Schneider EVSE

[smkettner]

Opened mine to look

Circuit board has: S1A54037 printed on it.

There is a white sticker on the circuit board:

S1A54038
11015 /000636
REV 02 VC2

Possibly the 000636 looks like the closest thing to a SN but I have doubts.

BTW cover comes off easy. Remove two screws on bottom edge, use blade screwdriver to release top tabs, pull cover straight off toward you.
I did not even bother cutting power but do be careful with 240 exposed :shock:

There is also a sticker with 11235 on the exterior lower right side just above the UL listing.

 

[redLEAF]

Opened mine to look

Circuit board has: S1A54037 printed on it.

There is a white sticker on the circuit board:

S1A54038
11015 /000636
REV 02 VC2

Possibly the 000636 looks like the closest thing to a SN but I have doubts.

BTW cover comes off easy. Remove two screws on bottom edge, use blade screwdriver to release top tabs, pull cover straight off toward you.
I did not even bother cutting power but do be careful with 240 exposed :shock:




There is also a sticker with 11235 on the exterior lower right side just above the UL listing.

Mine has the same sticker on the outside but shows 11245; if there is nothing real obvious that says 'serial number' inside I guess I need Schneider themselves to verify it for me (or us if others need to provide it for any kind of EVSE rebate). A side photo of my unit in this thread shows the 11245 on the sticker, I'll use your information and try to call them today if I don't get any email response, thanks !! :

http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=24&t=357&start=910

 

[bryan38401]

your serial # is the one located just above ul mark mine is 11145

 

[redLEAF]

your serial # is the one located just above ul mark mine is 11145

Got this back through a web form on the Schneider site; so this combination of numbers is a date code; I'm sure IL will need something 'official' so I've asked Schneider if they can provide that to me for my EVSE rebate application:

'We do not use a serial number for the products, we use the catalog number EV2430WS and a date code, which both of these are located on a small
label on one side of the front cover.'

EDIT: Here is how they interpret the mfg date code (using mine as an example): the date code you have of '11245' reads as follows, 11=2011, 24=week of year and the
5= day of week (or June 17, 2011). They also sent me a letter stating no SN's are used on Schneider / Sq D letterhead that I plan to send in for the rebate.

 

[battmobile]

I'm 99.9% sure I have located the "problem". When I shut off all power to my Outback GTFX solar inverter the problem goes away. This would also explain why the problem all started when I would run errands during the day, and come back home in the afternoon to recharge. The Outback is evidently generating some hash on the AC, which the Schneider is misreading as a ground fault. This would also explain why no one else is having this problem, very few people have both an Outback inverter and a LEAF.
I just had a very cordial conference call with the Schneider engineers, and they assured me that a revision is in the works, just awaiting UL approvals. I'm confident that will resolve the issue.

I want to order a Schneider unit ASAP, but am a bit reluctant to do so until this problem is fixed.

@keydiver, do you happen to have any new info on the fix?

I would go ahead and order one now, if I was confident that I would be able swap it with a fixed unit if I encountered this problem. (I don't have a solar inverter, but maybe there are other noise sources that could cause an erroneous ground fault reading.)

 

[smkettner]

I don't think you will have any issues.
Verify return policy for worst case scenario.
In 8 months zero issues with mine.

 

[redLEAF]

I'm 99.9% sure I have located the "problem". When I shut off all power to my Outback GTFX solar inverter the problem goes away. This would also explain why the problem all started when I would run errands during the day, and come back home in the afternoon to recharge. The Outback is evidently generating some hash on the AC, which the Schneider is misreading as a ground fault. This would also explain why no one else is having this problem, very few people have both an Outback inverter and a LEAF.
I just had a very cordial conference call with the Schneider engineers, and they assured me that a revision is in the works, just awaiting UL approvals. I'm confident that will resolve the issue.

I want to order a Schneider unit ASAP, but am a bit reluctant to do so until this problem is fixed.

@keydiver, do you happen to have any new info on the fix?

I would go ahead and order one now, if I was confident that I would be able swap it with a fixed unit if I encountered this problem. (I don't have a solar inverter, but maybe there are other noise sources that could cause an erroneous ground fault reading.)

