ETEC application pending

[DaveEV]

Nissan has said that your order will not be delayed by a pending eTEC approval - I think someone who has a pending approval has already placed their order

Where did you see this, drees? I have been searching for such an affirmation in all the "order" threads and have not seen a single instance of a "pending" Etec status placing an order yet. That would really ease my mind if it's true.

Check these posts, for example:

http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?p=21609#p21609
http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?p=20403#p20403

Is your appointment w/ Suncoast for Saturday, too? They said they were going to be down here doing several estimates.

Haven't confirmed the suggested Sat 8am-11am appt yet as I have to juggle a few things. Shawn from Sunwest said that 12pm-3pm Sat or 3pm-6:30pm Mon are possible if Sat morning doesn't work. I'd prefer to do it Sat morning if I can. I'm in Encinitas, so a bit north of you.

-Dave

 

[RickS]

Well, I have a site evaluation done. A company, Wilson Electric, contacted me for a site evaluation. I had it done this morning (Sept 8th). The person who came out said it was his 2nd site evaluation for the EV project. He looked at both panels, wrote some stuff down, took pictures and measured about how far from the sub panel the charger would be. Also asked about the make and model of my wireless router and broadband service provider. He said he thought I should qualify.

My application still shows pending, but I'll give it a day or two.

 

[ttweed]

Check these posts, for example:

http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?p=21609#p21609
http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?p=20403#p20403

I had read both of those threads already, Dave, and found nothing that confirmed an order yet by anyone with a "pending" Etec application status. The posts you reference above are talking about whether your delivery date will depend on the time of your reservation or the time of your order, and are actually the source of my concern--the Nissan representative quoted says: "The assessments are always completed and participation determination made before the order date arrives." This seems to indicate that until you are approved for the Etec program, your order window will not open, regardless of your reservation time. It makes some sense that this would be true, because how else would Nissan know to include the "SL-Etec" trim level in your order choices? They would not want to offer the opportunity to order a car with a free Level 3 charging port to people who are not participating in the EV project for sure.

Whether or not having your order delayed because of the tardiness of Ecotality in getting assessments done will effect your delivery date is another issue, and despite the assurances of Nissan reps that delivery will be based on reservation dates, not order dates, I am dubious. At the rate Ecotality seems to be going, it may be Nov. before they complete all the home assessments, finalize the list of participants, and communicate their status to Nissan. Surely you aren't going to get a Dec. delivery on a car ordered in Nov., even if you reserved on 4/20. Of course production may not even start as advertised in Oct., and there may be NO deliveries at all in Dec., who knows? There is a lot of "grey-area" in this whole operation, and no guarantee that anything we are hearing is 100% accurate. "Feces occur," to use the forum-permissible version of the phrase, and unforeseen problems arise, schedules slip, etc.

Haven't confirmed the suggested Sat 8am-11am appt yet as I have to juggle a few things. Shawn from Sunwest said that 12pm-3pm Sat or 3pm-6:30pm Mon are possible if Sat morning doesn't work. I'd prefer to do it Sat morning if I can. I'm in Encinitas, so a bit north of you.

I have confirmed my appointment for 12-3:00 on Sat. w/ Terry at Sunwest Elec.

TT

 

[DaveEV]

My assessment is also scheduled for 12-3pm Saturday with Sunwest Electric - not sure if Suncoast is a type-o on your behalf or not.

 

[ttweed]

.. not sure if Suncoast is a type-o on your behalf or not.

Ya it was a typo--brainfade on my part. There is another contractor named Suncoast that I used to deal with in my job, and my brain substituted the name subconsciously while typing.

Edited my post to correct it.

TT

 

[tzeweiu]

Hopefully this update will be helpful. I'm one of the "eTec application pending" folks in San Diego who is waiting to order in September 2010.

This morning I had my home assessed by Baker Electric and was told that I would qualify for the free installation and home charging unit. My appointment was scheduled for 10am-noon and the guy performing the assessment arrived at 11. The assessment took about half an hour. Based on what he told me, Baker Electric has done about six or seven assessments in San Diego since they started on Monday.

I first asked him if my response of "detached garage" on the application is the reason why my application was pending. He told me that everyone who applies for the EV Project falls into one of maybe four or more different electrical configurations based on their application responses. His paperwork showed at least four different floor plans. As suspected, the EV Project assumes a "detached garage" is an isolated structure without any electricity set up. My detached garage, however, is essentially connected to my house and is completely wired. One look at my garage was enough for him to know that I would qualify.

