NSXTASY
Well-known member
as you can see on the screenshot, the websites now advises me to purchase a LEAF... I already leased one. now what ?
signed up for EV project... now what?
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Randy
Well-known member
They'll get your application and get back to you with more specific information...
thankyouOB
Well-known member
call them.
mazdaboi
Well-known member
After I Leased my LEAF, I emailed and contacted via phone the EV Project, within Hours they emailed me information, scheduled an electrican to come and give me a Quote (4days later). The Quote was sent back to the EV Project/ECOTality and they emailed me the quote to accept or deny the cost. When I Accepted the installation I contacted the electrician for an install date (they carry the BLINK units at their location and did not need to have EV Project ship them one, they take care of the the exchange on their end) allowing me to have my unit installed 3days following the quote acceptance. Total of 10days and I was charging on L2.
I did alot of extra communication with my electrician to smooth out and move the process a little faster, but I had excellent customer service with them so I was glad it worked out in my favor.
ECOTality/EV Project will take care of being the middle man, I took it upon myself to establish a relationship with the Electrician to move ECOTality out of the deal for the most part. (they can be slowwww)
I did alot of extra communication with my electrician to smooth out and move the process a little faster, but I had excellent customer service with them so I was glad it worked out in my favor.
ECOTality/EV Project will take care of being the middle man, I took it upon myself to establish a relationship with the Electrician to move ECOTality out of the deal for the most part. (they can be slowwww)
NSXTASY
Well-known member
thank you for sharing your experience. I have yet to receive even an email confirmation.... Is there a number I can call ?
Randy
Well-known member
Is South Carolina included in the EV Project?
I haven't been able to find any information that your area is included...
See map:
http://www.theevproject.com/images/map-for-web-site.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
I haven't been able to find any information that your area is included...
See map:
http://www.theevproject.com/images/map-for-web-site.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
NSXTASY
Well-known member
thank you for the phone number and the map
I will call tomorrow and find out then report back
I will call tomorrow and find out then report back
mazdaboi
Well-known member
They should assign you a rep and that person should call and email you with his/her information. If you contacted them and they did not give you the information, call them back and ask them for it. Its better to go through one person to get the stuff done faster and more streamlined.
Insureit1
Member
Well I was assigned a rep and told I would hear from the "certified EVSE" electrician to schedule and estimate. This was yesterday. I told them I already have a 240v outlet installed in my garage and could the unit just be sent to me and I can plug it into the outlet. I was told "the Federal program REQUIRES" a certified installer install the ESVE. Ok I am fine with that. So today I get an email from the electrician with my estimate. Now keep in mind they did not visit my home. The estimate was $1200 to "install" the EVSE. Less my $400 installation incentive it will only cost me $800 to have the EVSE mounted on my wall and plugged in. No thank you. The free EVSE is going to cost me $800. I have already purchased a different EVSE for almost the same cost that I am happy with. Had this "free" one worked out I was going to install the one I already have at my office. If the goal of this program was to collect data and promote EV they are doing a pretty poor job in my opinion. Overcharging for a plug and play installation is crazy.
mazdaboi
Well-known member
Holy Crap! Thats the worst estimate i have ever heard of. In that case, I would make an adapter cable, and purchase a pre-upgraded Panasonic EVSE from EVSEUPGRADE.com or even the $749 legrand or $799 EVLink from HD/Lowes. Easy small installs. and still no 2yr commitment like with the EVProject. I unfortunately knew i was paying around 1k anyways and it just worked for me. Doesnt work for everyone, and in your case you did expose their faux and bogus installation costs....OUCH, i just cant get this out of my head. Pi$$ poor for this project.
Randy
Well-known member
Insureit1 said:
Just curious, what kind of 240v outlet do you have in the garage? Is it for a dryer or is it something larger?
kentuckyleaf
Well-known member
I absolutly agree with the previous post. We are not on the EV program map, but we installed an EVLink ourselves for a total cost of roughly $900 including the 40 amp circuit breaker and 8 awg liquid tight pigtail. We preinstalled wiring for an EVSE during a renovation, so like you, paying an electriction to do little to nothing would have been silly. On the other hand, I'm a broadcast engineer with nearly 30 years expierence with high voltage - high current electrical work. If you do this wrong, you can cause a fire while your car is charging and your family is sleeping. Whatever you do, make dang sure your electrical work meets or exceeds code. I'd also suggest that you (or anyone that is charging an EV in a garage) add wireless smoke dectectors to your garage and bedrooms. I'm not saying that it's rocket science to wire up a 40a circuit properly (far from it), but even professionally installed equipment can fail and catch fire.
