3.3 KW, 6.6 KW, 110v, 240v, little confusion

Hello again

As you probably know, this is my Leaf:

Used, bought on Oct. 7, 2016
2012 Leaf SL
48000 km
Still all the bars of the battery: 132 km claimed range (in ECO mode) when 100% full.

I'm a little confused about the difference between "on board" charger and the actual charging "cable" with that heavy rectangular thing I connect in any normal house power plug and use to recharge the car.

• Are we talking about the same thing? Or with "on board" they mean something integrated/stuck in the car body?

• How do I understand if I have a 3.3 KW or a 6.6 KW charger?

My Leaf says it charges to 100% in 16 hours on the normal house outlet.


• Any recommendation about what to do? Any special advice from you guys who have much longer experience with Leafs?

• Buy the upgraded 240v portable charger to replace the current one?
• Can I replace the "on board" 3.3 KW with a 6.6 KW charger? (whatever it is, wherever it is)
• How much would I pay, including labour (approximately)?
• Is it worth it?
• Any further advice?

THANK YOU SOOOO MUCH!!

It would be nice if you listed your general location in your profile so people don't have to guess but I'm going to guess your not in the US since you listed KMs, I'm also going to guess your not Europe or most of the rest of the world since you mentioned 110v. That leaves Canada
If this is the case then being a '12 your Leaf will only have a max 3.6kw built in charger(not to be confused with the external EVSE that provides power to the build in charger). While it's possible to upgrade the internal charger, it's not really practical anymore, your best choice for faster charging is to either upgrade your external EVSE by using EVSEupgrade.com(would cost ~$300 depending on shipping) or purchase a aftermarket 240v EVSE again starting at ~$300 depending on shipping. In your case I might suggest the aftermarket option because that way you'll have a second spare EVSE in the rare chance something goes wrong with one or the other. Using either of those options you'll get 16a@240v which is more than twice as fast as the OEM EVSE or you'll gain around 20%/hr.
Having a '12 the first thing I can say is to forget about the GOM(guess-o-meter) or gauge that tells you how much range you have. It's VERY optimistic at first and then before long becomes quite pessimistic about your range. Instead you want to get something like Leafspy for your mobile phone($20 at the app store) which tells you the exact SOC% of your battery and other much handier info about the battery than the (IMO) relatively useless GOM.
If you are in Canada I'd also strongly suggest purchasing and installing a heater mod switch which allows you to run the climate control but not the energy hog heater. You'll find out quite soon that the heater eats up lots of range, the switch is only ~$20 and installs very easily and will allow you to run just the fan when needed.

Wow Jeff,

you're smart man! Your analysis about my location reminded my of Dr. House LOL
Exactly! I'm in Canada, I forgot to mention, sorry

wow great advices, thanks! I'll keep them in mind.
So I guess I have to buy a nice smartphone holder arm, so I don't have to pick my phone continuously while driving in order to check the battery status.

About the "aftermarket 240v EVSE again starting at ~$300" ... wow so many models!

You mentioned shipping, so is there any model and online store you would recommend?

Since I don't own the place, and I will have to move relatively soon (but not too soon), I'll need to bring it with me. Is it like portable?

Finally, about the heater mod switch, do I just get it to Nissan dealers?

Thanks again!

wow!

Yes I purchase a relatively cheap suction cup holder mobile phone holder off Amazon, ~$10 that I stick to the flat spot on the dash right behind the trim around the center stack. Amazon is also a place to purchase one of the $299 portable L2 EVSE's, they sell several models but I like the Ebusbar because it not only works on 240v but also 120v so you only have to carry around the 1 EVSE if you chose. If your into ordering direct from China there are also some recent threads here on MNL that give info on how to get the cheaper EVSEs for even cheaper, check out the MNL forum dealing with chargers. I prefer Amazon for the ability to return something but you do save a bit of money going direct.
The issue if the place isn't yours is you may not have access to a 240v outlet(yes all the portable EVSEs plug in, they aren't hard wired). If you don't have access to a 240v outlet you have very little options for faster charging. While it is possible to get 240v from 2 different 120v outlets they should really be dedicated outlets and you need to know what your doing. You can purchase a device called Quick220 to help you accomplish this but again it's not for everyone, you kind of need to know what type of circuits your plugging into.
The Heater mod switch is sold by Thor who lives of all places in Norway, I'll try and track down his thread and give you a link but he's just a regular Leaf guy who took the time to design and have build the relatively simple switch and wiring harness. You don't have to cut any wires, it simply plugs between 2 other plugs and is easily removed if you ever want. It provides a OFF position, normal(like it is now) position and LOW position. I drilled a 1/2"?? hole through the plastic in the center stack not far from where my knee rests but you can mount it anywhere you want(the cord is several feet long) or as some have done, just have it dangle a little below the dash, somewhat out of site. Thor only basically charges for parts and shipping(the majority of his costs as it comes from Norway) but I believe it's still only ~$20 USD. A Nissan dealer will know nothing about this mod, it was done by a owner for owners and I highly recommend it, especially for us Northern climate Leaf owners.

