The Nissan LEAF is currently the best selling electric car in the world, surpassing the 400,000 mark in March 2019. In late 2010, Nissan introduced the LEAF as a 2011 model and has been selling the model ever since. In late 2017, Nissan introduced its second generation LEAF. Nissan continues the legacy with over 5 billion in total EV miles driven worldwide and a new 2023 Nissan LEAF with instant acceleration and an even longer driving range than ever before.
The Nissan LEAF EV originally had a 24 kWh battery pack, but Nissan has upgraded the LEAF’s battery four times since 2011. In 2016, Nissan offered an optional 30 kWh battery for the LEAF, increasing its driving range from 84 miles to 107 miles of range. Then, in 2018 a 40 kWh lithium-ion battery was introduced, which has an EPA range rating of 151 miles of range. Most recently, in 2019, Nissan added the LEAF e-Plus to the lineup, which has a 62 kWh battery. The base LEAF with the 40 kWh battery pack is still available. The 2023 Nissan LEAF comes with an available 60 kWh option for total driving range of up to 212 EV miles.
For the Level 1 and Level 2 EV charging session, the LEAF uses the industry standard SAE J1772 connector in North America. The Nissan LEAF electric vehicle charger port is located in the front center of the vehicle, above the bumper. The LEAF has undergone a couple charging rate and battery capacity upgrades in its nine-year existence, demonstrated in the chart below. Match up your LEAF with the model year, charging rates and battery size, to see how long an EV charger can take to charge your LEAF.
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Make & model
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Charge rate
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Battery size
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Charge time on Level 1
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Charge time with JuiceBox 32
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Electric range
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2011-2016 Nissan Leaf
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3.3 kW
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24 kWh
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18 hours
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7.5 hours
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75-84 miles
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2013-2016 Nissan Leaf (w/ 6.6kW onboard charger option)
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6.6 kW
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24 kWh
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18 hours
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4 hours
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75-84 miles
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2016-2017 Nissan Leaf
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3.3 kW (6.6 kW with optional onboard charger)
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30 kWh
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22 hours
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5-9.5 hours
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107 miles
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2018-Present Nissan Leaf Standard Range
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6.6 kWh
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40 kWh
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33 hours
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7.5 hours
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151 miles
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2019-Present Nissan Leaf Plus Extended Range
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6.6 kWh
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62 kWh
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52 hours (~2.25 days)
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10 hours
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212-226 miles
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DC fast charging: CHAdeMO
All model years of the Nissan LEAF are capable of Level 3 DC fast charging, which is what you'll find at many public electric vehicle charging stations. The LEAF uses the Japanese DC fast charging standard, CHAdeMO. Unlike the North American standard, the SAE Combined Charging System or CCS, CHAdeMO requires the vehicle to have a second inlet for the CHAdeMO connector.
Charging session times for the Nissan LEAF on a Level 3 fast charger is about 45 minutes to achieve 80% charge. The Nissan Leaf’s charge times are similar for the 40 kWh and 62 kWh models, because in 2019 Nissan increased the Level 3 charge rate from 50 kW to 100 kW on the LEAF e-Plus with the 62 kWh battery.
Like the 40 kWh LEAF currently offered and available option 60 kWh in the 2023 Nissan LEAF, older versions of the LEAF with the 24 kWh and 30 kWh batteries are limited to 50 kW. The 24 kWh LEAF takes less than 30 minutes to reach 80%, and the 30 kWh LEAF takes about 30 minutes to reach 80% state of charge from empty.
DC fast charger can be found at public electric vehicle charging stations, which are often located at office or mall parking spaces. Nissan LEAF EV drivers should know that although using a public EV charger is not typically the most convenient charging option for an EV, it is the fastest way to charge up your Nissan LEAF's battery when you are out and about.