Here is how I installed my EVSE and what it cost as of the end of March, 2013:
Preliminaries:
1. I am not a licensed electrician, but I have worked with and installed household electrical circuits all of my working life, most of which have been state inspected and passed with inspector's comments: "this is better work than we see from licensed contractors".
2. I spend 3 hours researching electrical code and equipment manufacturers' manuals for every 1 hour of actual work. I consult with a friend who is a working licensed electrician to verify all information meets current local code.
3. I own several thousand dollars' worth of professional electricians' tools and manuals.
4. I get a permit from Labor & Industries (L&I) and have the work inspected and passed.
Those who don't have (or want to mess with) the above should retain a professional electrical installer. This is the "overhead cost" that a professional licensed electrician must cover in his bids, so it's understandable that the bids seem excessive to some folks. In my case, the cost would have been $900 for labor.
Installation:
1. Surveyed and inspected proposed cable run, researched NEC requirements, determined wire type and size, breaker type & size, configuration of EVSE (plug-in vs. hard-wired), applied for permit.
2. Selected plug-in Nissan-branded EVSE from Aerovironment (available on Amazon.com for $1,049 with free shipping); ordered same. The plug-in feature allows me to move the charger to another location in the future if I want to.
3. Prepared the cable run: in this case, an open basement ceiling and large crawl space allowed easy access, and engineered floor joists with knock-out holes made it pretty easy to access the garage.
4. Purchased 40-amp Cutler-Hammer circuit breaker, cable clamps and type NM-B (Romex) 6-2/G cable, 60 feet needed
5. Purchased a 50-amp wall receptacle to match the plug on the EVSE and a quad receptacle box & cover for same;
6. Cut a square hole in the sheet rock at the proposed plug location (as large as needed to run the cable)
7. Drill holes as needed, run cable, strip and route cable as needed; call for cover inspection.
8. Connect plug receptacle, secure box to studs, secure plug to box;
9. Kill power to panel, route and install wiring to breaker. Repair sheet rock as needed.
10. Mount EVSE wall bracket per mfg recommendations.
11. Call for final inspection. After passed, energize breaker and verify voltage & grounding (meter required).
12. Plug in EVSE and test (all okay) - DONE!
Total cost = $1,049 EVSE; $160 (Cable, breaker, box, clamps, misc) + Permit $89= $1,298.00.
The next project is more expensive: 10KW of solar panels.