EV-ChargeAmerica EVSE

[celinamike]

I ordered, and paid for, a charger from them approximately 6-8 weeks ago. Was told it would be delivered on April 15th. On April 15th I called and was told that the tsunami caused supply chain issues and that my order would now come April 30th. On April 30th I called and was told that they had a connector problem and that everything was fixed and I would get my charger on May 15th. As May 15th is a Sunday, I called today to see about the following:

1. Is charger in transit?
2. If not in transit, when will it be shipped?
3. If it can't be shipped soon, what is the process for getting a refund.

Unfortunately, their phone goes straight to voicemail. I also wrote an email and have not received a reply.

I hope I didn't get scammed.

 

[DarkStar]

I hope I didn't get scammed.

I expect them to send you something. I'm just not sure what!

 

[mgoleta]

Several months ago EV-ChargeAmerica received a very negative review on this blog, even though their residential product was not yet on the market. Since that time I have been in touch with Bob Rosinski and Lee Murray at EV-ChargeAmerica. They were very surprised and disappointed at the negative comments about their coming product. I was so impressed by them that I decided to give them a chance, especially after deciding NOT to go with AV after their expensive quote. And, their unit is very affordable.


RSH

I think one of the main issues was no response from them, their push to sell by a specific deadline for delivery and not delivering, sending a demo unit rather than a new unit, etc. etc. It's nice that you were told the parts were UL listed, anyone can purchase UL parts and box together an EVSE but that does not make the unit UL certified, ask if the unit has been UL tested and has UL certification. If the unit is UL listed it should say so on their site. What commercial installations do they have specifically, what Nissan dealers use their product exclusively? This is a commoditized product that will be dominated by big players and even grabbing a few quick contracts or sales does not make a company solvent for long-term support. I don't doubt you can buy a working unit from them at a lower price, the question is at what risk? Affordable is a subjective term when there is no support down the line or a unit does not truly compare to other products on the market and the company is basically a startup in a highly competitive market with a product that relies on economies of scale and good support and longevity not to mention safety testing.

I find it interesting that people are concerned about UL listings by the major manufacturers but not about modifications to an EVSE like Ingineers modification which would void any certification the unit originally had or has Ingineer had his modifcations UL certified?

 

[ElectricVehicle]

Several months ago EV-ChargeAmerica received a very negative review on this blog, even though their residential product was not yet on the market. Since that time I have been in touch with Bob Rosinski and Lee Murray at EV-ChargeAmerica. They were very surprised and disappointed at the negative comments about their coming product. I was so impressed by them that I decided to give them a chance, especially after deciding NOT to go with AV after their expensive quote. And, their unit is very affordable. RSH

I think one of the main issues was no response from them, their push to sell by a specific deadline for delivery and not delivering, sending a demo unit rather than a new unit, etc. etc. It's nice that you were told the parts were UL listed, anyone can purchase UL parts and box together an EVSE but that does not make the unit UL certified, ask if the unit has been UL tested and has UL certification. If the unit is UL listed it should say so on their site. What commercial installations do they have specifically, what Nissan dealers use their product exclusively? This is a commoditized product that will be dominated by big players and even grabbing a few quick contracts or sales does not make a company solvent for long-term support. I don't doubt you can buy a working unit from them at a lower price, the question is at what risk? Affordable is a subjective term when there is no support down the line or a unit does not truly compare to other products on the market and the company is basically a startup in a highly competitive market with a product that relies on economies of scale and good support and longevity not to mention safety testing.

I find it interesting that people are concerned about UL listings by the major manufacturers but not about modifications to an EVSE like Ingineers modification which would void any certification the unit originally had or has Ingineer had his modifcations UL certified?

Ingineer does top notch work, delivers reliable, working product and is very aware of the safety and UL listing issues. He's very straight forward about all of this information. His modification really fills a need for a light portable 240V EVSE that no one else is close to yet, at any price point. Some have similar size on products (though still substantially bigger than Ingineer's) that aren't shipping yet, but they lack the versatility and practically of the 120V / 240V operation of Ingineer's unit. Compared to many other products I own, Ingineer's spport is among the best. How many products can you meet the person who designed, it, in person even, talk over any issues and get them resolved? Ingineer knows his stuff, delivers the goods promptly, in working order. He knows the safety implications of using an SSR versus a contactor for a device that needs the contacts completely de-enrgized. You get Ingineer's product in days when it's in stock and he's very clear about when he can send it and if it's in stock.

Ingineer's modification is from UL Listed parts, but is not itself UL Listed as that involves considerable expense for a low volume, low margin, labor intensive product, which exists more to support EVs than to make a profit. It depends onhow importatn UL listing is to you. When you change a plug on a lamp, that lamp's UL Listing is voided. Mind you, UL Listing is sort of a good thing and is recognized but does not absolutely guarantee the safety of a product. So pick the product that meets your requirments and works best for you.

