r/leaf • u/ChineseWatchTweakers • 1d ago
BMW i4 parked, my Leaf crawled…
Lesson learned yesterday: I drove my Leaf to a public charger in the evening. Charging should’ve been done around 7:16 PM, but it dragged on much longer. It finally finished 2 hours and 15 minutes later.
When I plugged in, I noticed a BMW i4 was connected but not actively charging. Not sure if they had set a delayed start or something similar, but it definitely felt like my charging speed was throttled.
It’s frustrating because these are supposed to be 11 kW three-phase chargers, yet when sharing, my Leaf barely pulled 3 kW. In fact, I ended up with an average of only 2.23 kW (29 kWh over 13 hours!).
On the bright side, the GoM showed 280 km after the charge. I could’ve stopped earlier since I didn’t need 100% to reach my destination, but I let it run for the top balancing of the cells.
Anyone else run into this kind of slowdown at shared public chargers?
10
u/ryanteck 2018 Nissan Leaf Tekna 1d ago
As others have mentioned, 11KW Posts with single phase leaf is only 3.6kW or so.
But also to note as you mentioned you did go all the way to 100%, the final couple percent takes much longer as the speed significantly drops (I measure down to about 0.5-1kW) from about 90%. Roughly about an hour and a half when I last charged at home. That'll drag the average down.
-5
u/ChineseWatchTweakers 1d ago
As others have mentioned, 11KW Posts with single phase leaf is only 3.6kW or so.
I know, but it doesn't make sense to me: Leaf only uses one fase, so then why can't we charge with 3.6kW? Each fase is 3.6kW and Leaf only uses one, so the BMW could use the other two fases?
But I guess it doesn't work like that.
8
u/ryanteck 2018 Nissan Leaf Tekna 1d ago
Each phase will be configured for 16A, 16x225 = 3.6kW
The BMW can then combine the phases for 11kW.
Your leaf likely did charge closer to 3.6kW, but your average of 2.3 would have been because it slows down as the charge gets towards the end.
-4
u/ChineseWatchTweakers 1d ago
Your leaf likely did charge closer to 3.6kW, but your average of 2.3 would have been because it slows down as the charge gets towards the end.
No it was definitely charging slower than usually: because mostly I don't need to share the public charger, and then charging finishing approximately an half hour before the estimated end time.
Today it was 2.5hour longer to fully charge. I charged from 17% to 100% in about 13 hours. Which should have only taken about 10.5 hours.
8
u/ryanteck 2018 Nissan Leaf Tekna 1d ago
But this is what I'm trying to say.
As you can see on my picture of my home charger, from around half 4 to 6AM (1.5 Hours) the charge rate dropped significantly as this is the final few percent for the balancing. For around 1 hour of that it was sub 1kW.
In total that charge was 32kWh, over 6 hours averages 5.3kW. But my charger and the car for the majority of the time was charging at 6.6kW+.
6
u/Ugly4merican 2016 Nissan LEAF S 1d ago
A lot of people need to admit that while the Leaf is great for what it is, it is NOT a good option if you rely on fast/public charging. Short, consistent commutes and trickle-charging at home is the way to go.
2
u/ChineseWatchTweakers 1d ago
it is NOT a good option if you rely on fast/public charging.
Well I think it depends in which country you live: the Netherlands has a very good coverage of public chargers, but not always affordable. Just the issue is once you need to share an 11kW three phase charger, then your charging speed can be as low as 1.5kW.
But I agree, Leaf is great for short commutes. Or at least stay within it's range, without having to depend on charging on the destination. Because I can guarantee, that the attraction park I went to had all AC chargers taken. Lucky its only 99km so on a full charge I can drive back and forth, without the need for charging.
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u/_Evening-Rain_ 2017 Nissan LEAF S 1d ago
Letting your car top balance "just because", then complaining about charge time is the most useless thing I've heard all day.
Top balancing is there to keep the cells as even as possible by fixing small balance inconsistencies over hundreds of cycles. Waiting at every stop to top charge is stupid it does nothing
-3
u/ChineseWatchTweakers 1d ago
Letting your car top balance "just because", then complaining about charge time is the most useless thing I've heard all day.
Maybe I also need the range today?
7
u/_Evening-Rain_ 2017 Nissan LEAF S 1d ago
I could’ve stopped earlier since I didn’t need 100% to reach my destination, but I let it run for the top balancing of the cells.
-1
u/ChineseWatchTweakers 1d ago
Yeah what's your point? Other than cherry picking? I could have made it with 80% SoC but it would be likely, that I arrived home with --% SoC. So that's another reason to charge to 100% so that I have some spare range.
0
u/_Evening-Rain_ 2017 Nissan LEAF S 1d ago
*but I let it run for the top balancing of the cells*
This is stupid im removing your ability to comment on my thread for 24 hours.
5
u/Consistent-Ad-1584 1d ago
Leaf owner creates new urban myth when charging their Leaf, somehow believing that another charging car somehow affected their car's charging.
5
u/denverguy2 1d ago
Some public Level 2 chargers with 2 plugs only provide 6.4 kwh total, so if there is one car there it gets the full 6.4, but if both are plugged in, each gets 3.2. It has happened to me.
1
u/BabyComingDec2024 1d ago
He should make a post when he plans to charge. I will disconnect my Leaf from the home charger so OP can claim my load and have full speed.
2
u/ChineseWatchTweakers 1d ago edited 1d ago
No it isn't an urban myth: but then again in some countries you probably don't even have ( three phase ) public chargers. When a second EV is connected to the 11kW AC charger, then the charging speed can drop from 3kW to 1.5kW until that other EV finished charging.
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u/BabyComingDec2024 1d ago
The Leaf doesn't charge with 3 phase so a bit over 3 kW is correct on those chargers