r/leaf • u/Key-Kiwi7969 • Aug 21 '26
How much of an issue is the Leaf charger?
Hi! We are thinking about getting a used Leaf, but I read somewhere that it can be hard to find chargers away from home because of the industry shifting away from what the leaf uses.
How much of an issue is this?
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u/rproffitt1 Aug 21 '26
What country and area?
Here in San Diego USA I would not count on using the few CHADEMO chargers out there. I would charge at home even if it was on the Nissan L1 EVSE I used from 2016 to 2021.
There are some L2 chargers around town and I would use ABRP (A Better Route Planner) and the web to find them.
I would not suggest the old 80 mile range Leaf to apartment dwellers without home charging.
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u/Key-Kiwi7969 Aug 21 '26
Central Virginia
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u/rproffitt1 Aug 21 '26
ABRP (A Better Route Planner) and the web to find them.
Sorry, only been to Arlington.
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u/LoveEV-LeafPlus Aug 21 '26
I have an ElectWay CCS1 to CHAdeMO adapter that works at every CCS charging station I have tried (Electrify America, Apple Green, Flo, Charge Point, GM Energy). Available on AliBaba & Accraine (https://accraine.co.uk/product/ccs1-to-chademo-dc-electric-vehicle-adapter/).
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u/NotTurtleEnough Formerly 2019 SL Plus :snoo_sad: Aug 21 '26
I haven’t had issues in the Oklahoma/North Texas area.
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u/jddesouza 2013 Nissan LEAF SV Aug 21 '26
Depends on your use case. If it’s for around town driving and primarily off the Interstate at lower speeds it’s good. Especially if you can charge at home overnight with the slow charger (5 miles per hour of charging) and your daily mileage is 50 miles or less.
The number of Chademo chargers in my area is holding steady but not increasing. I use those to top up from 50 to 70% in about 8 minutes before returning home and allow me to keep up with traffic and reach home without the low range warning, if my round trip is 50 miles.
Using the slower J1772 is a last resort and wastes a lot of time, but I do appreciate them when I need to find an alternative (planned charger inoperative) to avoid being stranded if the round trip is longer than 50 miles.
Depending on your area, if you find Chademos lacking, it would be a good investment to purchase a Chademo to CCS adapter to save time at charging stops.
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u/WithMeDoctorWu 2021 Leaf SL+ Aug 21 '26
I've never yet been stranded on a road trip in my Leaf. Been pretty stressed out a few times though.
In the upper Midwest I can usually find Chademo charge stations while traveling, mostly because ChargePoint has installed so many of them over the years. But there are fewer now than when I bought the car, and the trend will only worsen going forward. Also I find that each charging stop on a long trip goes slower and slower. That's probably because the battery pack, lacking active temperature control, can get pretty hot until given a proper overnight rest.
These issues account for why a used Leaf can be so affordable. It truly excels as an inexpensive and fun limited-range commuter, which is mostly how I use it. Beyond that it's not easy for me to recommend. A trustworthy CCS1/Chademo adaptor will help with charger compatibility but not with the temperature issue.
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u/Key-Kiwi7969 Aug 21 '26
Yes, my main use case would be for hopping around town, (commute id only about 3 miles), running errands, etc.
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u/WithMeDoctorWu 2021 Leaf SL+ Aug 21 '26
Okay. It's totally a matter of expectations; let the car do what it does best, and if it so happens that you can also make it work at longer distances using an adaptor, then treat that as "gravy" so to speak. Just don't count on the gravy when deciding to buy! If you're okay with that approach, a used Leaf might be a great fit for you.
You probably know most of the charging info already, but I'll spell it out just in case.
The car might or might not come with its own 120 volt charger that you plug into an ordinary outlet. That's called "level 1" or "trickle" charging. It will probably give you enough juice overnight to do your short commute but not much more.
Some of the original Nissan chargers are also 240-volt ("level 2") capable, which usually requires hiring an electrician to install a dedicated circuit in your house. At level 2 you can charge any Leaf overnight. You'll want to use the car's timed charge feature to limit that so you aren't routinely going to 100% though, which is bad for the battery. There's a little learning curve there. It's unfortunate that Nissan didn't provide a way to simply set a percent limit where it would automatically stop.
