Aerovironment EVSE install information

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The EVSE looks kind of simple.. but at least it has a nice toroid filter. The GE wallmount units look like you get more for your money..

If I'm going to spend $1k for a glorified extension cord, at least I want a fancy one.
 
highcountryrider said:
That was my impression when I took off the cover. "I paid almost 1K for THIS?" :(

Yes, there are more components in the included LEAF EVSE and it is made better. I think the AV unit is worth about $300 tops retail. The cord is decent but the rest is laughable for even $400. I think AV has mastered the fear factor with Nissan tricking people into thinking they need this unit for arbitrary reasons so people are scared to do otherwise. I expect all decent and future EVSE units to be 7.2kw or higher and even these overpriced plastic boxes to be outdated soon. What a racket.
 
I purchased a SPX PowerExpress before they raised their prices. It was 749.99 plus shipping and GA sales tax. The unit is selectable for different amp all the way up to 240v @ 32amps.
 
I dunno, folks. It's kind of a question of different tastes and priorities, don't you think? I like my AV unit. It is already capable of 32amp to accommodate the upcoming 6.6V charger. It cost me $721.12, which isn't the lowest price, but in the ballpark with other EVSEs. True, it's not as sleek as GE's Wattstation, but on the other hand it is much smaller and less obtrusive. And at least it is better looking than Leviton's EVSE --in my humble opinion. I guess I tend to prefer practical simplicity more than appearance. (And my wife will testify to that with gritted teath, in that I have no class and would just as soon eat off of Corelle than fine china.) Moreover, I like the idea of supporting the company that has been in the EV game for so long, having built the Sunracer and subsequently helped create the Impact/EV1.

Of course... I still can't even order my Leaf yet, so I have no idea how well my AV EVSE will perform. It seems like the Blink has had a lot of problems, but have any of you had an AV unit fail?

evse_07_ready_sm.jpg
 
I live in a Townhouse and for some bizarre reason, other than like most townhouses that have their power panel in the garage, mine is in a wall in my bedroom but is DIRECTLY above my garage.....approximately 10' directly above where I want my charger installed on the garage wall. Aerovironment's estimate? It's a "Custom" installation and the quote all included was a simply staggering $3135. $1,791 of that was just the installation fee. Are you freaking kidding me? My first thoughts were what's it going to take? On a good day, everything goes well, probably 60 - 90 minutes. If trouble getting holes drilled and finding way through the walls/joists/bottom plate/etc to the wall below, maybe 2 - 3 hours. For $1,791. Holy crap, I'm quitting my career after 30 years and going back to electrician school. Those guys are making $600 - $1200 per hour.

Ok, fine, you say, but they have to go get the permit and all that paperwork stuff don't forget? Oh no, don't worry, within the estimate they have a further $299 for them to process the permit.

So I went and got my own certified electrician. Took him just under 3 hours to do it all. $800. And this was not some cheap guy. This was a higher-level electrical company as I have to make my Townhouse Mgt people happy that I'm doing it all correctly. So yeah, I saved just a hair under $1000 from the simply amazing Aerovironment's estimate. They are PRICE GOUGING and just because Nissan handed them the golden ring to do these installations does not give them the right to do that to people. It just pisses me off.
 
I have posted before that AV wanted over $1,000 to install in my garage that is completely prewired for an EV by the original home builder.
I added a cord to a Schneider evse and plugged it into the 14-50 outlet. No way would I do any business with AV at those prices.

I will say it over and over.... skip the $100 sucker fee.
 
Since the EVSE tax credit was set to expire I bit the bullet and got a 240V charger even though I probably could have lived with plugging into a regular 120V outlet. I went with AV because they are the only ones with a 25' cable and I needed the extra distance to reach my car. My installation quote was $2800. They waived the $100 fee and I ended up doing a "Cash and Carry". The EVSE was $1040 and my electrician http://www.Abender.com charged me $250. I ran the conduit and wiring myself. The run is almost 60' of 1" PVC. I used 8AWG wire and 10AWG for the ground. EVSE was placed into service (passed Miami-Dade county inspection) with just days left in 2011. Although it is weatherproof I might put it in a cabinet of some sort. For now I am just protecting the cord. I found a simple solution by covering it with a 3/4 inch electric cord keeper from IKEA (also available in black at Radio Shack).
381555_10150472360421898_691786897_9359643_1476851513_n.jpg
 
EVDRIVER said:
Ready2plugin said:
EVDRIVER said:
It's not semantics, it's the wrong definition completely. There is a reason we made an EVSE area and if one posted in that area they would have at least seen the description the EVSE forum area. People can be lazy but there are huge differences here, if you have been on this forum for some time you should know the difference, newbies may not and it's no big deal. We can surely say kwh and kw are the same? People come here to learn, once they learn some proper terminology it's plain lazy to keep saying it wrong and say "you know what I mean".

