Nissan Leaf No Charge to Charge program now in 50 U.S. markets

By Bruce Brown Published September 10, 2016

Most Nissan Leaf owners can charge their electric cars for free, and the Japanese automaker is continuing to develop its charging station network. With the addition of two more U.S. market areas, bringing the total number of markets to 50, the Nissan Leaf No Charge to Charge program now has stations in reach of nearly 90 percent of Leaf owners.

“Nissan is a leader in helping to build a wide-reaching charging infrastructure, and expanding our No Charge to Charge program to 50 markets is an important milestone,” said Brian Maragno, director, Nissan EV Sales and Marketing. “Not only do we offer complimentary charging for new LEAF buyers, but we have also significantly invested in growing the EV infrastructure in markets where LEAF owners live, work and play.”

Recommended Videos

With more than 95,000 vehicle sales in the U.S., the Nissan Leaf includes two years of complimentary public charging with new cars. New Leaf buyers get an EZ-Charge Full Access Card that lets them charge their car an unlimited number of times at fast chargers or Level 2 chargers.

There are almost 1,000 fast-charging stations across the U.S. in the No Charge to Charge program. Leaf owners in the 50 markets typically live no more than 10 miles from the closest fast-charge station.

According to Nissan, the public quick chargers can charge a Leaf from zero to 80 percent of a full charge in under 30 minutes. The 2016 Leaf SV and SL models are rated to travel 107 miles on a full charge, so a 30-minute charge should be good for around 80 miles.

Nissan estimates Leaf owners can save up to $1,000 in charging costs in the 24-months of free access, or $10 per charge. The costs vary by market. So far program participants have save more than $4.2 million in charging fees.

Not all Nissan fast charge stations are covered by the EZ-Charge plan. In all, there are more than 1,900 charging stations in the U.S. today, some of which are located at or close to restaurants and retail and convenience stores. The No Charge to Charge eligible chargers can be found via iOS or Android apps or at this website.

Topics

Contributing Editor

Bruce Brown Contributing Editor As a Contributing Editor to the Auto teams at Digital Trends and TheManual.com, Bruce…

Cars

Nissan launches charging network, gives Ariya access to Tesla SuperChargers

nissan charging ariya superchargers at station

Nissan just launched a charging network that gives owners of its EVs access to 90,000 charging stations on the Electrify America, Shell Recharge, ChargePoint and EVgo networks, all via the MyNissan app.It doesn’t stop there: Later this year, Nissan Ariya vehicles will be getting a North American Charging Standard (NACS) adapter, also known as the Tesla plug. And in 2025, Nissan will be offering electric vehicles (EVs) with a NACS port, giving access to Tesla’s SuperCharger network in the U.S. and Canada.Starting in November, Nissan EV drivers can use their MyNissan app to find charging stations, see charger availability in real time, and pay for charging with a payment method set up in the app.The Nissan Leaf, however, won’t have access to the functionality since the EV’s charging connector is not compatible. Leaf owners can still find charging stations through the NissanConnectEV and Services app.Meanwhile, the Nissan Ariya, and most EVs sold in the U.S., have a Combined Charging System Combo 1 (CCS1) port, which allows access to the Tesla SuperCharger network via an adapter.Nissan is joining the ever-growing list of automakers to adopt NACS. With adapters, EVs made by General Motors, Ford, Rivian, Honda and Volvo can already access the SuperCharger network. Kia, Hyundai, Toyota, BMW, Volkswagen, and Jaguar have also signed agreements to allow access in 2025.
Nissan has not revealed whether the adapter for the Ariya will be free or come at a cost. Some companies, such as Ford, Rivian and Kia, have provided adapters for free.
With its new Nissan Energy Charge Network and access to NACS, Nissan is pretty much covering all the bases for its EV drivers in need of charging up. ChargePoint has the largest EV charging network in the U.S., with over 38,500 stations and 70,000 charging ports at the end of July. Tesla's charging network is the second largest, though not all of its charging stations are part of the SuperCharger network.

Cars

Nissan joins ChargeScape, a way for EV owners to sell watts back to the grid

electrify america home charging station for electric cars

EV owners already enjoy the benefits of knowing their vehicle is charging up quietly while they sleep. Now they can dream about how much money they can make in the process.That’s the bet Nissan is making by joining ChargeScape, a vehicle-to-grid (V2G) venture that is already backed by BMW, Ford, and Honda.ChargeScape’s software wirelessly connects electric vehicles to power grids and utility companies. When connected with ChargeScape's platform, EV drivers can receive financial incentives for temporarily pausing charging during periods of high demand. ChargeScape says they will eventually also be able to sell the energy stored in their vehicle's battery back to the power grid.
A 2021 study by the University of Rochester found that EV owners could save up to $150 a year by using V2G technology. But the technology has evolved in recent years. V2G company Fermata Energy says that in some circumstances, a customer using its bi-directional charger was able to save $187.50 in 15 minutes by drawing energy from a Nissan LEAF to avoid costly demand charges.
Nissan intends to roll out the ChargeScape technology to its EV drivers across the U.S. and Canada. The company says the move is of particular significance given its U.S. sales of 650,000 Leaf models, one of the first EVs with the capability to export power back to the grid.ChargeScape, which launched in September, is equally owned by BMW, Ford, Honda, and now Nissan. But it expects other automakers to join the party.In August, GM announced that V2G technology will become standard in all its model year 2026 models. The project comes at a time when EV sales and infrastructure growth are ramping up quickly, along with challenges for the electric grid. Simply put, more EVs on the road means more demand on utilities to provide the needed power.At the same time, more and more EV makers seek to incorporate automotive software that provide advanced driver aids and other connected features. With vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology quickly spreading, ChargeScape is entering a landscape where competitors such as ChargePoint, Electrify America, Fermata Energy, and BP Pulse are already vying for a piece of the action.
But there is one good reason for ChargeScape to move in now: Tesla, which otherwise dominates the field in the U.S., has so far backed off from embracing V2G technology, focusing instead on its Powerwall home-battery solution to store solar energy and provide backup power. However, CEO Elon Musk has hinted that Tesla could introduce V2G technology for its vehicles in 2025.

Cars

Don’t wear Vision Pro while driving, U.S. transport chief says

The front visor of the Vision Pro on display at an Apple Store.

It may sound like a statement of the blindingly obvious, but it’s been said nonetheless.

The U.S. Secretary of Transportation, Pete Buttigieg, has warned drivers not to get behind the wheel of their car while wearing Apple’s new Vision Pro mixed-reality headset.