October Orders

[1051]

I am still waiting for the elusive October email

 

[cdub]

I still haven't been able to order my September order. I've heard rumors of it being sorted out on Wednesday.

 

[cinmar]

October here, and still waiting.

 

[smkettner]

May as well plan on the 28th

 

[kmp647]

I cant order til December here in VA, still no assement email either, I will prob forget that and get the Leviton unit anyway

 

[TimeHorse]

I cant order til December here in VA, still no assement email either, I will prob forget that and get the Leviton unit anyway

You and me both, kid.

 

[kmp647]

I am going to ask my local electrician to hook up with leviton as an approved installer just so I can be sure of getting a good deal on the install kit from them

then its just a matter of purchasing the 16a evse and hanging it on the bracket and plugging in!

 

[TimeHorse]

I am going to ask my local electrician to hook up with leviton as an approved installer just so I can be sure of getting a good deal on the install kit from them

then its just a matter of purchasing the 16a evse and hanging it on the bracket and plugging in!

Well, that's where we differ. My plan is to upgrade my LEAF to 6.6kW charging when available and thus need the Evr-Green 320 Level 2 Charging Station*; but I see it's not expected until Q1 2011! Oh, the humanity! Nah, no Zeppelin, even a Lead one has crashed, so I should just calm down. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Okay, anyway, clearly if the EVSE can't be bought until after the tax credit expires (only the 160 model will be available which is fine for 3.3kW charging) I could do the main work to put the 240VAC 40A circuit in (as required by the 320) and then just pay full-price on the EVSE, assuming the credit can apply, without the actual EVSE, on the TOU meter, breaker-box, wire-run and NEMA 6-50P** installation in preparation for the EVSE -- questionable. A first-quarter release clearly isn't an issue of immediate need in terms of LEAF delivery for December orders, since we're likely not getting our cars until April anyway, but geesh. Between this and no Cold Weather package (where are my Heated Seats?) there's just so much stress... 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Okay, calm again. Anyway, time to send a few rather annoying letters to Congressman Frank Wolf, who is pretty much assured re-election and is way more concerned about balancing the budget than helping out a Tree-Hugging constituent, but at least I will have tried. But that's for November.

Ah, November, when the $#@^ really hits the fan for the December folks.

-----
* The 320 requires a 40A circuit even though it's a "30A" charging dock because it's technically a 32A dock (hence the name 320), which is a multiple of 8; otherwise the 30A dock would only go up to 24A and thus be only a 5kW charger. Weird stuff these EVSE issues, eh?

** Okay, I know I said 40A but since there doesn't appear to be a NEMA 6-40 specification, it looks like NEMA 6-50P plugs are going to be required, which means the wire run will technically need to be #6 gauge wire IICU with a 2-bar 50A breaker and #6/2 2-hot NEMA chord and ground.

 

[kmp647]

I am still hoping the cold weather package is available for our orders in December!

but I am guessing it wont be avail til the rest of the country is rolled out in fall 2011 :roll:

 

[mossyleaf]

from the dealer side, nothing october yet either.

 

[Desertstraw]

Why can't Nissan be straightforward with its most enthusiastic customers? Why would it be so hard to tell each person from whom they took $99 when they are scheduled to get delivery (assuming that they order as soon as permitted). As one of the first buyers of the Prius, I can testify that Toyota went out of its way to keep us happy even sending us presents from time to time.

 

[malloryk]

As one of the first buyers of the Prius, I can testify that Toyota went out of its way to keep us happy even sending us presents from time to time.

what, didn't you get your window stickers? :lol:

 

[onlyjaymoo]

thanks for posting info on dealerside, mossy!

 

[evnow]

Why can't Nissan be straightforward with its most enthusiastic customers? Why would it be so hard to tell each person from whom they took $99 when they are scheduled to get delivery (assuming that they order as soon as permitted). As one of the first buyers of the Prius, I can testify that Toyota went out of its way to keep us happy even sending us presents from time to time.

Yes - but Toyota wasn't dependant on EVProject or AeroVironment.

 

[cdub]

Strange - I got an e-mail this morning for a survey on the home charging dock:

Nissan LEAF Home Assessment Feedback

Thank you for completing the home assessment for the Nissan LEAF Home Charging Dock.

At Nissan, quality and customer satisfaction are our primary goals through your Nissan LEAF Customer Journey. Please take a few minutes to provide us with feedback on your home asssessment experience.

Do they really want to know my experience? haha

But the stranger issue is that my dashboard is still saying that I need an assessment.

