Performance upgrade for the LEAF, [Part 1] Inverter upgrade

Now we're starting with a big one! +30kW performance by replacing the stock inverter with a 2018+ one. In this video we take care of all the mechanical stuff needed to make this happen. Grab some popcorn, it is quite long!
github.com/dalathegreat/Nissa...
Massive thanks to all my Patreon supporters. Like the reverse engineering efforts? Consider supporting the channel: / dala

[@Silverfoxwolfen]

I just came across your videos and have to say these are amazingly fun to watch. As an engineer I can really appreciate the line of 'I lied, one cable is different... and that's this one' :D

[@captlarry-3525]

Slide large heat shrink or tubing on, before you begin splicing to protect finished splices, with second layer, for chafe and water protection. Use De-Oxit on connector pins to clean and protect from corrosion.

[@mayflowerlash11]

Did I enjoy this vid? Yeah! Am I looking forward to the next vid? Hell Yeah! Your enthusiasm is contagious Dala. Eventually I will acquire my own Nissan Leaf and upgrade it.

[@prudx2775]

Awesome! Love seeing this scene of EV modding grow

[@rvgracer]

Great job! My friend! Quick inverter swap and we are off to software. From an old school tuner and mechanic very impressive. I’m looking forward to your next session!

[@meganwinters5163]

Great job!! Thank you so much for what you do for the LEAF community!!!

[@chargeheadsuk]

This does look tricky, thanks so much for showing us the stages of replacing the motor. 👍

[@NB-ld1qt]

Well done indeed Dala. You are very brave to take on something like this. I look forward to the next video. It should go like a scalded cat !

[@raysmith1971]

What a great Video. Used to have a Mk1 Leaf and loved it. Tempted to get another now after watching your videos! Kudos to you for taking on big projects like these.

[@jikkityjek1333]

Planning on getting a leaf for a project car! So excited for the future of EVs in tuner culture :) thanks for the tutorials!

[@reimarvw9334]

Kiitos uudesta videosta. Vaikuttava! I am very curious about the following steps. I am really impressed about your knowledge and the enthusiasm for upgrading the Leaf. Om det var inte så långt väg jag kunde komma till din värkstad för uppgradera min Leaf......

[@roycestricker]

was going to call u out for mix matched colored wires but u caught it! great videos and great job being detailed!!! might attempt this soon

[@ethanrose1633]

Amazing! You are so brave taking this on!

[@DalasEVRepair]

Thanks Ethan!

[@linosilva5659]

Great Job ! Focused and practical video

[@RayAttardPrevi]

Great stuff, keep up the good work.

[@robjer5757]

Hey Dala, Fist time ever subscribed to youtube anything although its my favorite entertainment choice, Time to get with the times. Have a 2013 leaf with 104,000 miles! Bought in 2015 with 25k miles, we love it, but our family of 5 has out grown it. Considered selling it But I like it too much, battery holding out, better than average. We have 4 other vehicles used for different needs but the leaf is favorite. would like to convert to tesla type performance, this is why I had eye on your channel a lot recently. An engineer mechanically and electrically secondary (structural) so this is not beyond capability, happy your working hard to figure it out :) Good Job. Cheers

[@DalasEVRepair]

Glad to hear that it interests you :) Start looking for a used inverter! :)

[@Brad_Jenkins]

Cool, I need this for the beach

[@Sanjayadon]

Great video, as always!

[@alibro7512]

Wow, Nice one Dala. I don't think many ICE cars could have their power upgraded by so much so easily/cheaply.

[@CoachVicTheLandInvestor]

many turbocharged cars can use larger turbos and an ecm/ecu reflash for similar gains.

[@hondaguy9153]

Depends on the car. I'm not sure how much Dala spent on this but when you consider it requires a battery and inverter it could not have been very cheap.

[@mohgujai]

Literally super difficult to extract power out of an EV, stop being an EV fanboi.

[@alibro7512]

​@@mohgujaiwhat are you talking about. Did you watch the video? If you hate EV's so much why are you here?

[@mohgujai]

​@@alibro7512You're probably one of those who thinks they're a tech head and when EV becomes a thing you're suddenly a car enthusiast. He literally had to ask leafspy guy to help hack the VCM, ICE cars will respond to what you tell it to do, EV has the ability to protect all it's ECU modules. You know nothing.

