwise I have no regen.
Also, I'd like to request GPS location via Carwings.

Oh, I have added a Level 2 (11.5KW) 24/7 free charger. It's located in Sequim, WA. Just search J1772 Sequim.

-Robert
 
rubear said:
Or user programmable level. I live on a hill. I never want to charge to 100%. I charge to 80%, but if I need extended range, I have to interrupt charging, otherwise I have no regen.
-Robert

You know, it just occurred to me. There might be another advantage to this. Nissan should just offer the driver the option to charge to any SOC in increments of 5% or 10%. How would this affect the EPA range rating. Right now some vehicles such as the Spark EV are showing a higher EPA range rating because they don't have a long-life battery mode. So if Nissan were to just change it to offer any charge limit the driver wanted to impose, it would be hard for the EPA to make the case that a specific level is what should be tested.
 
adric22 said:
Nissan should just offer the driver the option to charge to any SOC in increments of 5% or 10%. How would this affect the EPA range rating.
Hear, hear! I like the 50 - 100% "slider" in the Tesla S!
 
I agree, I would like more control of this as well, especially via Carwings. Having to get back in the car and turn it on just to change a simple setting is really annoying.
 
I find that one way to get a 90% charge is by pre-conditioning the cabin. Set the charge timer to 80% and then either use Carwings or the climate control timer to run the heater/air-conditioner. The car will charge using the power it is not drawing for the climate control. Side benefits, actually the intended primary benefits, are a comfy cabin and less power draw from the battery at the start of a drive.

Please note, this works fine for me in Phoenix, where we use our A/C early and often.
 
kubel said:
"100%" is actually closer to 90% than you think. Just do an end-timer to "100%", you'll be fine.
You missed the point - 100% charge = no regen and the OP lives on a hill.

The most convenient ways I can think of to get ~90%:

1. Set a 100% end time only timer about 1 hour after your departure time. Takes some trial and error and there is some variability in the actual end time.
2. Manually charge for 30 minutes after a 80% charge by hitting timer override. But you have to set your own timer to remember to go unplug.
 
Would also be nice because we don't always get the charge we asked for.
Set to charge to 80% but it got there early and sat for 15 hours. When we got in the car, it reported only 76% charge. Quite a difference from 100%. If we're not sure of the range we get, we're more likely to choose 100%.
 
drees said:
...The most convenient ways I can think of to get ~90%:

1. Set a 100% end time only timer about 1 hour after your departure time. Takes some trial and error and there is some variability in the actual end time.
2. Manually charge for 30 minutes after a 80% charge by hitting timer override. But you have to set your own timer to remember to go unplug.
Your method 2 is more reliable and repeatable; I use that one, right down to setting a kitchen timer. Simple, easy, reliable.

The problem with method 1 is that the end-time can be highly variable. Especially if you also preheat: it finishes an additional hour or so early when you have the climate control timer(s) set. The variability of end-time-only charging would make trying to hit a 90% charge target quite frustrating, I would think.
 
I came up with a simple HW hack that works fine on my 30 KWH 2016 Leaf. Just mount a mechanical timer switch in series with the handshaking wire that goes from the J1772 plug to the EVSE. I used a 6 hour timer like this:

https://www.amazon.com/Intermatic-FF6H-6-Hour-Plastic-Brushed/dp/B000B8WJZU/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1504755732&sr=8-3&keywords=6+hour+timer+switch

With a 6 KW charger, I gain about 20% of charge per hour. So I just relabeled the switch face as follows:

0:30 80%
1:00 70%
1:30 60%
2:00 50%
2:30 40%
3:00 30%
3:30 20%
4:00 10%
4:30 0%
5:30 100%
6:00 100%

The instructions I gave my non-technical spouse were: "Turn the dial to the remaining charge when you get home and plug it in. It'll stop at around 90%. If you want a full charge, turn it to 100%."

I tired it. It works. When the switch opens the EVSE cuts the power and the car stops charging. Importantly the car does NOT beep or complain and it still realizes the charger is plugged in, so you can't drive away and hurt something. If you add some time, the charge starts right up again. I figure the Leaf just assumes there was a power outage.

Note: You can install the switch at either end. I taped mine to the cable just behind the J1772 plug and ran tiny wires into the handle. The signal is low voltage and low current, so you can use any sort of small wire, like speaker or hookup wire. (Do not mess with the fat wires. Those are the ones that can kill you)

You might *think* "Hey, why mess with the handshaking signal? Just wire the switch to the latch sensor wire instead!" I tired that. It does work, but there is a problem. If you don't finish unplugging the car within 5 or 10 seconds of opening that switch the car starts beeping and flashing the blue LEDs on the dash. (It think the plug is not inserted all the way) I would NOT be popular with my neighbors if the car did that all night long, every night.

Finally, the charge rate I calculated is actually closer to 21% per hour. I rounded it off. Your charge rate will vary depending on the EVSE you have, which charger and battery option you have and even the age of the battery. My car charges at a very steady rate from 0 to 95% but then slows down a bit at the end.

