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Charger Types Of A Nissan LEAF (+ Images)

Charger Types Of A Nissan LEAF (+ Images)

Learning how to charge your car effectively can be a major hassle if you’re a first-time LEAF owner. Especially considering there are multiple forms of charging, and each one of them comes with a different set of instructions. Today, we’ll look at all you need to know about the different charger types that the LEAF uses. Here’s the quick answer:

For level 1 and level 2 charging, the Nissan LEAF uses an SAE J1772 charger, whereas the LEAF uses a CHAdeMO charger type for level 3 charging.

However, this certainly doesn’t tell the full story. In the article below, we’ll thoroughly discuss the different kinds of chargers that are used. We’ll also discuss at what rate they charge, why Nissan has opted for these chargers, and their compatibility with other charging networks in the North-American market. Read on!

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Level 1 and 2 Charging: J1772

First, we’ll talk about the most common form of charging. This is typically referred to as level 1 charging (trickle charging) or level 2 (normal charging). In general, level 1 and 2 charging make use of the same kind of charger. In the case of the Nissan LEAF, this is an SAE-approved J1772 charger. Click here to read more about level 1 charging with a LEAF and here for level 2 charging.

The J1772 is a 5-pin charger used commonly in the North-American market for EV purposes. The reason that this charger is used for both level 1 and 2 charging is that it can handle AC-currents from 1.44kW with 12 amps at 120 volts (used for level 1 charging) as well as 19.2kW at 80 amps at 240 volts (used for level 2 charging, even though the LEAF only needs 50amps for this).

The use of a J1772 charger is a logical choice, given that many American/foreign automakers (including Nissan) have supported its development from 2009 onwards in the American market. Furthermore, nationwide charging stations also quickly adopted this charger type, making it the most commonly used one.

SAE J1772 Charger

However, what does differ between level 1 and level 2 charging is the type of EVSE (Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment) used. The EVSE’s job is to set the correct charging current based on the maximum current the charger can provide and the maximum current the car can receive. Since this differs which each level, they need a different EVSE.

Level 1 EVSE

First, there’s the level 1 EVSE. These types of EVSEs are common for all electric vehicles. They’re also the only standard type of charger you’ll get when you buy a Nissan LEAF. The EVSE is the white/black box you can see on the left side of the following image.

These EVSEs plug directly into a 120V AC outlet, and they can charge the car at a rate of 1.3 – 2.4kW per hour. This equates to 3 – 5 miles of range per hour, which is why they’re called trickle chargers. As said, they come standard with all electric vehicles, but if they need to be replaced, expect to pay $250 – $400.

Level 1 EVSE (standard in all LEAF)

Level 2 EVSE

Then, there’s the level 2 EVSE. These EVSEs can charge at much higher kW and therefore charge the Nissan LEAF much quicker. Depending on the model year of Nissan LEAF you can have, level 2 charging can provide up to 3.3kW or up to 6.6kW per hour, which equates to 12 – 24 miles of range per hour.

However, level 2 chargers don’t come standard with a Nissan LEAF. You can find them at public charging stations or, if you want one at home, you’ll need to make some modifications. The first is that you’ll need to hire an electrician to install a 220 – 240 volt (15amps) line in your garage. Secondly, you need to buy a level 2 charger. Installing the volt line will cost $250 – $400, whereas buying the level 2 charger will cost $300 – $600 if it’s wall-mounted.

Level 2 EVSE

Level 3 Charging: CHAdeMO

Most likely, the most interesting charger that the Nissan LEAF has is the one that’s used for level 3 charging. If you want to know all about level 3 charging with a Nissan LEAF, read this article. For level 3 charging, the LEAF uses a so-called CHAdeMO charger, as pictured below. CHAdeMO charging allows the Nissan LEAF to charge 50kW per hour or, in the second-generation LEAF with a 62kW battery, it allows for 100kW per hour. It does so by employing a direct current.

CHAdeMO charger

The reason why Nissan uses CHAdeMO chargers is that these are the standard in their domestic market Japan. However, in the USA, CHAdeMO chargers have had to compete with the other alternative called CCS (Combined Charging System).

At this point, the CCS system is adapted by more brands in the United States than CHAdeMO is. Furthermore, charging station providers are starting to lean more towards CCS than CHAdeMO. One of the reasons for this is that CCS had a higher charging rate to begin with (350kW), whereas this was 50kW for CHAdeMO chargers.

Furthermore, it’s interesting to note that the CHAdeMO charger is mainly only used by the Nissan LEAF and the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV. All other electric vehicles in the United States seem to use CCS or are a Tesla (since Tesla uses its own charger types).

Even more interesting to note is that, even though CHAdeMO seems to have a clear disadvantage, its network is still growing and currently still larger than the CCS network in the United States. For this reason, it doesn’t seem like the CHAdeMO charger type is lost, and there’s still enough availability in the United States to charge your LEAF.

Can Nissan LEAFs Use Tesla Or CCS Chargers?

Having said all this, you’re probably wondering if it’s possible to charge a Nissan LEAF at a CCS or Tesla charger station. The short answer is that it depends on what kind of charging we’re talking about.

Level 2 Charging

Level 2 charging with a LEAF is done with a J1772 charger. However, this charger doesn’t directly plug into Tesla destination chargers (these are level 2 Tesla chargers). Luckily, it is possible to plug the LEAF into these Tesla chargers if you buy a Tesla-to-J1772 adapter. These typically cost around $150 – $200 and allow you to charge your LEAF at level 2 Tesla chargers. However, the level 3 chargers are a different story.

Level 3 Charging

The LEAF isn’t compatible with CCS charging because of how the chargers are designed. A CHAdeMO charger provides the physical locking mechanism on the charger side, and the CCS system allows this on the car’s side. Because of this, they can’t be combined. From the image below, you can also see that this charger looks completely different than the CHAdeMO charger pictured earlier.

CCS charger

Furthermore, currently, it’s also not possible to use a CHAdeMO charger at a Tesla supercharging station. This is because Tesla does not allow you to unlock the supercharger station. For this reason, adapters also haven’t been made that would allow you to plug the Nissan LEAF into a Tesla supercharger. This could change in the future because Tesla is running small pilots with this in Europe, but nothing is promised.

Also read: 8 Common Problems Of A Nissan Leaf

Sources

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