Maybe the info that I've completed the EV Project Assessment has finally gotten to Nissan.

Maybe the wheels are turning.

I'll wait some more and contact them tomorrow I guess.

 

[daniel]

Why can't Nissan be straightforward with its most enthusiastic customers? Why would it be so hard to tell each person from whom they took $99 when they are scheduled to get delivery (assuming that they order as soon as permitted). As one of the first buyers of the Prius, I can testify that Toyota went out of its way to keep us happy even sending us presents from time to time.

Just my uninformed opinion, but I think that Nissan feels it is creating interest and anticipation by keeping everyone in the dark. Unfortunately, its total and complete incompetence is just making people angry.

I was September, and finally got the email some time between September 28 and October 2, when I was out of the country, so it was Oct 2 when I ordered. My dashboard now says that my assessment quote will come soon. In fact, I got my assessment quote a long time ago, complained, and got a revised quote, also a long time ago, but my brain-damaged dashboard seems unaware of all this.

Nissan could have avoided all this confusion and difficulty if they had just allowed the car to plug straight into a dryer or RV outlet. There would have been no need for the EV Project or AeroVironment to have been involved at all, and orders could have been taken in a straightforward manner. Their stupid and patronizing decision to require an EVSE for 220-volt charging will be one of several factors for me when I decide whether to take delivery of the car or let my dealer sell it to someone else.

I spent the entire month of September checking my dashboard twice daily, and getting more and more angry and frustrated. Now it's over, but the anger has not worn off. When they announced the Leaf, I was bubbling over with good will towards Nissan. Now I just consider them a bunch of incompetent a-holes. Congratulations, Nissan! You've flushed a public relations gold mine down the toilet.

 

[stanley]

Have any October dashboards opened?

 

[TimeHorse]

Nissan could have avoided all this confusion and difficulty if they had just allowed the car to plug straight into a dryer or RV outlet. There would have been no need for the EV Project or AeroVironment to have been involved at all, and orders could have been taken in a straightforward manner. Their stupid and patronizing decision to require an EVSE for 220-volt charging will be one of several factors for me when I decide whether to take delivery of the car or let my dealer sell it to someone else.

Nissan has made some big errors in judgment in this roll-out but I think we need to be careful when we assess blame arbitrarily. In truth, the EVSE thing isn't even a Nissan choice, it's a UL standard that was decided upon by the industry because they realized that most NEMA 14-30 plugs (the ones dryers use) are a) not meant to be plugged and unplugged constantly and b) have common lines that aren't necessary for the electrical circuit since it is only 240VAC, not dual-mode. Sure, RV sockets are meant to be plugged and unplugged substantially. What do they use, anyway? NEMA 6? But most people don't have those anyway.

But as for blame, I again lay this on the industry as a whole, not on Nissan. Nissan is just following the rules about charging and trying, all be it rather unsuccessfully, to make the EVSE installation as painless as possible for its customers.

 

[daniel]

... Nissan is just following the rules about charging and trying, all be it rather unsuccessfully, to make the EVSE installation as painless as possible for its customers.

Painless? By contracting with a band of baldfaced criminals who charge five times what an installation is worth???

As far as "most people don't have an RV plug," that plug can be installed by any local electrician for less than a tenth of what AV is charging people for an EVSE which serves no real purpose.

And I don't think the "standards" for an EVSE would apply for a car that simply does not use an EVSE. All you really need to do is require the the use of a GFI. And a GFI should be required for any outlet in a garage anyway.

 

[smkettner]

... Nissan is just following the rules about charging and trying, all be it rather unsuccessfully, to make the EVSE installation as painless as possible for its customers.

Painless? By contracting with a band of baldfaced criminals who charge five times what an installation is worth???

As far as "most people don't have an RV plug," that plug can be installed by any local electrician for less than a tenth of what AV is charging people for an EVSE which serves no real purpose.

And I don't think the "standards" for an EVSE would apply for a car that simply does not use an EVSE. All you really need to do is require the the use of a GFI. And a GFI should be required for any outlet in a garage anyway.

I want to add that AV only has a product with twice the capacity of what is needed for the Leaf. So instead of 20a circuit (240v) AV must install a 40a circuit with larger wire, connectors and conduit. This also may require some marginal electric panels to be replaced to accomodate the extra unneeded and never used power.

And now AV wants full payment in advance and I believe this is in direct violation of CA law or contractor guide lines.

I am working on a waiver with Nissan to continue the Leaf purchase process without the expense and capacity madness from AV.