LOL, when I read Thor from Norway I thought you were joking talking about a pseudo-God over there LOL :lol: :lol: :lol:

Wow thanks again Jeff!

Yeah the place is not mine, but the owners are super nice and they won't have problem to install a 240v outlet near the garage (there's no room INSIDE the garage for my car, it stays outdoor).

About the switch, thanks again, let's try to track down this guy LOL... I'll try too when I'll be home.

However, I don't know what's the difference between climate control and hog heater, I just trust you that it's worth it to be able to handle them separately, whatever they are.

Is there any guide online to do the trick? Since I don't even know where they are and where to put my hands... thanks!

Link to Tor's switch(actually Tor not Thor as I originally said )
http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=37&t=20446&hilit=heater+mod+switch
What I said "energy hog" heater I was kind of comparing it to '13 and later Leaf SV and SL trim levels that have a much more efficient heat pump heater. Our '12s are only a resistive heater and when is when it's cold, anytime you turn the climate control ON, say to get the fan running to clear the windows of fog or such the heater comes on. The heater draws a lot of power and sometimes you need it for example to clear frost or just get heat but at other times you may be OK with just some air, the switch allows you to do just this.
Oh another advantage of L2 or 240v charging is you get much better morning warm-up. With just 120v you'll actually lose charge using morning warm-up but with L2 you'll wake up to a nice toasty car and still full charge for driving around. If enabled the heaters(car, seats and steering wheel) come on 30 minutes prior to the departure time you've programmed, by the time you get in the car everything is nice and warm Using this feature and the mod switch you may be able to get by without even using heat for short commutes.

Link to the Ebusbar EVSE I spoke of and also another link to various L2 EVSEs Amazon sells:
https://www.amazon.com/Ebusbar-BEV-H02A10-Charger-Level-Volt/dp/B00TPSP760/ref=sr_1_2?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1476364255&sr=1-2&keywords=ev+charger
https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dautomotive&field-keywords=ev+charger&rh=n%3A15684181%2Ck%3Aev+charger
Link to the Quick220 that I spoke of earlier, note may not work in every situation, outlets need to be on different out of phase circuits:
http://www.quick220.com/

Your car has a 3.3 kW onboard charger that is capable of delivering 3.3 kW to the battery when supplied at 240 volts (input power from the wall is about 3.8 kW at maximum) or about 1.4 kW at 120 volts. The larger 6 kW onboard charger became available in 2013 models, but it is not compatible with the 2011/2012 models. Nissan calls the larger charger 6.6 kW, but that is maximum input power at 240 volts with maximum of 6 kW delivered to the battery so it is not twice the capacity. The portable cable with the heavy box near the 120-volt plug is basically an extension cord with some safety protection features that delivers the 120-volt power to the car's onboard charger. The technical name for the wall unit or portable cable is electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE). If you have 240 volts available where you park, you should consider getting an EVSE that can supply 240 volts to the car for faster charging. The portable EVSE that came with the car is only for 120 volts, but there is a company that can upgrade it to function on both 120 and 240 volts (EVSEUpgrade.com). There are many wall-mount EVSEs available for permanent installation.

Jjeff gave you great advice while I was typing, but I left the above paragraph as basic explanation. I do not recommend the Quick220 that was mentioned because of many possible issues. Since you may be moving soon, perhaps you could plug a portable 240-volt EVSE into a clothes dryer outlet. You will definitely want the heater modification--I had done my own temporary modification on the 2011 before the plug and play kit became available, but would have ordered the kit for a permanent solution if the car had not been totaled. I had the EVSE from my 2011 upgraded by EVSEUpgrade for portable 240-volt use. It is adjustable from 6 to 20 amperes at 240 volts and 6 to 12 amperes at 120 volts to allow use with various receptacle circuit ratings (with suitable adapters).

Gerry

Great,

thank you Gerry!!

So guys, if I call an electrician to install a 240v outlet near the garage, basically what should I tell him?

I need a what? "protected"? Isolated?.... 240v line/outlet... of .... how many Amperes?

Any other info do I have to provide to the guy?

