Only Charging with 120v at home and at work with extension cord?

i plan on only using the charging cord the leaf comes with and at work (if they let me) in the winter I would be charging it with the 120v cord and an extension cord if there is an outside plug available. I'm wondering if cars were to drive over the extension cord would that hurt it? If I can get the leaf I'm looking at I'm going to contact my work and see if I am able to charge in the winter times to make sure the batteries don't get too cold.

Where I live we've only seen -30celcus with the windchill factored in. This past winter there was maybe one day that it got down to -29 with the the windchill but it doesn't get colder then that. I'll be working 3-11pm shifts so it will be 8hrs of it being in a cold outside parking lot. If I can't charge it at my work will the car be okay in max weather snow storm, high winds, and a chill of -25 but with the windchill -30 Celsius?

Normal winters day it gets down to -10 to -25 with windchill so there won't be many days that are -30 with windchill.

mod note: edited out the cell phone auto correct error, windshield to windchill.

Cold doesn't hurt anything, it just decreases your range. An to add to that a "cold soaked" vehicle will take lots of extra energy to warm up. Even the upholstery and plastics need to be warmed so more of a drain on the battery.

Most cords that you buy for cheap are not designed to be run over with a car, or kinked, or left outside for prolonged periods, etc. But you CAN buy good extension cords. You can get a good thick (low gauge) wire, thick insulation, UV coated, metal wrap/shielded for compression (protects against vehicles) from online retailers. I bought one at a lab supply store that we use to stock our lab with. A 100ft extension cable was just under $500. Compare that to $35 at Walmart for the cheapest 100ft cord they had. So it is possible to buy a good cord, but it is very easy to buy a crap cord.

I don't have an L2 charger and use L1 everywhere. I do always carry the extension cord in the car and rarely have a need for it. But when I do, I am glad it is there. Sometimes I am very low on charge, and there are only 5 parking spaces that can reach one of the two outlets in the parking lot at work. So I will part where I can run the cord along the outside where no cars will run it over, but it reaches the outlet.

L1 is good for maybe 40 to 50 miles per day in good conditions. Half that or less in the very cold. How long is your commute?

NO, do not position the cord to be run over or where it might be a trip hazard.

Use a cord with #12 or #10 wire only.

Since the LEAF is cold blooded the windshield can be ignored. Use actual temperature.

L1 is good for maybe 40 to 50 miles per day in good conditions. Half that or less in the very cold.

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That's a bit pessimistic. When I was commuting, I could easily do my 43 mile round trip commute with L-1 charging in all but the worst Winter temps - single digits F and below zero. In the latter case the car's range was as much as issue as charging time.

I got 20km or 13 miles round trip to work 5 days a week. If I'm going to go out shopping ext I'll probably do 60km (38 miles) maybe more if I'm going crazy with shopping (usually have a few stores I only go to which fits into the 60km -38miles range)

I Am use to only using heated seat and steering wheel for myself in the winter with the window defrost on at full till the window is clear then I put it on low and at a lower temp (hoping preheating treatment while still plugged in to my house will help stop or lessen car battery usage) I just look like a human fluff ball (layers of winter clothing) when I go outside.

I'll get the extension cord anyways and keep it in my car just Incase.

Preheating a Leaf with heatpump on L-1 results in a modest net loss of charge. The trick is to only preheat for 2-5 minutes (with steering wheel and seat warmers on), thus losing only about 2-3% charge in the process, and it's so much better than getting into a cold car. Preheating a non-heatpump-equipped leaf, or even one with it in frigid temps, is probably going to "cost" a lot more in lost charge.

How many km or miles would a level 2 charger charge your for in 30 minutes? Where I live since there isn't much (we have no leafs driving around (2016 leaf at a dealership) but we do have volts) the Chargers no matter if it's at city hall or at a hotel or dealership, they are all free to charge at.

I would charge at one of those level 2 station if need be for 30 minutes (1-2hr at the city hall one since its down town little shops all around that area) if it gave me a decent amount of charge.

I highly dought I'll have an issue with range if I stick to just doing my work trip then coming home after work charging (3:30pm) then if I want to go to a movie or shopping I'll unplug it... Earliest we leave the house would be 6pm since supper is at 5-5:30pm. That will give the car 2hrs and 30 minutes to charge (I'm guessing if I only drove 13-15 km a level 1 station charging the leaf for 2hrs and 30 minutes would give me back 5-10km?