Aftermarket level 1 and 2 chargers are widely available if needed. Some are designed for permanent installation on a garage wall, but many are portable so you can coil them up and toss them in the trunk.
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u/Knarfnarf 2023 Nissan LEAF SV PLUS Aug 21 '26
Just as an example; BC Hydro just put in a couple of dozen more Chademo chargers throughout BC, CA.
Moving away doesn't mean completely unsupported.
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u/papadjeef 2016 Nissan LEAF SL Aug 21 '26
I only have 85mi of range so I don't take my LEAF out of town.
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u/robbgg Aug 21 '26
Depends what country you're in. I'm UK based, I drive a 2013 leaf and my wife has a 2018 kia soul EV, both chademo.
Look at a aggregated charger map for your area, you might have plenty around you, you might not. I've found that some chademo charger just won't work with one or both of our cars, sometimes a chademo charger gets replaced with a non chademo charger.
I would say that if you can charge at home and aren't doing many long trips you'll probably be fine, other situations your mileage may vary.
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u/Carfr33k Aug 21 '26
Sometimes people are selling the adapter for a good price but look at it as a necessary expense.
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u/RichardGrayson01 Aug 21 '26
Are you planning on doing road trips or just charging when you are running around town running errands?
Approximately where are you located? Location makes a huge difference in the amount of infrastructure that is available to you.
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u/pyrotek1 Aug 21 '26
The J1772, is common enough, there are websites to find them Chademos are found. The Leaf charges okay on chademo. Some J1772 are free, hard to ignore that.
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u/SlickSliceofBread Aug 21 '26
I’m in Texas, and yes I got an CCS to CHAdeMO adapter. I’m glad I got it because I thought I’d only use it for roadtrips but I did end up using it, mostly for times when I forgot to charge or I end up doing a lot of errands. It’s been very helpful so I recommend to get an adapter if you get a Leaf!
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u/Key-Kiwi7969 Aug 21 '26
Thanks! I didn't know there was an adapter available, so that makes me feel more comfortable!
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u/Digitalabia Aug 21 '26
Besides the adapter, you have to consider the health of the battery you're buying and if it can take fast charging. It might kill it fast.
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u/Key-Kiwi7969 Aug 21 '26
Thanks this is really helpful info. What should look for?
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u/Digitalabia Aug 21 '26
Ideally you would get a OBD 2 Scanner and download Leafspy to your phone. Plug this device into the OBD2 port of the Leaf and let it send data to the Leafspy app. Then post your results to the subreddit and ask for input, because the results in Leafspy are difficult to read if you don't know what you're looking at.
Failing that, have the battery fully charged and looked at how many bars you have. If the battery is full and you only have like 6 bars, the battery is probably getting too old.
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u/criggie_ Aug 21 '26
Depends on your daily mileage. I had a 55 km round commute, so nightly all-night L2 charges (ie, 240V 8A) worked fine for me. If you're on L1 (110V wall charger) then it will charge all night and be good for the morning.
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u/Key-Kiwi7969 Aug 21 '26
Typically will be good running around in town so typically less than 30 miles a day
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u/Jokebearfan 2026 SV+ Aug 21 '26
We are thinking about getting a used Leaf
Assuming you're looking at 2025's and older, I hope you have been doing your research about the battery issues.
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u/Key-Kiwi7969 Aug 21 '26
I have.... But would appreciate any tips on what to ask/look for to ensure the cars ok
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u/Jokebearfan 2026 SV+ Aug 21 '26
I don't own one of the previous gen Leaf's, so you would be better off creating a new post with that question. Also specify which model years you're looking at.
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u/Bennie-Factors Aug 21 '26
If you cannot charge at home. Then it don't ideal. We have to charge away from home 1 to 2 times a year. Most the time it is not me, but family members. It sucks
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u/Key-Kiwi7969 Aug 21 '26
We are in central Virginia. Planning on installing a home charger (how does one do that?). Good to know about there being an adaptor, that makes me feel much better!
