The Nissan Leaf is one of the most popular electric vehicles in the world. In production since 2010, over 450,000 units have been sold worldwide. With that said, if you’re in the market for a new EV and the Leaf is on your radar you’re likely wondering how long will it take to charge one? We have the rundown here for you so you know how long you need to keep the car plugged in. We’ll cover both the standard Leaf and the more powerful Leaf Plus to give you a good idea of the charging times for each one.
Level 1 charger
Every Leaf comes with a cable that you can plug into a standard 110- or 120-volt outlet. Of the three ways to charge, this is the slowest regardless of whether you get the standard Leaf with a 40-kWh lithium-ion battery or the Leaf Plus equipped with the larger 62-kWh unit. It’ll take 35 hours to trickle charge the standard Leaf. Models with the 62-kWh battery require even more time using a level 1 charger. This charging method is best used if you need some extra range in a pinch. At its quickest, a level 1 charger will only give you 5 miles for every hour you’re plugged in.
Level 2 charger
The most common type of charger is a level 2 or 240-volt one. Many are found in public parking structures/lots or you can get one installed in your home. The standard Nissan Leaf takes 7.5 hours to get to 100 percent on a level 2 charger. Leaf Plus models need 4.0 hours more due to the larger battery to get a full charge.
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Level 2 chargers are ideal for daily use because you can leave your vehicle plugged in overnight at home or while you’re working during the day, allowing you to do other things while the car charges.
Level 3 charger
The quickest way to replenish your Nissan Leaf’s battery is via a Level 3 DC charger, which is also known as a fast charger. These will let you charge the battery back to 80 percent in 40 minutes for the standard Leaf or 45 minutes to an hour on the Leaf Plus depending on whether you’re using a 50- or 100-kW unit. However, these chargers are only found in public spaces like parking lots and structures. There is a caveat, though. Once you get to 80 percent, the charger reverts to level 2 speeds to preserve the battery life. That also means you need to wait a little longer than 40- to 45 minutes to get to full charge. The Leaf is also one of a few EVs that still use a ChaDeMo level 3 adapter instead of a combo plug like most of its competitors use.
TL;DR
Charging the Nissan Leaf is easy but you need to make sure you have access to at least a level 2 charger to make the car viable. Good access to public charging stations with level 3 DC chargers should make living with the Leaf even easier. Although you can technically use a level 1 charger to replenish the battery, its best used for top offs instead of relying on it exclusively.
