New Owner question - Advice for keeping my Leaf healthy.

[Chippsta]

I just bought a new used Leaf - S with about 17K miles on it and i'm really happy with the handling and performance ! From you veterans of the EV, what do you wish someone had told you early on that would have made ownership a better experience. Also, of course, tips and tricks and hacks to keep my new car working as well as it does now for a longer time. Thank you in advance. This forum has been very helpful to me when i was still "on the fence".

 

[LeftieBiker]

Don't charge a hot pack if you can help it, and don't leave it sitting in the heat with a 100% charge.

 

[powersurge]

1) Get the 240 volt charger asap
2) don't be afraid to charge it up to 100%

 

[LeftieBiker]

1) Get the 240 volt charger asap
2) don't be afraid to charge it up to 100%

Tip: it isn't a "charger" it's a "charging station." The portable units can reasonably be called "charging cables" and they are all, except for DC Fast Charge stations (which actually do contain chargers), "EVSEs." This matters because the actual, onboard, chargers do sometimes fail or malfunction, so it helps to know what's what.

Trick: Don't be afraid to charge to 100%, but don't, as I already said, leave it there in hot weather for more than a few hours. The newer packs are "heat resistant" but not "heat proof."

 

[oleviking]

Is there any Nissan literature that addresses frequent Quick Charging? I am debating on installing a 240v evse to supplement the QC at the Nissan dealer less than a mile away from my house - open 24/7

 

[LeftieBiker]

Frequency of QC isn't itself an issue - it's the heat generated that can cause degradation. So QCs in cold weather can reasonably be considered harmless, while those in hot temps (80sF or hotter) can be considered something to minimize. The dash temp gauge isn't precise enough (bars, for crying out loud???) but if it doesn't rise above 6 bars you are fine, with 7 bars more like 'marginal.'