- Nissan Leaf homeowners are getting a brand new, higher-power, bidirectional charger choice
- Utilizing the FE-20 bidirectional charger will not void the Leaf’s guarantee
- Nissan did not say how a lot the FE-20 bidirectional charger prices
Nissan has authorized an up to date bidirectional charger to be used with its Leaf EV, giving homeowners an alternative choice for utilizing their vehicles as cell power sources.
Nissan Leaf fashions have had the {hardware} for bidirectional charging since 2013, the automaker famous whereas saying approval of the brand new charger, the 20-kw Fermata Vitality FE-20. However Nissan did not formally allow or endorse use of the function within the U.S. till 2022, when it authorized use of the Fermata FE-15 charger. Like that 15-kw charger, the FE-20 can be utilized with out voiding a Leaf’s guarantee.
2025 Nissan Leaf
The FE-20 boasts some enhancements over the FE-15, together with 33% extra energy, an up to date design that lowers manufacturing prices, and a decrease retail value, in line with Nissan, though the automaker didn’t quote a particular value.
Nissan additionally guarantees a larger capacity to maneuver power forwards and backwards between the automotive and the grid than the FE-15 which, in a proof-of-concept take a look at on the automaker’s Franklin, Tennessee, U.S. headquarters helped scale back electrical energy payments by $9,450 over 4 years. Fermata Vitality’s personal software program administration software will help homeowners obtain these financial savings by drawing energy from a automotive’s battery pack to assist energy buildings throughout high-demand, high-cost intervals.
2025 Nissan Leaf
Different firms, similar to Wallbox, market bidirectional chargers that might let owners use EVs as backup energy sources, however that depends on approval from automakers like Nissan. As with the FE-15, the the FE-20 charger was authorized to be used with the Leaf after it was confirmed to satisfy Nissan’s personal necessities and obtained UL 1741 certification.
Nissan hasn’t up to date the Leaf in a number of years, which means it is now the one EV nonetheless utilizing the CHAdeMO fast-charging normal. It additionally not qualifies for a federal EV tax credit score, however it’s nonetheless cheaper than the Nissan Versa economic system automotive, in some situations not less than. Bidirectional charging offers another excuse to contemplate the aged hatchback past a doubtlessly low buy value.
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