EVSE options for 2013+ Leafs

Anyone have experience with the lite-on charger offered by NRG?

http://liteoncleanenergy.com/Company.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

It's supposed to be 32A continuous and I'm getting offered a very good deal on it. About $688 and it requires #8 gauge wire, and a 40 AMP breaker.

I have no experience with the LiteOn EVSE.

But I do know that LiteOn is a very large manufacturer, headquartered in Taiwan. They are reputable but in their main markets, they are known for extremely low cost products. They are not known as a supplier to individuals and I don't know anything about their consumer support organization. You should check on support before you buy, in case it needs repair or you have questions.

A major competitor to LiteOn is Delta Power. Delta also makes an EVSE, but in the US, they only sell it with someone else's name on the outside (Bosch), so that they don't have to support it.

With all of that said, $688 for an EVSE like that isn't a great deal. It's competitive but there are others for the same price with similar specs.

Bob

It's NRG branded and has surge protection built in. Just wanted to read some reviews.

So far I have only seen Clipper Creek's LCS-25 as the cheapest EVSE that one can buy, for $499 (I guess).

On another thread someone had a this link for only $149.

http://emotorwerks.com/products/online-store/product/show/38-j1772-cables-for-our-juicebox-or-dc-charging-systems" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Would this do the same job as Clipper Creek ? Did I really throw away all the extra money for LCS-25 for nothing ?

mkjayakumar said:

So far I have only seen Clipper Creek's LCS-25 as the cheapest EVSE that one can buy, for $499 (I guess).

On another thread someone had a this link for only $149.

http://emotorwerks.com/products/online-store/product/show/38-j1772-cables-for-our-juicebox-or-dc-charging-systems" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Would this do the same job as Clipper Creek ? Did I really throw away all the extra money for LCS-25 for nothing ?

Click to expand...

It depends on how comfortable having a unit that is UL approved. The JuiceBox, OpenEVSE and Ingineer's EVSE upgrade work fine but they are not UL approved.

That said, you can save over a hundred dollars doing it yourself.

mkjayakumar said:

So far I have only seen Clipper Creek's LCS-25 as the cheapest EVSE that one can buy, for $499 (I guess).

Click to expand...

Actually, it's not the cheapest one. CC's own LCS-20 is only $395, though for some reason it's only 15 amps and not 16. http://www.clippercreek.com/store/product/charging-station-lcs-20-level-2/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Even before the LCS-20 came out (or was re-introduced), the cheapest off-the-shelf L2 EVSE you can buy was the Bosch PowerMax 16A/12 at $449.

I have a 2015 SV w/ QC. Isn't the charging limited to something like 6 or 6.6kW?
Is there much reason to get a Bosch or Clipper Creek which provide more if the car can't utilize it?


If I understand correctly:
The EVSE Upgrade provides 6kW at 20A and a 30A outlet is needed.
A Bosch 51253 provides 7.2kW at 30A, 40A breaker needed
A Clipper Creek HCS-40 Does 7.7kW at 32A and a 40A breaker is needed for hardwiring, or 50A if using an outlet.

morrisdw said:

I have a 2015 SV w/ QC. Isn't the charging limited to something like 6 or 6.6kW?
Is there much reason to get a Bosch or Clipper Creek which provide more if the car can't utilize it?


If I understand correctly:
The EVSE Upgrade provides 6kW at 20A and a 30A outlet is needed.
A Bosch 51253 provides 7.2kW at 30A, 40A breaker needed
A Clipper Creek HCS-40 Does 7.7kW at 32A and a 40A breaker is needed for hardwiring, or 50A if using an outlet.

Click to expand...

You are correct in that charging is limited to 6.6kw or 27.5A. That is all the car will take. The only reason to get a higher amp EVSE is to future proof for your next EV that will more than likely need the extra capacity.

morrisdw said:

I have a 2015 SV w/ QC. Isn't the charging limited to something like 6 or 6.6kW?
Is there much reason to get a Bosch or Clipper Creek which provide more if the car can't utilize it?


If I understand correctly:
The EVSE Upgrade provides 6kW at 20A and a 30A outlet is needed.
A Bosch 51253 provides 7.2kW at 30A, 40A breaker needed
A Clipper Creek HCS-40 Does 7.7kW at 32A and a 40A breaker is needed for hardwiring, or 50A if using an outlet.

Click to expand...

