loomis2
Well-known member
Thanks, guys, that is exactly what I needed to know!
dm33 said:
- Blink - Sounds like there isn't one available. Going to be available in the summer. No details on pricing other than starting at $699.
- Bosch - Going to be available in June sometime (this month). Starts at $450 but gets comparable to others with the longer cord and 30A. I haven't been able to find more details.
out how the charge is going.
If you leased your LEAF you ought to be able to claim the EVSE tax credit. However, if you purchased your LEAF and claim the $7500 tax credit for it, you might not also be able to claim the EVSE tax credit because of how it is structured. A lot of us found that out the hard way. Perhaps the problem has been fixed in the tax law for 2013, I don't know.loomis2 said:I also bought the Siemens. Easy enough to install and so far it works great. Apparently there is a 30% tax rebate on it, according to the listing on Amazon where I bought it.
I looked up the wording of the law. The only thing they changed for 2013 was the expiration date. The problem is that everyone is subject to AMT whether they know it or not. It's just that the AMT doesn't start until you get to a significantly higher income level than where the regular income tax starts, and then gradually plays catch-up. So until you get to the cross-over point you can ignore the AMT. Well, most people can, but not you, not this year.loomis2 said:I did purchase my Leaf, and I intend to claim the whole $7,500 credit. I was also intending to claim the 30% credit so that is good to know...or bad to know, depending on how you look at it.dgpcolorado said:If you leased your LEAF you ought to be able to claim the EVSE tax credit. However, if you purchased your LEAF and claim the $7500 tax credit for it, you might not also be able to claim the EVSE tax credit because of how it is structured. A lot of us found that out the hard way. Perhaps the problem has been fixed in the tax law for 2013, I don't know.
dm33 said:I'm planning to get the Siemens versicharge, debating from Home Depot or amazon. I'd like to get a 6-50 outlet installed and get the rear mount EVSE. That way if I move, I can take the EVSE with me. I'm planning to have a GFCI breaker installed with a 40a circuit using 8/2 wire. I've had a couple of electricians provide estimates but they both sounded questionable. I've considered doing it myself, I'm a EE, but I don't like the thought of working in the main service panel. Even with the main breaker flipped, there's still significant live wire showing.
I have a very healthy respect for 240v. The new run would come in the top of the main panel. There's 1/2-3/4" of bare wire showing from the main coming in as it enters the main breaker. I worry mostly about fishing a long bare ground wire over to the ground bus bar over and around the live main wires. The rest of the panel seems relatively tame even without turning off the breaker. It would be a very bad day if I touched one of the mains or worse shorted them out, maybe my last. Would be nice if I could figure out a way to shut it off outside. There's nothing but a thin metal ring with a plastic end keeping the meter box closed. The power company said electricians know how to shut it off. Not sure I believe the person on the phone.QueenBee said:Ah man, if you are an EE this is not scary! With the main breaker turned off there is very little exposed live bits and they are generally all located at the top of the panel. Most people wouldn't even turn off the main breaker for a job like this!
dm33 said:I'm planning to get the Siemens versicharge, debating from Home Depot or amazon. I'd like to get a 6-50 outlet installed and get the rear mount EVSE. That way if I move, I can take the EVSE with me.
dm33 said:I have a very healthy respect for 240v. The new run would come in the top of the main panel. There's 1/2-3/4" of bare wire showing from the main coming in as it enters the main breaker. I worry mostly about fishing a long bare ground wire over to the ground bus bar over and around the live main wires. The rest of the panel seems relatively tame even without turning off the breaker. It would be a very bad day if I touched one of the mains or worse shorted them out, maybe my last. Would be nice if I could figure out a way to shut it off outside. There's nothing but a thin metal ring with a plastic end keeping the meter box closed. The power company said electricians know how to shut it off. Not sure I believe the person on the phone.QueenBee said:Ah man, if you are an EE this is not scary! With the main breaker turned off there is very little exposed live bits and they are generally all located at the top of the panel. Most people wouldn't even turn off the main breaker for a job like this!
dm33 said:I have a very healthy respect for 240v. The new run would come in the top of the main panel. There's 1/2-3/4" of bare wire showing from the main coming in as it enters the main breaker. I worry mostly about fishing a long bare ground wire over to the ground bus bar over and around the live main wires. The rest of the panel seems relatively tame even without turning off the breaker. It would be a very bad day if I touched one of the mains or worse shorted them out, maybe my last. Would be nice if I could figure out a way to shut it off outside. There's nothing but a thin metal ring with a plastic end keeping the meter box closed. The power company said electricians know how to shut it off. Not sure I believe the person on the phone.
I'm confused about 8/3 vs 8/2. The Siemens Versicharge use a 6-50 plug which is a 3 wire plug, hot, hot, ground. So it seems that 8/2 (+ ground) is all that can be used. Not sure what you'd do with the extra wire in a 8/3. I think somewhere in the code the white wire needs to be colored black at the outlet, but otherwise should be the proper wire from my understanding. Would be nice to find the section in the code. NEC 2011 is available online.CmdrThor said:dm33 said:If I had to do it again I'd probably run 6/3 plus ground wire and a 50a breaker instead of 8/3 and a 40a. The reason would be for future compatibility if I decide to get an EV that has a 10 kW charger. For now 7.2 kW is plenty and it should only cost me about $50 and 30 minutes or so of wiring to upgrade since I only needed about 9 ft of wire to get from my panel to the outlet.
Companies such as AeroVironment insist you install a 40A breaker (meaning you HAVE to stick with 8 AWG wiring). I'm in process of installing my 30A EVSE, and really wanted to install a 50A circuit with a 14-50 outlet/plug combo, but looks like I need to stick with a 40A circuit unless I feel like running a subpanel (which I don't).CmdrThor said:dm33 said:I have a very healthy respect for 240v. The new run would come in the top of the main panel. There's 1/2-3/4" of bare wire showing from the main coming in as it enters the main breaker. I worry mostly about fishing a long bare ground wire over to the ground bus bar over and around the live main wires. The rest of the panel seems relatively tame even without turning off the breaker. It would be a very bad day if I touched one of the mains or worse shorted them out, maybe my last. Would be nice if I could figure out a way to shut it off outside. There's nothing but a thin metal ring with a plastic end keeping the meter box closed. The power company said electricians know how to shut it off. Not sure I believe the person on the phone.
I just self-installed my rear mount plug VersiCharge and it was pretty easy, but I took all the proper cautions. You probably need to file for a permit to add a circuit to your panel (assuming your jurisdiction allows homeowners to get their own permit), and when you do that you can request electricity to your house be shut off by the power company. There may be an additional charge for them coming out, I don't know because my main breaker is outside next to my electric meter, not in my panel so it was very easy for me to shut off power to the entire panel.
If I had to do it again I'd probably run 6/3 plus ground wire and a 50a breaker instead of 8/3 and a 40a. The reason would be for future compatibility if I decide to get an EV that has a 10 kW charger. For now 7.2 kW is plenty and it should only cost me about $50 and 30 minutes or so of wiring to upgrade since I only needed about 9 ft of wire to get from my panel to the outlet.
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