EVSE Installation, Info and Cost Comparison Thread

[garygid]

Call Nissan (or "chat" them) and ask about this fake-date monkey business.

See if they will correct it to 1 July 2010 ... maybe.

 

[mwalsh]

I just got my paperwork back from the HOA. They DID NOT sign the AV paperwork. Instead they signed their own paperwork (our internal Architectural Application) and enclosed a letter outlining their approval based on my letter (in which I indicated no exterior mods). I SINCERELY hope this is going to be good enough for AV. :? Otherwise I am DEFINITELY joining the ranks of those going with the Nissan EVSE waiver and waiting for other purchase options.

 

[garygid]

Right, I agree with your HOA.

I would not sign something that allows AV (or others) to do "anything the want" to the inside or outside.

 

[Boomer23]

My friend finally (after 2 weeks) got his AV bid from Nissan,
"only" $2339 for a 20-inch install, including $200 for the permit.

The "assessment" was 8 July by an AV rep., in South Orange County, CA.

My assessment in North LA was July 1st at 8am. The last time I looked at "My Account" on Nissan site, it showed under "Home Assessment", “quote pending” and that "we visited you on: 7/8/2010". I just checked again and it now says "we visited you on: 7/22/2010". No quote, no email, no phone call.

Anyone else getting the silent treatment? Who is incrementing the contact date? Is this to placate Nissan?

Mine's more out of date than that. It still says "We're looking forward to seeing you on July 1, 2010, 8 am to 12 pm"

 

[mwalsh]

I am not the slightest bit happy with this whole AV EVSE deal. I just tried to upload my paperwork and, because the size of the .pdf file has grown (now that I have a total of 12 pages including the approvals from my HOA), there is no way to upload it. So I've had to fax it off to AV. :x

In addition, as you already know, my HOA declined signing the AV form, instead supplying me with it's own Architectural Committee form, signed with conditional approval. So I've had to include the following letter:

"7/26/10

AeroVironment Inc.
181 W. Huntington Drive, Suite 202
Monrovia, CA 91016

Re: HOA Installation Approval form, Home Charging Dock Customer #xxxxx


Please find attached the following:

a) AV Community Organization/HOA Installation Approval form
b) Heritage HOA Architectural Committee conditional approval of EVSE.
c) South Coast Property Management letter indicating conditional HOA approval of EVSE.
d) My letter to the HOA requesting approval of EVSE installation within the confines of an installation methodology discussed with the contractor AV sent to do my EVSE evaluation, Aliso Electric.

Note that the HOA architectural committee has declined signing off on your form, and have instead approved installation based on a methodology I had discussed with the employee of Aliso Electric – the wiring for the EVSE would come directly into my garage from the back side of the electrical panel, leaving no visible evidence of the installation on the outside of my home. It is this type of installation I want and, clearly, also the type of installation that the HOA would prefer.

I think I made it quite clear in my discussions with AV that I thought getting my HOA to sign off on your form as it was written would be almost impossible, and of course I was correct.

If what I now return instead is not sufficient for AV to continue with my EVSE quote, I will simply sign the waiver from Nissan permitting me to skip the EVSE purchase and will buy one on the open market when they are readily available from competing manufacturers.

If you have any questions about this submission, you may feel free to contact me be phone or email.

Otherwise, I will simply await my installation quote, which I would appreciate at your earliest convenience.

Regards, etc....."

 

[EVDRIVER]

Is there any update on the EVSE tax credit for next year?

 

[jgrode1]

Thanks for sharing the whole HOA experience with us. I may not see my LEAF until next year at this time but I feel like I should "grease the skids" as it were, with my HOA starting now. Hopefully things will smooth out by then. Leviton is looking pretty good right now.
Jim

 

[planet4ever]

Is there any update on the EVSE tax credit for next year?

It's easy to check at the Library of Congress website (http://thomas.loc.gov/) if you know the bill number.

H.R.5442
Title: Electric Drive Vehicle Deployment Act of 2010
Sponsor: Rep Markey, Edward J. [MA-7] (introduced 5/27/2010) Cosponsors (3)
Latest Major Action: 5/28/2010 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit.

Not so incidentally, Congress is scheduled to go on a five week "recess" (i.e.vacation) starting August 9, come back for 4 weeks on Sep 13, and then take the rest of the year off!
[Kinda makes you wonder what we're paying them that $174K annual salary for, doesn't it?]

 

[EVDRIVER]

Has there been any pricing released on the Leviton L2 EVSE yet?

 

[johnr]

Has there been any pricing released on the Leviton L2 EVSE yet?

I read that the prewiring kit is expected to cost about $200 and will likely cost just a few hundred in installation cost. AFAIK, no word yet on the EVSE cost. I'm eager to find out myself.

 

[sparky]

Assessment completed. Couple of interesting things told to me by the electrician.
First off, I believe my install is trivial and I should not be charged ~$1300 for labor. 240 VAC comes to a wall mounted box about 45 inches above the floor at the front of the garage. It's on a dedicated 40A breaker with 8/3 wire run from a 200A panel.
Also a 120V GFCI outlet nearby. The AV rep/electrician said my install was the simplest he's seen. He agreed that I should be charged very little for labor since they were just going to wire to the garage wall J-box and mount the unit to a nearby stud. He said he'd make notes about the simplicity of the install and that I should refer AV to those notes if there's any question about the labor cost. I loved this guy.
He mentioned that since it's my J-box and wiring to the panel, AV will only warranty the EVSE. For installs where they wire back to the panel, they warranty all that as well.

