there is no power available to drive the ve-
hicle. Contact Roadside assistance service
shown in your NISSAN Warranty Information
Booklet. SeeIf the Li-ion battery becomes
completely discharged in theIn case of
emergency section.
CHARGING THE 12-VOLT BATTERY
The 12-volt battery is charged automatically us-
ing electricity stored in the Li-ion battery.
When the 12-volt battery is being charged, the
charge status indicator light on the instrument
panel flashes. (except when charging the Li-ion
battery or the power switch is in the READY to
drive position.) See Charge status indicator
light in the Charge section.
While vehicle is driven
The Li-ion battery charges the 12-volt battery as
necessary when the power switch is in the
READY to drive position or ON position.
The 12-volt battery is not charged in the following
conditions.
When the power switch is in ACC position.
When the power switch is in ON position and
shift position is in the N (Neutal) position.
While the vehicle is not in use
When the EV (Electric Vehicle) system is off for
an extended time, the 12-volt battery may be
automatically charged for a short period of time
on a regular basis.
LI-ION BATTERY WARMER
CAUTION
The Li-ion battery warmer does not oper-
ate if the available Li-ion battery charge
is less than approximately 30% and the
charger is not connected to the vehicle.
To help prevent the Li-ion battery from
freezing, do not leave the vehicle in an
environment if temperatures may go be-
low -1°F (-17°C) unless the vehicle is con-
nected to a charger.
The Li-ion battery warmer helps to prevent the
Li-ion battery from freezing and helps to prevent
significant reductions in the Li-ion battery output
when the temperature is cold. The Li-ion battery
warmer automatically turns on when the Li-ion
battery temperature is approximately -1°F
(-17°C) or colder. The Li-ion battery warmer au-
tomatically turns off when the Li-ion battery tem-
perture is approximately 14°F (-10°C) or higher. The Li-ion battery warmer uses electrical power
from an external source when a charger is con-
nected to the vehicle. The Li-ion battery warmer
uses electrical power from the Li-ion battery
when the charger is not connected to the vehicle.
NOTE:
Connect the charger to the vehicle and
place the power switch in the OFF posi-
tion when parking the vehicle if tempera-
tures may go below -1°F (-17°C) . This pro-
vides external power to the Li-ion battery
warmer when it operates and does not
discharge the Li-ion battery.
The charging status indicator lights illu-
minate in a specific pattern when the Li-
ion battery warmer operates. The charg-
ing status indicator lights use the same
pattern to indicate 12-volt battery charg-
ing, Climate Ctrl. Timer operation or Re-
mote Climate Control operation (models
with navigation system) . The charging
status indicator lights do not change if the
Li-ion battery warmer operates at the
same time as the above features. See
Charge status indicator light in the
Charging section.
EV OverviewEV-5
The Li-ion battery warmer uses Li-ion bat-
tery power to operate, even if the vehicle
is connected to a charger when: – the vehicle’s power switch is in the ON position.
– there is no electrical power being sup- plied to the charging equipment.
When the Li-ion battery warmer is already
in operation using an external power
source, it will continue to use the external
power even if the power switch is placed
in the ON position.
Vehicle driving range is reduced if the
Li-ion battery warmer operates (Li-ion
battery temperature approximately -1°F
(-17°C) or colder) while driving the vehicle.
You may need to charge the Li-ion battery
sooner than in warmer temperatures.
The Li-ion battery requires more time to
charge when the Li-ion battery warmer
operates.
The predicted charging time displayed on
the meter and navigation system (models
with navigation system) increases when
the Li-ion battery warmer operates.
Climate control performance is reduced
when using the Climate Ctrl. Timer or Re-
mote Climate Control (models with navi-
gation system) while the Li-ion battery
warmer operates.
The Li-ion battery may not charge to the
expected level using the charging timer
when [Start Time] (models with navigation
system) and [End Time] are set while the
Li-ion battery warmer operates.
Set the charging timer [End Time] when
charging in cold weather. The vehicle au-
tomatically determines when to start
charging to fully charge the Li-ion battery,
even if the Li-ion battery warmer operates.
