While you can charge your 2015 Nissan Leaf in just 30 minutes with the public quick charge method, it’s best to use the normal charger to get the most life out of the lithium-ion battery.
It’s liberating to drive an electric Nissan Leaf and not have to worry about where the closest gas station is. You can go an average of 85 miles on a full charge! The trade-off is that you need to find somewhere to power up your Leaf when the battery starts to run low. Fortunately, you have options, whether you’re charging at home or in public.
There is a bit of a learning curve if this is your first electric vehicle. Don’t stress! Jerry
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. How long does a 2015 Nissan Leaf take to charge?
Plan on charging your Leaf anywhere from 30 minutes for a partial charge to 21 hours for a full charge. This is a pretty big range of time! Charging times completely depend on what type of charger you’re using and the ambient temperature when you charge the Leaf. Every Leaf on the 2015 lineup has the same 24kWh 360 V lithium-ion battery, which gives them a 75–85-mile range.
These are the average charging times that Nissan gives for all trim levels of the 2015 Leaf:
Regular charge: 4–7 hours
Quick charge: 30 minutes to reach 80% battery
As you can see, the type of charger you use has the biggest impact on charging times. After all, the trim levels have the same battery, so the only thing that changes is the charging rate. You’ll notice a big difference in charging speeds if you’re charging at a public quick charge station versus at home.
Since they’re so important, let’s get into charging speeds!
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At-home charging speeds for a 2015 Nissan Leaf
We’ll start with what is probably the most convenient option—charging your Leaf at home. Your Nissan Leaf comes with a Nissan Portable Charge Cable. All you need to do is dedicate a three-pronged household outlet with 15 amps and 120 volts to your charging needs. This is a Level 1 charger.
What a Level 1 charger gains in convenience (you can find a compatible outlet in almost every home), it loses with charge time. In fact, Nissan doesn’t recommend using it as your primary charging method. Level 1 is the slowest method, charging the Leaf at a rate of 2 to 5 miles of range per hour of charging time. We did the math for you. It works out to around 20 hours of charging to reach a full battery.
Level 1 is just one way to charge your Nissan Leaf at home. For faster charging time, buy a Level 2 charger and pay a technician to install it in your home. They’ll put it on a dedicated 50-amp, 220- to 240-volt circuit. This doesn’t come cheap—you’ll pay between $300 and $1,000 for the charger and installation. But, charging your Leaf will be a snap!
Just plug your Leaf’s charging cable into the Level 2 charging device, and find something else to do. Your Leaf charges at a rate of 10 to 25 range miles per hour, so it will be fully charged within 4 to 7 hours (depending on how low the battery was when you started charging). Level 2 is considered normal charging time, and it’s the best method for prolonging the battery’s life. This is why Level 2 is Nissan’s recommended charging method.
Public charging speeds for a 2015 Nissan Leaf
If your Leaf’s battery is looking low while you’re out and about, do a quick Google search for public charging stations near you. (Good news—they’re becoming easier to find! Keep an eye out for them the next time you’re at the mall, grocery store, shopping center, or parking garage.)
Public charging stations feature either Level 2 chargers (just like what you can get installed at home) or DC fast chargers. To use the Level 2 chargers in public, just plug your car into the 240-volt outlet and wait 4 to 7 hours for a full charge. It gets the charging rate that you have at home—10 to 25 range miles per hour.
To get a battery boost in next to no time, use a DC fast charger. Keep in mind that the Quick Charge Port is standard on the 2015 Nissan Leaf SL, but it’s optional on the Nissan Leaf S
and Nissan Leaf SV
trims. Plug the 480-volt DC fast charger into the Quick Charge Port on your Leaf. Within 30 minutes, your battery should be at 80%. This is considered Level 3 charging. The DC Fast Charger is the quickest way to charge your 2015 Nissan Leaf battery, with 80% charge time in as little as 30 minutes. But, charging times slow down considerably outside of the 20% to 80% charge range. Once you reach 80%, it could take another 30 to 40 minutes for the battery to reach full capacity.
It’s also worth noting that Nissan discourages drivers from regularly using the DC Fast charger because it can shorten the lithium-ion battery’s life. Try to only use Level 3 charging if you need a quick charge to get home or finish an errand. When you get home, plug your Leaf into your home charger.
Ambient temperature and battery charge
If you live in a cold climate, you’ll quickly notice that the Leaf’s battery takes longer to charge when it’s chilly out. Charging speeds drop if the temperature is 32°F (0°C) or less. Your Leaf might not even be able to complete a full charge, especially if you’re using a Level 1 (trickle) charger. The temperature isn’t anything to worry about, though. Your Nissan Leaf’s charging capacities should get back to normal when the ambient temperature goes back up.
How to save on Nissan insurance costs
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