Canadian made EVSE - EVDuty - anyone own one?

My Nissan Leaf Forum

Help Support My Nissan Leaf Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

alozzy

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 20, 2017
Messages
2,616
Location
Vancouver, BC
Just found this EVSE manufacturer in Ontario, Canada:

http://evandmore.com/collections/frontpage/products/charging-station-240-evduty

Considering purchasing as price is good.

Would love to get feedback from anyone who's purchased one of these, or has heard anything good/bad about the manufacturer.
 
I'm noticing lots of views on this post, but I guess no one has heard of this EVSE manufacturer. Here's a link to the manual for reference:

http://www.elmec.ca/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/16152_ELM_User-Manual-EVduty-EN-3.pdf

It seems like a quality product and I like the fact that it's appears to be easy to use and comes with a 3 year warranty.

Some advantages of the EVDuty vs evseupgrade:

  • Compact unit that includes a cable caddy
  • The plugin unit is fairly portable (but can also be wall mounted on a bracket)
  • Seems simple to operate
  • The J1772 trigger handle and cable appear to be easily replaced
  • Free shipping - nice!
  • Made in Canada, so no cross-border headaches

Some disadvantages of the EVDuty vs evseupgrade:

  • Cost - about $200 CA more
  • Only comes with a NEMA 6-50 plug, so RV park charging might not be possible if I can't find an adapter
  • Can't select the current it delivers - 30A only (I don't really see a downside to this. Anyone else?)
  • Can't use 120V input, 240V only. Not really a problem though, as I'll still have my original Nissan charge cable

Some advantages of the evseupgrade option vs EVDuty:

  • Very reasonably priced (about $500 CA for mod, pigtails, and shipping)
  • Very portable
  • Would definitely give me the flexibility to charge at RV parks (using this pigtail: https://goo.gl/VGbnEQ)

Some disadvantages of the evseupgrade option vs EVDuty:

  • No warranty provided
  • No cable caddy
  • It may not be as robust in the long term
  • Selecting amperage rate seems a bit fiddly, but at least it has the option

I'd really appreciate some feedback on which choice MNL forum members would make and why.

Thanks in advance for your comments!
 
Comparing those two I'd have to ask how you plan on using them and also what model/year Leaf you have. The EVSEupgrade option is nice if you plan on carrying it around in your car, if not I'd go with the separate EVSE and just leave your OEM EVSE in the car all the time for emergencies and wall mount your other EVSE. It gets to be a pain having to coil up the factory EVSE every time you drive(and personally I'd ALWAYS want a EVSE in the car, just for emergencies but maybe your comfortable not having it with, and thats up to you).
The EVSE upgrade route is also much slower charging if you have a 6.6kw Leaf charger, if you have a '15 or newer Leaf they can only be upgraded to 16a, pre '15 can go up to 20a. If I were satisfied with just 16a I'd probably just get one of the many <$300 portable EVSEs sold on Amazon or even right here on MNL by VegasBrad or Tony Williams, the latter 2 currently have a sale going on selling a 16a EVSE for <$250 shipped, act fast if thats of interest.
A 30a EVSE is nice to have if you have the 6.6kw Leaf charger and a >30a home service, gains you about 30%/hr as apposed to ~15%/hr with a 16a L2 EVSE, a 20a L2 should give you about 20%/hr again assuming you have the 6.6kw Leaf charger.
Even if you only have a 3.6kw Leaf charger there is no disadvantage of getting a larger EVSE other than cost of the EVSE and wiring to it. If you ever get a 6.6kw EV you'll be all set and most modern EVs will probably have 6.6kw or larger chargers. PHEVs might skimp on a smaller charger but true EVs especially larger ones will have the larger potential.
 
Thanks for the details!

As noted in my OP, I have a 2013 SV, so 6.6kw charger onboard.

Having said that, this is mentioned in the sales copy for evseupgrade:

With this upgrade, Your 6kW 2013-2014 LEAF can safely and efficiently charge at up to over 4 times faster than it did on the original unit when used on any 208-240 volt 30 amp outlet!

Which is why I thought it can safely charge at almost full capacity (240V x 24A = 5.76kw).

If that's accurate, then I do value portability as we camp a lot in summer, so I'd love to be able to charge at RV parks.
 
