Leviton Evr-Green EVSE Info/Pics

[tps]

I really wish Leviton had gone with the lighter weight cord same as the OEM unit.

I actually like the beefy cable, but maybe my opinion will change after a few months of use...

I'm thinking along the same lines. Shows quality, I think. At least some extra protection against abrasion and strain of the conductors. I haven't used it yet, so I'm interested in whether or not it's become any annoyance to you by now?

I just got my LEAF yesterday, so I used it last night and tonight. So far, so good!

 

[tps]

Just checking back regarding the EVSE cable on the Leviton unit. After 2.5 weeks of everyday use, no problems or complaints. So far I think the cable is fine. A little stiff in sub-freezing temps (I charge the car outside in the driveway), but absolutely no problem even then to extend it to the car or roll it back up onto the cable hook when done.

 

[sonicsputnik]

Hey TPS, glad to hear the Leviton is working well. Interesting installation. I like the idea of the Leviton inside and the charge cord outside. Where did you get / who makes the grommet for the cord to go through the outside wall?

 

[tps]

I like the idea of the Leviton inside and the charge cord outside. Where did you get / who makes the grommet for the cord to go through the outside wall?

http://www.amazon.com/JR-Products-541-2--Deluxe-Electric/dp/B000BGJWA2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1326653951&sr=8-1" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I cut the flexible "teeth" off the back so the J1772 plug would fit through. About 10 minutes with wire cutters and a half-round file... Now the plug fits through with the big door open. The Leviton's 30A cable fits fine though the small slot. (They used a 30A cable even thought the EVSE is a 16A unit.)

 

[sonicsputnik]

Thanks for the info TPS. Greatly appreciated.

 

[tps]

After 5 weeks of use, the Leviton is working great. The heavier than necessary cable has been absolutely no problen.

 

[smkettner]

My Schnieder cord is fine too but I would prefer the lighter and more flexable Nissan cord.

 

[BRBarian]

OK. So I purchased the Leviton 160 EVB22-3PM and some installation mounting kits EVK02-M.

I had intended to use all of this for an outdoors installation. I wanted the plug-in model since I expect to travel with the unit on occasion.

The installation kit makes it very clear that it's for indoor use only. That wasn't clear from the sales brochures, but the electrical parts of that kit are basically unusable for an outdoor installation. I need to replace most of those parts with corresponding outdoor rated parts.

The instructions that come with the EVB22-3PM never mention outdoor installation, but don't discourage it.

So... My question:

Has anyone installed one of these plug-in units outdoors?
Is there any reason that I should not?

 

[davewill]

... The instructions that come with the EVB22-3PM never mention outdoor installation, but don't discourage it.

So... My question:

Has anyone installed one of these plug-in units outdoors?
Is there any reason that I should not?

The way I see it, if it isn't rated for outdoor installation, it shouldn't be installed outdoors. If it were me, I'd return it and buy one that IS outdoor rated, and if you want a portable L2 solution, have your L1 upgraded.

 

[smkettner]

I believe all outdoor installations are to be hardwired to meet code.
I don't see any real issues as long as the plug has a rain cover but it will probably need to be a self install.

 

[tps]

Has anyone installed one of these plug-in units outdoors?
Is there any reason that I should not?

I installed my unit inside but put a small pass-through in the wall so the car can charge outside. Scroll up a few posts to see an Amazon link to the part I used or go back a bit to see pictures of my installation. Much cleaner than mounting the EVSE on the outside of the garage. It's been working fine for almost 2 months now. The car's charging right now!

 

[Nubo]

At long last, our Leviton is hooked up! Due to load calcs and the state of existing breaker panel, they had to install a sub-panel (called it "a load center"), in order to satisfy the city. Napa Electric stuck with us through the permitting process and my nattering concerns (please estimate for a 2nd TOU meter, please user over-gauge wire, etc)

If we get another, or faster-charging EV, I will probably replace our electric cooktop with gas, which will free up a 240x50A circuit. But by the time we got to that point, I didn't want to open another can of permitting worms with the plumbers :roll:

Electrician used a test-box from Blink to verify the Leviton was behaving properly. Then right before he left, had me plug it into the LEAF just to make double-sure. Well, the Leviton and the Nissan unit were right next to each other and both have the same white Yazaki handle -- so you can imagine what happened next. :lol: As the electrician was driving away I realized my mistake, plugged in the Leviton, and all was fine. Makes a nice assuring "thwak!" as the relay connects.

