Cheap Portable EVSE - Less than $400

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reeler

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 17, 2010
Messages
220
The second one is for Europe, using a European plug. You don't want that unless you live there. The first one was discussed somewhat in this thread: Inexpensive portable Level-2 EVSE

They have clarified their ad a bit since we looked at it two months ago, and it now says "NEMA 5-15 plug, or NEMA 14-50 plug attachment". That would appear to mean it is dual voltage, like Phil's EVSE Upgrade, but not necessarily, since a 14-50 plug can be used on 120v, and they don't specifically say 240v.

Personally, I wouldn't trust an EVSE from an unknown company at that price. Try reading this thread if you like horror stories: 240V EV-ChargeAmerica EVSE

I think you would be a lot better off using Phil's service to upgrade the one that comes with the car, and his price starts under $300 (about $350 when you include shipping and the dual voltage adapter). [Someone on the thread I pointed to said that other company was charging $150 for shipping!]

Ray
 
Just the parts to build your own 30A L2 OpenEVSE based unit are north of $400. I'd have serious questions about a unit retailing for much less than double that.
 
nsayer said:
Just the parts to build your own 30A L2 OpenEVSE based unit are north of $400. I'd have serious questions about a unit retailing for much less than double that.
In quantity, I'd think the materials cost could be cut in half...that doesn't mean these guys didn't cut corners, though. The thing I find strange is that this thing has been for sale for months, and no one has tried one and reported back. I would have thought that somebody would have by now.
 
Edit 12 Sep 2014:
So many things have gone on here, most of them gone wrong or poor so here are a few tidbits.

TL;DR: DON'T BUY ONE.

Second EVSE they sent me was horrible. Disconnected all the time, completely unreliable. They paid for shipping forth and back but made me prepay for the unit then I had to chase them down for me $300+ dollars refund.

Then chase them again because it took so long for the refund they had to send it to me via Paypal and I took a 3% hit on fees.

Notes on the first one: never allowed me to remotely turn on charging or the AC/heater. Something about too much noise on the pilot signal. But it did charge the car at least.

That's the one I'm still on.

I sent them DTC codes, lots of notes on what was wrong, etc. because I was trying to help them out. After all that, I was offered the opportunity to beta test the new unit. We talked a lot, I gave them marketing ideas, told them how the product could be improved, marketed, etc.

Later, after they didn't ever get back to me short of sending me the proper adapter cord finally, they rescinded that offer, but offered me a $25 discount off the price of the new model which would be the third EVSE I would have gotten from them.

So for all my documenting, rewiring (because they put wrong plugs on and miswired things but gave me permission to correct them) and sweating from not being able to precool my car, shipping wrong and broken stuff back and forth, etc. they offered me a $25 discount.

I have an engineering degree. I make over $40 per hour at work. I'm quite sure I've wasted more than 36 minutes of my time when most people would have just sent it back or gotten Paypal/their credit company involved.


Unless they jump through some serious hoops, there's no way I would let anyone buy one of these. Just get the Aerovantage, or anything else, really.


Edit 25 Mar 2014:

**DO NOT** Order anything from this company until I report back.

I have one that should be here in a week or two. Will report. Right now the lead time is very long: I paid on Feb 10th, and was in the queue from at least the 7th so as of this writing it has been at least 33 days. They told me today inside two weeks.

Further Edit 25 Mar 2014:


So far:

Took 44 days from ordering to get it.

They said I could order any plug. So I moved my dryer plug to the garage (paid an electrician) and requested the 30AMP old style dryer type plug to be put on the EVSE.

Later, they made me change the order to a 10-20 or L6-20 plug on the EVSE. So I said send the L6-20. **It arrived with the 10-20**. In the meantime I'd already gotten the L6-20 receptacle.

It arrived wired for 120 only!! It was supposed to be the dual 240/120 unit. Box says 250V, 16 Amp. It wasn't. Also only draws 11.56 amps on one leg, which is around the stock Nissan one. I will have to double check but I was led to believe it was 110V 15 or 16 AMP on 110. It ain't. It's 1.4KWhr on 122volts at that amperage. I get 244ish on the 240 side, so half of that, 122V.

Why would you wire a 240/120V dual capable plug with a device that is dual voltage capable for 110V only?! Who is putting these together? Much less, not what I ordered. Further idiocy: the wired the plug for 110V, then sent me an adapter from 10-20 to 5-15..which is 110. Why would I want two merely physically different plugs that only get 110V on either? I'd do away with the expense of the 'adapter' if I only wanted 110V. Where in the USA would I not have access to a 110V 5-15 but there's a 10-20 there?! That's a silly scenario.

They would not allow me to re-wire the plug for 240V input, which I suspect was the problem. It was just a screw apart plug, i.e., no big deal to hook it up for 240 vs. 120.

In short, I think the company 'engineers' have no idea what the heck they are doing.

I now have to go get a different cover plate for the socket since we did a 2 gang for the drier plug but we are only using a 10-20. And I had to take the L6-20 socket back.

Back and forth to Home Depot, probably Grainger, etc. ...what's your time worth?

Unit has thinner cable from the plug to the box than box to J1772 connector. Nissan one doesn't ...why? It's a few bucks extra.

Will update when they send me the new one.
 
Just to clarify your 2011 Nissan LEAF will only draw 12 amps from 120 volt so even if the EVSE has a 16 amp pilot the 2011 LEAF will not draw more than 12. The 6kw charger LEAFs will draw 16 amps.
 
QueenBee said:
Just to clarify your 2011 Nissan LEAF will only draw 12 amps from 120 volt so even if the EVSE has a 16 amp pilot the 2011 LEAF will not draw more than 12. The 6kw charger LEAFs will draw 16 amps.

Depends on the EVSE. The EVSE Upgrade version allows this.

On another note, I'm selling my recently serviced EVI unit. CHEAP.

RUN, DON'T WALK, from EVI. In my opinion.
 
beachfitrob said:
QueenBee said:
Just to clarify your 2011 Nissan LEAF will only draw 12 amps from 120 volt so even if the EVSE has a 16 amp pilot the 2011 LEAF will not draw more than 12. The 6kw charger LEAFs will draw 16 amps.

Depends on the EVSE. The EVSE Upgrade version allows this.

Incorrect, it depends on the car and the EVSE, as I said the 2011 LEAF will only draw 12 amps from 120 volts.
 
2011's and '12's will only draw 12 amps maximum regardless if the pilot is above 12 amps or not. 2013 and newer will draw up to whatever the pilot specifies on 120V.
 
JeremyW: You wrote "2013 and newer will draw up to whatever the pilot specifies on 120V." I am sure you meant up to the maximum amperage the Leaf's on-board charger can handle. Can any Leaf model handle more than 16a @ 120v?
 
Yes the 2013 and newer cars can do something like 30 amps at 120V. Vallerie at EMW tested it and posted results on the San Francisco Bay Leafs Facebook group. Don't have time to search for it, but the maximum amperage was unusually high.
 
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