Aerovironment EVSE install information

[juniorboy90210]

How is everyone liking their AV chargers? Anything you would change?

I got mine installed a week and a half ago. I've been having problems since the beginning. The red "problem" light keeps coming on randomly where I have to set the breaker to reset the thing for it to work. One time, it went to the red "problem" blinking light in the middle of a charge overnight and my car did not fully charge. This issue seems to occur at least once a day at various hours for no reason. Each time I have to reset it using the breaker. Very annoying.

I called customer service and they were also very annoying. They kept asking me the same questions and wanting me to go through the same thing that I told him that I had to do to get it working everyday and just wasting my time and stalling. They did not want to send anyone out to check it. They kept saying it must be something with the utility. If they send someone out, I may get charged some service fee. I got very upset at them. They said they were going to look into it and call me back and see what they can do for me.

Very bad product and service. I'm guessing I got a defective charger but they don't want to do anything about it. Unbelievable!

 

[rwherrick]

Electrician AV sent out was from 50 miles away in SF, I think I'll go with a local electrician and buy the Leviton.

__________________
Lots of people are going with the "local electrician" option, since AV has typically added quite a bit of a markup into the price, resulting in a very high rejection ratio for the quotes. But I don't necessarily recommend specifying the Leviton charger until it is actually shipping. If you weren't aware, the Leviton ship date has slipped many times.
If your commute is short enough (<40-50 miles a day), you may be able to get by on level-1 charging for a while. If you need a L2 charger installed before the car arrives, the best options for now (as of early July) appear to be the Schneider/ Square D, the AV charger on a "cash and carry" basis, or evseupgrade.com. I'm still waiting for more options to come out before deciding on one.

- Bob

 

[smkettner]

If you need a L2 charger installed before the car arrives, the best options for now (as of early July) appear to be the Schneider/ Square D, the AV charger on a "cash and carry" basis, or evseupgrade.com. I'm still waiting for more options to come out before deciding on one.

- Bob

SPX seems to be shipping a 24a portable evse that needs just a 30a circuit. Perfect for an unused dryer outlet in the garage.
https://www.homecharging.spx.com/Volt/Display.aspx?id=25&menu=13

 

[pasowino]

Yesterday UPS dropped off on my doorstep a cash-and-carry EVSE from AeroEnvironment. This morning my electrician installed it. Since I had already put in a Milbank RV panel and wiring when building the home, the total cost (EVSE, shipping, and installation) cost me only $871.07. Not bad, all things considered. Yes, I know: EVSE prices will likely be even lower in the future, but at least I paid a helluva lot less than what others have been paying to date.

That's great that you got the AV EVSE for that price installed. They are charging $995 plus shipping and tax just for the EVSE now. Are others getting the $995 price or are folks still getting the $750 price for a cash & carry?

 

[badamsfx]

That's great that you got the AV EVSE for that price installed. They are charging $995 plus shipping and tax just for the EVSE now. Are others getting the $995 price or are folks still getting the $750 price for a cash & carry?

I got a quote over the phone a couple of months ago and I don't remember exactly how much but it was very close to $1000 for just the unit including shipping. AeroVironment is located in Simi Valley, CA, and I don't live too far away so I'm wondering if I could just go pick it up and save a little dough. It'd be cool if I could pick it up in my Leaf! (coming in August, fingers crossed)

 

[dhwhat]

This company has been a royal pain in the butt. They can't seem to reply back and provide an accurate quote and when they do, they are so far out in left field and lost. I asked for a new quote and now can't seem to get a simple quote after 2 weeks of asking. What is the deal...Nissan truly screwed up connecting with this company....

 

[pasowino]

This company has been a royal pain in the butt. They can't seem to reply back and provide an accurate quote and when they do, they are so far out in left field and lost. I asked for a new quote and now can't seem to get a simple quote after 2 weeks of asking. What is the deal...Nissan truly screwed up connecting with this company....

I agree. I have been trying to get them to refund my $100 assessment fee and they won't budge at all. At this point, I am just going to walk away and look for a different EVSE since they don't seem to care much for their potential customers.