If you're using 'straight from the grid' power I would doubt you'll have any issues at all, getting close to 5 months with ours and no problems ... I always use the in-car timers instead of the one built-in to the Schneider unit but I'm sure that would work as well. We've also hit the bypass timer switch on the LEAF when we need an immediate charge and that works well without an issue. We all still feel for those using any type of solar panel setup that can't get this unit to work properly but as they said its a very small percentage of potential users.

 

[keydiver]

I really doubt anyone else would be able to duplicate my problem. I have a very unique combination of equipment, and no one else has had a single issue with the Schneider. They are going to swap out my unit for the latest version, once it is UL approved. Problem solved. The newer version has more filtering, so it will be less sensitive to line noise like I am seeing.

 

[battmobile]

Thanks to all for the replies.

The feedback I've read about the Schneider unit has been overwhelmingly positive.

A notable exception is one of the product reviews on Home Depot's web site. The reviewer said that the 5ma ground fault threshold is too low for a Tesla. Granted, this threshold isn't too low for a Leaf.

But the reviewer also went on to say:

Another problem with this unit is it will overheat at 30 amps unless redesigned (I did that too, and now it works fine). 2011 Leaf and 2011-12 VOLTS should work fine since they only draw 14 amps.

Bottom Line: Unless you are conversant with redesigning electrical products you can expect zero support, at least that was my experience. Schneider's position is that their product meets the J1772 standard and will work ok with most cars at 14 amp charge rate. IF that's good enough for you, then buy it.. But if you run into a problem, you are on your own.

So if my next EV does draw the full 30 amps that the Schneider can deliver, am I going to have this overheating problem as well?

I decided to order the Schneider anyway, so I'll cross that bridge if/when I come to it.

 

[keydiver]

What is your delivery date? As I said, Schneider has a new unit in the works, just awaiting UL approvals. It *may* fix both of these issues. I'll try to find out how soon they will be shipping the new units.

 

[smkettner]

Thanks to all for the replies.

The feedback I've read about the Schneider unit has been overwhelmingly positive.

A notable exception is one of the product reviews on Home Depot's web site. The reviewer said that the 5ma ground fault threshold is too low for a Tesla. Granted, this threshold isn't too low for a Leaf.

But the reviewer also went on to say:

Another problem with this unit is it will overheat at 30 amps unless redesigned (I did that too, and now it works fine). 2011 Leaf and 2011-12 VOLTS should work fine since they only draw 14 amps.

Bottom Line: Unless you are conversant with redesigning electrical products you can expect zero support, at least that was my experience. Schneider's position is that their product meets the J1772 standard and will work ok with most cars at 14 amp charge rate. IF that's good enough for you, then buy it.. But if you run into a problem, you are on your own.

So if my next EV does draw the full 30 amps that the Schneider can deliver, am I going to have this overheating problem as well?

I decided to order the Schneider anyway, so I'll cross that bridge if/when I come to it.

I fully completely disbelieve that comment on Home Depot. Schneider is UL listed. It is not going to burn up, catch fire, or fail when installed and used as designed. Even at full 30 amps.

 

[battmobile]

As noted in my sig, I ordered my Leaf just two weeks ago, and my delivery date is "pending."

I've already ordered a Schneider from Home Depot, because I want to get going on the installation.

But if this new unit is going to come out soon, I'll not open the unit I've just ordered, in hopes of swapping it for the "fixed" version.

So it would be great if you could find out when the new units will ship. Thanks!

 

[LTLFTcomposite]

Makes you wonder what that HD poster's "redesign" entails. For his family's sake let's hope his smoke detector batteries are fresh... or maybe he redesigned those too.

 

[redLEAF]

I can say this about Schneider customer service via email/web inquiries ... they were very responsive when I needed information on letterhead about the fact that they don't use serial numbers but date codes as well as a specific policy reference to the length of the warranty (18 months) ... needed this stuff to satisfy vendor material requirements for an EVSE rebate. Not sure if the other mfg's would be so cooperative but it's definitely appreciated.