[@LamaLaz0r]

Thank you for your work, I find it very inspiring. If it would be road legal in Norway my 2015 LEAF would be in your shop right now for a battery upgrade :D About this inverter upgrade and your custom cooling tube that has a copper part - assuming the inverter and the cooling parts are made from aluminium, is this not a potential corrosion inducing solution?

[@Taiguzhenren]

Great work. I owned an 2018 leaf

[@DalasEVRepair]

Thanks! You can upgrade to the 160kW inverter!

[@Patchworkdaddy007]

Don't know what I say! Man you are a Bev super maniac!👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏

[@hondaguy9153]

This is a lot more involved than I originally thought but I am still excited to do a battery and inverter upgrade on my leaf some day.

[@DalasEVRepair]

Still a whole lot easier than tuning fossil cars!

[@hondaguy9153]

@@DalasEVRepair 100%

[@omieyouknowme]

​@@DalasEVRepairi agree and disagree. Been tuning ice for 30 years if you know it not bad. Getting my first leaf and prob a 2nd as parts car to convert an ice maybe

[@W4rH4wkXX]

amazing work!!!!!

[@TheHauttis]

I look forward to getting more power into my leaf

[@DalasEVRepair]

Looking forward to helping with that 😉😁

[@kingofl337]

This is a great thing for Leaf owners and shows the state of EV tuning. I think based on the low value of the Leaf it is ripe for tuning. Two issues though. First you really should have just crimped new pins onto the OEM connector. I’m sure with a little hunting you could have acquired them for very little money. Secondly your splices as shown were poor. They have no mechanical strain connection in the way you performed them. You should mesh the stripped wire strands into each other then applied solider or performed a lineman’s splice. Also, the heat shrink should have sealant inside to prevent corrosion inside the heat shrink. Still a great video, I also like how you skipped sections of the assembly. As the part everyone really cared about was the process to swap inverters/wiring.

[@DalasEVRepair]

At the time when video was made, part numbers for Yazaki connectors were not known. I have since then added this to the guide, so that people can order the correct connectors and re-pin instead of splicing: github.com/dalathegreat/Nissan-LEAF-Inverter-Upgrade#part-numbers-

[@alltechinbox]

Great work. For a few minutes, you had space for a frunk ;-)

[@lsh3rd]

The new era of hot rodding shall commence! Hopefully you've done some baseline performance numbers so we can get an idea of how much of an improvement is realized. I'll guess the car might be a bit lighter than the Gen 2 car and should perform better.

[@DalasEVRepair]

Yup! Stay tuned for the next video 😁

[@ICiclixI]

Hello @dalas if KZbin move to my country you gonna be unique guy come here and do that kind of things !!! There is a lot of Leaf here !!

[@francoisguyot9770]

Excellent video quality! Thanks for quieting the background music when you speak. It would be even better if its volume was decreased by half when you don't speak.

[@ralphlink08]

Dala d'Best!!!

[@pofjiosgjsoges]

For a split second, my blood pressure went up when I saw BSOD...

[@rob4man1979]

Dala, me and my Dad are great fans of your bravery and work in the EV field. I have a 2015 Renault Zoe and I love my car but dream of the day when someone will crack the canbus like you and others have the the leaf and that will make it possible to do an upgrade to the battery and ability to fit a CCS charger do you think we will ever get there? Thanks Rob.

[@Twistedmetal-qe8kx]

Beautiful

[@jr-pl9kj]

video idea for dala: i wonder if its possible to upgrade or swap 2013 or newer leaf powertrains into the older 2011-12 leafs? same idea for the P-brake / E-brake, i prefer the manual cable E-brake over the electric P-brake.

[@olegmalinin4975]

I also collected this option today) I only have an inverter of 62 kW. The colors of the wires all matched the color on my 2014 Japan and the wiring is also from Japan. The compressor is held by 3 bolts and unscrewing them with a 13 wrench is not a problem without removing the wheels. 4 errors appeared and a yellow car lit up on the dashboard. The car is driving, tomorrow I will fill in antifreeze and make a hose for the rear.

[@DalasEVRepair]

Nice! Let me know if you need a CAN bridge!

[@olegmalinin4975]

@@DalasEVRepair Need of course))) To drive fast I need a canbridge and do I need to register an inverter through Consult 3+? How is the cost of the canbridge?