 

[highcountryrider]

Charging Dock, Wall Mount 25' Cable.......995.00
Shipping and Delivery.................................49.95
ITEM(S) SUBTOTAL..................................1,044.95
SALES TAX...................................................89.88
TOTAL....................................................1,134.83

$995 for a plastic box with a few wires in it. I won't be able to sit for a month.

 

[EVDRIVER]

This company has been a royal pain in the butt. They can't seem to reply back and provide an accurate quote and when they do, they are so far out in left field and lost. I asked for a new quote and now can't seem to get a simple quote after 2 weeks of asking. What is the deal...Nissan truly screwed up connecting with this company....

I agree. I have been trying to get them to refund my $100 assessment fee and they won't budge at all. At this point, I am just going to walk away and look for a different EVSE since they don't seem to care much for their potential customers.

You can upgrade your existing Nissan EVSE at a fraction of the cost and it is portable, don't bother with AV.

 

[Yanquetino]

Since I won't be able to take delivery of my LEAF until they're ice skating in Hades, I have yet to try out my cash-and-carry EVSE from AV, so I have no idea how well it works. Nonetheless, I get the impression from others' posts that the unit doesn't have nearly as many problems as the Blink EVSE. If true, I think that we can at least give AV credit for designing a reliable product. Or am I mistaken about that? Have AV units been plagued with similar glitches?

I might be mistaken about this also, but the complaints against AV reported here seem to be more a problem with local, "AV certified" electricians than the company itself. Aren't those local installers the ones coming up with the horrendously high bids? Delaying in revising them? Failing to show up when scheduled? Etc.? If so, I would imagine that AV isn't very happy with those individuals either, and I'm not sure we should blame the manufacturer because field reps are screwing up. It is kind of like what happened when I contacted my local Schneider distributor, and he refused to sell me one of their EVSEs at the price quoted by the company. I was not very happy with that attempt to gouge me, but... I couldn't blame Schneider.

It will be interesting to now see if Leviton and SPX do a better job at distributing and installing their EVSEs. My guess is that the same types of problems will arise at the local level, but I hope I'm wrong about that.

The ultimate solution? I've said all along that EVSE manufacturers should just sell their wares via Lowe's, Home Depot, or Sears, and leave it up to the customer to have to deal with the installation according to local code. That is what happens when we purchase a 240V electric water heater, dryer, steam shower, or air conditioner, and I frankly don't see why an EVSE is any different. That is route Nissan should have pushed for from the getgo, IMHO.

 

[highcountryrider]

<snip>The ultimate solution? I've said all along that EVSE manufacturers should just sell their wares via Lowe's, Home Depot, or Sears, and leave it up to the customer to have to deal with the installation according to local code. That is what happens when we purchase a 240V electric water heater, dryer, steam shower, or air conditioner, and I frankly don't see why an EVSE is any different. That is route Nissan should have pushed for from the getgo, IMHO.

I have to agree with that, but the outrageous cost of the AV dock is only AV's responsibility.

 

[smkettner]

I equate the price to be similar to a plasma tv just a few years ago selling for $10,000+ and now they are bigger and better for less than $1,000.

These evses should be about 10% of the initial cost... the hard part is waiting a couple years for the containers to start shipping from China.

 

[rwherrick]

I have a fair amount of second-hand knowledge about AV quotes and acceptance rates. While you can't blame AV for late appointments, etc., the high quote prices ARE indeed AV's doing; the installers are getting reasonable amounts of money that are in line with market rates, and the installers do not come up with the quotes; AV is pocketing the difference. As near as I can tell, AV keeps $800-$1000 above what it cost for cash-and-carry installations (assuming a $750 equipment cost) for a standard ($2.2k) installation. In my own case, with a $4k installation quote, their "additional profit" would have been close to $2,000 above what independent electricans quoted me. I believe this "extra profit" was the carrot that Nissan dangled in front of AV to get them to run the program - $10-20m from consumers to get them interested in staffing up such a program. The assumption was that consumers wouldn't be all that price sensitive, thanks to Federal tax rebates. Of course, with hindsight, we know that most people (myself included) have questioned why it should cost so much to install a charger; Nissan's job of "preparing customers" to pay $2,200 or more has not stopped people from questioning and rejecting the quotes in large numbers, and trying to do better on their own.
I totally agree with the sentiment that Nissan should stop threatening customers that they'll invalidate their battery warranties, or won't be able to buy cars, unless they install a "Nissan Branded Charger", and install it through their monopoly service provider. Nissan should give AV a one-time payment to make up for the lost revenue, and then open things up to the free market. We can say this with hindsight, although there were a lot fewer companies that had UL-approved chargers on Nissan's original timeline, so it's hard to say that Nissan should have known not to do it this way from the start.