 

[keydiver]

The answer I got back from the Schneider engineer is that they expect to have UL approval for the new EVSE by the end of July, at which time they will begin shipping it in place of the present EVLink EV2430 product. Besides the "changes involving sensitivity to leakage current, they are also making other improvements involving operating voltage range and fault reporting". As soon as it is UL approved they are going to swap out my unit for free.
That will be great, because I can finally put my modified factory EVSE back in the trunk where it belongs.

 

[LTLFTcomposite]

The answer I got back from the Schneider engineer is that they expect to have UL approval for the new EVSE by the end of July, at which time they will begin shipping it in place of the present EVLink EV2430 product. Besides the "changes involving sensitivity to leakage current, they are also making other improvements involving operating voltage range and fault reporting". As soon as it is UL approved they are going to swap out my unit for free.
That will be great, because I can finally put my modified factory EVSE back in the trunk where it belongs.

In your conversations with the Schneider engineer can you ask them about the yellow wires between the fuse block and the contactor that look to be too small to carry 30 amps? (less than #10) I've heard a couple different explanations on this and would be curious what their response is. I suspect this is the part that HD poster thinks will overheat at 30 amps.

 

[WarrenSE]

I browsed through the first 6 pages on the EVSE- Charging Equipment and searched for the most relevant place to post this information. I didn't see this yet, so here goes.

A few months back Schneider Electric released information about the Gen 2 indoor EVSE that is currently available.
Press release (schneider-electric.us)

In line with updates about Schneider Electric's EVlink EVSE, there is a video that may interest those that already own a Schneider Electric EVlink or anyone thinking about purchasing one.

Video:
"How to Skin your EVlink Indoor Charging Station"  A demonstration on how to apply the customized skins.
http://tv.schneider-electric.com/si...zZI-FCd#ooid=0xdmMwNjomIM5ePy_frBRYBWfzZI-FCd
YouTube mirror


Full disclosure: I am a Schneider Electric employee. As a LEAF owner and a Schneider Electric employee, I have volunteered my time to help Schneider Electric establish a presence on this forum, help fellow EV drivers with any questions related to EVlink and listen to drivers/potential customers to get feedback about EVlink.
Personally, I have owned a Nissan LEAF for over a year and have been interested in EV technology for longer.
I hope that I can be helpful to answer any questions about Schneider Electric's EVlink!

 

[Ingineer]

Just FYI: We've received a rash of expedited orders from people complaining their Home-Depot purchased EVlink's are not charging. The symptoms are a green light, but nothing when they connect. There is red LED on the board blinking 3 times, and power cycling doesn't fix it. My guess is the ones purchased from home depot might have the old firmware. I'm sure Schneider will get them going again, but many are are ordering units from us to use until this happens.

-Phil

 

[keydiver]

I believe the red blinking light on the board is normal. Both revisions of my Schneider EVSE's have done that all the time.

 

[LTLFTcomposite]

Full disclosure: I am a Schneider Electric employee. As a LEAF owner and a Schneider Electric employee, I have volunteered my time to help Schneider Electric establish a presence on this forum, help fellow EV drivers with any questions related to EVlink and listen to drivers/potential customers to get feedback about EVlink.
Personally, I have owned a Nissan LEAF for over a year and have been interested in EV technology for longer.
I hope that I can be helpful to answer any questions about Schneider Electric's EVlink!

Warren,
I have had the EVLink for a year now with no problems. Even though we have no real complaints, if you are looking for feedback, here's some FWIW:
- I find the "user interface" to be unintuitive. Not sure what the point is of the circle of LEDs. The car has instrumentation for battery SOC and charge timing, and I just use the EVSE basically as an extension cord and ignore any UI on the box
- If you are going to provide a UI on the box, seems to me a simpler and better solution would be just a couple pilot lights, input power is present, and power being applied to the car (contactor closed)
- If you want to get fancy, a digital display would be good, amps/watts flowing and kWh delivered counters... three of them, lifetime, since reset, and since last connection was established
- Even though it doesn't really seem to matter, the flimsy plastic housing on the unit is doesn't give a good impression of product quality
- Not sure about that strain relief, looks cheesy, not sure it even meets the spec... isn't the cable supposed to have some breakaway safety feature?
- An LED light on the "nozzle" would be handy, and a good differentiator.