Any advice to understand what type of electrician is skilled enough to to the job?

Thanks again!

AriesMu said:

Great,

thank you Gerry!!

So guys, if I call an electrician to install a 240v outlet near the garage, basically what should I tell him?

I need a what? "protected"? Isolated?.... 240v line/outlet... of .... how many Amperes?

Any other info do I have to provide to the guy?

Any advice to understand what type of electrician is skilled enough to to the job?

Thanks again!

Click to expand...

The EVSE you purchase will kind of dictate the kind of outlet and amperage of said outlet. In the case of the Ebusbar I linked, it has a plug I don't really care for, a old larger dryer outlet plug. Personally I just cut this end off and wired a L6-30p which is kind of a EV standard, works well and can handle up to 30a which would work with any Leaf, even the newer ones with higher charging capacity. Now if your not comfortable cutting the end off your new EVSE(and possibly voiding the warranty) you could have your electrician wire the type of outlet the EVSE has or you could look for another EVSE that has the type of plug you desire. Since your car and EVSE max out at 16a all you'd really need would be a 20a circuit and outlet, which is about the least expensive 240v outlet/wiring you could get. If you go with a 30a plug and outlet your circuit should really be 30a which adds to the cost. I believe some of the other EVSEs Amazon sells(and other places as well including a couple members on MNL who sell the cheaper type of EVSE) have a 20a 240v plug that looks very much like our 120v plug except the pronges are turned 90 degrees so you don't accidentally plug a 120v device into it. Using such a 20a outlet plug would save you money by letting the electrician use cheaper wiring but if you ever got a newer Leaf with 27.5a charging ability you wouldn't be able to utilize the extra capacity. Thats the reason I went with 30a, future proofing but it's up to you.
Long story short a 16a EVSE(max your car can charge at) would require a 20a circuit and outlet. For future proofing you could have a 30a outlet and circuit installed but would cost more. I'd think any competent licenced electrician would fine for the job, they should do this type of thing all day long, nothing too fancy just because it's for a EV.
Link to MNL member VegasBrad's EVSE: http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=41&t=22035
Link to MNL member TonyWilliams EVSE: http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=42&t=22372

Perfect,

thank you so much Jeff!
And also thanks for your previous answer I didn't notice initially, this one:

http://mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=22733#p472447

I have plenty of info to proceed now

You gentlemen should not be recommending to the new Leaf owner that she/ he do a wiring modification on their car. The writer refers to the EVSE as the "rectangular thing", which strongly suggests that this person is not mechanically inclined.

Also, I am very mechanically inclined, but have no interest in taking apart my dashboard and mess with wiring relays just because some guy in Norway is selling an electrical harness. Good or Bad, I am fine with the way the Leaf is made, and any new Leaf owner will be fine with the car as it is... You mod-loving guys can tear up your cars all you want. I am happy having mine totally stock....

hahaha "the rectangular thing" as meter of my lack of skills is too funny LOL

I won't touch my car... maybe ask to a mechanic and see if he could do that... (if I have the money lol).... otherwise I'll just wait

I did not mean to offend you, but to protect a new owner from either scaring them or encouraging them to do something which can negatively affect their car if done improperly...

yes don't worry, I totally understand thanks!

powersurge said:

You gentlemen should not be recommending to the new Leaf owner that she/ he do a wiring modification on their car. The writer refers to the EVSE as the "rectangular thing", which strongly suggests that this person is not mechanically inclined.

Also, I am very mechanically inclined, but have no interest in taking apart my dashboard and mess with wiring relays just because some guy in Norway is selling an electrical harness. Good or Bad, I am fine with the way the Leaf is made, and any new Leaf owner will be fine with the car as it is... You mod-loving guys can tear up your cars all you want. I am happy having mine totally stock....

Click to expand...

I understand but to do the heater mod you don't even need any tools, simply pull on the top of the center stack and slowly work your way down to the bottom. I guess you might need a drill if you choose(as I did) to drill a hole to mount the switch, but it's not required. Lots of people simply let the switch hang from below the dash and leave it at that. Also your Leaf already has a switch to turn the heater off, '11s and 12s have no such switch and for someone living in an area that may benefit from said switch I thought I'd suggest it to them, of course they can ignore my comments or as he said later, pay someone else to do the work. Lastly the switch, while not sold in the mainstream is well made and doesn't require any wires to be cut or modified, simply unplug a connector and install the mod between the two connectors, easy peasy, remove it whenever you want
While you may be perfectly happy with your Leaf, others like me need the extra range or just the ability to run the fan without also running the heater which can drastically affect the range, but I understand what your saying

Fair enough!