Nissan's Leaf website even has it listed as "Charger Installation" - they even did a video about it. If someone wants to call it a charger, then let them, as long as they know there is a difference. People still call copy machines, xerox machines....and I don't go around correcting them :p .


Nissan is wrong. Copy machine and Xerox are synonyms, the is a charger on the leaf and there is a: power cord or charge cord, the box outside the car is not a chargers, if it were there would be two chargers. GM also calls the Volt an EV.

Copy machine and Xerox are NOT synonyms! Nor are Kleenex and tissue; Jacuzzi and hot tub; or Band-Aid and adhesive bandage!

(And, I'm sorry, as I know the post I am quoting is from a million pages back.)
 
Layla said:
EVDRIVER said:
EVDRIVER said:
It's not semantics, it's the wrong definition completely. There is a reason we made an EVSE area and if one posted in that area they would have at least seen the description the EVSE forum area. People can be lazy but there are huge differences here, if you have been on this forum for some time you should know the difference, newbies may not and it's no big deal. We can surely say kwh and kw are the same? People come here to learn, once they learn some proper terminology it's plain lazy to keep saying it wrong and say "you know what I mean".


Nissan is wrong. Copy machine and Xerox are synonyms, the is a charger on the leaf and there is a: power cord or charge cord, the box outside the car is not a chargers, if it were there would be two chargers. GM also calls the Volt an EV.

Copy machine and Xerox are NOT synonyms! Nor are Kleenex and tissue; Jacuzzi and hot tub; or Band-Aid and adhesive bandage!

(And, I'm sorry, as I know the post I am quoting is from a million pages back.)

But is a charger the same as a Charging Station?
 
Clippy said:
But is a charger the same as a Charging Station?

It is when you're discussing your car with an EV neophyte who keeps asking what kind of mileage it gets. I'm not about to correct them on their use of the word "charger". If that's what they want to call it, fine!
 
Okay, the quote came back from AeroVironment for the installation of an L2 charger, and it is so outrageous that it's hysterically funny.

So here's the "giant post-it note" of the EVSE that they put on the wall while reviewing my garage.

462002_3550941250194_1172504772_3507708_1683821974_o.jpg


My breaker panel, which has plenty of space for the new breaker, is immediately to the left of this picture. There's probably one wall stud separating the breaker panel and where I want the L2 charger to go.

The quote?

Item Description Quantity Unit Price Line Total
Installation Permit and Processing 1 0 0
AV EVSE-RS Charging Dock, Wall Mount, 15' Cable 1 746.00 746.00
Shipping and Delivery 1 49.95 49.95

Okay, not too bad. How about labor?

Item Description Quantity Unit Price Line Total
Installation 1 1221.87 1221.87

$1,221.87 to run maybe two to three feet of wire and a grand total of an hour if the guy stops to have a beer with me before he's done.

Yeah, no. Thanks anyway. If work doesn't put in the L2 chargers so I can charge up at the office, I'll just be hitting EVSEUpgrade.com.

Oh I would also mention that while they put the Leaf "Post-It" on the wall, this was for a Mitsubishi I. I've since canceled my order for the I and bought a 2011 Demo Leaf. I found it amusing that they were using Leaf pics for a Mitsubishi install though. Even the quote had Nissan all over it. Mitsubishi would be so thrilled. ;)
 
That's why nobody here recommends getting a quote. $2200 seems to be AV's minimum charge no matter how simple. Just buy an EVSE (or get yours upgraded) and have any electrician put in the 240v receptacle.

P.S. you need the URL to the actual JPEG file, not to a page that shows it. I right clicked the image on your link and chose "copy image location":

462002_3550941250194_1172504772_3507708_1683821974_o.jpg
 
myrtlebeachbums said:
. . . . . . . . . . snip . . . . . . . $1,221.87 to run maybe two to three feet of wire and a grand total of an hour if the guy stops to have a beer with me before he's done.

Yeah, no. Thanks anyway. If work doesn't put in the L2 chargers so I can charge up at the office, I'll just be hitting EVSEUpgrade.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . snip
Mine, according to AV, was the 1st on Orange County ... October of 2010. They must have been counting on the fact that there was a 50% tax credit, and thus, priced accordingly. If it hadn't been for the fact that I only had to pay 1/2 - I wouldn't have been the 1st ... rather I'd have been the last ... person on earth that is.
:D

.
 
I made a YouTube video of my Aerovironment EVSE install. It's at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R61LyUJEupM" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I don't really have anything against AV's installation price, since it's meant to be a "concierge" type process. I just wish they would let people know that up front, to avoid sticker shock. It might sour some of the public on the Leaf, especially those who don't read MyNissanLeaf, and aren't "in the know" ;) Hopefully, they can learn about buying the EVSE cash-and-carry and getting it installed separately. I told my dealer how I had mine installed for about $1000, so hopefully, she'll let other potential customers know.
 
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