Before you spend $500 on an extension cord I would purchase and install a L-2, probably go with a DYI (even if I got one put together by one of the members here). I got an L-2 installed in my garage about 2 weeks after I got the Leaf and can not imagine life without it.

AshleyGoingGreen said:

i plan on only using the charging cord the leaf comes with and at work (if they let me) in the winter I would be charging it with the 120v cord and an extension cord if there is an outside plug available. I'm wondering if cars were to drive over the extension cord would that hurt it? If I can get the leaf I'm looking at I'm going to contact my work and see if I am able to charge in the winter times to make sure the batteries don't get too cold.

Where I live we've only seen -30celcus with the windshield factored in. This past winter there was maybe one day that it got down to -29 with the the windshield but it doesn't get colder then that. I'll be working 3-11pm shifts so it will be 8hrs of it being in a cold outside parking lot. If I can't charge it at my work will the car be okay in max weather snow storm, high winds, and a chill of -25 but with the windshield -30 Celsius?

Normal winters day it gets down to -10 to -25 with windshield so there won't be many days that are -30 with windshield.

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I would not run the cord where cars may drive over it. Not only is it hard on the extension cord but also during a snow storm the cord would get covered in snow and a snow plow could come by and catch it :shock: not a good idea IMO.
As others have said you'll want to get a 12 gauge (or 10 but 10 gauge would only be needed in very long runs over 100 feet) and most importantly, a COLD weather cord. I believe cold weather rated cords are generally rated for -67 degrees. A regular cord will get so stiff and hard to handle when the temps get below freezing you'd curse it every time you used it.
BTW whats all this talk about windshield temps :? I've always heard it called windchill and lately the news has been calling it feels like temp, I think for the people who don't know what windchill is :lol:

And adding to what LB said, on L1 using preheat you'll actually deplete your battery so for maximum benefit I'd use your L1 for charging and as he said only run the preheat timer option for the last 10 minutes or so before you leave, it won't help much but will be better than nothing. Mainly use the L1 to charge you battery and with a fully charged battery you can get some decent heat out of the Leaf's heater while your in the car.

I'd strongly suggest having iEngineer upgrade your stock Leaf EVSE to L2(and of course get 240v for at home) so that way you'll have a toasty warm car when you leave home, it's a very nice feature and really doesn't work very well using L1 only. I think I mentioned it before but if you have 2 good 120v outlets(on out of phase circuits) you can limp by without a special 240v outlet, I believe the device is called Quick220v or something like that. It would mate quite well with a evseupgrade'ed EVSE as you can then dial down the charging current to whatever your outlets are(less 20% and any other loads you may have on those circuits). L1 may work OK in the summer but it's really nice to have L2 for preheating in cold climates.

There's been lots of goodie "newbie" posts in the last week generating a lot of "old timer" discussions!
Based on how you plan to use your Leaf and climate you live in (would be helpful to add location to your profile), I suggest:
1) Get the stock EVSE upgraded for L2 use. Living on L1 is not a good long-term solution, and pre-heating on L1 is a net drain
2) If you are planning on "topping off" via L1 during the day, I would consider getting a second L2 EVSE for home. That way you don't have to pack/unpack the EVSE everyday (lots of "wear and tear" and hassle).

Here's another thought based on your situation (and I agree with all the comments about running over cords, etc.). If in fact you decide to charge via L1 while at work, what happens if that EVSE gets damaged (or worse) stolen? The point is: you need to be prepared with a backup (I assume you will at least make it home). My (upgraded) L1/L2 EVSE is a back-up for my home L2 EVSE (both use a P20 plug), and I don't even take anything with me during the day. Good luck!

Generally I recommend against extension cords whenever possible; it defeats the safety design intent of the EVSE. So to ask whether it's okay for cars to drive over the cord... Yikes!