- Bob

<snip>
I might be mistaken about this also, but the complaints against AV reported here seem to be more a problem with local, "AV certified" electricians than the company itself. Aren't those local installers the ones coming up with the horrendously high bids? Delaying in revising them? Failing to show up when scheduled? Etc.? If so, I would imagine that AV isn't very happy with those individuals either, and I'm not sure we should blame the manufacturer because field reps are screwing up.

<snip>

The ultimate solution? I've said all along that EVSE manufacturers should just sell their wares via Lowe's, Home Depot, or Sears, and leave it up to the customer to have to deal with the installation according to local code. That is what happens when we purchase a 240V electric water heater, dryer, steam shower, or air conditioner, and I frankly don't see why an EVSE is any different. That is route Nissan should have pushed for from the getgo, IMHO.[/quote]

 

[dhwhat]

Let's not just blame the local people. I got a bid for an install they quoted me their typical $3100 for install. I had the work done locally and now all they have to do is connect the wires and mount the charger. I sent the pictures and filled out their change forms, 3 weeks later I got the quote back and it was for $3100. Excuse me....

 

[dhwhat]

This company has been a royal pain in the butt. They can't seem to reply back and provide an accurate quote and when they do, they are so far out in left field and lost. I asked for a new quote and now can't seem to get a simple quote after 2 weeks of asking. What is the deal...Nissan truly screwed up connecting with this company....

I agree. I have been trying to get them to refund my $100 assessment fee and they won't budge at all. At this point, I am just going to walk away and look for a different EVSE since they don't seem to care much for their potential customers.

You can upgrade your existing Nissan EVSE at a fraction of the cost and it is portable, don't bother with AV.

All ears...please help....

 

[dhwhat]

I equate the price to be similar to a plasma tv just a few years ago selling for $10,000+ and now they are bigger and better for less than $1,000.

These evses should be about 10% of the initial cost... the hard part is waiting a couple years for the containers to start shipping from China.

interesting thought... I Equate it as...let's see how many people we can stick it to...

 

[highcountryrider]

I'm still not happy about the price, which is now $995, not $795 BTW.

But the dock showed up today - the day after I ordered it! Sure can't
complain about delivery time!

 

[rwherrick]

I equate the price to be similar to a plasma tv just a few years ago selling for $10,000+ and now they are bigger and better for less than $1,000.

These evses should be about 10% of the initial cost... the hard part is waiting a couple years for the containers to start shipping from China.

I don't think the plasma TVs are a good analogy; the flat screen industry has invested enormous amounts in automating their factories and making bigger displays for the same money, and the scale of the automation has been responsible for most of the cost reduction. A typical display fab is said to cost over $1B to build and outfit.
How much of a price drop depends on how "different" a piece of equipment is, and how much it can leverage known manufacturing techniques. Most of the stuff in EVSEs isn't that much different than other electrical switching equipment. I think a reasonable guess for a 32A charger would be $400-500 within a 2-year time-frame, and maybe $250-$350 within a 5-year time-frame (compare other electrical equipment with comparable content and complexity - although admittedly I'm not an expert on this). Maybe questionable quality stuff will be available for even less than that, but we're still talking about plenty of metal and components that need to be UL qualified.
If you need a charger this year, future price declines don't help you now - just buy when you need to buy and not months before. As people have written here many times, the pistol grip for the SAE J1772 connector is hundreds of dollars by itself. It's the main thing that should come down with increasing volume.
- Bob

 

[highcountryrider]

Yes, and I expect I'll save enough in gas money to make up
for the premium price I paid for both the dock and the car.

 

[highcountryrider]

Ready to go. (Far as I can tell anyway.)