He asked me about my internet connection (i.e., ISP, make of router/access point) and took a picture of my wireless access point which provides Internet access to the garage. He also took a picture of the electrical panel and the proposed location of the charger. The charger will be mounted on the wall and the charging cable will be 18' long. Apparently ECOtality will receive the results of my assessment within 48 hours and hopefully they will contact Nissan so that I can get the ball rolling with my order.

Will update again when my home assessment status changes on my dashboard and when I can finally place my order! Good luck everyone.

 

[ttweed]

Hopefully this update will be helpful. I'm one of the "eTec application pending" folks in San Diego who is waiting to order in September 2010.

This morning I had my home assessed by Baker Electric and was told that I would qualify for the free installation and home charging unit.

Good for you! Thanks for posting your progress. It's curious that Baker Electric, based in Escondido, is doing yours in RSF, while Sunwest from Anaheim is doing mine and Dave's, in LJ and Encinitas. I guess they are indeed training local SD contractors, but there aren't enough to cover all the local applicants? They certainly aren't dividing up the jobs by geographical location. I guess by capacity?

Please do let us know when you are able to order.

TT

 

[LEAFfan]

Hopefully this update will be helpful. I'm one of the "eTec application pending" folks in San Diego who is waiting to order in September 2010.

This morning I had my home assessed by Baker Electric and was told that I would qualify for the free installation and home charging unit. My appointment was scheduled for 10am-noon and the guy performing the assessment arrived at 11. The assessment took about half an hour. Based on what he told me, Baker Electric has done about six or seven assessments in San Diego since they started on Monday.

I first asked him if my response of "detached garage" on the application is the reason why my application was pending. He told me that everyone who applies for the EV Project falls into one of maybe four or more different electrical configurations based on their application responses. His paperwork showed at least four different floor plans. As suspected, the EV Project assumes a "detached garage" is an isolated structure without any electricity set up. My detached garage, however, is essentially connected to my house and is completely wired. One look at my garage was enough for him to know that I would qualify.

He asked me about my internet connection (i.e., ISP, make of router/access point) and took a picture of my wireless access point which provides Internet access to the garage. He also took a picture of the electrical panel and the proposed location of the charger. The charger will be mounted on the wall and the charging cable will be 18' long. Apparently ECOtality will receive the results of my assessment within 48 hours and hopefully they will contact Nissan so that I can get the ball rolling with my order.

Will update again when my home assessment status changes on my dashboard and when I can finally place my order! Good luck everyone.

I must be the only one that has "eTec approved" on my dashboard, but hasn't been able to order for Sept. I think they have forgotten to put it in the email list. It was changed last Sat. night.

 

[rwheat]

Contacted Nissan Customer Support this morning regarding this issue. Here are some lines from the conversation.

Robin:
My order month is September and the Evproject assessment was completed on Aug 16.

Robin:
Will I be able to order before I hear back from Ecotality?

Hillary:
Your status with ECOtality will not affect your order timing.

Robin:
So I will be offered SL Etec trim regardless of EVProject decision?

Hillary:
You will be able to order this option if you are accepted by ECOtality.

Robin:
If I can't order this option before Ecotality decision, then how can you say order won't be delayed by decision?

Hillary:
ECOtality will make their decision, and then you will be contacted to order. If you would like to know your status with ECOtality, I can escalate this issue to a supervisor. They can review your account, and give you an update. But I assure you, that you will hear from ECOtality and Nissan in the coming weeks. We appreciate your patience.

Robin:
Please escalate this issue as I haven't heard from Ecotality since Aug 16th assessment. I need to budget for any additional costs around EVProject charger installation.

Hillary:
I understand your concern, and I will escalate this issue. Do you have any additional questions or concerns?

Robin:
No that's it for now. Thanks for your assistance.

To set the expectation, Evproject decision doesn't immediately follow completion of the home assessment. It's Sept. 11th and the assessment was completed on Aug. 16th and a decision hasn't yet be rendered or communicated to Nissan. The dashboard won't be opening for EVProject candidates regardless of order date, until EVproject accept or reject is finalized. If production and delivery date are based on reservation date and market, this still should not delay when the car is delivered.

Silver Leaf SL reserved 4/20 ~ 5PM
September order date - Etec application pending

Robin Wheatley
Kent, WA

 

[evnow]

To set the expectation, Evproject decision doesn't immediately follow completion of the home assessment. It's Sept. 11th and the assessment was completed on Aug. 16th and a decision hasn't yet be rendered or communicated to Nissan. The dashboard won't be opening for EVProject candidates regardless of order date, until EVproject accept or reject is finalized. If production and delivery date are based on reservation date and market, this still should not delay when the car is delivered.

