NOTE:
•If the outside temperature is −13°F
(−25°C) or less, the Li-ion battery may
freeze and it cannot be charged or provide
power to run the vehicle. Move the vehicle
to a warm location.
• The capacity of the Li-ion battery in your
vehicle to hold a charge will, like all such
batteries, decrease with time and usage.
As the battery ages and capacity de-
creases, this will result in a decrease from
the vehicle’s initial mileage range. This is
normal, expected, and not indicative of
any defect in your Li-ion battery. NISSAN
estimates that battery capacity will be ap-
proximately 80% of original capacity after
five years, although this is only an esti-
mate, and this percentage may vary (and
could be significantly lower) depending
on individual vehicle and Li-ion battery
usage.
• The Li-ion battery has limited service life,
and when its charging capacity falls below
a specific level, the EV system warning
light will illuminate. Owners should bring
their vehicle in for inspection and possible
battery replacement. •
The Li-ion battery has a limited service
life. Contact a NISSAN certified LEAF
dealer for information about recycling or
disposal of the Li-ion battery. Do not at-
tempt to recycle or dispose of the Li-ion
battery yourself.
DRIVING WITH A DISCHARGED
LI-ION BATTERY
When a destination is set in the navigation sys-
tem that exceeds the available vehicle range, the
navigation system automatically searches the lo-
cation of nearby charging stations. When the
nearby charging station locations are displayed,
charge the Li-ion battery as soon as possible
(models with navigation system) .
Warning lights illuminate on the instrument panel
and messages are displayed on the vehicle infor-
mation display to inform you that the Li-ion bat-
tery charge is low. Instructions are also displayed
on the navigation system screen to direct you to
nearby charging stations (models with navigation
system) . The vehicle’s range is very limited when these
warning lights illuminate and messages are dis-
played. Follow the instructions on the navigation
screen (models with navigation system) and im-
mediately charge the vehicle at the nearest
charging station.
EV OverviewEV-3
There are three levels of information that will be
displayed as the Li-ion battery becomes dis-
charged:
1. The following warning lights illuminate on theinstrument panel and messages are displayed
on the vehicle information display at the same
time to indicate low Li-ion battery charge:
• The low battery charge warning light
• The master warning light
• “Li-ion battery level is Low” warning message is displayed on the vehicle information dis-
play
• See “Li-ion battery low charge warning” in the “Instruments and controls” section.
• Messages are displayed on navigation sys- tem screen (if so equipped)
• See “Low battery warning” in the “Instru- ments and controls” section. • The driving range flashes
1.
NOTE:
Due to traffic conditions, it may be diffi-
cult to get to the charging station sug-
gested by the navigation system. If the
Li-ion battery is almost completely dis-
charged, drive directly to the nearest
charging station (models with naviga-
tion system) .2. If the vehicle is driven and the Li-ion battery
continues to discharge, the driving range on
the instrument panel changes to “—-”2.
Messages are displayed on the Navigation
System screen (if so equipped) . For more
information, see “Low battery warning” in the
“Instruments and controls” section.
3. When the power limitation indicator light
illuminates, traction motor output is lim-
ited resulting in reduced vehicle speed. Stop
the vehicle in a safe location before the Li-ion
battery becomes completely discharged and
EV-4EV Overview
HIGH-VOLTAGE COMPONENTS
WARNING
• The EV (Electric Vehicle) system uses high voltage up to approximately DC
400 volt. The system can be hot during
and after starting and when the vehicle
is shut off. Be careful of both the high
voltage and the high temperature. Fol-
low the warning labels that are at-
tached to the vehicle.
• Never disassemble, remove or replace high-voltage parts and cables as well
as their connectors because they can
cause severe burns or electric shock
that may result in serious injury or
death. High-voltage cables are colored
orange. The vehicle high voltage sys-
tem has no user serviceable parts.
Take your vehicle to a NISSAN certified
LEAF dealer for any necessary mainte-
nance.
