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Nissan’s Leaf is the best-selling electric car in the world, having been on sale since 2011. The popular hatchback is available with two different battery sizes – 24 kWh and 30 kWh – and can be rapid charged on the CHAdeMO standard.
Available with the OLEV Category 1 Plug-in Car Grant when new, buyers may still be eligible for the Homecharge Scheme grant, with up to £500 available towards a fully installed home charging unit.
Nissan Leaf 24 kWh generation ZE0, Single Speed 109ps,. Find all the specs about Nissan Leaf, from engine, fuel to retail costs, dimensions, and lots more. Choose the Nissan Leaf model and explore the versions, specs and photo galleries.
Official NEDC Range
Nissan Leaf 24 kWh
124 miles
Nissan Leaf 30 kWh
155 miles
Real-world Range
Nissan Leaf 24 kWh
99 miles
Nissan Leaf 30 kWh
124 miles
Next Green Car verdict: “There are few EVs that make more sense than the Leaf when you look at size, cost and range.”
![Nissan Leaf Ze0 Nissan Leaf Ze0](https://www.epcatalogs.com/file/f5a5c1f7f39c3dde3894a52a7e98fd75a8d3c7fe/nissan-leaf-model-ze0-series-2013-2016my-electronic-service-manuals.png)
How to charge a Nissan Leaf
The Nissan Leaf uses two charging standards for its inlets – Type 1 and CHAdeMO. The Type 1 inlet is used when charging at home or at public slow and fast AC points. The CHAdeMO inlet is used to carry high power during rapid DC charging from a CHAdeMO connector. The Nissan Leaf’s inlets are found behind a flap in the centre of what would normally be a car’s grille.
Nissan’s Leaf is able to be slow, fast, and rapid charged from public points, depending on network and type of charge unit. In most cases, slow charging requires a 3-pin-to-Type 1 cable, and fast charging a Type 2-to-Type 1 cable, both of which are usually supplied with the vehicle. For rapid charging, the CHAdeMO connector required is tethered to the charging unit.
Type 1 – Slow & Fast | CHAdeMO – Rapid |
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Charging on AC or DC requires the EV driver to plug the connectors into the correct inlet, after which the car then ‘talks’ to the charging unit to make sure there is a power supply, that there are no faults, and that it is safe to start charging. If charging at private home or workplace charge point, the vehicle then automatically starts charging.
On a public charger, an activation process is required to initiate charging. Depending on the network provider, this may require the use of an RFID card or smartphone app, often linked to an account which has been set up beforehand. Contactless pay-as-you-go units are also becoming more common on newer units. Once activated, the units will conduct further connection and account checks before starting to charge the vehicle.
How long does it take to charge a Nissan Leaf?
The following table shows approximate times to charge a Nissan Leaf 24 kWh. Times are for a 100% charge for all but rapid charging, which is quoted for 0-80% as most rapid chargers reduce or cut power well before 100% charge to protect the battery and maximise efficiency.
Note that the times shown are only a guide, as very rarely will an EV need to be fully charged from 0%. Other factors that might vary the charging time include ambient temperature, in-vehicle energy loads, any upper and lower charge restrictions to extend battery life and protect against potential damage, and charging rates slowing down as the maximum charge is reached.
Rapid 50kW | Fast 22kW | Fast 7kW | Slow 3kW |
---|---|---|---|
30 mins 0-80% | 4.5 hours 0-100% | 4.5 hours 0-100% | 10 hours 0-100% |
The Nissan Leaf is fitted with a 3.3 kW on-board charger for Type 1 AC charging, in addition to rapid 50 kW DC capability. Often the optional 6.6 kW on-board charger is fitted though to make greater use of public charger points. This means that even when connected to a fast charger with a rated output above 3.3 kW or 6.6 kW, the Leaf will only be able to charge at its on-board charger capacity.
Use Zap-Map’s Home Charging Calculator to estimate charging times for a Nissan Leaf. The level of battery charge, connector speed, and on-board charger options can be tailored to your requirements for more accurate results.
How much does it cost to charge a Nissan Leaf?
The table shown below shows estimates of the cost to charge the Nissan Leaf 24 kWh battery at home (on a domestic tariff) or using a rapid charge point. Cost estimates are dependent on the charge remaining, usable battery capacity, and age of battery pack. Cost per mile is calculated using an estimate of real-world range.