What status is the dashboard showing you for ev project ? What email did you get from ecotality - "approved" or "we need more info" ?

 

[rwheat]

To set the expectation, Evproject decision doesn't immediately follow completion of the home assessment. It's Sept. 11th and the assessment was completed on Aug. 16th and a decision hasn't yet be rendered or communicated to Nissan. The dashboard won't be opening for EVProject candidates regardless of order date, until EVproject accept or reject is finalized. If production and delivery date are based on reservation date and market, this still should not delay when the car is delivered.

What status is the dashboard showing you for ev project ? What email did you get from ecotality - "approved" or "we need more info" ?

For "home assessment" status is eTec application pending*. On 7/22, I received an Etec email "Ecotality has some additional questions", the request to arrange for a home assessment came on 7/30, to which I immediately responded.

Silver Leaf SL reserved 4/20 ~ 5PM
September order date - Etec application pending

Robin Wheatley
Kent, WA

 

[evnow]

Check these posts, for example:

http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?p=21609#p21609
http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?p=20403#p20403

I had read both of those threads already, Dave, and found nothing that confirmed an order yet by anyone with a "pending" Etec application status. The posts you reference above are talking about whether your delivery date will depend on the time of your reservation or the time of your order,

Actually, those posts don't say anything about order delivery. They just say "ordering process" is based on reservation priority.

 

[ttweed]

http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?p=21609#p21609

Actually, those posts don't say anything about order delivery. They just say "ordering process" is based on reservation priority.

I don't understand why you would say that. :?:
The first post (still quoted above) contains lines like:
"Me:
I am concerned that this inability to order now will affect when I can take delivery on the car. Are the cars to be delivered in order of one's order timing?

Roland:
The delivery of the LEAF will be based ion timing of reservation."

and
"So, again, Nissan saying that delivery timing will depend on the order in which you made your initial reservation."

This is clearly about the delivery of the car and not the order process. Whether it is true or not is another story, and the second linked post seems to refute the idea that your delivery would be based on reservation timing, quoting another statement by Nissan that "Once a consumer’s order has been agreed with a dealer it will be placed in sequence for production and delivery according to the consumer’s market." Even a Nissan customer rep like the Roland fellow in the first post may be misunderstanding the question or ill-informed about the actual process. I happen to think it couldn't go any other way than in the second post--your order timing determines your delivery date, not your reservation timing.

TT

 

[evnow]

I don't understand why you would say that. :?:

May be I didn't read both the posts linked fully.

I'd go by official press release by Nissan, than ramblings by CS. They tried to convince me that suburbs of Seattle are not in rollout area - even though it is in ev project area and whole of WA state is in rollout area :lol:

"The ordering process for Nissan LEAF will be prioritized based on when consumers submitted their original reservations online and by the consumer’s market. Over the next several weeks, reservation holders will begin to receive emails informing them how to submit an order. They will contact a dealer to negotiate their price and finalize the order for the purchase or lease of Nissan LEAF."

"Once a consumer’s order has been agreed with a dealer it will be placed in sequence for production and delivery according to the consumer’s market. These future Nissan LEAF drivers will be informed of an estimated delivery timing upon completing the order process. "

Source: http://nissannews.com/newsrelease.do?id=1855&mid=

Infact you could say based on the second paragraph that placing of the order is what matters for sequencing for production & delivery - though I'm sure there are other interpretations.

 

[LEAFguy]

If Ecotech is behind in their assessment process in relation to the Nissan order process, isn't it likely that our "pending" participation status in the EV project will delay our order date opportunity? I.E., is Nissan waiting to send us our order invitation until we are approved for the EV project?

TT

Tom, that would seem to be a logical conclusion. However, not all EV Project applicants need an assessment. If your application was the simplest according to their diagram (as mine was), it shouldn't need an assessment. Any variance may in fact cause an assessment to be due, which could then create the domino delay game to occur.

 

[LEAFguy]

"The ordering process for Nissan LEAF will be prioritized based on when consumers submitted their original reservations online and by the consumer’s market. Over the next several weeks, reservation holders will begin to receive emails informing them how to submit an order. They will contact a dealer to negotiate their price and finalize the order for the purchase or lease of Nissan LEAF."