Charging ends before the set end time if
the Li-ion battery is fully charged.
EV-6EV Overview
EMERGENCY SHUT-OFF SYSTEM
The emergency shut-off system is activated and
the high-voltage system automatically turns off in
the following conditions:
- Front and side collisions in which the air bags
are deployed.
- Certain rear collisions.
- Certain EV (Electric Vehicle) system malfunc-
tions
For the above collisions and certain other EV
(Electric Vehicle) system malfunctions, the
READY to drive indicator light will turn off. See
Warning/indicator lights and audible reminders
in theInstruments and controls section.
The emergency shut-off activates for the above
collisions to minimize risk of an event that could
cause injury or an accident. If the emergency
shut-off system activates, the EV system may not
be switched to READY to drive position, contact
a NISSAN certified LEAF dealer. Even if the
power switch is switched to READY to drive
position, the system may shut-off suddenly.
Therefore, drive cautiously to the nearest
NISSAN certified LEAF dealer or contact a
NISSAN certified LEAF dealer as soon as pos-
sible.WARNING
Pay special attention to pedestrians. Because there is no engine noise, pe-
destrians may not know the vehicle is
approaching, moving or about to
move, and may step into the path of
vehicle travel.
When leaving the vehicle, be sure to turn off the EV (Electric Vehicle) sys-
tem.
Be sure to push the P (Park) position switch on the shift lever and apply the
parking brake when parking because
the vehicle can move when the READY
to drive indicator light is ON. When the
READY to drive indicator light is ON,
do not leave your vehicle in a shift
position other than the P (Park) posi-
tion.
Keep the brake pedal depressed until you are ready to drive. When the ve-
hicle is in the D (Drive) position or ECO
or R (Reverse) position, if you release
the brake pedal and do not depress
accelerator, the vehicle will creep and
may start abruptly. This may cause se-
rious injury or death.
NOTE:
The vehicle cannot run with a discharged
Li-ion battery. Repeated acceleration con-
sumes more power from the Li-ion battery
than driving at a steady speed.
This vehicle is equipped with a regenera-
tive brake system. The primary purpose of
regenerative brake system is to provide
some power to recharge the Li-ion battery
and extend driving range. A secondary
benefit is “engine braking” that operates
based on Li-ion battery conditions.
In the D (Drive) position, when the accel-
erator pedal is released, the regenerative
brake system provides some decelera-
tion.
When you put the shift lever in the ECO
position (models without navigation sys-
tem) or B position (models with naviga-
tion system) and take your foot off the
accelerator pedal, more regenerative
brake is applied than in the D (Drive) po-
sition.
Less deceleration is provided by the re-
generative brake system when the Li-ion
battery is fully charged. Regenerative
brake is automatically reduced when the
EV (ELECTRIC VEHICLE)
CHARACTERISTICS
EV OverviewEV-9
Li-ion battery is fully charged to prevent
the Li-ion battery from becoming over-
charged. Regenerating brake is also auto-
matically reduced when the battery tem-
perature is high/low (indicated by the red/
blue zones on the Li-ion battery
temperature gauge) to prevent Li-ion bat-
tery damage.
The brake pedal should be used to slow or
stop the vehicle depending on traffic or
road conditions. The vehicle brakes are
not affected by regenerative brake system
operation.NOISE AND VIBRATION
You might experience the following noise or vi-
bration as a normal characteristic of this vehicle.
Traction motor noise from motor compartment.
Water pump and radiator fan noise while charg- ing.
Compressor and radiator fan noise when the Climate Ctrl. Timer or remote climate control
(models with navigation system) is used.
Relay operation noise and vibration at start-up and shut-down of the EV (Electric Vehicle) sys-
tem (power switch placed in the ON and OFF
position) .
Approaching Vehicle Sound for Pedestrians (VSP) . This section provides a brief explanation for the
most important LEAF functions. Refer to the spe-
cific sections of this manual for detailed explana-
tions of the vehicle features and operation.
