EVSE Home Assessment Scheduling is Live!

[planet4ever]

I'm guessing here, but if you bought the EVSE box by itself from AeroVironment I doubt if it would cost more than $200. Sure, you'll be able to get them cheaper elsewhere, but you might save $100 at most, and you could easily waste more than that trying to find your own electrical contractor.

I bet the wholesale cost of that box from Aero is more than $400. No way is anyone getting one for $200. I think you are way off. What do you estimate just the cost of the connector without the cord and box?

You're probably right. That is a fancy connector with its latching mechanism and heavy duty recessed contacts.

But I stand by my basic point -- the price of the EVSE itself is a relatively small part of of what you are paying AeroVironment for. If you want to buy one on the 'net, take an unused dryer plug off of the 240v circuit into your garage, and use four wire nuts to connect your EVSE there, you might actually get it to work, but you'd better not let a electrical inspector close to your garage. And if you don't happen to have an unused dryer plug you've got some serious electrical work ahead of you.

 

[mwalsh]

Isn't the Clippercreek EVSE something like $2000 retail though? And that's without installation. So I doubt we mere mortals can find a deal from another supplier.

BTW, is it permissible to have a 220v socket added to that same circuit, next to the EVSE? It might be handy to have 220v in my garage for more than just charging the car.

 

[EVDRIVER]

I did a bit of research with some industry contacts and I came up with a few things some people may want to consider.

1) There will be many options for residential EVSE in the next year as expected, most of what is seen today is for commercial and more expensive.

2) The Nissan box is not yet UL certified and if it is not by the time of the car release they may need to change the product, this may be a non issue though. The present box may only support 3.3kw charging, if one is to invest a large sum on a EVSE it may make sense to get one that will charge at a higher rate for future vehicles, most EVSE units go up to 12KW and being locked in to a low current unit would be a big consideration at such a cost. Any future EV purchases would be limited by the output is this is correct.

3) The charger is 3.3kw but will be 6.6kw in the newer models and there is no mention of an upgrade option, if this remains true for early models it will be a big disappointment for many and could be a big consideration for resale value. Rumor is that Nissan realized this was a mistake and changed the spec but it will only be available for later models. l hope this changes or they offer a special upgrade price but it may not be possible, not good news so far.

If the EVSE is really limited to 3.3kw for the early Leaf and the charger is only 3.3kw with no upgrade option I may need to take a serious look at delaying my purchase for the leaf. With extensive EV driving I know how much of a difference 6.6 kw charging will make for opportunity charges, even while in a parking garage and there is no way I will purchase an EVSE that is limited to 3.3kw at that price, that would be foolish unless you only intend to drive a 3.3kw Leaf for life and never upgrade or own a second EV. I hope Nissan will be clear about these factors as the CS line is very broad and vague which could mean their statements are related to early and late model Leafs inclusive. I hope the end of June or August clears this up and Nissan addresses these issues for early buyers.

To be clear about an EVSE, they do not vary how much power the car gets, that is far to complex and pointless. The unit offers safety protection at many levels however some units may only have a capacity of say 3.3kw as a result of relays, etc so they can only supply that much power regardless of the charger output. In other words, the EVSE could tell the car it can only supply 3.3kw but an EVSE that can supply 12kw does not reduce power for a car with a 3.3kw charger, that is pointless and expensive since the charger will only pull what it can. I believe some may have been confused on this issue.


Keeping my fingers crossed.....

 

[JasonT]

Interesting, I'm in Cupertino (near "south central L.A.", but poorer) and the earliest date I could get was July 19. I checked back just now and they had opened up the preceding weeks to July 1. I changed my date to July 8 (don't want to be the first test case).

Maybe they added another survey person?

I'm outside of Tucson, AZ, and I had a different result entirely. After reading your post I decided to try and go back for an earlier schedule. When I tried to do so, I got the following message (I've slightly masked zip code):

There are no available dates found in your postal code '85XXX'. Please contact Nissan USA Call Center at 1-877 NO GAS EV (664-2738)

I am not entirely sure what is going on. I didn't look at August but in July I remember everything from the 19th on was available. I went ahead and called the number, and the guy on the other end said that the installer for my area probably was booked up - and as more installers get certified that more dates would open up. I'm a little skeptical that in one day all the available days got booked up - especially since people in Tucson proper are eligible for the EVProject installation and wouldn't even be going through this assessment.

