With all of the speak of Tesla’s NACS charging connector taking on the EV trade in North America within the years to come back, it’s straightforward to neglect about CHAdeMO, the plug fitted to the Nissan Leaf, the automobile that was as soon as the best-selling EV on this planet. Different EVs that use the connector embody the first-gen Kia Soul EV, the Mitsubishi i-MIEV and the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV.
Nissan has bought over 650,000 Leaf EVs globally since its debut in 2010 and at the least 210,000 of these made their solution to North America. These should not rookie numbers by any stretch of the creativeness, however with fast-charging operators steering away from the ageing CHAdeMO plug to concentrate on NACS and CCS1, it’s getting more durable and more durable for Leaf house owners to plan long-distance highway journeys. However there is likely to be an answer, albeit a moderately pricy one.
The world of EV adapters
There are numerous adapters for charging your EV, and that is as a result of there are a number of charging requirements used throughout the trade. Whereas the CCS and NACS protocols have seen loads of love from accent makers, the ageing CHAdeMO system used on the Nissan Leaf is not so well-liked amongst aftermarket firms. However issues are altering.
Enter the A2Z CHAdeMO to CCS1 adapter that guarantees to make life a lot simpler on the highway for individuals who drive a CHAdeMO-equipped EV.
It’s rated at 1,000 volts and 250 amps, which comes out to 250 kilowatts–a lot increased than the 62.5-kilowatt most DC quick charging price the most recent and biggest Nissan Leaf can settle for.
It’s additionally $999, which is some huge cash for an adapter and fairly large size-wise. However it’s not the primary and definitely not the final CHAdeMO to CCS adapter to come back to market. We lined an analogous machine made by a Chinese language firm earlier this yr, which prices about the identical as A2Z’s answer, so if you happen to’re out there for one thing like this, be ready to spend large cash and have room in your trunk for it.
The largest distinction between the A2Z adapter and different merchandise in the marketplace is that A2Z really went by means of the difficulty of testing it earlier than placing it up on the market, as our personal Tom Moloughny mentioned within the unboxing video embedded above.
That’s a giant deal for purchasers as a result of it presents some reassurance that the massive and costly piece of plastic between their automobile and the DC quick charger received’t turn into a hearth hazard. Moreover, A2Z bundles a USB cable and USB reminiscence stick within the field, so if a person encounters issues with the adapter, they will contact the corporate to provide you with a repair. As soon as it’s prepared, the adapter’s software program will be flashed by way of the included cable to make it work as promised.
Nevertheless, it’s value noting that not one of the automobile producers who use the CHAdeMO connector on their EVs endorse the usage of this–or any–adapter. It’s the identical with the charging suppliers, who need individuals to know that the usage of non-OEM adapters exempts them from any legal responsibility if one thing goes unsuitable.
Versus the NACS and CCS programs, which use energy line communication (PLC), the CHAdeMO commonplace makes use of the CANbus protocol, which has similarities to the modules inside fashionable automobiles. Which means that a CHAdeMO to CCS adapter must interpret the alerts earlier than permitting electrical energy to movement by means of. It’s additionally the explanation why the adapter is so large in comparison with the NACS to CCS items (or vice versa).
These caveats prompted CHAdeMO affiliation consultant Tomoko Blech to take a robust stand when speaking about these types of adapters with InsideEVs originally of the yr. “Whereas [the CHAdeMO association] understands that some individuals could also be disenchanted, we can’t assure that there isn’t any threat of burns or electrical shock, and we will solely ask shoppers to take duty in the event that they nonetheless want to use such a product,” Blech mentioned.
What’s your tackle this? Would you spend $1,000 on a product that guarantees to make highway journeys extra hassle-free, even when it’s not endorsed by the automobile producer that constructed your EV? Tell us within the feedback under.