SPX 32A L2 Plug-In, All-Voltage EVSE

[papertiger]

Question for those who have installed an SPX: What is the minimum number of inches from the garage wall can you park the Leaf and have enough room to insert the J1772 connector? (My garage is very small.) Thanks

 

[philaphonic]

I just got my Leaf, and I can confirm that the SPX works with the charge timer, at least for starting charge.

Perhaps, for one evening when it isn't critical, you can try setting a charge ending time only, and see if your SPX works. It didn't charge my Leaf until I set a start time also. Am wondering if others have this problem.

 

[garygid]

Darn, I thought the price was not going up until November.

So, the price increase leaves me with the Mod-L1 EVSE (from Ingineer)
and "the Weekend Project" (now Open Source) by Chris.

 

[garygid]

I understand Max-Current "configuration" (by turning a front panel
rotary switch/input) to 24A to go on a 30A circuit,
or 16A to go on a 20A circuit, etc.
However, this has nothing to do with the input voltage, right?

Does the SPX have to be "re-configured" in some way to work on 120v?

Or, will it work on 95v-264v right out of the box, with no "configuration"?

If so, it should be labeled 95v-264v, not as 240v.

 

[amtoro]

Question for those who have installed an SPX: What is the minimum number of inches from the garage wall can you park the Leaf and have enough room to insert the J1772 connector? (My garage is very small.) Thanks

If your garage is very small, the best configuration would be parking in reverse and having the charging station close to the garage door on the side wall.

The charging cord and connector do not add to the length of the car, so I would say that if your garage has an unobstructed length of 175" (the LEAF) plus a couple more inches just to not touch the wall behind and let the cord hang over the front of the bumper, you will be fine.

 

[garygid]

I park nose-in against a "wall", and I need about 1.5 inches in front of the license plate (about 2 inches from the front "bumper") to swing open the charging hatch lid.

If I can get the lid open, I have room for the handle on the Nissan L1 EVSE ... do not know about the SPX handle.

With the reported SPX price increase and short cord, it appears that I will not find out.

 

[JouleThief]

Question for those who have installed an SPX: What is the minimum number of inches from the garage wall can you park the Leaf and have enough room to insert the J1772 connector? (My garage is very small.) Thanks

Per amtoro, the connector won't add to the length of the Leaf, but for my Volt this is a concern. The total length of the connector is 258.3mm or just under 10.2" but you can subtract about 1" from this when plugged into the vehicle.

I understand Max-Current "configuration" (by turning a front panel
rotary switch/input) to 24A to go on a 30A circuit,
or 16A to go on a 20A circuit, etc.
However, this has nothing to do with the input voltage, right?

Does the SPX have to be "re-configured" in some way to work on 120v?

Or, will it work on 95v-264v right out of the box, with no "configuration"?

If so, it should be labeled 95v-264v, not as 240v.

Correct, the switch is only for current amperage selection, you do not have to "re-configure" the Power Xpress to work with 120V. I agree SPX should have labeled the EVSE 95-264V rather than 240V, I'm not sure why they did that other than the fact that there's really no practical reason anyone would use 120V since Leaf and Volt owners get a 120V portable EVSE with their vehicle purchase. I guess the Power Xpress could be used as a backup if your L1 EVSE died, but since the Power Xpress is not intended to be portable the idea is that you would have it mounted in a location for use at 240V.

I do however understand why they labeled the EVSE for 30A even though it can be set to 32A. This is because the supplied wiring for both the input cable/plug and the output J1772 cable/connector are only 10AWG and the J1772 connector is only rated for 30A (as per my previous post). So SPX is rightfully assuming that the majority of buyers are not going to upgrade both sets of cables/connectors and therefore they tag it at 30A as a CYA.

You can also refer to my DIY installation instructions here for more details on the current setting:
http://gm-volt.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=3159&d=1319252307" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

-JT

 

[garygid]

The same (Z) dimension on the Nissan L1 EVSE's "nozzle" is only 8 inches.