If you plan on charging a Leaf or similar EV, then there is no reason to get an EVSE that provides more than 28-30 amps. Some think of larger units as "Future-Proofing" or providing the capacity now for a larger-capacity, higher charge rate EV acquired in the future. The Tesla, for example, can handle 80 amps, and everyone at this site plans to buy a Tesla when they get rich. Unless they already have one, of course. ;-)

morrisdw said:

If I understand correctly:
The EVSE Upgrade provides 6kW at 20A and a 30A outlet is needed.

Click to expand...

I believe the EVSE Upgrade supplies a maximum 3.84 kW (240 volts x 16 amps).

From the website:

Power output: programmable from 6 to 16 amps on 168-250 volts

I think you are right. I'm not sure where I saw the 6.0 limit. I asked them at EVSEupgrade for clarification.

The second generation can do 20A. at 240V that is 4800w. Most likely that charging rate will do the job for you as long as you are charging over night.

Where 27.5A (6600W) shines is where you get home needing to charge to go out later.

GlennD said:

The second generation can do 20A. at 240V that is 4800w.

Click to expand...

Are you sure about that? I don't find it on the website. However, I did find this in the FAQ:

Question: I've heard about the "Rev 2" upgrade, what is it, and can I order it?
Answer: Our original upgrade offerings, including "Rev 2" have been superseded by our current products. There is now only one upgrade type per EVSE model.

billg said:

GlennD said:

The second generation can do 20A. at 240V that is 4800w.

Click to expand...

Are you sure about that? I don't find it on the website. However, I did find this in the FAQ:

Question: I've heard about the "Rev 2" upgrade, what is it, and can I order it?
Answer: Our original upgrade offerings, including "Rev 2" have been superseded by our current products. There is now only one upgrade type per EVSE model.

Click to expand...

No I am not sure about this. Since I build my own EVSE's I am not a potential customer. I am just repeating information from here. It could very well be that he had to downgrade. If you are interested contact Ingineer directly.

morrisdw said:

I think you are right. I'm not sure where I saw the 6.0 limit. I asked them at EVSEupgrade for clarification.

Click to expand...

The 16 amp limit only applies to 2011-2012 Leaf EVSEs. The "Rev 2" language only applies to these units, as the very first 2011 upgrades were 12 amp only - rev 2 changed to 16 amp, which is the most that 2011-2012 Leafs can use.

2013+ EVSEupgrades can be set up to 20 amps, and it's also possible to request an unlock code from evseupgrade.com to set it as high as 25 amps (I keep mine set at 24A for my Rav4-EV.) 240V @ 25A = 6kw, so that's where you got that limit.

BLINK had some bad cable crimps. A friend has a VOLT for 2 years and charged on his home BLINK with no problem. Then he got a nice FORD Focus EV with a 6.6 on board charger and it over heated and melted the port. BLINK replaced the cable the next day and have a thermister in the end to detect hot conditions.
Too bad he didn't suspect it on a new upgraded EV. Who would have known, so always be cautious. a new Tesla could really make it warm, or an i3 with a 7.2 kw charger etc.

Hello,

I'm considering getting the following for Leaf-S QC 2015

http://evseupgrade.com/?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=28" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Per the previous posts, this seems like the best value for money.

Some questions:
Does it work outdoors?
Any latest experiences folks would like to share for this?

Thanks a ton!

Send them an email. There is all sorts of bad information on this thread. You can use it outdoors.

leafstudy said:

Hello,

I'm considering getting the following for Leaf-S QC 2015

http://evseupgrade.com/?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=28" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Per the previous posts, this seems like the best value for money.

Some questions:
Does it work outdoors?
Any latest experiences folks would like to share for this?

Thanks a ton!

Click to expand...

leafstudy said:

Hello,

I'm considering getting the following for Leaf-S QC 2015

http://evseupgrade.com/?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=28" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Per the previous posts, this seems like the best value for money.

Some questions:
Does it work outdoors?
Any latest experiences folks would like to share for this?

Thanks a ton!

Click to expand...

get it! I've used it for 18+ months and it works just fine, I am even thinking of keeping it as a backup for my tesla when the leaf goes back

leafstudy said:

...Some questions:
Does it work outdoors?
Any latest experiences folks would like to share for this?

Thanks a ton!

Click to expand...

I've used nothing but EVSE Upgrade for home charging for three years now. While it won't charge your car at maximum speed (6.0 kW) it will be plenty quick enough for home use. And it is portable, in case you want to take it with you on a road trip that uses RV parks or charging at the houses of friends or relatives.

You certainly can use it outdoors. But if you use an outlet outside it would be best if it had a weather cover over it to protect the plug from rain. If the outlet is inside and you run the cable outside, no problem. Also, if you have small children, it would be best to place the outlet up high or use a locking outlet cover of some sort.