 

[mwalsh]

Interesting, I'm in Cupertino (near "south central L.A.", but poorer) and the earliest date I could get was July 19. I checked back just now and they had opened up the preceding weeks to July 1. I changed my date to July 8 (don't want to be the first test case).

Thanks for the heads-up. I just changed mine to July 9th.

 

[johnr]

But I stand by my basic point -- the price of the EVSE itself is a relatively small part of of what you are paying AeroVironment for. If you want to buy one on the 'net, take an unused dryer plug off of the 240v circuit into your garage, and use four wire nuts to connect your EVSE there, you might actually get it to work, but you'd better not let a electrical inspector close to your garage. And if you don't happen to have an unused dryer plug you've got some serious electrical work ahead of you.

I'd agree with you ... except for the wire nuts - with the high current they could melt and cause a fire hazard.

But, point taken - self-install would likely be much cheaper. I still don't get why they don't simply use a standard 240V GFCI plug - the GFCI would prevent chance of shock and it would cost much, much less. Must be the UL listing and electrical code, but basic GFCI sounds safe to me.

 

[EVDRIVER]

I would encourage anyone that has an early appointment to ask definitively as to the output capability of the EVSE. If it ends up being only 3.3kw I'm going to cancel my appt and get my own that will do up to 12 kw as most on the market.

 

[garygid]

Why commit $100 if they cannot even answer these simple questions?
Knowing the following will help in deciding to buy the AV EVSE:

1. Can this EVSE be set for 16 amps "available", or 32 amps, and later be easily switched between the two settings?

1a. How about 24 amps (to use with a 30-amp breaker), or 40-amps to use with a 50-amp breaker?

2. Can this EVSE be "installed" with a 240v plug, so it is "portable"?

3. Can one buy an EVSE (a replacement, or a second one), uninstalled, and for how much?

4. How much is a replacement "J1772" cord (cord-and-plug) for the unit (in case one is damaged or stolen)?

5. Are "cord" lengths longer than the "7.5 meter" (25 feet) standard length available, and for how much?

6. When will the UL-listed unit be available?

 

[evnow]

Someone wrote in another forum/blog that once you schedule the appointment - you will get a list of things to consider / FAQ on Nissan site. Can someone post it here (unless someone already posted but I missed it) ?

 

[cmjars]

Someone wrote in another forum/blog that once you schedule the appointment - you will get a list of things to consider / FAQ on Nissan site. Can someone post it here (unless someone already posted but I missed it) ?

Did you get any email about installation?

 

[evnow]

Did you get any email about installation?

Not yet - waiting for the ECOtality free charger email

 

[cmjars]

Did you get any email about installation?

Not yet - waiting for the ECOtality free charger email

I have called Nissan Leaf helpline twice and they are telling me it's likely I will also be getting the free charger (the reason I haven't gotten a install inspection email). I told them my neighbor across the street reserved after me and he has already setup his inspection date. They told me not to worry my place inline is still the same.

Thanks,

Chris

 

[evnow]

I have called Nissan Leaf helpline twice and they are telling me it's likely I will also be getting the free charger (the reason I haven't gotten a install inspection email). I told them my neighbor across the street reserved after me and he has already setup his inspection date. They told me not to worry my place inline is still the same.

Interesting - may be your neighbor didn't qualify for the free charger ?

When did he preorder ? If you figure out the differences in your answers and his - we can probably guess who he was not qualified...

 

[cmjars]

I have called Nissan Leaf helpline twice and they are telling me it's likely I will also be getting the free charger (the reason I haven't gotten a install inspection email). I told them my neighbor across the street reserved after me and he has already setup his inspection date. They told me not to worry my place inline is still the same.

Interesting - may be your neighbor didn't qualify for the free charger ?

When did he preorder ? If you figure out the differences in your answers and his - we can probably guess who he was not qualified...

He ordered on 4/21. I ordered the second I got my email on 4/20. His house is 60 years old and mine is 3 years old. So I don't know what to think? I got questionnaire... he didn't... maybe it's all random.