But, with enough room to swing the hatch up, you should be able,
just barely, to get the SPX "nozzle" inserted (and removed).

 

[tesla500]

Perhaps, for one evening when it isn't critical, you can try setting a charge ending time only, and see if your SPX works. It didn't charge my Leaf until I set a start time also. Am wondering if others have this problem.

Tried it last night, and it did not charge with only an end time set.

 

[davewill]

I do however understand why they labeled the EVSE for 30A even though it can be set to 32A. This is because the supplied wiring for both the input cable/plug and the output J1772 cable/connector are only 10AWG and the J1772 connector is only rated for 30A (as per my previous post). So SPX is rightfully assuming that the majority of buyers are not going to upgrade both sets of cables/connectors and therefore they tag it at 30A as a CYA. ...

That makes sense...what doesn't make sense is why they didn't make the 32a setting a 30a setting, allowing you to max out the unit's capacity as shipped. They've got to know that lots of people are going to set it to 32a, not realizing the cables aren't rated for it.

 

[amtoro]

I called SPX about this issue. I do not have the car yet but I wanted to know what they say about it and what would my options be in case I experience the same problem with the end timer.

This is actually the second time I call. I did it about a month ago and did not receive a straight answer from the girl with technical support; this time I asked them if they had heard about the issue before and they said I was the first one (even if I called about it a month ago and talked to a different technician/engineer) and that they document every call.

Basically, the guy said that the Power Express is built on the same standard as everyone else's and that it should work; he even blamed the LEAF for not knowing how to request power using the end timer...

Can you (everyone who has had the problem) call SPX at 877 805 3873, option 2, and cordially request an explanation? they say that I must try with my vehicle when it arrives and use the L1 unit, verify that the car charges with the end timer and then attempt with the PowerExpress and document the results. They say that if it does not work, they would assume the unit is defective and send me a new one.

Also, when calling, ask if they are aware of the issue and if someone has called them before. I called today, Oct 31st at 16:12 EDT.

Lets bombard them with requests until they accept that the EVSE does not communicate well with the LEAF and they fix it. :roll:

 

[JouleThief]

I do however understand why they labeled the EVSE for 30A even though it can be set to 32A. This is because the supplied wiring for both the input cable/plug and the output J1772 cable/connector are only 10AWG and the J1772 connector is only rated for 30A (as per my previous post). So SPX is rightfully assuming that the majority of buyers are not going to upgrade both sets of cables/connectors and therefore they tag it at 30A as a CYA. ...

That makes sense...what doesn't make sense is why they didn't make the 32a setting a 30a setting, allowing you to max out the unit's capacity as shipped. They've got to know that lots of people are going to set it to 32a, not realizing the cables aren't rated for it.

See my previous post on this: http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=26&t=1442&start=220#p140460" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The 24A setting is for use on a 30A breaker and 10AWG wire. SPX cannot make a 30A setting allowing a user to pull the full 30A with 10AWG wire and a 30A breaker. For one, NEC requires devices to run at 80% of the wire rating, hence 24A for a 30A breaker, 32A for a 40A breaker, and so on. Secondly, if you think about it, it would not make sense to pull 30A with a 30A breaker, you'd be running right on the margin and probably trip your breaker frequently. So then you would have to install a larger breaker (i.e. 40A) which would be a bad idea because now the breaker would not trip until you exceeded the amperage rating of the 10AWG wire by 25%.

So just to be clear for any newcomers considering buying this EVSE, the Power Xpress is good for 24A charging "out-of-the-box" and can charge at 32A IF you upgrade the input and output cables to 8AWG, use a 50A plug such as a 14-50 or 6-50, and purchase a 40A J1772 connector.

 

[mitch672]

I think wiring the unit with 8AWG cabling and using a 40A breaker is probably close enough to the 30A J-1772 connector to be just fine. It's only 2A we are talking about, don't get all worried about it, won't be able to be tested without 6.6KW capable charger and above anyway.

At mostly it's going to cause the J-1772 cable to get warm, I doubt anyone will even notice.