I figure if I ever need a 100% charge and didn't set it up the night before, I just need to start topping it up about 45 minutes before I leave. According to the battery gurus it is still easier on the battery to top it up right before using it than to charge it all the way to 100% the night before.

Before anyone asks, I do NOT recommend using any sort of electronic timer switch for this task. If you want to use some fancy electronics to do the control, stick an old fashioned relay in place of the timer switch. You want the handshaking signal to just see a simple mechanical contact closure.
 
That's a great idea. It's a shame that most people won't want to mess with the sealed wring to implement it. You could probably buy a J-1772 extension cable, wire the timer to that, and then sell the extension/timer...
 
whether you live on a hill or not, the difference between 90 and 100 is negligible. So you spend an extra $0.20 cents in electricity and don't get some free regen charging. Does not sound like the effort to get 90% is worth it..
 
powersurge said:
whether you live on a hill or not, the difference between 90 and 100 is negligible. So you spend an extra $0.20 cents in electricity and don't get some free regen charging. Does not sound like the effort to get 90% is worth it..
The amount can add up over time and if you're at the top of a hill and need to slow down, your friction brakes will require changing MUCH more frequently. That's more than 20 cents.

We already have at least 1 documented case of this here on MNL.
 
Is Nissan aware that we are writing to them. Are they deaf? We wrote. They released 2018 Leaf. No charge level setting there. Earlier Leafs we can set eV settings in Touch-screen, they have removed them from touch screen and moved to dash-board screen. I don't think Nisaan care about this forum? How do we make them listen to their customers need?
 
borugee said:
Is Nissan aware that we are writing to them. Are they deaf? We wrote. They released 2018 Leaf. No charge level setting there...
Nissan is well aware of the request to even provide multiple choices in terms of % SoC for when the car stops charging.

Someone even asked them in the Phoenix town hall (video at http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=30&t=9694) in Jan 2013.

Instead, Nissan removed the 80% choice starting with model year 2014, most likely to make the car look more competitive in terms of EPA range rating vs. other EVs at the time since most others (except Tesla) don't give you a choice either. And, probably 99% of US EV shoppers wouldn't know this backstory.

https://insideevs.com/2013-nissan-leaf-rated-at-75-miles-but-84-miles-using-the-old-system/
https://insideevs.com/2014-nissan-leaf-mostly-unchanged-as-range-technically-moves-up-to-84-miles/

Due to the stupid rule, 75 miles in model year 2014 would've looked near bottom of the barrel vs. other similarly priced EVs at the time, while 84 looks ok.

The Bolt has some sort of hilltop reserve mode so that it doesn't charge to full, allowing for some regen after charging has stopped early.
 
The Bolt has some sort of hilltop reserve mode so that it doesn't charge to full, allowing for some regen after charging has stopped early.

And Nissan's refusal to implement a similar Regen-saving mode that would also help the battery is emblematic of Nissan's general "Double down on all mistakes" EV philosophy. I really wish I'd been able to find another EV with the features I want and need.
 
LeftieBiker said:
The Bolt has some sort of hilltop reserve mode so that it doesn't charge to full, allowing for some regen after charging has stopped early.

And Nissan's refusal to implement a similar Regen-saving mode that would also help the battery is emblematic of Nissan's general "Double down on all mistakes" EV philosophy. I really wish I'd been able to find another EV with the features I want and need.

Amusing. Nissan has made so many mistakes, but has all the features you want and need.
 
You know, I have my leaf more than 3 years, and it just hit me...

With all of the computer, and displays the Leaf has, why couldn't they have made a:

Charge to 50%, 60%, 70%, 80...% controls?? There are so many individual reasons to need different levels of charge, that would have been so easy!!
 
cwerdna said:
borugee said:
Is Nissan aware that we are writing to them. Are they deaf? We wrote. They released 2018 Leaf. No charge level setting there...
Nissan is well aware of the request to even provide multiple choices in terms of % SoC for when the car stops charging.

Someone even asked them in the Phoenix town hall (video at http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=30&t=9694) in Jan 2013.

Instead, Nissan removed the 80% choice starting with model year 2014, most likely to make the car look more competitive in terms of EPA range rating vs. other EVs at the time since most others (except Tesla) don't give you a choice either. And, probably 99% of US EV shoppers wouldn't know this backstory.

https://insideevs.com/2013-nissan-leaf-rated-at-75-miles-but-84-miles-using-the-old-system/
https://insideevs.com/2014-nissan-leaf-mostly-unchanged-as-range-technically-moves-up-to-84-miles/

Due to the stupid rule, 75 miles in model year 2014 would've looked near bottom of the barrel vs. other similarly priced EVs at the time, while 84 looks ok.

The Bolt has some sort of hilltop reserve mode so that it doesn't charge to full, allowing for some regen after charging has stopped early.

For electric cars EPA mileage should not be at the miles when the car is new, they should also publish expected miles when car is at 20k, 40k,60k..100k. Nissan will comply then.
 
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