[@DalasEVRepair]

Can bridge is 250€. You can wait for inverter pairing feature to come to Leafspy pro

[@dripidgeon]

Great videos (the whole series is!)..what do you think would be involved in swapping out a 110kW inverter on a 2019 ZE1, with a 160kW inverter??? Would I need to amend the CANbus?

[@DalasEVRepair]

No CAN bridge needed! Mechanical swap is enough!

[@joebroome6230]

Hello Dala, great youtube videos!! Thank you for doing them. I have a broken reduction gear on my leaf and I want to swap it out. I don't want to die so I wanted to make EXTRA sure that if I disconnect the high voltage plug on the battery that everything under the hood will be safe. Is this true? Are there any capacitors or any other random things that could electrically kill me even if I pull that high voltage plug and remove the 12v battery? Thank you for your consideration

[@DalasEVRepair]

Read the full service manual for the required cautions needed: www.nicoclub.com/nissan-service-manuals

[@captlarry-3525]

Strip and tin all the wires on the round connector on the work bench where it is easier, faster, and you can do a better job, then splice, solder and heat shrink in the engine bay.

[@peshmaa4731]

Awesome

[@pacosancho3266]

Wow 🤩!!

[@nimalweerasinghe4576]

Woow, Great...

[@IfItAintBrokeStillFixIt]

Great Vid, Thanks Do you know if the round invertor plug is available third party or do you have the original part number, is it the same plug for the 160kw inverter ?

[@DalasEVRepair]

I have all that info on the github link in the description!

[@IfItAintBrokeStillFixIt]

@@DalasEVRepair thanks will take a look

[@jestronixhanderson9898]

You know I want to upgrade that fuse on my 24kwh pack and drop the inverter in :). 30kw extra grind should be noticeable. This car is lighter than the 2019 even with the 40kwh battery ?

[@GlennNDavis]

Don't do it unless all the wire is upgraded too. There may be more. Remember The fuse is to protect the wire Not the other way around. Upgrading the fuse may mean that the wire burns out. The fuse is chosen to be the weak link to protect other components. The wires may be the buss bars.! I hope this helps prevent tragedy.

[@TimBorg]

I would love to do upgrades to my LEAF ZE1 one day into the future... Why don't you get a ZE1 long range ? I just recently bought a used JDM grey Imported LEAF from Japan for $26k AUD

[@sevikl]

nice work! I recommend you to use thermal shrinking tube with solder and glue inside (you'll find a lot at bay or Alibaba), it's awesome. so the all power comes from invertor? I'm owning Nissan Note e-power with em57 motor at 80kw and there is note e-power gismo S with same battery and motor but more powerful (and Serena e-power with same more power output - 100kw). how do you think, changing invertor will be enough?

[@DalasEVRepair]

Yeah, changing inverter should be enough! (+Can bridge to increase NM-demand)

[@sevikl]

@@DalasEVRepair awesome, thanks. will try it after i get new invertor (gosh, that's so affordable after ICE-cars)

[@Taeleus]

Just my two cents I wouldnt use a copper pipe for the coolant. Everything else is aluminum and you dont want Galvanic corrosion to take place in the coolant system. That being said I am not sure if there are OTHER copper parts in the coolant system and nissan thought of it already or if the fluid has corrosion inhibitors built in. STILL Great video and PACKED with useful information. Thanks for all you do!

[@DalasEVRepair]

Thanks! This pipe was replaced in the 160kW inverter install, I switched to OEM hoses!

[@israellugo4049]

Hi Dala, have you ever weighted the entire engine with its transmission? its still an EM57 on 2018 and 2019 models?

[@DalasEVRepair]

No i have not had the chance to weight that. Motor+inv is 57kg. And yes, EM57 on all newer models, even the 160kW e+

[@pashko90]

Awesome! Actually, original aze0 inverter have a same connector as prius 30, prius c, camry inverters. And ze1 connetor looks like a battery data connector from ze0. Does they fit? I don't have an inverter from a ze1 yet ;)

[@DalasEVRepair]

Well spotted, yes it is the same Yazaki 22-pin as the ZE0 battery. Different pinout though!