Type | Cost/kWh | Cost to charge | Cost per mile |
---|---|---|---|
Home | 14 p/kWh | £4.20 | 3.4 p/mile |
Public Rapid | 30 p/kWh to 80% charge | £7.20 | 5.8 p/mile |
Based on these figures, the Nissan Leaf’s fuel costs are 3-7 p/mile based on real-world energy usage, the cost depending on the type of charging. In general, home charging provides the cheapest per mile cost and public rapid charging tends to be around double the cost. These fuel costs compare favourably with 12-15 p/mile for conventional petrol and diesel cars.
To find the cost and times to charge an EV on a public charge point, Zap-Map’s Public Charging Calculator calculates charging costs for any new or used plug-in vehicle. The results can be personalised for different electricity costs and the level of charge required.
Charging a Nissan Leaf at home
Charging at home is often the most convenient and cost effective way to recharge an EV. Government grants are available for the installation of home EV charge points, and a large number of companies offer a fully installed charge point for a fixed price.
Most home chargers are either rated at 3 kW or 7 kW. The higher powered wall-mounted units normally cost more than the slower 3 kW option, but halve the time required to fully charge an EV. Many plug-in car manufacturers have deals or partnerships with charge point suppliers, and in some cases provide a free home charge point as part of a new car purchase. Zap-Map recommends shopping about beforehand as there are a number of suitable products on the market.
Charging a Nissan Leaf on public networks
The UK has a large number of public EV charging networks, with some offering national coverage and others only found in a specific region. The major UK-wide networks include BP Chargemaster (Polar), Ecotricity, Pod Point, and Charge Your Car.
Payment and access methods across networks vary, with some networks providing an RFID card and others a smartphone app to use their services. While most require an account to be set up before use, some rapid units with contactless PAYG card readers are starting to be installed.
Although many EV charge points are free to use, the majority of fast and rapid chargers require payment. Charging tariffs tend to comprise a flat connection fee, a cost per charging time (pence per hour) and/or a cost per energy consumed (pence per kWh). For more information about network tariffs, visit Zap-Map’s public charge point networks guides.
Vehicle Type: NL
This vehicle type supports the Nissan Leaf and Nissan e-NV200.
Support Overview¶
Hardware¶
Item | Support Status |
---|---|
Module | Any OVMS v3 (or later) module. Vehicle support: 2011-2017 (24kWh & 30kWh & custom battery) |
Vehicle Cable | 1779000 Nissan Leaf OBD-II to DB9 Data Cable for OVMS |
GSM Antenna | 1000500 Open Vehicles OVMS GSM Antenna (or any compatible antenna) |
GPS Antenna | 1020200 Universal GPS Antenna (SMA Connector) (or any compatible antenna) |
Controls¶
Function | Support Status |
---|---|
Charge Control | Start charge only (Stop charge in beta firmware stage) |
Cabin Pre-heat/cool Control | Yes [1] (see info below) |
Lock/Unlock Vehicle | Yes [3] (see info below) |
Valet Mode Control | Not currently supported |
Metrics¶
Item | Support Status |
---|---|
SOC | Yes (by default based on GIDS)[4] |
Range | Yes (by default based on GIDS) |
GPS Location | Yes (from modem module GPS) |
Speed | Yes (from vehicle speed PID) |
Cabin Temperature | Yes (from vehicle temperature PIDs) |
Ambient Temperature | Yes (from vehicle temperature PIDs) |
SetPoint Temperature | Yes (from vehicle hvac PIDs) [2] |
HVAC Fan Speed | Yes (from vehicle hvac PIDs) [2] |
HVAC Heating/Cooling Status | Yes (from vehicle hvac PIDs) [2] |
HVAC On Status | Yes (from vehicle hvac PIDs) [2] |
HVAC Temperature Setpoint | Yes (from vehicle hvac PIDs) [2] |
HVAC Ventilation Mode | Yes (from vehicle hvac PIDs) [2] |
BMS v+t | Yes |
TPMS | Yes (If hardware available) |
Charge Status | Yes |
Charge Interruption Alerts | Yes |
[1] | OVMS currently supports 2011-2017 Nissan LEAF and Nissan e-NV200 |