That being said, there ARE protectors you can get for that purpose. I have no idea what the claims or limitations might be. As someone already noted, there would be concern for tripping/ shoveling or snowplows. We don't know your complete site situation. I'd be wary of using anything like this for a long-term solution, which would seem to be what you're going for. And that is on top of my general aversion to extension cords for vehicle charging.

example:
http://www.grainger.com/category/cable-protection-system-components/wire-management-organization/electrical-supplies/electrical/ecatalog/N-qez/Ntt-cable+protectors?sst=subset&ts_optout=true

Ashley, there has been lots of previous discussion on extreme cold as well as the use of L1. Do a search on my name and then select "cold" or "L1" to reduce the listing. I've posted links to previous threads on these topics. The bottom line, for your short commute, it will work, but boy L1 pre-heating is nearly worthless below 0 C. Unless you have a warmer garage, I highly recommend L2 (and get a 7 KW, 30 Amp, 240 V station as well as the 2013 with the 6.6 KW charger). If you can charge at work, then the car will be essentially charging for 20 + hours per day on L1 (8-10 at work, 10-12 at home), so you will have NO problem, even at -40 C. In fact, keeping the battery trickle charging 20+ hr per day is probably BETTER at keeping the battery warm than L2 charging for 4 hours and then letting it sit in the cold for 20 hours. You can get LeafSpy for your smart phone and that will provide actual battery temperatures.

EDIT:I found this in the other thread:

AshleyGoingGreen said:

I don't have a garage to park mine in and I'll only be using the charger that comes with the car unless I can convince my parents to let me get an electrician in to wire my houses garage for a dryer plug (I've heard it's cheaper then the actual unit and works just as good!) for a really good price. In the winter I'll also only be able to park outside hoping this won't affect the car/battery in anyway. I'll preheat the car while it's still hooked up everyday.

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I don't believe that you will be able to preheat the car with L1 outside at -20C. L1 is like running a old hair dryer. It is only 1200 W of heat, not enough to warm the car at such temps. Maybe the 2013 has a better heater (heat pump works better at > 0C, but probably NOT at less than 0C).

"I'd strongly suggest having iEngineer upgrade your stock Leaf EVSE to L2(and of course get 240v for at home) so that way you'll have a toasty warm car when you leave home, it's a very nice feature and really doesn't work very well using L1 only. I think I mentioned it before but if you have 2 good 120v outlets(on out of phase circuits) you can limp by without a special 240v outlet, I believe the device is called Quick220v or something like that. It would mate quite well with a EVSEUpgrade'ed EVSE as you can then dial down the charging current to whatever your outlets are(less 20% and any other loads you may have on those circuits). L1 may work OK in the summer but it's really nice to have L2 for preheating in cold climates.

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How would I get a hold of this Quick220v device?

I talked to my stepdad and he will not allow me to instal a 220v system in my house even if it's at my charge. He did say that the outlite outside (2 side by side) not sure it on an "out of phase circuit" we're not 8v plugs that they can charge a 12 v batter so I'm guessing they are 12v sockets.

I would love to know if people have charged their Nissan Leaf with the L1 in -13f ( -25c) weather? With 40km (25miles) of range. If I can go without the L2 being installed at my house and just use it at the dealership which is about a 2km (1.23 miles) more on my 20km (13mile) route. I ask for 40km (25miles) of charge because when I'm in work I know the range will go down as the night gets cold so I would like to make sure I have room just Incase anything happens. In the winter time I might end up going to the level 2 charger at the dealer shift before every shift for 30 minutes to add the the km (miles) if I feel like I'll need it.

In -13f (-25c) weather how much would the battery drain sitting without being plugged in for 8 hours?

I know I'm repeating myself but I just want everything to be clear in my head! Sorry if your getting annoyed with me!

Reddy said:

Ashley, there has been lots of previous discussion on extreme cold as well as the use of L1. Do a search on my name and then select "cold" or "L1" to reduce the listing. I've posted links to previous threads on these topics. The bottom line, for your short commute, it will work, but boy L1 pre-heating is nearly worthless below 0 C. (...) I don't believe that you will be able to preheat the car with L1 outside at -20C. L1 is like running a old hair dryer. It is only 1200 W of heat, not enough to warm the car at such temps. Maybe the 2013 has a better heater (heat pump works better at > 0C, but probably NOT at less than 0C).

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It would be nice if you didn't post your brainstorming as fact. I actually *do* use L-1 preheating at temps far below 0C / 32F, have done so for three Upstate NY Winters now (this last one being mainly mild) and I posted the best way to do it. First, the heatpump does have decent heating output down to the lower twenties Fahrenheit. Second, the car is *not* limited to 1200 watts to preheat, or to using the heatpump alone. It pulls what extra energy it needs from the pack, and you get a net loss of roughly 2% charge for every 3-5 minutes of preheating, depending on temps. I have found - not guessed, *found* in real life - that preheating for no more than 5 minutes while plugged in on L-1 brings the car's interior up to a mild temp well above freezing in most cases, while also letting the seat and steering wheel warmers amplify that comfort level. That's usually worth two or three percent charge lost.