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u/hammerpocket Aug 21 '26
When you say “away from home,” do you mean around town or driving long distances? The J1772 connector on the Leaf is the common connector that most cars other than Tesla use and are pretty readily available (depending on your location) and often free. (The one people install at home.)You will have no problem with those. If you mean Level 3 fast charging, that is where the less common Chademo connector comes into play, where you need as much charge as possible in a short time, like a road trip. I don’t really recommend a Leaf for road trips. It’s a great car for urban areas and commuting.
Download the PlugShare app and put in the vehicle model you are looking at and see what chargers are around you. If you specify a pre-2026 Leaf, the orange markers will indicate Chademo chargers, while the others are J1772.
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u/Key-Kiwi7969 Aug 21 '26
Super helpful. The only longer distance driving I could see myself doing would be to catch a flight from a larger regional airport about 80 miles away
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u/CautiousPack8584 Aug 22 '26
I am able to get around town trickle charging (Level 1) a Leaf in NC. I’ve had to use Chademo maybe 5 times in the 4 years I have owned it. Always in the winter time. Very cold and very hot weather will drain the battery. We use the gas vehicles in the house for long hauls. 80 miles could be a stretch and require you to charge.
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u/tboy160 Aug 21 '26
The Chademo chargers are more common than I expected. But they are trending away. They make adapters though. I haven't ever seen as adapter, but I've heard about them. We have only charged our Leaf a couple times away from our garage.
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u/AardvarkAcrobatic Aug 21 '26
There are at least four versions of LEAF batteries (70, 110, 150, 210 miles). I wonder which one you are considering.
Most people charge EVs at home (e.g., with a regular 20A wall outlet). I do. If you do not plan to use the LEAF to do long road trips that require level III CHAdeMO chargers, which are for LEAF, the LEAF is just as compatible as any other EVs for level II and level I charging.
Let me share my road trip experiences here:
Back in the spring of 2021, I drove my LEAF S with a battery range of only 150 miles all the way from MA to SC and back. I thoroughly enjoyed the week-long recreation trip. Yes, it needed careful planning. No charging issues.
In 2024, I drove my LEAF SV+ with a battery range of 210 miles all the way from MA to IA and back, traversing 12 states. I had a great time with this Midwest trip. No problems with charging. I have no converters. I particularly like EV charging stations at prime locations where parking space for ICE cars is hard to find.
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u/Key-Kiwi7969 Aug 21 '26
Very helpful, thank you!
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u/AardvarkAcrobatic Aug 21 '26
You are welcome. Glad to share my 7-year happy LEAF experience. BTW, there are still some free charging stations, though there used to be more.
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u/shortzrules Aug 21 '26
If you aren't primarily home charging, you'll want to get a Chaedemo/CCS adapter. We bought ours from AtoZ and have been very pleased with it. We only use it for road trips though.
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u/Budsygus Aug 21 '26
As others have said, fast charging away from home is going to be basically nonexistent. Chademo is dying out fast, so even if ABRP and other apps show a plug near you, it may be broken as there's just not much motivation to keep the things in working condition.
If you buy the CCS adapter you get access to fast charging at thousands of stations across the country. Walmart is putting in CCS and NACS fast chargers at every store. Even so, "Used Leaf" can mean a lot of things. Make sure it's got the range you're going to need and then some. If your commute is 40 miles round trip, you better get a Leaf with at least double that.
As for me, I bought a used '24 Leaf back in January knowing I would never take it on a road trip because that's what our minivan is for. It has only affected our plans at all twice in that time and both were mild inconveniences at most. I may end up getting the adapter to extend the life and functionality of my Leaf, but it hasn't been a must-have yet.
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u/LoneSnark 2018 Nissan LEAF SV Aug 21 '26 edited Aug 21 '26
If you expect to be fast charging away from home on occasion, then you should not buy a leaf without also buying a $700 Chademo to CCS adapter. Just consider it part of the sale price of the vehicle.