[2] | (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6) Some HVAC Status Items have been only verified with 2013-2016 MY cars and will only work if the year is set in configuraiton. Also HVAC needs to be in ON position before powering down the vehicle for the metrics to work during pre-heat. |
[3] | Lock/Unlock will work if CAR can bus is awake, this can be activated by turning on A/C |
[4] | ZE0 (2011-2013) vehicles are required to choose SoC display from “relative to fixed value”, “dashboard display” SoC method does not work with these vehicles. |
Remote Climate Control¶
2011-2013 models (ZE0)¶
![Nissan Leaf Ze0 Nissan Leaf Ze0](https://carsales.pxcrush.net/carsales/cars/private/6xi844a4l2xq0sfe4z9n3e011.jpg?pxc_method=gravityfill&pxc_bgtype=self&pxc_size=900%2C600)
Gen1 Cars (ZE0, 2011-2013) require a hardware modification to enable OVMS to control remote climate. Wire RC3 to TCU pin 11, more info
2014-2016 models (AZE0)¶
To use OVMS to activate remote climate the Nissan TCU (Telematics Control Unit) module must be unplugged if fitted (only on Acenta and Tekna models). The TCU is located behind the glovebox on LHD cars or on the right hand side of the drivers foot well on RHD cars. The large white plug on the rear of the TCU should be unplugged, push down tab in the middle and pull to unplug, see video for RHD cars and this page for LHD cars.
Note: Unplugging the TCU will disable Nissan EV connect / CARWINGS features e.g Nissan mobile app. All other car functions will not be effected e.g GPS, maps, radio, Bluetooth, microphone all work just the same as before. OVMS can be used to more than substitute the loss of Nissan Connect features. The TCU can be plugged back in at any point in the future if required.
OVMS remote climate support will ‘just work’ on LEAF Visia models and Visia/Acenta e-NV200 since these models do not have a TCU fitted.
Note: If you prefer not to unplug the Nissan TCU, all OVMS functions appart from remote climate will function just fine alongside the Nissan TCU.
2016-2017 models (AZE0)¶
Remote climate control will only work when plugged in and actively charging on 2016-2017 models. This is because in 2016 Nissan moved the TCU from the EV CAN bus to the CAR CAN bus.
Set the model year as follows and if necessary configure 30 kWh model:
configsetxnlmodelyear2016
or
configsetxnlmodelyear2017
Note: in latest OVMS fimware version model year and battery size can be set via the web config interface.
2018+ models (ZE1)¶
2018+ 40/62kWh LEAF is not yet supported. Please get in touch if your interested in helping to add support. Relevant 2018 CANbus messages have already been decoded and documented, see MyNissanLEAF thread.
Specific battery configs¶
For models with a 30 kWhr battery pack, set the capacity manually with:
configsetxnlmaxGids356
configsetxnlnewCarAh79
For models with a 40 kWhr battery pack, set the capacity manually with:
configsetxnlmaxGids502
configsetxnlnewCarAh115
For models with a 62 kWhr battery pack, set the capacity manually with:
Note: In latest OVMS firmware version, model year and battery size can be set via the web config interface. This is easier and also the preferred method.
Nissan Leaf Ze0
Note 2: OVMS fully supports battery upgraded LEAFs, just set the capacity according to what battery is currently installed.
Range Calculation¶
The OVMS uses two configuration options to calculate remaining range, whPerGid (default 80Wh/gid) and kmPerKWh (default 7.1km/kWh). The range calculation is based on the remaining gids reported by the LBC and at the moment does not hold 5% in reserve like LeafSpy. Feedback on this calculation is welcomed.
Resources¶
- Nissan LEAF support added by Tom Parker, see his wiki for lots of documentation and resources. Some info is outdated e.g climate control now turns off automatically.
- Nissan LEAF features are being added by Jaunius Kapkan, see his github profile to track the progress.
- Database files (.DBC) for ZE0 and AZE0 Leaf can be found here: Github LEAF Canbus database files
Nissan Leaf Zero Emission
Assistance is appreciated as I haven’t had time to try to override the TCU using the OVMS or find an alternative solution to prevent the TCU overriding the messages while still allowing the hands free microphone to work.