Best charger for a condo environment.

[Andmann]

I live in a condo in Toronto and I have requested that a charger get installed for both guests and owners.
With this being used by several, at least at some point what do you think would be the best EVSE.
They may want to charge the owner back so metering or account logging could be a requirement.

Thanks

 

[smkettner]

Trouble with EVSE's is that is takes a few dollars to separate the pennies.

Best IMO is to contact Chargepoint and ask what the options and cost is.

I am usually in favor of installing multiple low cost outdoor home units and let the electric be free.
Unfortunately it only takes one homeowner that sees megamoney going out that plug to stop it.

 

[swaltner]

As was mentioned, it can be cheaper to just give the electricity away for free than to install a system that can charge for the electricity. The chargeback systems are expensive and electricity is cheap.

I was looking at options for installing EVSEs at our church and came up with three options for installing two 30-amp EVSEs. All three options had basically the same installation costs, so that $1,000 expense for a pair of EVSEs is getting ignored. The installation costs included labor for electrician, wire, conduit, drilling through a cinderblock wall and a limestone brick exterior wall to get from breaker panel to outside location. Since that cost was the same for all three types, it really gets ignored in the comparison.

Low-cost = Clipper Creek HCS-40
$590 each = $1180 total
* No access controls = you plug in? you get power.
* No reporting

Mid-cost = Schneider Electric EVlink 30 with RFID Access
$1975 each + $198 for RFID programmer + $89 for 10-pack of RFID Card = $4,246
* No on-going maintenance fees
* Access control so general pubic can't use without authorization
* No tracking of how much each RFID card used, just swipe your card and the EVSE activates

High-cost = ChargePoint CT4023
~$7,300 + ongoing subscription fees (This cost is for a single unit that charges two cars at 30 Amps each)
* Swipe card access control
* reporting on who charges and how much
* automatic payment processing

With electricity costing less than 10 cents/kWh, the difference in cost is hard to justify. If someone brought a Leaf by and charged EVERY day soaking up 24 kWh of power, the $3,000 added cost for access controls would power the freeloader for 30,000 kWh for 1,250 days or 3 years and 4 months. If you went up to the ChargePoint system that could directly chargeback for the electricity, that $6,100 additional cost would but 61,000 kWh of electricity or 2,541 days (two weeks shy of 7 years). Another way of looking at it is, that 61,000 kWh is 240,000 miles of driving. I've got the board talked into just putting up a "$1/hr donation appreciated" sign when we move forward. We're still talking about if the response to any abuse should be to count it as a community service or possibly putting the EVSE on some kind of a timer.

 

[Graffi]

+1 to that. I would also add the comment that the $1,180 could also be saved by just putting in two 240v outdoor outlets, one for each line, and also having 120v outlets drawing on the same lines, one for each line. As outdoor outlets this could also serve for whenever outside electricity is needed for maintenance, gardening, events. Since they will be free, and EV driver could use their own EVSE on either the 120v or 240v outlet. This would be useful to the chruch as well as the EV community. We all carry around our own EVSE, so why not use it and save all that expense.

The parking spots next to the outlets could still be marked and posted for EV charging only.

 

[davewill]

... We all carry around our own EVSE, so why not use it and save all that expense. ....

Because we (as in the greater EV community) do not all carry our own EVSE around...certainly not 240v ones. Also, the EVSE is designed to be much safer than a 14-50 plug, something to seriously consider when offering service to the public.

 

[Andmann]

This is great info.
The breakdown will be great info to have.

Thanks again.

 

[DaveEV]

We're still talking about if the response to any abuse should be to count it as a community service or possibly putting the EVSE on some kind of a timer.

For $50, you can get a refurb utility meter which might be useful for at least tracking how much energy is used.

 

[Devin]

If I were the condo board I'd go with the non-access controlled unit. That said, if you really want to charge people just put the handle (or whole EVSE) in a locked box. A key and/or permit for parking in those spots costs an additional monthly fee payable with your strata dues. Something like $2/mo/kWh capacity of the car i.e. LEAF would be $48/mo or a Volt would be $32/mo. Simple, cost effective, and fair.

 

[Andmann]

Funny you say that as that is what I suggested. Only I said the monthly cost would be the size of the battery in $$.

The property manager looked at me like I had 2 heads and he shouldn't talk.

Thanks for the suggestions. This should help get this through faster.

 

[Devin]

Thanks for the suggestions. This should help get this through faster.

Keep us posted! I might be moving back up to Vancouver next year and would thus find myself in a similar condo EVSE predicament.

Good luck!

 

[Andmann]

Will do.
I have replied back to the Managment office with some suggestion going forward.
Just waiting till the next board meeting.

Thanks