1. Traction motor and reduction gear
2. Power delivery module (PDM) (Charger,DC/DC Converter, Junction Box)
3. Traction motor inverter 4. High-voltage wire harnesses (colored
orange)
5. Li-ion battery
6. Service plug
High-voltage components
HIGH VOLTAGE PRECAUTIONS
EV OverviewEV-7
WARNING
In case of a collision:
• If your vehicle is drivable, pull your vehicle off the road, push the P (Park)
position switch on the shift lever, apply
the parking brake and turn the EV
(Electric Vehicle) system off.
• Check your vehicle to see if there are exposed high-voltage parts or cables.
For their locations, see “High voltage
components” in this section. To avoid
personal injury, never touch high-
voltage wiring, connectors, and other
high-voltage parts, such as inverter
unit and Li-ion battery. An electric
shock may occur if exposed electric
wires are visible when viewed from
inside or outside of your vehicle.
Therefore, never touch exposed elec-
tric wires.
• If the vehicle receives a strong impact to the floor while driving, stop the ve-
hicle in a safe location and check the
floor. • Leaks or damage to the Li-ion battery
may result in a fire. If you discover
them, contact emergency services im-
mediately. Since the fluid leak may be
lithium manganate from the Li-ion bat-
tery, never touch the fluid leak inside
or outside the vehicle. If the fluid con-
tacts your skin or eyes, wash it off
immediately with a large amount of
water and receive immediate medical
attention to help avoid serious injury.
• If a fire occurs in the EV (Electric Ve- hicle) , leave the vehicle as soon as
possible. Only use a type ABC, BC or C
fire extinguisher that is meant for use
on electrical fires. Using a small
amount of water or the incorrect fire
extinguisher can result in serious in-
jury or death from electrical shock.
• If your vehicle needs to be towed, do it with the front wheels raised. If the
front wheels are on the ground when
towing, the traction motor may gener-
ate electricity. This may damage the
components of the EV (Electric Ve-
hicle) system and cause a fire. • If you are not able to safely assess the
vehicle due to vehicle damage, do not
touch the vehicle. Leave the vehicle
and contact emergency services. Ad-
vise 1st responders that this is an elec-
tric vehicle.
• In the event of an accident that re- quires body repair and painting, the
vehicle should be delivered to a
NISSAN certified LEAF dealer to have
the Li-ion battery pack and high volt-
age parts such as the inverter, includ-
ing the wiring harness, removed prior
to painting. Li-ion battery packs ex-
posed to heat in the paint booth will
experience capacity loss. Damaged Li-
ion battery packs may also pose safety
risks to untrained mechanics and re-
pair personnel.
ROAD ACCIDENT PRECAUTIONS
EV-8EV 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 the “Instruments 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)
position.
EV (ELECTRIC VEHICLE)
CHARACTERISTICS
EV OverviewEV-9
•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
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
If the low battery charge warning light
illuminates, the Li-ion battery charge is too low for
travel. SeeLow battery charge warning light” in
the “Instruments and controls” section. Charge
the Li-ion battery as soon as possible.
EV-20EV Overview
LI-ION BATTERY MAINTENANCE
In addition to the regular maintenance recom-
mended by NISSAN, the LEAF requires some
special Li-ion battery inspections.
• See the NISSAN Warranty Information Bookletfor significant limitations, exclusions and pos-
sible voiding of your warranty resulting from
failure to have these necessary inspections, re-
pairs and/or adjustments performed.
• See the NISSAN Service and Maintenance Guide for a detailed explanation of the Li-ion
battery inspection and intervals.
METERS AND INDICATORS
The vehicle has two displays to provide informa-
tion regarding vehicle operation:
• Upper display
• Lower display
Upper display
Master warning lights:
The master warning lights are located in the
upper display.
The master warning lights illuminate when any
warning lights or indicators illuminate in the lower
display or when messages are displayed on the
vehicle information display.
For additional information, see “Master warning
light” in the “Instruments and controls” section.
EV UNIQUE INFORMATION
EV OverviewEV-25