solarchargeddriver
Well-known member
I am thinking buying a AeroVironment TurboCord 240 Volt Plug-in EV Charger. I really need a 240V charger.
I've been trickle charging my 2014 LEAF for 11 months now, hit turtle mode 3 times in past 6 months, and had my LEAF come to a complete halt last night 300 meters from home. This was with my two daughters in the back seat, and just 50 meters farther on from where I have to take a left turn across three lanes of oncoming traffic that travels 60 mph. Glad it didn't cut out during that left turn!
The LEAF is my ONLY car, as my wife and I separated 6 months into my 2-year LEAF lease, and took our Subaru Forrester with her, leaving me with the LEAF (which I'd generally rather have for 90% of my driving, but the other 10%, well the LEAF just doesn't cut it -- I've stopped going to the Colorado mountains from Denver because I can't make it, thanks to lack of sufficient charging infrastructure).
Anyway, I'm thinking of finally springing $600 for the TurboCard, and possibly paying another $300 to $400 to have a 240V outlet installed in my garage.
Alternatively, I'm thinking of taking the door knob off to the door that leads from the house to the garage, snaking the TurboCard cord through, and plugging it into my dryer outlet.
I don't want to spend the $400 to do a 240volt outlet in my garage, because I'm 80% sure I'm going to sell our house within the next six months. I've also read that $600 is a ripoff for a charging unit (TurboCard) that people good with their hands/smart engineering types (I am far from this) can customize the 120V LEAF charger into a 240V charger for $30.
I know there's a company that customizes the LEAF 120V charger for $300, but I don't want to give up the 120V charger, which I've used quite a bit to plug in at friends/relatives houses, etc. that do not have an easily accessible 240V outlet.
Wondering what others out there think about $600 for the TurboCard (I definitely like the portability of it, and I don't want a 240V charger that's locked down into my garage). Do I have any other realistic choices (other than to continue to push my luck by trickle charging all of the time)?
Thank you.
--Christof D-H, Aurora, Colo.
BTW, I blog more about this at http://solarchargeddriving.com/editors-blog/on-evs-a-phevs/1204-a-nissan-leaf-runs-completely-out-of-charge.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
I've been trickle charging my 2014 LEAF for 11 months now, hit turtle mode 3 times in past 6 months, and had my LEAF come to a complete halt last night 300 meters from home. This was with my two daughters in the back seat, and just 50 meters farther on from where I have to take a left turn across three lanes of oncoming traffic that travels 60 mph. Glad it didn't cut out during that left turn!
The LEAF is my ONLY car, as my wife and I separated 6 months into my 2-year LEAF lease, and took our Subaru Forrester with her, leaving me with the LEAF (which I'd generally rather have for 90% of my driving, but the other 10%, well the LEAF just doesn't cut it -- I've stopped going to the Colorado mountains from Denver because I can't make it, thanks to lack of sufficient charging infrastructure).
Anyway, I'm thinking of finally springing $600 for the TurboCard, and possibly paying another $300 to $400 to have a 240V outlet installed in my garage.
Alternatively, I'm thinking of taking the door knob off to the door that leads from the house to the garage, snaking the TurboCard cord through, and plugging it into my dryer outlet.
I don't want to spend the $400 to do a 240volt outlet in my garage, because I'm 80% sure I'm going to sell our house within the next six months. I've also read that $600 is a ripoff for a charging unit (TurboCard) that people good with their hands/smart engineering types (I am far from this) can customize the 120V LEAF charger into a 240V charger for $30.
I know there's a company that customizes the LEAF 120V charger for $300, but I don't want to give up the 120V charger, which I've used quite a bit to plug in at friends/relatives houses, etc. that do not have an easily accessible 240V outlet.
Wondering what others out there think about $600 for the TurboCard (I definitely like the portability of it, and I don't want a 240V charger that's locked down into my garage). Do I have any other realistic choices (other than to continue to push my luck by trickle charging all of the time)?
Thank you.
--Christof D-H, Aurora, Colo.
BTW, I blog more about this at http://solarchargeddriving.com/editors-blog/on-evs-a-phevs/1204-a-nissan-leaf-runs-completely-out-of-charge.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;