[@pashko90]

@@DalasEVRepair Im really curious, if just control board in this inverters can be swapped/modified... i seen aze0 inverter on opensource control board making 120 kw, if my memory servce me well. I will gonna send you another way to have a bit more fun with a leaf in DM on insta.

[@celeron55]

​@@pashko90 The board in the new inverter has a completely different shape and is mounted at a completely different position, swapping it is likely a lot of trouble.

[@lsh3rd]

@@pashko90 My guess is that you'd probably have an easier path using open inverter, then attempting to develop some CAN control to run that off the LEAF's VCU and perhaps satisfy some of the other LEAF's controls. I bet that upgrading the control board in the Gen 3 inverter would probably yield more gains - I'm curious if the IGBTs are the same in the 62 KWH inverter - I'll bet the primary difference is probably the control board, but a similar problem might exist with the 40 KWH pack limiting the current with a fuse. Speaking personally, Dala has inspired me to buy an Arduino and CAN shield and start playing with that today!

[@firewalldaprotogen]

makes me wonder if the newer motors are any better than the older ones. i wonder if it is any more efficient?

[@DalasEVRepair]

I listed all the differences on the EM57 motor wikipedia page!

[@JimWhitaker]

5:35 Love the insulation tape wrapped metal tool. No, that's not a properly insulated tool!

[@DalasEVRepair]

Each layer gives an additional 500VDC protection 😉 No but seriously I have a 1000VDC kit for working on the actual HV bits. See the fastcharger retrofit video for more info on that!

[@attre3]

What can you do with the old inverter? Can you plug it into three phase 400 V 50 Hz and charge battery packs that are out of cars?

[@DalasEVRepair]

Better to re-use for a classic EV conversion 😁

[@PetriWallius]

Tervehdys. Olisin tarvinnut apua sähkö autoni."nelipyörä". Mulla on siis minulle annettujen tietojen perusteella suomen ainut baoya 10kw sähköauto. Kanavallani löytyy ongelmasta videota mutta en tiedä pystyisitkö/haluaisitko auttaa vian löytämisessä. Se ajosta lakkasi liikkumasta ja ei reagoi kaasuun. Auto ei siis ole alkup sähköauto vaan tehtaan muuttama kiinassa. Kiitos.

[@PetriWallius]

Purkki olis irti tällä hetkellä...

[@DalasEVRepair]

Moi, valitettavasti aika ei riittää, mutta suosittelen keskustelufooruit missä tommonen malli on mukana.

[@MottyRuttner]

im swapping a 62kwh battery into a 2015, is it a good idea to do the inverter swap and should i also swap engines? will the engine fit in exactly the same place?

[@DalasEVRepair]

Motor is not needed, but cn be swapped if desired

[@DI43EL]

I wish you were my neighbour 😂

[@scottiethomas3038]

I have a question about my 2012 nissan leaf I bought it with all battery bars intact and only charging to 29 miles and I took leafspy and reset the battery and it got 80 miles and I drove it 17 miles and it lost all it mileage what caused it

[@DalasEVRepair]

Sounds like a great question for the mynissanleaf.com forum!

[@maretti73]

is it possible to do it with other cars then only Nissan leaf? what about PHEV cars?, is it possible to extend the range?

[@DalasEVRepair]

Absolutely, just requires tons of R&D

[@ilya_od_ua]

Very interesting, but not practical :) Can you do a reverse? Install 80 KW into 110 KW ze1 leaf?

[@DalasEVRepair]

Yes, should be possible, not sure why anyone would want that though 😅

[@TopFuelMotorsport]

you have the leaf 2022 wire diagram?? I need to know what the odometer wire

[@DalasEVRepair]

Sadly not. These can be purchased from sites like mhhauto.com/

[@CrAzYDr1veR]

Hi, do you have or know of a dead inverter so i can reuse the aluminium case for mine that is broken?

[@DalasEVRepair]

Unfortunately not!

[@dexschris3996]

If you're in the US, what year inverter do you need?

[@CrAzYDr1veR]

@@dexschris3996 europe but thanks

[@capitalmammal]

Is it possible to upgrade the fuse in a 24kwh battery for this modification?

[@DalasEVRepair]

Fuse upgrade doesn't seem to be necessary, people are running the 110kW inverter with 24kWh packs already!

[@capitalmammal]

@@DalasEVRepair Awesome appreciate your work!