LEAFer
Well-known member
Obviously that's ridiculous. But ...Insureit1 said:
In order to give you an estimate, wouldn't the contractor be required to come out to your house ? Did they violate some sort of rule ? And if they did come out to your house ... would you be reasonably able to convince him to do the install within the $400 incentive (i.e. $0 from you) ?
Insureit1
Member
You would think they would want to come to my house and at least look at the install. I would be fine to meet with them but I don't want to waste my time or theirs.
I purchased the Siemen's EVSE some others have mentioned (via Amazon). I have a client that is a licensed electrician. He told me to buy 8/3 wire, the correct breaker and the proper plug (6-50 from installation instructions). I pulled the wire and he did the final connections at each end. So it is not a dryer plug but a new 6-50 plug.
Good tip on the smoke detector.
I purchased the Siemen's EVSE some others have mentioned (via Amazon). I have a client that is a licensed electrician. He told me to buy 8/3 wire, the correct breaker and the proper plug (6-50 from installation instructions). I pulled the wire and he did the final connections at each end. So it is not a dryer plug but a new 6-50 plug.
Good tip on the smoke detector.
davewill
Well-known member
Yeah, yours is the second (or third) that I've heard on here that make me think the installers in some areas are simply padding the bill figuring that it will still be (barely) cheaper than buying an EVSE retail and paying an honest install amount. The only reason it wasn't in your case is because you did the hard part of the install already (and did it yourself).
It's a shame, because it didn't used to be that bad with Blink.
It's a shame, because it didn't used to be that bad with Blink.
NSXTASY
Well-known member
I finally called Blink today and South Carolina is NOT part of the program. 
hyperlexis
Well-known member
I once worked with a person whose client won a $15,000 voucher for a 'free kitchen' remodel on, of all things, a Christian radio station contest for the most deserving family for a new kitchen.... However, it was far from free, and when the family had problems paying the +$10,000 bill, the contractor sued and, sadly, won. The family then declared bankruptcy. What turned out to be true was that no matter what they chose, whatever wood finish or countertop or fridge or whatnot, even the very cheapest stuff would still cost them more than the $15,000 voucher bought, even with their moderately sized kitchen.
With the EV Project deal, which I myself signed up for, is it even mathematically possible to get a totally free charger+installation for the $400 voucher?
What if the special 220v outlet was pre-installed by someone right where you needed it in the garage?
Does the $400 get you anything such as running wires and installing a plug, or is it just for someone to plug the charger unit into an already roughed-in outlet? Or worse, is it just a total scam?
With the EV Project deal, which I myself signed up for, is it even mathematically possible to get a totally free charger+installation for the $400 voucher?
What if the special 220v outlet was pre-installed by someone right where you needed it in the garage?
Does the $400 get you anything such as running wires and installing a plug, or is it just for someone to plug the charger unit into an already roughed-in outlet? Or worse, is it just a total scam?
davewill
Well-known member
In some of the areas, the allowance was/is higher. For me (back in the primordial Blink era), it was $1200 and the whole thing was truly free to me. In truth, $400 probably isn't enough to get a $0 install even if everything is on the up and up. The DOE grant requires that the electricians are paid union scale and even a "just plug it in" install may take 2 or more hours, plus permit and inspection. However the numbers I'm seeing here don't match up with what my install came to. In my case, they added the circuit, ran about 25ft. of conduit, and mounted and tested the unit, all within the $1200 allowance (I didn't get to see what the contractor was REALLY paid). Insureit1 was quoted $1200 ($400 allowance plus $800 out of pocket) for a "just plug it in" install. That would seem to be the new floor, and says to me that the bills are being padded.hyperlexis said:
It's an old story, and seems to always happen when this sort of thing is subsidized. The contractor charges what the market will bear, making sure as much of the subsidy as possible ends up in their own pocket. It's made worse because you are locked into the contractor. It happens in the solar industry, too, but there, at least, there is competition. That said, except in unusual situations, the Blink IS cheaper than buying a different EVSE and paying for an install...but not by all that much.
BTW, Aerovironment (the one Nissan sells) is/was much the same. Their minimum for the EVSE and install was typically $2500, no matter how simple the job, and unsubsidized.
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