"Once a consumer’s order has been agreed with a dealer it will be placed in sequence for production and delivery according to the consumer’s market. These future Nissan LEAF drivers will be informed of an estimated delivery timing upon completing the order process. "

Source: http://nissannews.com/newsrelease.do?id=1855&mid=

Infact you could say based on the second paragraph that placing of the order is what matters for sequencing for production & delivery - though I'm sure there are other interpretations.

This is what I was basing my earlier post on (although I don't remember if I quoted the press release). Order timing is based on reservation timing. Delivery timing is based upon completing the order process. That seems pretty clear to me.

 

[ttweed]

If Ecotech is behind in their assessment process in relation to the Nissan order process, isn't it likely that our "pending" participation status in the EV project will delay our order date opportunity? I.E., is Nissan waiting to send us our order invitation until we are approved for the EV project?

Tom, that would seem to be a logical conclusion. However, not all EV Project applicants need an assessment.

Yes, understood. I was speaking only of those people who have a "pending" status, not approved (or pre-approved, as the case may be) without any assessment being necessary. Those people (like yourself) seem to have already been able to order, with a few exceptions, while those with any "unconventional" answers to the survey, requiring further investigation by Ecotality before they are allowed to participate, are having their opportunity to order delayed. It is unfortunate that the two agencies could not have coordinated their efforts to avoid this circumstance, as it may result in the negation of the promise by Nissan of customers being able to order according to reservation priority. The only way for this to have been avoided is for all the assessments to have been completed and the EV Project participants positively identified before the order window ever opened. This didn't happen, and it's going to leave a bad taste in some customer's mouths, I'm afraid, tainting the experience. If I don't hear about the results of my assessment for 3 weeks, like Robin in WA above, their promise of a Sept order date will be nullified. Or worse yet, if I am rejected for some reason and not ALLOWED to participate in the project, I will be kicking myself for ever applying.

TT

 

[ttweed]

Having now had my home assessment, I don't really understand what the criteria was for putting me in the "pending" application group vs. the "pre-approved" group. The guy who did my inspection did not indicate that there was anything that would make my installation "non-standard." I have a wireless router within 20 feet of where the Blink installation will be, and it will also be located less than 30' from the panel in my attached garage, making the conduit run easy. I have two open slots in the panel which can easily be configured for the 220V breaker, although they are side-by-side and not one above the other. All that would be necessary is to move one of the 110V breakers to the other side to make the two slots vertical instead of horizontal. This requires disconnecting it and popping the breaker out and into another slot, then reconnecting, about a 5-minute operation. I thought that maybe because I had only a 100 amp main breaker that this would require upgrading to a 200 amp or something, but the tech didn't think so, since the breaker allows 100 amps for each phase and my other requirements are very low (no pool, no spa, etc.) Maybe it was my lack of a smartphone??? :|

I was not very impressed w/ his knowledge of the whole EV project program dynamic and process, though. The Ecotality folks had told me to ask him the questions they could not answer about how the process works and what to expect from here, but he really had no idea. He was just a guy pulled off the service crew to do surveys for the contractor to do their estimate. He had no other insight into the process other than to examine the difficulty of the charger installation and document it for his company. How this relates to my approval in the EV project and my ability to order a Leaf are still open questions for me. All I know is he gives the survey of my site to his estimator and we will hear something in the future. How and when Ecotality will be informed and make a decision on my status is still a mystery, and when Nissan will hear from them that I am approved and open my order dashboard is equally unclear. All i can do is wait...and wonder....

TT

 

[DaveEV]

Hey Tom, did you have Matt stop by, too?

Your experience was just like mine on Sat 12pm - though mine is complicated by the fact that I have no room in my panel so will either need a panel upgrade or a sub-panel added.

My co-worker who lives in a town-home was also inspected - his install was going to be a piece of cake according to his guy.

 

[Kataphn]

Had my first real conversation on the phone (at my initiation) with an Etec person. He said I am "on the list" for a local contractor to call me "soon" for the home assessment (he put me on hold to "check the list"). I asked if the reason my dashboard was not open for ordering (Sept. order, early 4/20 reserver) was because they had not yet done the assessment and he indicated that this was true. This runs counter to other statements from CS of Nissan both chat and on the phone. But there you go.....
I have concluded there is no way to get the straight story on this interplay between Etec and Nissan regarding assessments, ordering timing and delivery timing....so I am just going to take a chill pill, enjoy the SoCal meet up and let the chips fall where they may at this point. :roll: And try to put on a happy face! :mrgreen: