2022 Nissan LEAF SV Plus

Discussion in 'LEAF' started by Jan Galkowski, Sep 18, 2021.

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  1. Jan Galkowski

    Jan Galkowski New Member

    Newbie to this Forum here.

    Just received our new Nissan LEAF SV Plus, eliminating the last ICE vehicle.
     
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  3. DJP

    DJP Active Member

    Hope to hear your experience with fast charging on road trips.

    I've got a 2018 Leaf and was originally thinking of replacing it with an Ariya, but now am thinking about the Leaf Plus. At the moment I'm holding back until I hear real experiences with the fast charging. I really like my 2018 Leaf, but it is hopeless for trips requiring more than 1 fast charge.
     
  4. Jan Galkowski

    Jan Galkowski New Member

    Why hopeless for trips demanding more than one fast charge? My wife and I took a trip to upstate New York in October 2020 with the Tesla 3 and it needed 3 real charges to get there and be usable. The trick with the Tesla, which applies to the LEAF, is that you only charge enough to get to the next charger.

    Tesla does that in their route planning automatically. You need to do that manually using PlugShare or whichever with the LEAF.

    The trip to Ithaca, NY, and back was very fine. What was different about your experience?
     
  5. DJP

    DJP Active Member

    The problem is that with the subsequent charges the charging rate is throttled from the 40+kW range (this is for the 2018 Leaf) to the low 20's and finally into the teens making each charging time ever longer than the previous one. It's fine if you have time on your hands but really limits the potential travel distance per day.

    That's why I'm curious as to how it is with the Leaf Plus. The larger battery in itself reduces the number of times you need to charge and the maximum rate is up to 100kW so that's a reduction in charging time, but with multiple charging during set day is there a similar throttling of the rate?
     
  6. Jan Galkowski

    Jan Galkowski New Member

    The problem is that with the subsequent charges the charging rate is throttled from the 40+kW range (this is for the 2018 Leaf) to the low 20's and finally into the teens making each charging time ever longer than the previous one. It's fine if you have time on your hands but really limits the potential travel distance per day.

    Seriously? That would require either there be (1) some coordination among charging stations recognizing a particular copy of LEAF and implementing that policy, or (2) the LEAF itself has some memory of the charging sequence and manages this purported "throttling" on its own. That's very peculiar.

    For, if it is (1), then there needs to be good communication among these charging stations, probably using Internet, and there's no evidence at all that such an overlay network exists.

    And, if it is (2), where does the LEAF decide the beginnings and ends are of such charging sequences it is throttling? Does it charge maximally at the beginning, and then charge at a rate which decreases as the LEAF gets older? Does it charge maximally at the first charge in a single day, and then decrease during the day, allowing maximal charging at the next day? Does it "remember" this across power-downs of the vehicle? Does the vehicle upload the state to a "mothership server" to coordinate all this, remembering the state? And what does this all have to do with a "larger battery?"
     
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  8. marshall

    marshall Well-Known Member

    The Leaf measures the battery temperature. If the temperature exceeds a certain level the charging rate is reduced.

    Originally, there was rapid gate.

    See Bjorn's test.



    https://cleantechnica.com/2018/07/16/2018-leaf-vs-long-journeys-can-it-take-the-heat/

    Then there was a software update that allowed a higher charge rate at higher battery temperatures.

    https://cleantechnica.com/2019/01/05/nissan-leaf-rapidgate-mostly-solved-by-software-update/
     
  9. marshall

    marshall Well-Known Member

    Nissan is allowing higher battery temperatures before throttling, so this should be less of an issue. One test I've seen here on InsideEVs showed that there wasn't an issue with the larger battery vehicle. Perhaps a bigger issue is charging with a cold battery.

    What's unknown at this time is how the software update to allow a higher battery temperature will affect the longevity of the traction battery if you do a lot of fast charging. If you don't do a lot of fast charging, then it's probably not an issue. Note that Nissan still has a warranty, so that should give you some comfort.

    A bigger issue to me is the number of broken fast chargers, Electrify America's statement that they are not going to install more CHAdeMo installations outside of California, few 100 KW chargers, and the lack of fast charging stations. If I'm going on a long distance trip, reliability is a number one priority for me. So far, Tesla is the only EV charging network I would trust.

    The Leaf is a great commuter car at a very good price when you factor in the tax credit here in the states. They seem to be reliable, and most folks seem to be happy with them if they are not trying to do a lot long distance trips.
     
    Last edited: Sep 20, 2021
  10. Jan Galkowski

    Jan Galkowski New Member

    After doing some research, while it is technically true charging is throttled at high battery temperatures, the throttling starts at atypical high temperatures and is intended to prevent thermal runaway and a fire.

    The alternative to the air cooling is to use a liquid cooling system as in the Tesla 3. Unless the heat is being used to warm the interior of the car, it gets dumped outside. If, as is the worst case, the car is being charged in high outside temperatures, that dumping of heat gets less efficient.

    Whether it is thermal management or something else, both the Tesla 3 and the Nissan LEAF SV Plus, based upon my experiences, take a long time to finish charging the last 5%. On long trips I never bother with that, simply terminating the charging early.
     

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