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When you possess an Electric Vehicle (EV), there’s nothing more frustrating than being unable to power up when necessary. For individuals who own the Nissan Leaf, locating suitable charging connections is particularly challenging due to the car’s unpopular CHAdeMO charging terminal. The long-term viability of the Leaf appears to be in doubt as Nissan seems to be overlooking the provision of converters for more widely accepted port standards.
When questioned by The Drive, a representative from Nissan refrained from confirming plans to create a tool that would enable the Leaf’s CHAdeMO charging point to connect with the more prevalent CCS and NACS charging plugs. This has left many pondering the repercussions for a vehicle model that, despite its recent poor sales performance, has remained a significant figure in the EV domain with numerous units still in operation.
Regarding the possibility of adapters, the representative simply detailed the future plans of the company. “We have exclusively revealed intentions to embrace the NACS charging standard for CCS-equipped vehicles. From 2024 onwards, Nissan intends to introduce a NACS charging transformer for freshly purchased Nissan ARIYA models that are currently fitted with CCS,” they conveyed to The Drive. “Nissan remains committed to supporting our LEAF drivers by continuing the integration of CHAdeMO connections at quick charge locations across the United States.”
Nissan is on the verge of transitioning to delivering vehicles to the United States and Canada with NACS connectors as the standard, but the Leaf will not be receiving this enhancement. The Leaf currently stands as the sole existing EV in the U.S. market that still relies on CHAdeMO, a standard that never truly gained widespread adoption.
The imminent discontinuation of the Leaf model indicates that CHAdeMO may fade away with it, at least within the American market. The installation of new charging points is increasingly inclined towards prioritizing NACS and, to a lesser degree, CCS, while CHAdeMO stations are gradually becoming obsolete. Some networks commenced phasing out this standard years ago. This is a concern for existing Leaf owners who are already grappling with limited charging alternatives. The situation is only expected to deteriorate for loyal CHAdeMO users moving forward.
Data released by the U.S. Department of Energy reveals that CHAdeMO is trailing behind CCS and NACS in terms of charger availability. Search results for DC fast chargers using CCS connections show 12,090 ports scattered across 5,906 stations. NACS charging facilities are accessible at 21,081 ports spanning 1,918 locations. CHAdeMO trails far behind in third place, with merely 7,463 ports distributed over 5,158 locations.
Given Nissan’s absence of an in-house resolution, Leaf owners would typically explore third-party options. Nonetheless, devising a converter that facilitates charging a CHAdeMO-equipped vehicle from a CCS charger presents significant technological hurdles. The complexities arise predominantly from the divergent design aspects of the two standards concerning safety mechanisms, connection sequences, and communication protocols. A similar scenario applies to NACS as well.
Although not insurmountable, these challenges make the development and production of such a converter a costly endeavor. Due to the limited CHAdeMO user base, aftermarket firms may find investing in this venture unappealing. Furthermore, since first-party solutions are generally perceived as more reliable in terms of safety and performance, this may not be the sought-after resolution that many Leaf owners were anticipating.
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