[@supersonettify]

hej , do you have an amp number for the fuse in 24 vs 40 ? the current can't be extremly bigger , usally there are some head room on fuses . I happen to have a 24 battery and a 2018 power train so maybe a first try :-)

[@DalasEVRepair]

Even better, i have the fuse derating curve here www.socfuse.com/products/detail/dc500vbt2543/ You are living on the edge 😬

[@supersonettify]

Hm so maybe fast 0-100 will be ok but not motor väg speed for long time :-) . I guess it is an easy fix to switch fuse if needed or maybe a 40 battery will be found later Anyway thanks ! and keep up the good work

[@anthonycadogan3734]

Can the 30kWh battery handle the inverter upgrade?

[@DalasEVRepair]

Y e s

[@Daniel-yb6fy]

Would this work on a 2017 Nissan Note e-Power? Same 80KW motor (EM57)

[@DalasEVRepair]

It should work, yes :)

[@raceworx]

You mentuon the 24kwh battery has too small a fuse what about the 30kwh? I have a 30kwh 2017 leaf and this inverter swap sounds like it could be fun at some point

[@DalasEVRepair]

Should work with the 30kWh pack! We need people to test it 😁

[@raceworx]

@@DalasEVRepair doing abit of reading it looks like 291A0-5SNA0 is the 160kw inverter.. one of those with the lighter 30kw battery could make for an exciting car.. On a side note is it possible to strengthen regen I fell the car could be way more efficient if regen was allot Stronger?

[@DalasEVRepair]

@@raceworx Yeah regen can be increased from 40 to 80kW if battery can handle it!

[@mac-kaiveri]

Näinkö oikein että navigaattorissa oli LeafSpy näkymä, vai kuvittelinko vain. Jos kyllä, niin miten?

[@DalasEVRepair]

Poistin orkkis radio ja pistin Android yksikkö paikalle! Guidejä saat mynissanleaf.com foorumilta!

[@jamesclifford194]

does this work with the em61 motor also?

[@DalasEVRepair]

github.com/dalathegreat/Nissan-LEAF-Inverter-Upgrade#faq-

[@Kauppamopo]

what about chademo retrofit with ccs, is it possible?

[@DalasEVRepair]

Oh you are gonna love some upcoming videos 😉

[@Chawaonga]

I looked up the power rating of the gen 3 leaf, and looks like its 80 kws, not 160. What am I missing?

[@DalasEVRepair]

See Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Nissan_EM_motor&EM57%20refresh

[@Guash_]

Hei! millainen radio teillä on ?

[@DalasEVRepair]

Atoto A6

[@deblozaylakayinfo3115]

What is the brand of your radio?

[@DalasEVRepair]

Atoto A6

[@rashidmohmd546]

You are a genius, but does this improve the performance of the car, increase its ability to cover a longer distance, or increase its ability to receive faster power?

[@DalasEVRepair]

Only more power! Quicker 0-100km/h!

[@prudx2775]

@@DalasEVRepair I don't understand how it is quicker 0-100 when the motor has remained the 80kw motor 🤔 is it like overclocking the motor?

[@robo19681963]

@@prudx2775 i believe that newer Leaf’s use the same motor, just the inverter was improved, just like Dala has done here.

[@prudx2775]

@@robo19681963 ZE1 comes with 110kw motor

[@robo19681963]

@@prudx2775 well, the power rating (KW's) is just voltage X current, and if the inverter is changed then I guess these figures can be altered. I'm not 100% on what Nissan do but I did hear from a v knowledgeable person that they use the exact same motor.

[@geirhaugen3781]

The new inverter is 3,5kg lighter than the old one.

[@DalasEVRepair]

Thanks, i will add it to the wiki!

[@frankerhardkobow5931]

Kupperpipes are no good idee on aluminium motorparts cause of electric corosion😮

[@DalasEVRepair]

This was changed in the video where I installed the 160kW inverter, no worries!

[@p__jay]

let's say you have an old Hybrid....can you not just change the batteries with higher capacity ones, so you would extend the range significantly...?!

[@DalasEVRepair]

Yes! Totally doable

[@p__jay]

@@DalasEVRepair what batteries are you using for replacement then?

[@DalasEVRepair]

@@p__jay serch for a hybrid specialist focusing on reman. I only tinker with EVs