He also said that they're crazy busy and it's gonna get much worse when it comes time to do the actual electrical work. He advised me to submit the paperwork so I could be early on the EVSE install schedule (Sep/Oct). He said the Bay Area is so impacted with large numbers of people ordering and lack of electricians for assessments that he may get shipped up there next month. He expects the delays in getting the electrical work done will delay getting cars for a lot of people. Sooo, maybe there's an advantage to waiving the EVSE unit altogether, get the car and get the work done later either by AV or whomever you choose for a charger. Dunno, just a thought.

 

[evnow]

Isn't that weird ? We hear about massive unemployment (esp in construction) and yet labor shortage here.

AV should get more people - afterall this is all part of the "stimulus" ...

 

[lettcco]

hi all, I am not an electrician, so I am hoping if you guys think my setup is easy or not...

I lived in a fairly new townhome (2005) with HOA. There are no 240V dryer plugs in the garage, but fortunately, the meter is located at the exterior of the side of my garage. However, the house circuit breakers are located upstair's hallway. So judging from this thread, my best bet is to install a TOU meter piggyback to the my main meter, and then have a second circuit breaker installed on the other side of the wall which will be my garage, and from there, put the EVSE next to it and run the wire to it.

So when it involves a second TOU meter and a second circuit breaker, am I getting my $2200 worth by having AV install it?

 

[Dav]

I do not believe they will quote you $2,200 for that arrangement. Extra panel, extra meter, they will add that to your quote. At $2,200 for what you specify then yes it would be worthwhile for you to do. If your HOA will let you.

 

[LEAFfan]

I do not believe they will quote you $2,200 for that arrangement. Extra panel, extra meter, they will add that to your quote. At $2,200 for what you specify then yes it would be worthwhile for you to do. If your HOA will let you.

I'm a little puzzled by this HOA approval thing. What does the HOA have to do with it if you have the EVSE installed inside your garage? I'm not planning on asking my HOA for ANY approvals for the charging system. There will be no outside changes, so I don't see how it is any of their business. For instance, we can do ANYTHING in the backyard as long as it can't be seen by neighbors or is above the wall, so inside the garage should be the same.

 

[garygid]

The extra meter (read by the PU) would usually be outside.

A smart-meter, even if read electronicly, might still need to be outside for PU access.

Using the "dual meter adapter" (if allowed) would not require another breaker box, since it has the 40-amp dual-breaker included.

 

[mwalsh]

I'm a little puzzled by this HOA approval thing. What does the HOA have to do with it if you have the EVSE installed inside your garage? I'm not planning on asking my HOA for ANY approvals for the charging system.

Oh, yes you are. If you're having AV do your install....then you're getting HOA approval, even if they would not normally need to be involved! AV will give you a form they must sign off on.

 

[EVDRIVER]

Assessment completed. Couple of interesting things told to me by the electrician.
First off, I believe my install is trivial and I should not be charged ~$1300 for labor. 240 VAC comes to a wall mounted box about 45 inches above the floor at the front of the garage. It's on a dedicated 40A breaker with 8/3 wire run from a 200A panel.
Also a 120V GFCI outlet nearby. The AV rep/electrician said my install was the simplest he's seen. He agreed that I should be charged very little for labor since they were just going to wire to the garage wall J-box and mount the unit to a nearby stud. He said he'd make notes about the simplicity of the install and that I should refer AV to those notes if there's any question about the labor cost. I loved this guy.
He mentioned that since it's my J-box and wiring to the panel, AV will only warranty the EVSE. For installs where they wire back to the panel, they warranty all that as well.

He also said that they're crazy busy and it's gonna get much worse when it comes time to do the actual electrical work. He advised me to submit the paperwork so I could be early on the EVSE install schedule (Sep/Oct). He said the Bay Area is so impacted with large numbers of people ordering and lack of electricians for assessments that he may get shipped up there next month. He expects the delays in getting the electrical work done will delay getting cars for a lot of people. Sooo, maybe there's an advantage to waiving the EVSE unit altogether, get the car and get the work done later either by AV or whomever you choose for a charger. Dunno, just a thought.

Same with mine- wired right to the EVSE and the quote was $2400 with a SF permit fee of $250. NOt a peen off for all the noted work and quoted "easy install". I have a feeling AV is going to have some lost opportunities and strong competition.

 

[evnow]

Same with mine- wired right to the EVSE and the quote was $2400 with a SF permit fee of $250. NOt a peen off for all the noted work and quoted "easy install". I have a feeling AV is going to have some lost opportunities and strong competition.

So, are you going to ask them to pull another line or skip them altogether ?

 

[garygid]

Paying $1000 for a line you do not need?
Yes, a possibility, but not a GREAT one, I think.

I am waiting for more info about the Leviton EVSE products.