AeroV increases cash and carry charger price to $995

[ElectricVehicle]

When you talk about cash and carry, av will sell you the "glorified extension cord" and then either I or an electrician can install? I could easily do this and no one from the county where I live would ever had an idea that I installed. AV would also not have any idea, right?
I guess what I am getting at is I have done construction all of my working life, have wired houses, 240 dryers and electric ranges and I have not blown anything up yet. What would be the problem if I did this myself?

I dunno, maybe your home owner's insurance weaseling out of paying after the house fire because you had uninspected wiring done at your house? I never get the animosity towards the permitting process. It's usually fairly smooth, and it protects all of us from unsafe work being done.

Unfortunately not all inspectors are up to snuff. When I had my EV1 charger installed (6.6 kW, 240V 32A on a 40A circuit), the permit inspector INSISTED the 32A charger be installed on a 30A breaker!!! I politely educated him on code, and fortunately he ddin't get upset. My electrician, being pragmatic, was planing to install the 30A as requested by the inspector and then correct it to a 40A as soon as the inspector left!

 

[ElectricVehicle]

JasonT, where did you buy the unit? From the plug in america site they are saying (referring back to here) that it is priced at ~$1200.
http://www.pluginamerica.org/accessories/schneider-electric-square-d

Checkout the Ford/Best Buy partnership for the Leviton re-branded with average installation at $1499 . I don't have an easy way to follow up on when it will be available. It's quite likely it won't be available until the Ford Focus EV is out. But since the LEAF 240V isn't all that fast (3.3 kW), for overnight charging with less than 50 miles traveled per day, the L1 at 120V can get you along for a while until we have more sensible EVSE options.
http://green.autoblog.com/2011/01/10/ford-teams-with-best-buy-to-sell-install-focus-electric-charger/

The Plug In America charger / EVSE equipment listing is what I rely on. It is the best, most accurate listing of EVSE. And if it's missing something, you can use the comments to add information. I've given them a few updates like many others have to make it an excellent resource. And since I can, I updated the Scheider entry with a comment about the $750 retail.

http://www.pluginamerica.org/accessories/

 

[smkettner]

I am thinking the Leviton/Ford $1499 install price is after the electrician brings 240v 40a circuit to the mounting location.

 

[ElectricVehicle]

I am thinking the Leviton/Ford $1499 install price is after the electrician brings 240v 40a circuit to the mounting location.

During the appointment, a Geek Squad agent will conduct a quick electrical audit to ensure the residence can support the 240-volt charging station. Once the residence passes the electrical audit, the Geek Squad agent will schedule a master electrician for a hassle-free charging station installation.

* Nonpermanent installation: The charging unit plugs into a 240-volt outlet instead of being hard-wired into the electrical breaker box, making removal and replacement a simple unplug and plug back in operation in the event the owner moves
* Single point of contact for purchase and installation: Best Buy and Geek Squad will sell, deliver, install and service the home charging station, including contracting any additional home electrical needs for 240-volt service. Best Buy also will handle warranty and repair claims for the charging station
* Lower price: Based on current plans, the home charging station with standard installation is expected to retail for approximately $1,499, as much as 30 percent less than competitors' systems
http://green.autoblog.com/2011/01/10/ford-teams-with-best-buy-to-sell-install-focus-electric-charger/

The $1499 INCLUDES the site assessment and the electrician's work to add a new 240V 40A circuit from the panel to an outlet where the charger is installed. It's not explicilty spelled, out but that's what they mean.

If they were depending on an existing outlet, that would be pretty useless for most garages, since even if there was one, the chance of it being within the required foot or two of where the charger mounts is even more unlikely. The average price would not be $1499 either, since an existing outlet would not be average and if the outlet was existing and permitted then all they would have to do is mount and plug in the EVSE and that would be much less than $1499.

 

[smkettner]

If that is how it ends up... it bodes well for the Leviton unit to be the low price leader (evse only).
That or Ford is subsidizing the installs.

 

[LTLFTcomposite]

Seems pretty obvious the price increase is to recoup some of the lost profit from do-it-yourselfers who know it's about an hour or so of labor and $50 in materials from home depot to put one of these things in.

 

[daniel]

To the OP, I'll reiterate what others have said: Don't cancel your Leaf order, just cancel your AV order. I was quoted a criminally-inflated installation price by AV on what was virtually a basic install on a dedicated 50-amp, 240-volt service to the garage (installed previously for another EV). It was clear that they are gouging customers. They are crooks, plain and simple.

If I ever actually get my Leaf, I'll use L1 charging, and probably eventually will get the portable Leviton charger, which does not require an installation, since I already have the 240 v. 50 a. outlet in the garage.

 

[jeffc]

I have gone back and forth with AV about the bait and switch, with customer service manager, spoke with the CEO as well. I am not buying from AV and would not buy any of their products strictly because of customer service. What happens a year after i own the product and have a problem, i get the same great corporate commitment to their customers...ha.

by the way, they told me you only get the warranty if it is installed by an AV representative.

 

[davewill]

by the way, they told me you only get the warranty if it is installed by an AV representative.

You only get on-site service if they install it. You are still warrantied, but you have to ship it to them for service. But I agree with you, no one should do business with a company conducts it in this fashion.