FYI, the Schnieder Electric unit is the same thing, 30A rated J-1772 connector and 10AWG wiring, you wire the input to it with #8 on a 40A breaker...

 

[davewill]

... SPX cannot make a 30A setting allowing a user to pull the full 30A with 10AWG wire and a 30A breaker. ...

Of course not. You would do the same thing that all the EVSE makers do and run the 30a mode with a 40a breaker. Replacing the plug in pigtail with correct wire and plug (or simply hard wiring it to a 40a circuit) and running at 30a is much more reasonable than having to replace a very expensive J1772 cable and connector to run 32a.

 

[smkettner]

I would run 32 amps through #10 wire. Check for heat after 10 minutes and again at 1 hour.
Although I would still want #8 or better in the wall.

 

[JouleThief]

Yes, you can run the 32A setting using 10AWG wire at your own risk, as I am sure many will. I was just explaining why SPX did not put a 30A setting on the EVSE, each setting would be 80% of the breaker used. Responding to the last 3 posts:
1) The supplied plug in pigtail wire are already correct for 30A, you would not need to replace them.
2) If you're going to use a 40A breaker anyway, then why would you want a 30A setting vs. 32A setting? You're either a) installing a 40A circuit in which case you could use 32A so no point in 30A setting or b) installing a 30A circuit in which case you would not want to run 32A OR 30A.

It sounds like you suggest installing a 40A breaker, then using 10AWG wire throughout the EVSE (or at least through the J1772 cable), and then running a continuous 30A load. SPX could not pass their certifications if they sold the unit this way. I'm not saying this is bad, my install probably isn't 100% code legal. All I'm saying is SPX could not sell the unit this way and pass their certifications if they made a 30A setting and instructed users to run a full 30A continuously on 10AWG wire and a 30A J1772 connector (even if you used 8AWG plug/wire on the input side). Instead SPX would need to have supplied 8AWG wire and a 40A J1772 connector, but if they did that you could just use the 32A setting, so either way a 30A setting doesn't make sense.

That said, if you would be willing to run 30A continuously on 10AWG wire, then you may as well run 32A on 10AWG wire and not worry about it, either way you're running above NEC guidelines anyway. But I am not aware of any EVSE with a 30A setting, please correct me if I'm wrong about that.

UPDATE: I see that the Schnieder unit says it's rated for 30A input and output, that interesting. I wonder what gauge wire they are using.

 

[Ingineer]

FYI: The Canadian EVSE supplied with the Leaf, which looks identical to ours, is supplied with 16AWG cable on the J1772 side, and a special 13A rated Yazaki plug. It pulls the same 12A on 120v as ours.

Also, the EVSE shipping with the Volt, which is not UL listed, is also 16AWG throughout.

The NEC was written by the NFPA, which is made up of fire insurance underwriters. It's conservative to say the least!

-Phil

 

[mitch672]

UPDATE: I see that the Schnieder unit says it's rated for 30A input and output, that interesting. I wonder what gauge wire they are using.

I have the Schnieder, it has a 30A rated J-1772 connector and #10AWG wiring from the connector to the EVSE. The instructions tell you to wire it with #8 Copper wire to a 40A breaker.

 

[JouleThief]

Ahhh, makes sense I guess. Still seems a bit risky to me to have a 40A breaker on 10AWG wire, but at that point I don't see much difference in going from 30A to 32A, just splitting hairs IMHO. Apparantly that must be allowed after the circuit exits the wall for Schnieder to sell this way.

BTW since the price on this is now up to $949, there is another forum member, MTN Ranger, selling his Power Xpress for $826 + shipping I believe if anyone is interested.

 

[brent]

I just got a new Nissan / Panasonic EVSE upgraded to the 16 capacity.

Last night I let it charge on the timer to 80% (acutally shows 83% on Carwings.)

Reading about failures to restart earlier in this thread I just logged on and hit the "Start Charging"
button. It said it did it. I went to the garage and confirmed. Yes it has re-started.
I don't know if this was an issue on early EVSE upgrades but it does not appear to be so now.