 

[Clippy]

I've just spent a quality morning playing telephone tag with the one, yes I said one, person working with EV's at my local utility company. In the brief moment I was permitted to speak with him ("I'm in a meeting, let me take your number and call you in an hour. Yes, we know all about the LEAF.") I discovered the following:

My local utility offers an off-peak EV charging rate. To get this rate you need another meter installed. Of course they need to permit, inspect and approve the installation of both the meter and the device. This is in addition to the permitting, inspection and approving done by the city.

During this "one hour" period, I've been able to keep a lengthy doctor's appointment, get my hair cut and fill up with gas my Mazda5 AND my Prius at Costco. The "one hour" period is still running as of 1345 hrs. I have this uneasy feeling that this indeterminate length time window will extend well into the summer.

 

[DeaneG]

My local utility offers an off-peak EV charging rate. To get this rate you need another meter installed. Of course they need to permit, inspect and approve the installation of both the meter and the device. This is in addition to the permitting, inspection and approving done by the city.

Make sure you are sitting down when you get the quote for the second meter installation. Best case, it would take me about four years of driving before I broke even on the install. Not to mention the hassle.

 

[soareyes]

My local utility offers an off-peak EV charging rate. To get this rate you need another meter installed. Of course they need to permit, inspect and approve the installation of both the meter and the device. This is in addition to the permitting, inspection and approving done by the city.

Make sure you are sitting down when you get the quote for the second meter installation. Best case, it would take me about four years of driving before I broke even on the install. Not to mention the hassle.

I was part of the Mini E program and Southern California Edison installed my second meter last year at no charge. They also replaced my existing meter with an updated model since it was almost 40 years old, again at no charge. I wonder if it depends on which utility company you have? Anyway, it was nice getting the reduced rates ("Time of Use") to charge the car.

Stan

 

[Clippy]

My local utility offers an off-peak EV charging rate. To get this rate you need another meter installed. Of course they need to permit, inspect and approve the installation of both the meter and the device. This is in addition to the permitting, inspection and approving done by the city.

Make sure you are sitting down when you get the quote for the second meter installation. Best case, it would take me about four years of driving before I broke even on the install. Not to mention the hassle.

Well, I just received a callback from the EV dude. Long conversation, full of juicy details. The off-peak charging is an optional exercise. If it doesn't make financial sense, i.e. the install cost is too high, you can pass on it. The meter, permit, inspection and approval is free. He was familiar with Aero-whosits and somewhat eerily asked if we had a choice of another contractor.

This fellow was also the team leader for the home charger installs for the EV1, Rav4-EV, etc. He said that the electrical assessment way back then was also a house tour and inspection of your existing appliances, hot tubs, A/C and when and how you use them (Time to spruce up the inside of that ugly breaker panel). His figures showed that ~10% of people needed a full panel upgrade.

I hereby withdraw my semi-snide remarks about this nice man. But this is still putting me through too many changes.

 

[EVDRIVER]

Why commit $100 if they cannot even answer these simple questions?
Knowing the following will help in deciding to buy the AV EVSE:

1. Can this EVSE be set for 16 amps "available", or 32 amps, and later be easily switched between the two settings?

1a. How about 24 amps (to use with a 30-amp breaker), or 40-amps to use with a 50-amp breaker?

2. Can this EVSE be "installed" with a 240v plug, so it is "portable"?

3. Can one buy an EVSE (a replacement, or a second one), uninstalled, and for how much?

4. How much is a replacement "J1772" cord (cord-and-plug) for the unit (in case one is damaged or stolen)?

5. Are "cord" lengths longer than the "7.5 meter" (25 feet) standard length available, and for how much?

6. When will the UL-listed unit be available?

I don't think the cord will cost to much based on discussions I had with a supplier today. There is possibility I may be be buying some of these components so I will keep you posted. No way am I buying anything or paying fees until I get some real specs on the EVSE and the charger and or charger options if available.

 

[Clippy]

I was part of the Mini E program and Southern California Edison installed my second meter last year at no charge. They also replaced my existing meter with an updated model since it was almost 40 years old, again at no charge. I wonder if it depends on which utility company you have? Anyway, it was nice getting the reduced rates ("Time of Use") to charge the car.

Stan

Seems like these guys are on the same page.

However, what a meter box install does for me (I think) is ruin the chance of using my existing subpanel in the garage. Of course, I wouldn't mind doing all my laundry in the evening at this lower rate :mrgreen: .