 

[mwalsh]

Ingineer does top notch work, delivers realiable, working product and is very aware of the safety and UL listing issues. He's very straight forward about all of this information. His modification really fills a need for a light portable 240V EVSE that no one else is close to yet, at any price point. Some have similar size on products (though still substantially bigger than Ingineer's) that aren't shipping yet, but they lack the versatility and practically of the 120V / 240V operation of Ingineer's unit. Compared to many other products I own, Ingineer's spport is among the best. How many products can you meet the person who designed, it, in person even, talk over any issues and get them resolved? Ingineer knows his stuff, delivers the goods promptly, in working order. He knows the safety implications of using an SSR versus a contactor for a device that needs the contacts completely de-enrgized. You get Ingineer's product in days when it's in stock and he's very clear about when he can send it and if it's in stock.

+1. Ingineer rocks!

 

[DarkStar]

I find it interesting that people are concerned about UL listings by the major manufacturers but not about modifications to an EVSE like Ingineers modification which would void any certification the unit originally had or has Ingineer had his modifcations UL certified?

The difference? Ingineer has proven experience, has been communicating openly with the community, and has delivered a product that has been openly reviewed by many (including myself).

 

[RSH]

Yesterday I received my UPS tracking number for the return of my EV-ChargeAmerica evse with a new cord and plug assembly; unfortunately it is not scheduled to arrive until Monday, even though it is currently only 60 miles away in Ontario. I will post my experience following re-installation by the end of the week. If it works, I will be sending my Nissan 120 cord to Ingineer for the 240 upgrade. Should it not work, the experiment will be over and I will order a GE unit. Stay tuned.....

 

[RSH]

Today I received my evse from EV-ChargeAmerica with a new plug and cord. My first objective was to examine the plug; to my great relief it looks exactly the same as the one provided by Nissan on the 120 volt cord except without a blue end cover attachment. The cord is not the orange one I sent back, but a nice black one that looks even better than before. Perhaps it came as one unit with the plug? I then proceeded to re-install the unit on the side of my house after running the plug through the hole in the garage wall. I plugged the unit into the 240 outlet and went outside, where the unit digital readout indicated "ready". I decided to test the connection for a "handshake". I plugged into the Leaf and noted the dashboard lights flashed, then went off; this is because I had not yet used to FOB to identify myself as a legal user. I unplugged from the car, then pressed the FOB against the FOB reader on the front of the evse, where I was instructed to plug into the car, which I did. The dashboard indicator lights began flashing to indicate that the car was indeed charging. I then went into the house and opened the Owner's Portal, where I was told that charging was indeed in progress, and that the car would complete its charging cycle to 100% in about 3.5 hours (this was much more exciting than the 9.5 hours I have become used to reading with the 120v. Nissan cord. In 3.25 hours I checked the Portal again and found the car was completely charged. I went outside and found the dashboard lights off. I unplugged the EV-ChargeAmerica evse and hung up the cord. The unit worked perfectly; the plug worked extremely well both on and off. This was a great charging experience, the complete antithesis of the first trial with Boomer23 and Garygrid. If this performance continues and my unit is typical of the product, then the EV-ChargeAmerica 2104 is ready for the market. Thank you to Bob Rosinski and Lee Murray at EV-ChargeAmerica for listening to my complaints and implementing my suggestions on getting their product ready for this new evolutionary market. I feel EV-ChargeAmerica may have jumped into this new market a little before they were ready. This is not the only evse that has had issues. But again, if my unit is indicative of their new product, it will work nicely on our cars. It is very attractive and sturdy, rated for outdoor use, and portable, since it plugs into a 50 amp 240 plug (40 amp breaker). If I were going on a trip, I could take this unit with me, though I will probably not do that. It seems more practical to upgrade the Leaf cord to a 120/240 option. Anyway, this product has been the source of much debate over the months. I am pleased that the outcome appears to be one that will benefit forum members and new Leaf owners.

 

[palmermd]

It's good to hear some good news about this product finally. I hope they continue to make good units, that are able to satisfy their owners, as it will help drive the cost of all EVSE's down.

 

[smkettner]

I knew from the start EV-ChargeAmerica would get it right

Now if they had a low cost, no frills, 16a unit, I would be looking at it very closely as I wait for Leviton :roll:

Although the RFID might be great for an employer or landlord that just wants to supply power to employees or tenants without going on a full network. I assume you can have multiple RFID keys but do they contain a serial number that can be individually disabled if they are lost?

 

[RSH]

do they contain a serial number that can be individually disabled if they are lost?

I don't know the answer to that question. It was not a high priority for me; in fact, I didn't know it operated with a key when I ordered it. It was just a reasonably priced evse that I liked the appearance of and was not hard wired.

 

[garygid]

Congratulations on your first High-Test e-fuel charge!
When's the celebration party?
Cheers, Gary

 

[ChicoBob]

I just received notification from both UPS and Lee @ EV-Charge America that my unit has been shipped. I ordered mine last November!

