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Yesterday I mounted a 100W LED bar on the Leaf, and made a quick video on the installation process. Wish I'd done this sooner, such an awesome result!

So I think this takes the record for the most boring youtube video ever released. 52minutes of me trying to figure out some CAN-data reverse engineering. Please do not watch this, you will go insane from the boredom. Or do watch it, I'm not the police

So I made a video recently that ties into the prices on the salvage Nissan Leaf battery market, and how much I suck at managing a business. Anyone curios about what it truly costs to upgrade an EV should watch this.

Happy new year! I'm starting 2021 by installing a new EVSE into my workshop. I ran 6mm^2 cabling to the EVSE, but my main fuse is 3x25A, so I am limiting the EVSE to 3x16A (11kW). If I ever bump up my main fuses to 35A, I can simply set the EVSE to 22kW!

I just put out a video that goes into detail how Nissan protects their CAN communication from corruption/tampering. Very useful info for anyone doing Leaf reverse-engineering or any projects where Leaf parts are transplanted into new use!

So I've been driving both ZE0 and AZE0 LEAFs now for some time. My biggest gripe with the ZE0 is that it lacks the state of charge % display on the dash. So I started to investigate some way to patch it in.

I noticed that the charge time estimates that the battery sends to the car contains a value between 0-8190minutes, that is multiplexed according to charge type (Chademo, 200V/100V and 80/100% values). By modifying this value, in particular the 200V 100%, you can directly modify the numbers displayed on the dash. Great I thought, 8190minutes should be enough to store the SOC% in the hours section (100%*60min=6000), so I got to work with writing a function for it. This didn't work, because Nissan decided that the maximum amount a ZE0 can display charge time remaining, turned out to be 34h:06min. Oh, and the minutes increment in 6x steps, eg. 6-12-18-24 etc.

Annoying, but I continued. What if we can work around this hour limitation by splitting up the SOC in three sections? 33+33+33%. So this is what I did, and what you see in the video. Here's an example, "12:18". This means 12%SOC+(1#*33%SOC) = 45% SOC. Still don't get it? Here's another example, "25:06". This means 25%SOC+(0#*33%SOC)= 25% SOC.

Is it sketchy? Yes. Does it work? Also yes.

So I thought I'd write a status update on this LEAF. In short, it's been running without any issues whatsoever.

This vehicle just ticked in at 55,000km , which is over 30k'km fault free driving after the 40kWh pack was installed. I have not done anything to this car except add windshield wiper fluid, and I don't intend to do anything either. That's the massive benefit of these electric cars, very low maintenance!

But I did purchase a 2019 motor/inverter/charger setup, so let's see how long I can keep myself from tinkering...

But I did purchase a 2019 motor/inverter/charger setup, so let's see how long I can keep myself from tinkering...

Dala, What would be the advantages of the 2019 mot/inv/chg over the 2015 hardware? Maybe a higher motor limit with the 2019 calibrations for a 40kwhr pack?

My 2015 w/ 2019 62kwh pack & CAN bridge w/ your code is still going. We put at least as many miles per year as previous ICE car.

Dale

dalek wrote: ↑
15. Apr 2021 15:33
Dala, What would be the advantages of the 2019 mot/inv/chg over the 2015 hardware? Maybe a higher motor limit with the 2019 calibrations for a 40kwhr pack?

My 2015 w/ 2019 62kwh pack & CAN bridge w/ your code is still going. We put at least as many miles per year as previous ICE car.

Dale

Hi Dale, glad to hear it's been working! I still have lots of software development scheduled, so expect some updates soon

So the only reason to switch to the 2018+ motor/inverter is to get more power output. It should be possible to go from 80->110->160kW, just need a big enough battery to support the demanded output power.

And the only reason to go for the 2018+ charger, is to get the Type2 charging outlet. So really not needed at all

-Dala

While switching over to summer tires I decided to make a small improvement to the LEAF!

Here is what the vehicle usually looks like, dirty and sandy

After pressure washing the sills, the front is starting to loose all paint, and white primer is showing!

Time to rectify this in time, with a mud-guard kit

All wheels of, de-greased, pressure washed wheel-wells

Looking A-OK after 6 years of service

Started to read the manual

Front installed

Rear installed

All in all a very easy mod that will prevent the chassi-rot from forming prematurely. Feels good to do some wrenching on this LEAF finally!

So I recently did a PDM replacement on a similar LEAF as mine, also an USA import. Might be of interest to check this one out, ended up with EUs first chademo retrofit!

Dala wrote: ↑
22. Jan 2019 12:21
USA cell: 39,77Ah
Italy cell: 43,30Ah

Hello,
in which company you bought this battery
thank you
(I'm italian)

C128 wrote: ↑
02. Jun 2021 16:53

Dala wrote: ↑
22. Jan 2019 12:21
USA cell: 39,77Ah
Italy cell: 43,30Ah
Hello,
in which company you bought this battery
thank you
(I'm italian)

No clue, this was ebay

Did some CAN manipulation last night with my battery upgraded LEAF. Was kinda funny to see what the QC station did when SOC% went down during charge