Confused about the different chargers

[Klayfish]

I'm in the final stages (I hope...) of research for my Leaf. I've got dealers crawling all over me to get that last sale before the end of the month. Woohoo for me! So here's my question. I'm still a bit confused about the charging options. I know L1 is 110V charging at home and L2 is 240V. But what is the Quick Charge that's optional on the SV and standard (I think) on the SL? What does it give me? If I get an SV without the QC package, what does it mean for my charging options?

 

[davewill]

Quick Charge (aka DCQC or CHAdeMO) is DC charging that will give you an 80% charge in about 20 minutes.

 

[thankyouOB]

you may never need to use one. i have not in 27k miles.
others like it to be able to extend the range.

if you have a the faster charger in the car -- the 6.6 -- you may find less use for it, but it all depends on your needs.

 

[dgpcolorado]

you may never need to use one. i have not in 27k miles.
others like it to be able to extend the range.

if you have a the faster charger in the car -- the 6.6 -- you may find less use for it, but it all depends on your needs.

It also depends on whether there are any DCFC ("Quick Charge") stations within LEAF range of where you live. If not, are there likely to be any in the foreseeable future? In my case the answer was "no". It might be different where you live.

 

[Klayfish]

Here's the charging station near me, it's about 4 miles from my house (I drive right by it on my way home from work). But I don't think it's DC, is it? Sounds like a regular 240V?

http://www.quigleychevrolet.com/ev_charging_station?siteMapItemName=3488001317750341963" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

 

[DNAinaGoodWay]

Look on Plugshare.com, there's no 440 volt DC Quick charge station closer to you than NYC, and not likely to be any for quite a while, and may be a different type altogether if they do get installed, ie. "Frankenplug".

I've got 16 months left on a two year lease and may never get to use mine. So, short term, not importent, but if you're buying, you may get some use from it 3-5 years from now.

The one at Quigley is L2, 240 volt.

 

[smkettner]

Here's the charging station near me, it's about 4 miles from my house (I drive right by it on my way home from work). But I don't think it's DC, is it? Sounds like a regular 240V?

http://www.quigleychevrolet.com/ev_charging_station?siteMapItemName=3488001317750341963" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

L2, not L3

This is L3:

 

[ksnogas2112]

@Klayfish

Plugshare shows only 1 DCFC in PA - 130 Commonwealth Dr , Warrendale, Pennsylvania. There are 3 in NY, and 2 near Newark.

IMHO, the 6.6 OBC is more useful than having the DCFC option unless you're in a location that already has plenty of charging locations.

Side note, I was talking to the guy from Westar Electric, the University of Kansas has renovated a building and the engineering school is investing in EV studies. They're implementing 2 more L2 EVSE's and designing their own ChaDemo station.

 

[OakLeaf]

Hi,

One thing to check with them on is if they allow other manufacturers vehicles to use their plug, and if they are open during times you need to get a charge. Plugshare lists them as being down for repairs, but the last update was some time ago.

Do you plan on needing to charge there as part of your regular habits?

We're not far from you down in Telford with a 2012 SL Leaf - been driving it as my daily commuter to Ivyland and for weekend family errands since late 2012. Primarily, we charge at home overnight on a 120 V outlet.

There really aren't any DC quick chargers in our immediate area. The closest one is on the NJ side of the Delaware Memorial Bridge. I haven't been there to try it out yet though. There is a possibility of some DCQC being installed in the PA Turnpike as they do renovations in the future, but that's probably a year or two (at best) away from happening.

There is also a regional thread you might find interesting (if you haven't already seen it) here:

http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=49&t=1404


Good luck!

 

[Klayfish]

Howdy neighbor! My wife works in Doylestown and passes through Telford area daily.

No, I won't need to charge at a public area as part of my routine, but I wouldn't thumb my nose at it. I called the Chevy dealer last night and they said any EV can charge there whenever the dealership is open and it's free...though they "wink wink" hinted that the charge port is outside, so I can show up whenever I want and plug in. So I could probably swing by once in a while for free juice.

Nice to hear you're getting by on the 120V charge primarily. My hope is that I can do the same. If I can't, then I'm budgeted to do the 240V upgrade, but I'll play it by ear when I get the car and see what my real needs are.

See ya around!

 

[OakLeaf]

Public chargers are great - the more the better!

Normally our Leaf is charged to 80%, but we don't hesitate to charge to 100% when desired. Occasionally I travel to Princeton on business, and while in theory I could make it back home on the original charge, I'm reluctant to push the envelope that much, so I stop by a L2 charge point for a few minutes to pick up a little extra juice.

It entirely depends on what your usage is, but for my normal 40 mile round-trip commute, the only time the 120V charging has been dodgy is in the coldest of weather. When there was a prolonged period of 10-20 degree weather this past winter, the 120 V charging couldn't keep up with the daily energy requirements (and the reduced battery charge acceptance didn't help either). To compensate, I would charge to 100% on the weekend and drive carefully during the week (primarily using the heated steering wheel and seat, minimal defroster). By the end of the week, I was getting home with only one bar remaining. We now have a 240V L2 charger in a box here ready to install, but I haven't had the time to work on that project yet. It's on my "to do" list before the winter weather hits again, for certain.

Hope to see another Leaf in the area soon!

 

[Klayfish]

Woohoo, good news for me. The parking garage where I keep the car at work has agreed to install wiring to let me charge up while I'm here. They asked me what what amperage I would need so that they know what conduit and wire to use. They'll install 240V for me. What amperage should I suggest to them, both for 240V and 110V? Would it be 30amp for the 240V and 15amp for 110V?

 

[donald]

Seems to me best to always recommend 30A. This will then provide the 7kW power that (if you took the 6.6kW OBC option) your car can take.

If you only have the 3.3kW charger, still recommend the 30A 7kW option because this will provide a better utility for the future for others (and for the site).

Remember EV charging is [30A] continuous, so the cable needs to be a gauge to take that continuously, not peak. Cable is often rated for peak, non-continuous loads.

 

[Reddy]

Go with 240 V, 30 amp 7.2 KW station, which if I recall, requires a 40 amp breaker. That way others who drive farther and need more charge can also use it. If you only need a couple of hours of L1 boost in the winter, then I would also suggest that they install a couple of 20 amp, 120 V plugs, spaced out every couple of parking spaces. Oh, and try to make sure all of these are installed in the less desirable parking spots so they aren't always ICED. Plenty of threads on this previously. Edit: Make sure you use the charging protocol card and "share" the plug with others, especially if you don't really "need" the charge to get back home.

 

[TonyWilliams]

Go with 240 V, 30 amp 7.2 KW station, which if I recall, requires a 40 amp breaker. That way others who drive farther and need more charge can also use it.

If they are just doing a plug receptacle, then I'd suggest the universal EV plug of a NEMA 14-50 on a 50 amp breaker at 240 volts (yes, that is thinking outside the LEAF only world). Every American made Tesla product can pull a minimum of 40 amps, which is 80% of 50 amps.

Then, at every station, I would put a:

NEMA 14-50 (240 volt, 50 amp, no neutral wire required)
L6-30R (240 volt, 30 amp)
L6-20R (240 volt, 20 amp)
NEMA 5-15R (120 volt, 15 amp)

Now, you can plug in just about anything that is powered by electricity, and all those plugs are CHEAP !!