 

[ElectricVehicle]

I knew from the start EV-ChargeAmerica would get it right

Now if they had a low cost, no frills, 16a unit, I would be looking at it very closely as I wait for Leviton :roll:

Although the RFID might be great for an employer or landlord that just wants to supply power to employees or tenants without going on a full network. I assume you can have multiple RFID keys but do they contain a serial number that can be individually disabled if they are lost?

Check out the Clipper Creek LCS-20 at $995. It's a special request order of the LCS-25 that provides 16A of charging on a 20A circuit.

LCS Model Circuit Breaker Maximum Current
LCS-15     15A               12A
LCS-20     20A               16A
LCS-25     25A               20A

BIG picture of Little LCS-25 LCS-20 LCS-15

See this thread Clipper Creek LCS-25 LCS-20 LCS-15 L2 Charger

 

[ElectricVehicle]

Remember the old disappearing ink trick with Lemon Juice and a light bulb (yeah, the paleozoic incandescent kind, not fluorescent or LED)?

Go to the EV-ChargeAmerica EV2104 webpage at http://www.ev-chargeamerica.com/products_ev2104.html , do a select all using the mouse or <ctrl>-A.

Hmmm... there's a price for introduction!

 

[notlpip]

I have had a similar experience as RSH. I waited months to receive the 2104 after I ordered with less than satisfactory communication. I finally received one and installed it. When took delivery of the LEAF a month or two later it would not charge the car. I sent it back and they had it about two weeks. I got it back with a new cord and connector. I can't be sure but I think it is a completely different unit as the screws for the mounting plate are now a different size. I reinstalled and it charged the car for about 4 1/2 hours and then quit. When I tried to restart the charge it would not initialize. I went through the reset procedure with them on the phone and it started charging again. I have used it for several weeks now with no problems. They seem to have fixed the problems with the hardware but I think that they should seriously consider taking a class in customer service. I will say that communication has improved since they hired Lee but still most of the time you have to initiate contact, they are not very good at updating you when a shipping date or other situations change.

 

[celinamike]

Got the unit on Tuesday and installed on Friday (after est. 3-4 months wait).

Friday: When plugged into the Leaf it started charging then quit about 5 minutes later. Reset unit and it charged for about 3 hours. Drove car with no issues

Saturday: Plugged in and it charged for about 5 minutes then quit. Reset charger and it recharged for 5 more minutes then quit. Reset charger and it charged fully.

Sunday: Started car after "charge". 2 yellow alert lights on dashboard as to "electric issues". Concerned, but had not seen issue yet so "restarted Leaf" and lights went away. Drove car a lot Sunday, yet returned early. Plugged in car, charger quit after 3 minutes. Started car and got yellow alerts.

Sunday afternoon/evening: Sent email about issues. Plugged car into Nissan charger. Got no yellow lights when starting car.

Monday: Received call about charger from tech support but was at airport about to board flight. Told to call when back in town to fix issue.

Wednesday: Called as soon as home. Was told to recycle unit and hold down red "button". If this did not work to call back. Mentioned yellow alert lights. Plugged in car and charge quit after 15 minutes. Started car and got yellow alert lights. (Update: THIS DID NOT WORK AND I CALLED BACK. Received return call and was told that this was "new" and the support guy was going to talk to the owner to figure out what was the issue. He also said that these issues had not come up with the Volts (SO WHAT!!!)).

At the end of the day, I have spent a lot of $$$ on something that:

1. Has not been verified to work
2. Has wasted a lot of my time
3. Has cost me money
4. Has been a constant pain in my rear

I would just like a $ for $ refund straight to my credit card. I don't mind being a beta tester, but this is stupid.

 

[EVDRIVER]

Oh boy.

 

[celinamike]

Spoke with Tom, the guy I had worked with to get this charger functional. Today, he did not remember who I was as he was "deep into a unit all day". After reminding Tom that I had done the following:

1. Spoken with him yesterday and followed his instructions to no avail.
2. Called him back yesterday when his instructions did not work.
3. Had him tell me that he had to talk to "Bob" to figure out what to do to get this working.
4. Tried all of the "solutions" once again and texted him last night that they did not work.

Tom then told me that the unit had to be shipped back to them...but if he was at my house he could fix it in 10 minutes. Since he is not here, nor lives near here, it must come back. I asked Tom to tell me the proper procedure to ship back the defective unit.

Tom told me that I had to call Bob and gave me Bob's cell phone number. Tom said that Bob was in a meeting and, if he did not answer, to leave a voicemail to get the proper return instructions.

I called Bob's cell phone and guess what???? Bob did not answer and his voicemail box was full so YOU COULD NOT LEAVE A MESSAGE TO GET A RETURN AUTHORIZATION.

I ended up sending an email to their generic address to see if anyone can get this process started.

I have burned over 2X the cost of this charger in my personal time to figure out if it will ever work. Think they will reimburse me???

 

[smkettner]

With all the grief posted about EVCA I would think they would test 100% before shipping.
I hope they are not engineering it based on Volt specs as it is known that Volt interacts slightly different with the evse as compared to Leaf.