Sent Mark @ evseupgrade an email to clarify, as in their FAQ (https://evseupgrade.com/?main_page=faq_info&faqs_id=26) it states this:

Some of our upgraded EVSE's are capable of 24 amps when used on a 30 amp 240 volt outlet, and this gets you 5.76kW which is 4 times faster than the original Level 1 capability!

If I can get 5.76kw charging, then I'm pretty happy with that as that's almost 90% max charging rate for my Leaf...
 
alozzy said:
Sent Mark @ evseupgrade an email to clarify, as in their FAQ (https://evseupgrade.com/?main_page=faq_info&faqs_id=26) it states this:

Some of our upgraded EVSE's are capable of 24 amps when used on a 30 amp 240 volt outlet, and this gets you 5.76kW which is 4 times faster than the original Level 1 capability!

If I can get 5.76kw charging, then I'm pretty happy with that as that's almost 90% max charging rate for my Leaf...
24a is NOT for the Leaf, trust me I got mine upgraded and it's only 20a max. The limiting factor is the J1772 cord which is 12 gauge and 20a is the max it can safely carry. The '15's and on only have 14 gauge wire hence the 16a max charge rate.
If you want more than 20a ability to limit the current and low cost then I might suggest the Zencar EVSE I have listed in my sig, a little less than $400 shipped direct from China and I had mine configured to the output amps I most use.
Finding a 30a portable EVSE(that also works on 120v) is quite hard to fine, Clipper Creek(CC) makes portables but are strictly L2(208-240v) and non adjustable output, that is if your Leaf can draw 27.5a and you have a 40a CC it will, regardless of your circuit. The Zen I bought can be dialed down to as low as 12a and works on 120-240v. It comes in handy at campgrounds that only have a TT-30 plug(the old RV standard) which is 120v 30a, a CC EVSE would not work on this and EVSEupgrade would only give you 12a @ 120v. A cheap 16a L2 EVSE like the ones I mentioned in my other post charge 16a at any voltage, including 120v but note there is no way to dial them down, if your car can draw 16a(yours can) the EVSE will even if it's only on a 15a circuit and will more than likely blow your breaker/fuse.
I had my EVSEupgrade'd but it does have it's limitations which is why I've kind of moved onto other options most of the time.
Tony Williams(one of the sellers of the cheap 16a portables) also sells a much nicer higher amp EVSE that automatically adjusts the current depending on what type of outlet you have, it's more expensive than any of the EVSEs I've talked about but it's also very nice, check out his web page for more info(I believe it's priced somewhere North of $700).
 
Weird, this is the response I got from evseupgrade:

"If you have 3X 12AWG marked on your cable it will be 24A"

But you are right, when I lookup a wire gauge/amperage chart it states that 20A is max for copper.

Guess I won't be getting the evseupgrade afterall, too bad as I really like the portability.

This is why MNL forums are so awesome, thanks guys!
 
And note even 20a is pushing it for continuous use. For a hardwire situation 16a is the max allowed for 12 gauge wire, extension cords are a bit different since they can more easily dissipate heat so your allowed to push amps for temporary use. Personally I would not run 20a on 12 gauge wire for more than short term use and never more than a 3 or so hours in a row. It will get warm and heat = lost efficiency.
 
That rules out the evseupgrade then, thanks!

The EVDuty EVSE is reasonably priced, once I factor in the free shipping, 3 year warranty, decent portability with the plugin model, and the fact that the $700 is in CA funds ($530 US). Also, I like the fact that it's made in Canada (I'm sure the parts are made in China anyways, but at least I can easily ship to them for warranty).

I'm going to considered this Zencar 32A portable EVSE too:

http://www.e-zencar.net/product/evse-32a/

It's adjustable to 6A 8A 10A 13A 16A 20A 32A, which is nice (I would set to 32A and my Leaf will pull 240V/27.5A @ 6.6kw). Also works with 110V - 240V, which is a bonus - as you mentioned.

