coulomb
Well-known member
Early Leaf batteries were never power monsters. Also, the early CHAdeMO protocol was limited to 125 A; only Leafs with the 62 kWh packs implement the CHAdeMO protocol that allows a dizzying 200 A. Many CCS plugs seem to push 500 A, though to do that they typically need liquid cooled cables and plugs. The cables and plugs may not be able to sustain 500 A for more than a few tens of minutes.
Only a few CHAdeMO chargers using the Sumimoto connector (identifiable by their blue or teal plug with black or blue handle), are rated for 200 A.
A 350 kW CCS charger has to push some 700 V and 500 A to reach that power level. Obviously, with a low SoC Leaf battery, say 3.5 V x 96 cells = 336 V, at 125 A, it's going to be limited to 42 kW. 45 kW can only be reached when the battery reaches 360 V, typically 3.75 VPC, at middling SoC. By this time, the uncooled battery is starting to get hot, so even 125 A can't be maintained.
So most of the time, Leafs can't get beyond about 360 V x 200 A = 72 kW. Yes, we hear occasionally about 80+ kW charge rates briefly.
Even the most powerful 400 V battery can only reach around 400 V x 500 A = 200 kW. Probably less, since a nominally 400 V battery is often well under 400 V when at a lower state of charge. That's why you rarely see 350 kW CCS chargers pushing anything like their rated power. You need an 800 V architecture, as well as a very high C rate battery, to approach that level. That's one of the reasons that high end vehicles (Porsche Tycan, Tesla Cybertruck etc) are nominally 800 V.
But again, I was at 50% SoC and it got to 60% so fast that the car's charge taper started and I'm not sure where it would have leveled off, if I had started at a lower SoC. Those AUTEL chargers ramp up the power very "gently".