CHARGING THE LI-ION BATTERY
WARNING
The EV (Electric Vehicle) system uses a
high voltage current. Failure to follow the
proper handling instructions may cause
serious injury or death. Be sure to read
the Charge section and follow the pro-
cedures and guidelines described.
LIFE WITH AN EV (SCENE GUIDE)
EV-10EV Overview
BEFORE DRIVING YOUR VEHICLE
(MODELS WITH NAVIGATION
SYSTEM)
The Li-ion battery charging status and the Li-ion
battery warmer operation can be checked using
an internet enabled smart phone or personal
computer at home. You may also choose to have
SMS messages (text messages) sent to a cellular
phone. Additionally, the heater and air condi-
tioner of the vehicle can be set to operate using
the Climate Ctrl. Timer function or A/C-heater
remote function, if necessary. SeeRemote cli-mate control
in theHeater and air conditioner
systems section.
NOTE:
To check the Li-ion battery charging sta-
tus or to use the remote heater and air
conditioner using an internet enabled
smart phone or personal computer, the
following conditions must be met: – The vehicle must be located in a cellu- lar phone or smart phone coverage
area. – The internet enabled cellular phone or
smart phone must be located in a cel-
lular phone or smart phone coverage
area.
– The computer must be connected to the internet.
– A cellular phone must be used to com- municate with the vehicle.
– A cellular phone capable of text mes- saging must be used to receive text
message regarding vehicle charge sta-
tus.
The remote heater and cooler can adjust
the in-cabin temperature.
When the charge connector is discon-
nected from the vehicle, the heater and air
conditioner operates using vehicle Li-ion
battery electric power.
If the remote heater and air conditioner
function and Li-ion battery charging are
performed at the same time, Li-ion battery
charging will take longer than usual due
to the power used to heat or cool the
vehicle.
EV OverviewEV-13
Notification of the Li-ion battery
warmer operation
You can be notified the Li-ion battery warmer
operation on the NISSAN CARWINGS Data
Center website via an internet enabled smart
phone or personal computer.When the power switch is in the OFF position
and charge connector is not connected, if the
Li-ion battery warmer starts or stops, it notifies
you to connect the charger to the vehicle.
See LEAF Navigation System Owner’s Manual.
EV-16EV Overview
STARTING YOUR VEHICLE
1. Depress the brake pedal.
2. Press the power switch.
3. Check that the READY to drive indicator lightilluminates and the start up sound is audible.
See Ready to drive indicator light in the
Instruments and controls section.
4. For models with navigation system: If route guidance is necessary, enter the destination
in the navigation system. See LEAF Naviga-
tion System Owner’s Manual. 5. Check the Li-ion battery level and the esti-
mated driving range shown on the meter. See
Driving range in theInstruments and con-
trols section.
NOTE:
Before driving, compare the driving dis-
tance to the destination displayed on the
navigation screen with the estimated driv-
ing range shown on the meter. Determine
if it will be necessary to charge the Li-ion
battery before or while driving to your
planned destination (models with naviga-
tion system) .
If it is necessary to charge the Li-ion bat-
tery, use the navigation system to search
for available charging stations on your
planned driving route (models with navi-
gation system) .
EV OverviewEV-17
DRIVING THE VEHICLE
1. Depress the brake pedal.
2. Release the parking brake.
3. Move the selector lever into the D (Drive)position. When released, the selector lever
returns to its original center position. 4. Confirm that the vehicle is in the D (Drive)
position. The indicator next to the “D” by the
selector lever illuminates and “D” is displayed
on the meter.
5. Release the brake pedal.
6. Depress the accelerator pedal and start driving. There are following gear positions for driving the
vehicle forward:
Use the D (Drive) position for optimum driving
performance.
Use the B position for downhill driving. When the B position is used, more regenerative brake
is applied when the accelerator pedal is re-
leased in comparison to the D (Drive) position
(with navigation system) .
See Driving vehicle in theStarting and driving
section.
EV-18EV Overview