Misc. tidbits gathered from the show last night. (2 hours wasn't enough time for the public!!!)
Chargers: There were several vendors at the show. I spent half of the time talking and listening to them.
Leviton charger is now my favorite. They have both a level 1 portable 7/12amp J1772, cat. no. EVK02-00M to be able to take to a friends house or wherever to charge. They also have a self-install level 2, 24amp w/J1772, cat. no. EV03-00D that can be self-installed by plugging right into a dryer or oven existing plug! Also have a 32amp, cat. no. EV05-00D. The prices aren't disclosed yet, but they told me it will be less than $800.00 L2 (can you say bye bye AV?). This is the one I'll be getting.
Blink charger: Level 2 charger, like the Mercedes of chargers with digital readouts and menus cost over $1100 not including installation.
Chargepoint charger by Coulomb, too expensive, I believe it was over $3,000 for a level 2 not including installation.
Liberty charger: Mainly for public sale, as it is a metered charger, like a parking meter. But you could buy one and let the public use it and make money off it. Great if you live in a busy downtown environment.
Schneider Electric charger: Their unit is J1772 level 2. Price isn't disclosed, but it will be less than $800 not including installation. They are my second favorite.
AV chargers: The EVSE evaluation pricing is too high for my tastes. After going to the show and talking to them, it seems they are charging prices with an average fee structuring. So, even if you have an easy install, the 1-2 hour cost of labor works out to $300-600 per hour. Seems there won't be any installs less than $2,000. That's just plain crazy.
If I'd gone to the show before my evaluation by AV, as well as read the threads about costs with AV, I wouldn't have paid for the evaluation. I'll probably by a Leviton or Schneider charger.
Cars at the show: IMEV was there. I was able to sit in it. I'm 6'2" as this car isn't going to cut it. Seats were totally uncomfortable.
Volt: I spent the least amount of time there. 40 miles on electric power (15-20 miles on freeway) 4 cyl, 1.4 ltr generator motor feeds power back into the 16 kw battery pack as needed. But the battery management system only uses max 8 kw of the entire pack to protect the battery pack. Approx. 300 mile range.
Smart EV: top speed 65 mph. Heard this info and moved on.
Nissan Leaf: Public couldn't sit in the vehicle. Fit and finish is superb. Navigation is automatically updated by Nissan, no extra charge, periodically (no monthly fee). Size of nav screen is the same in both models, 7". Type of tires-Bidgestone Ecopia. No spare tire-canister refill. Battery warranty-8yr, 100k miles. Battery tech said they don't want people to keep topping off the battery pack. It can shorten the life of the pack. He said to use the vehicle like an ice and refill when low, say 15-20 percent. L1, L2, and L3 included in both the SV and SL models. It isn't necessary to buy a charger to get the car. Buyers opting-out will have to sign a disclosure about not purchasing a charger. Most sales will the the SL model. Test drives in October. Cargo cover is an option in the SV. Solar panel doesn't really feed much power back into the system. There was no confirmation of the 4,000 vehicles in the first release. Leaf reps indicated that it is best to purchase from a Nissan dealer that has a lot of deposits. They will be the dealerships that get the most vehicles for sale.
SPAL cooling fans: They are the fans that NASCAR uses. Brushless or brush motors are completely sealed units. Brushless 30,000 hour lifespan, brush 12-15,000 hour lifespan. Cost: example 16" brushless $160.00. They had a fan and motor running completely underwater.
I was really rushed to go through the show in 1 hour 30 minutes so I didn't get any really technical info, sorry.