I've sent them an email, asking for a quote in $CA, including shipping costs. I'm guessing it's not any cheaper than the EVDuty though (likely more once shipping is added). Also, it has only a 2 year warranty (in China), although it is more portable. It's too bad they don't have a Canadian distributor who would back the warranty. That makes me a little leary...
 
lol, just found your detailed post on this exact same EVSE:

http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?t=23217

Reading it now, wish I'd found that earlier :)
 
Yes you don't get all the amp settings, I just chose 13a, 20a and 30a(max for my plug type). It may be possible to get more settings I just don't know, after many emails back and forth I just wanted to get my EVSE. I'm still using it daily and really like the j1772 cord which unlike some of my other EVSE cables remained pliable even in sub zero temps, very important for us Northerners ;)
I understand wanting to support a local company and it's also nice to have a local company for warranty issues, neither of which you get ordering direct from China.
Is your Canadian EVSE adjustable and 120v compatible? to me both those things were important as I like to be able to plug into basically any outlet and charge at the maximum it will let me, others may not care or be satisfied with lesser charge rates. Again Clipper Creek is quite popular around here for both the fact it's made in the US and quality built and UL listed, I personally wanted a EVSE that was more flexible for both voltage and current so I had to look elsewhere.
 
Agreed, I would like lots of flexibility in summer, when we travel and camp a lot. The Leaf is our only car.

So, I'll definitely check out Zencar.

The CC LCS-30 is about the same price as the EVDuty, but maxes out at 24A. Otherwise, very similar. I would likely buy the EVDuty for the higher charging rate, plus no shipping charges, if I decide not to buy the Zencar one.

Thanks again for all your sage advice.
 
alozzy said:
Agreed, I would like lots of flexibility in summer, when we travel and camp a lot. The Leaf is our only car.

So, I'll definitely check out Zencar.

The CC LCS-30 is about the same price as the EVDuty, but maxes out at 24A. Otherwise, very similar. I would likely buy the EVDuty for the higher charging rate, plus no shipping charges, if I decide not to buy the Zencar one.

Thanks again for all your sage advice.
I just looked again at the EVDuty you linked in your OP: http://evandmore.com/collections/frontpage/products/charging-station-240-evduty
Note to me it looks like you order it for the maximum output amps you want and they build it that way, not sure how easily you can change it in the field?? I also didn't see a reference to it working on 120v but maybe I missed something? another thing I'm not as found about is it uses the large/bulky range plug 14-50 standard. While I originally went with this standard I switched early on to the much more manageable L6-30(which EVSEupgrade uses). It's far easier and cheaper to get female L6-30 plugs for making various outlet adapters if you want to be able to plug the EVSE into different outlets other than a 14-50 which is somewhat common in RV parks but I also see lots of TT-30 only sites. Not as sure about provincial parks, maybe they all have 14-50 in which case you might be good. The downside to the L6-30 outlet is it only goes up to 30a but with the Leaf thats just fine as our chargers max out at 27.5a anyway.

If your mainly just interested in 30a charging at RV parks that have that plug type and using it at home on a >30a 240v circuit you might be just fine with the EVDuty's plug type and amperage, I'm just trying to point the possible advantages of a more flexible EVSE :)

Update, upon further looking the EVDuty uses the 6-50 plug which will NOT plug into the outlets you'll see at a RV park, those are the 14-50 standard which includes a neutral. Note EVSEs don't require a neutral but again the 6-50 plug will NOT plug into a 14-50 outlet.
Maybe more than you want to know but a 14-50 plug(with the neutral pin removed) will plug into a 6-50 outlet just not the other way around.
Personally if I were getting the EVDuty EVSE I'd order it with just a pigtail and put on a 14-50 plug(with the neutral pin removed) myself. Amazon sells them for about $15 USD for a nice yellow plug with a handle on it, Canadian Tire also probably sells them but not sure if they have the one with the handle which is nice as the plug is rather large and can be difficult to unplug.
 
I'm a bit of an idiot when it comes to electrical stuff, so the plug details are much appreciated.

If the EVDuty comes with a 6-50 plug then I would assume that it's only got a three wire cable. If so, is it safe to wire a 4-50 pigtail to the cable end if there's no ground wire?
 
Actually, I guess the EVDuty has three wire black/red/green, so no neutral but it has a ground. So, if wiring a 14-50 plug, I wouldn't have a neutral to wire to the plug. Since the neutral isn't used, it should be OK to wire it with no neutral - I think...

I definitely need 14-50 functionality for campgrounds/RV parks. For 120V charging, I would bring along the stock EVSE.

This is one area where standardization is really needed for EVs if there's going to be made adoption. So many people have zero patience and would just throw their hands in the air over little details like this. Fortunately, I'm pretty patient :)
 
alozzy said:
I'm a bit of an idiot when it comes to electrical stuff, so the plug details are much appreciated.

