- Nissan Leaf homeowners are getting a brand new, higher-power, bidirectional charger possibility
- 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 automobiles as cell vitality sources.
Nissan Leaf fashions have had the {hardware} for bidirectional charging since 2013, the automaker famous whereas asserting 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 approved 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 worth, in accordance with Nissan, though the automaker didn’t quote a particular worth.
Nissan additionally guarantees a larger skill to maneuver vitality forwards and backwards between the automobile 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 cut back electrical energy payments by $9,450 over 4 years. Fermata Vitality’s personal software program administration software may also help homeowners obtain these financial savings by drawing energy from a automobile’s battery pack to assist energy buildings throughout high-demand, high-cost intervals.
2025 Nissan Leaf
Different firms, such as Wallbox, market bidirectional chargers that might let householders use EVs as backup power 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 acquired UL 1741 certification.
Nissan hasn’t up to date the Leaf in a number of years, that 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 economy car, in some cases a minimum of. Bidirectional charging offers one more reason to contemplate the aged hatchback past a probably low buy worth.
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