^Well that's not been my experience, though we've only had one spell of close to 0 F. In that case, I charged to 100%, preheated for 30 min on L1 and it barely warmed the car, even in the garage. I then drove 15 mi to a concert (5 mi @35 mph, 10 mi @70 mph), cold-soaked the car for 3 hr, the returned. All the time I was running the heater, mostly between 4-5 KW. I returned to the house (<30 mi RT) after the 1st Low Battery Warning (LBW), but before the 2nd VLBW. I have the original 2011 with the energy-hogging resistive heater but without the cold weather package or seat heaters. Another factor that I forgot about is that my "normal" driving/charging is so minimal that the battery probably doesn't get or stay warm in the winter.

Edit: I don't have the seat or steering wheel heaters, which obviously take much LESS energy and add significant comfort to the driver. I state this as a "fact" (which I believe is true), but since I don't have them, I haven't experienced the additional comfort.

The liquid-based heating system in the first two MY Leafs is slow to warm. One of those cars with no seat or wheel warmers might indeed be hard to preheat in cold weather. (You might want to try insulating your coolant lines.) Keep in mind, though, that this combination is now pretty rare; anyone buying a 2012+ Leaf gets the seat and wheel heaters, (IIRC) and the OP was looking to buy one with the heat pump. Even the 2013+ S has an air-based heater that heats much more quickly than your car's system. Tell you what: we can both try to remember this, and I'll warn them about 2011 cars with no wheel/seat warmers, and you try to remember that most of the Leafs out there will preheat pretty much as I described. The car pulls the juice from the pack, while the charging system replaces 1200 watts of that at the same time, on L-1, and this usually works well enough to get the car warm-er, if not actually warm, while losing about 1% charge every one to three minutes.

For those not aware, the OP stated in her introductory thread that she has decided to not get a Leaf and even went as far as deleting her account. I surmise (based on things she previously said) that strong family opposition is the reason for her sudden change of mind. She's probably quite crushed by being told to get a conventional car after finding what she thought was the Leaf of her dreams from a Quebec dealership, and deleted her account as a result.

So any arguments here about the viability of L1 charging is not likely going to be seen by her.

That's true, but the topic will remain, and preheating on L-1, even with an extension cord, can work with most Leafs.

RonDawg said:

For those not aware, the OP stated in her introductory thread that she has decided to not get a Leaf and even went as far as deleting her account. I surmise (based on things she previously said) that strong family opposition is the reason for her sudden change of mind. She's probably quite crushed by being told to get a conventional car after finding what she thought was the Leaf of her dreams from a Quebec dealership, and deleted her account as a result.

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I agree about the family thing, that and it sounds like the dealer in PQ wasn't really willing to negotiate, too bad really as Canada has an abundance of electricity and lack of heat would be good for the battery, albeit less range in the severe cold.

jjeff said:

RonDawg said:

For those not aware, the OP stated in her introductory thread that she has decided to not get a Leaf and even went as far as deleting her account. I surmise (based on things she previously said) that strong family opposition is the reason for her sudden change of mind. She's probably quite crushed by being told to get a conventional car after finding what she thought was the Leaf of her dreams from a Quebec dealership, and deleted her account as a result.

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I agree about the family thing, that and it sounds like the dealer in PQ wasn't really willing to negotiate, too bad really as Canada has an abundance of electricity and lack of heat would be good for the battery, albeit less range in the severe cold.

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I've got a feeling it's a family thing more than the price, and from what I gather it seems like her father was the most adamant against her desire to get a Leaf.

Maybe it's just a coincidence in timing, but perhaps the sudden change of heart (forced or voluntary) may have been prompted by the devastating wildfire in Ft. McMurray, Alberta that resulted in the entire city being evacuated. The CBC and other news outlets have stories of people being stranded while trying to escape, due to lack of fuel. I also surmised that Ashley lived in a somewhat rural environment and if so these horror stories could have been the final straw against buying the Leaf, since she wouldn't be able to get far out of town and at least with an ICEV you could be refueled anywhere along the way even if you had to wait a few hours to do so. Her father or other family members could have been concerned if such a fire broke out in her area with the car not being fully charged (a distinct possibility as she was going to rely solely on L1).