Substandard charge adapter provided with 2013 Leaf

[RonDawg]

Keep in kind that Nissan has never intended the included 120v EVSE to be used as the car's primary charging solution, and in fact does not recommend it, although many of us have done so with no ill effects. That's why it was only rated for 120v 12amp service, although it can be modified for more.

The only thing that is "substandard" here is the quality of the information the OP got.

[badq45t]

Can I ask why you bought a new Leaf and traded in your 2011 in? Where there really enough things added to the product to make it worth doing so?

[surfingslovak]

Keep in kind that Nissan has never intended the included 120v EVSE to be used as the car's primary charging solution, and in fact does not recommend it, although many of us have done so with no ill effects. That's why it was only rated for 120v 12amp service, although it can be modified for more.

The only thing that is "substandard" here is the quality of the information the OP got.

I think it's worth noting that Nissan supplies a nearly identical EVSE in Europe and some other countries, which supports 230 Volts out of the box. Some owners still send it in to Phil for a mod to allow higher current draw. The bottom line is that this EVSE is eminently capable of supporting higher line voltage, and Nissan knows that. They have however made a decision to limit the capability of the EVSE to whatever a regular wall outlet in the target market can sustain. Whether this is based on the requirements of the electrical code, fear of increased liability exposure, or something else, it's difficult to say. 2013 LEAFs obviously have the same limitation that 2011 and 2012 LEAFs had in this regard, and it's disappointing that sales people would say otherwise. But then, they probably will say anything to close a deal. It would be great if Nissan had a change of heart in the future. It's commonplace to see laptops come with universal power cords, which will work around the world. There is no technical reason why portable EVSEs couldn't do the same thing. Tesla svelte 10-kW capable charge cord sets a nice precedent in this regard.

[RonDawg]

Keep in kind that Nissan has never intended the included 120v EVSE to be used as the car's primary charging solution, and in fact does not recommend it, although many of us have done so with no ill effects. That's why it was only rated for 120v 12amp service, although it can be modified for more.

The only thing that is "substandard" here is the quality of the information the OP got.

I think it's worth noting that Nissan supplies a nearly identical EVSE in Europe and some other countries, which supports 230 Volts out of the box. Some owners still send it in to Phil for a mod to allow higher current draw. The bottom line is that this EVSE is eminently capable of supporting higher line voltage, and Nissan knows that. They have however made a decision to limit the capability of the EVSE to whatever a regular wall outlet in the target market can sustain. Whether this is based on the requirements of the electrical code, fear of increased liability exposure, or something else, it's difficult to say. 2013 LEAFs obviously have the same limitation that 2011 and 2012 LEAFs had in this regard, and it's disappointing that sales people would say otherwise. But then, they probably will say anything to close a deal. It would be great if Nissan had a change of heart in the future. It's commonplace to see laptops come with universal power cords, which will work around the world. There is no technical reason why portable EVSEs couldn't do the same thing. Tesla svelte 10-kW capable charge cord sets a nice precedent in this regard.

The part I had underlined is basically what the OP was subjected to....misinformation. I don't think it was necessarily intentional as it was lack of knowledge.

Only Nissan knows for sure why it doesn't want to let you use the included EVSE for both 120 and 240 volt charging, but in addition to the reasons you described, I'll add a third one: the quality of any particular 120 volt outlet varies widely. Is it a dedicated 15 amp circuit as it should be, or is it shared with other things? And who will the consumer blame when their new Leaf starts tripping breakers, or worse, blowing fuses? Their house which otherwise worked fine, or Nissan?

[DaveinOlyWA]

im sure the decision to only provide 120 volt EVSE in the US has to do more with a backroom agreement with an EVSE manufacturer more than anything. (MHO only since the lack of an audio recording device means there will never be any proof)

[davewill]

The only thing that is "substandard" here is the quality of the information the OP got.

Yep, it just reinforces the rule that you should never take the salesman's word for anything, especially anything technical. In the future, either come here, or ask Nissan (no, really just come here). Had the OP checked here, (or the EVSE upgrade FAQ) he would have gotten the straight scoop.

[m99m]

I got my 2013 leaf and the sales & tech both confirmed that the charging adapter is capable of 240v Level 2 charging, but the plug head is compatible for 110v Level 1 only. They are offering a off market service to convert the plug head to a Dryer plug, so it can be used at the dryer outlet. (240v).

I guess they want the plug to be compatible with majority of household garage plugs which will be at 110v.

[RonDawg]

I got my 2013 leaf and the sales & tech both confirmed that the charging adapter is capable of 240v Level 2 charging, but the plug head is compatible for 110v Level 1 only. They are offering a off market service to convert the plug head to a Dryer plug, so it can be used at the dryer outlet. (240v).

I guess they want the plug to be compatible with majority of household garage plugs which will be at 110v.

Is that "off-market" service from a company called EVSE Upgrade? The man behind the company is a member of this forum. Either way, I'm surprised they offered anything other than Nissan USA's "official" home charging solution made by AeroVironment.

[cwerdna]

I got my 2013 leaf and the sales & tech both confirmed that the charging adapter is capable of 240v Level 2 charging, but the plug head is compatible for 110v Level 1 only. They are offering a off market service to convert the plug head to a Dryer plug, so it can be used at the dryer outlet. (240v).

Sigh... not this again. See http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.p ... 86#p305986" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;. More needs to be done than changing the plug. If it were only that simple...

Can you update your location info via User Control Panel (near top) > Profile (left side)? That way, we don't need to ask in future posts/threads or do sleuthing to deduce it. Maybe you went to the same dealer as the OP?

[LeftieBiker]

I don't understand why no one has suggested the obvious solution: go to the dealer and ask for your upgraded EVSE back, in exchange for the new, 120 volt unit you got with the car. If they say they don't have it, insist that they pay to have your new EVSE upgraded, and loan you a standard one while it's away. Their salesperson gave you information that was both wrong and resulted in you losing valuable property. It isn't as if there is no recourse here...