The blanking plate was my doing; a bit overzealous and mounted everything before talking to the electricians .

I notice the start/stop button doesn't have much tactile feedback, though it works. Is everyone else's unit like that?

 

[BRBarian]

Here's my install.

I gave up on the idea of an outdoor installation and decided to mount it indoors. I may add a second mount plate outdoors at a later date.

I also found it useful to mount the unit 3" from the wall. This makes more room for the cord below.

I also added a 30A 2-pole Leviton switch (3032-2W) to cut power when away.

 

[Nubo]

In case this idea is of use to anyone...

To reduce tripping hazard, I made the cord more visible by wrapping with a spiral of yellow vinyl electrical tape from Home Depot. With a couple of LED nightlights in the garage it's visible even with the main light off.

So far so good. If it gets messy or wears too quickly, there is polyethlyene cable wrap available in bright colors for a more durable solution. Aso adds abrasion resistance though the fat Leviton cord does not appear lacking in that dept!

 

[tps]

The Leviton EVSE has so far proven to be a very reliable way to charge the LEAF. For the first month I had the car, I did not use the car's charge timers, I just plugged it in when I got home and let it go all the way to 100%. However, for the past 3 months, I've used timers with an end time only, charging to 80% on the weekdays and 100% on the weekends. The Leviton seems to work fine with the LEAF's timers, I've had no problems so far...

The Leviton unit is also very well constructed in a sturdy powder coated steel enclosure, not much plastic to this unit.

As a backup, I've got an Ingineer-modified Nissan/Panasonic unit, which I occasionally use at the office from a 120VAC outlet. I've used this unit a couple times on 240VAC, and so with the appropriate adapter cable (which I have), it would be easy to use as a backup if the Leviton was to fail.

 

[OldMike]

I have the Leviton 160 coming today, so I haven't had a chance to charge the Leaf on it yet. In reading the reviews on Amazon, I came across this review:

We thought because this charger was rated at 3.8kW and our 2011 Leaf has an onboard 3.3kW charger that this charger would be more than the Leaf could take.

We have a blink 30Amp charger at home and this Leviton 16Amp at the office on a 220V 20Amp circuit.

The average charge takes 40-50% more time on this versus the 30Amp at home. It's still better than charging at Level 1, but I didn't expect it to take this much more time than a 30Amp Level 2.

Is there any truth to this? I have researched this unit as much as possible on MNL and elsewhere and have not read about an issue like this. If this Amazon review is correct, I might return it for a different model - otherwise it would perfect for me, since I already have a wired plug in my garage.

 

[Barbouri]

I have the Leviton 160 coming today, so I haven't had a chance to charge the Leaf on it yet. In reading the reviews on Amazon, I came across this review:

We thought because this charger was rated at 3.8kW and our 2011 Leaf has an onboard 3.3kW charger that this charger would be more than the Leaf could take.

We have a blink 30Amp charger at home and this Leviton 16Amp at the office on a 220V 20Amp circuit.

The average charge takes 40-50% more time on this versus the 30Amp at home. It's still better than charging at Level 1, but I didn't expect it to take this much more time than a 30Amp Level 2.

Is there any truth to this? I have researched this unit as much as possible on MNL and elsewhere and have not read about an issue like this. If this Amazon review is correct, I might return it for a different model - otherwise it would perfect for me, since I already have a wired plug in my garage.

The Leviton 160 is more than capable of charging a 2011/12 Nissan Leaf at the maximum L2 charging power that the car can handle. Having a 30 amp or even a 70 amp EVSE will not charge the 2011/12 Leaf any more than a fraction of percent faster. I owned a Leviton 160 for a year and it was a fantastic EVSE with zero issues.
Either the reviewer had a bad charger, or has no clue as to how an EVSE works.

 

[Nubo]

***

 

[mwalsh]

Entirely possible that their office isn't supplying 240v (not 220v as the reviewer indicates) at all, but is instead providing 208v from a 3-phase supply. That would account for recharge times that are longer than expected.

 

[Nubo]

Entirely possible that their office isn't supplying 240v (not 220v as the reviewer indicates) at all, but is instead providing 208v from a 3-phase supply. That would account for recharge times that are longer than expected.

That makes sense, I didn't even think of 208V