If the EVDuty comes with a 6-50 plug then I would assume that it's only got a three wire cable. If so, is it safe to wire a 4-50 pigtail to the cable end if there's no ground wire?
Yes more than likely the EVDuty will just have 3 wires, 2 hots and a ground. The 14-xx plug standard uses 2 hots, a neutral(for 120v use) and a ground. When wiring a 14-50 plug to an EVSE you still use the ground and 2 hots, just not the neutral(center pin), yes it's perfectly safe for a EVSE.
 
alozzy said:
....

This is one area where standardization is really needed for EVs if there's going to be made adoption. So many people have zero patience and would just throw their hands in the air over little details like this. Fortunately, I'm pretty patient :)
I don't disagree, the problem is in N. America we have so many different type of 240v plug styles, it's kind of mind-boggling from someone just used to the standard 120v wall outlet(NEMA 5-15 standard). The reason we have so many different type of plugs is the plug style denotes the maximum current the outlet will supply. We have 15a, 20a, 30a and 50a. Then we have different type of plugs for various applications. The 6-xx standard for example doesn't use the neutral, just 2 hots and a ground. Then there is the 14-xx standard which gives you 2 hots, a ground and neutral(for things like a camper than need not only 240v but also 120v). Then there is the somewhat obsolete 10-xx standard that uses 2 hots and a combined neutral/ground for things like old ranges that need 240v but also 120v for things like a light bulb or 120v convenience outlet, this plug standard isn't really code anymore but lots of old ranges still use it. Not to mention the various L standard plugs that are what I like, they are a locking type outlet that won't pull out like a standard plug, they are also smaller than the normal larger amp 240v plugs.
Tesla kind of standardized on the 14-50 standard which is probably the most common high amperage range outlet and like our Leafs they don't need the neutral and my guess?? is they omit the neutral pin on the plug so you could plug it into a 6-50 or even 14-60 outlet if available.
EVSEupgrade standardized on the L6-30 plug which is what I like and since they never exceed 30a it works well for them, finding a L6-30 outlet out and about is very rare, hence why people like me have made various outlet adapters and for that the L6-30 works great.
Many higher amperage EVSEs for sale in the US seem to follow Teslas lead and use the 14-50 plug, I've never seen another EVSE use the 6-50 plug the EVduty uses which is normally used for things like a welder that doesn't need the neutral, smaller amperage 240v EVSEs use a variety of plug styles, generally trying to mimic a 240v AC plug or dryer or range outlet.
While it would be nice to have one plug do it all(like the standard 120v plug) unfortunately that will probably never happen due to the wide range of amperages and whether a neutral is needed or not.
Heres a link to a chart that shows the various outlet types, go down about 2 pages and on the right side is the chart.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NEMA_connector
The EVSE Tony Williams sells is nice in this respect, depending on the plug you use it adjusts the output amperage, you pay a bit more for this but kind of takes the guess work out of things.
http://shop.quickchargepower.com/JESLA-is-THE-40-amp-J1772-portable-charging-solution-JESLA.htm;jsessionid=480C9EB0DFEFBDFE4E05599F36CCB326.p3plqscsfapp002
 
Yup, I realize it's challenging with all the different plug types but it will definitely not help with adoption of EVs. Like you said though, most higher capacity EVSEs seem to come with 14-50 plugs on them so hopefully that will becomes common place for home charging. Modern dryers use that too, which makes it easier to find an electrician who's qualified to install the 14-50 receptacle.

Don't know why EVDuty has a 6-50 plug, kind of odd. However, perhaps they'll put a 14-50 plug on it for me.

Still hoping the Zencar EVSE will ship to Vancouver at a reasonable price, looks perfect for my needs. I'm not wanting to spend more than $700 CA though.
 
jjeff said:
Many higher amperage EVSEs for sale in the US seem to follow Teslas lead and use the 14-50 plug, I've never seen another EVSE use the 6-50 plug the EVduty uses
Actually the 6-50 is very common on EVSEs -- from the old Blink, to the EVSE with at least five names, to the ChargePoint Home, to the Siemens VersiCharge, to the GE WattStation, to Aerovironment, to Leviton... I think it's actually the most common EVSE plug type, at least by the number of models of that support it. It's also an option for some Clipper Creek models, but of course you can get 14-50's there, too; and 14-50 is standard for JuiceBox, typical for OpenEVSE, etc.
 
Back
Top