First Leaf, First EV 2025 SV Plus , in snowy Vermont

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Thank you! I am using this car as a third vehicle, so the Level 1 is fitting the bill for now, and i have 2 ICE cars although one is summer only convertible unless an unforeseen emergency come up to run the 3 miles into town. my main concern is I am in an old house w a 100 am service that i just had my electrician add in a generator panel to. I think i am pretty close to maxed out and I have a well outside that needs to be considered as I assume its on the same circuit as the attached garage it sits 30 feet from. So while the GMP EVSE is free, i think i will be in the 2 to 3k dollar upgrade cost to add the "free" charger. Even if the 100 amp has room, I would feel uncomfortable adding to it.
 
If this is a lease, unless you're planning on buying-out and keeping the car at the end of the lease, I wouldn't worry a lick about the battery.

I've owned 3 Leafs, 2 2022 SV's and 1 2023, S all 40kWh. The first one came with 1 year free charging at EVgo, so that was all I ever used with that car and I noticed no battery degradation according to LeafSpy, with using CHAdeMO compared to L1 charging that's being used on the other 2 cars, (the first 2022 Leaf was totaled in an accident when I was hit from the rear, the 2023 was sold to a friend who only uses L1 charging like I do).

I converted the 240v dryer receptacle at both of my homes for L2 charging in case I ever need it but have never had occasion to use at this time. I did the work myself and cost less than $40 in parts.

Bottom line, I'd do whatever necessary as far as charging to be comfortable, and not have any range-anxiety, to make the trips you describe with your new Leaf. Sounds like you got a helluva deal on it.

I'm not familiar with any good snow tires, living in San Diego, but I always keep my OEM tires inflated to 45psi.

Happy New Year to all.
Thanks for answering. I have a question about changing your dryer plug.. Do you still use it for the dryer too? and would you have to change the cord from the dryer for some new sort of plug? or maybe you have a gas dryer and the plug sits unused? This is all new to me, of course,
 
Thank you! I am using this car as a third vehicle, so the Level 1 is fitting the bill for now, and i have 2 ICE cars although one is summer only convertible unless an unforeseen emergency come up to run the 3 miles into town. my main concern is I am in an old house w a 100 am service that i just had my electrician add in a generator panel to. I think i am pretty close to maxed out and I have a well outside that needs to be considered as I assume its on the same circuit as the attached garage it sits 30 feet from. So while the GMP EVSE is free, i think i will be in the 2 to 3k dollar upgrade cost to add the "free" charger. Even if the 100 amp has room, I would feel uncomfortable adding to it.
My house is similar to yours, well pump, electric dryer, I went for gas range, gas water heater and gas furnace. I have 125 amp service split between 3 buildings, and never come close to "maxing" out the capacity.
Normally (no A/C running) I am less than 10 amps on either leg of the 125 amp supply. The other outbuildings may see only a few amps, the barn might see a 20-30 amp draw if I'm welding something, but that is intermittent.
Big electrical users are the window A/C's (3 of them) at 11,7,7amps max.
Add in an electric range, dry your clothes and charge your Leaf all at the same time and you might max out your 100 amp service. However, charge you Leaf at night, and you can easily dry your clothes and cook dinner at the same time.
Most times when people run into a problem with their existing service, they don't have room in the circuit panel for another tandem breaker. Either a bigger breaker panel with more slots or moving some to a sub-panel to get more slots is the answer.

In most houses, if you add up the total breaker capacity on the branch circuits, they will far exceed the main breaker capacity. This is fine, because they protect different things, the branch circuit breaker protects the branch from seeing a load higher than the wires can handle, the main protects the drop from the utility to the house from being loaded more than it can handle.
 
I agree that all else being equal, if the costs are essentially the same, might as well plan for the future and install the 50A circuit. But I wouldn't do it if it cost a lot more than a 30A circuit, for whatever reason.

I have friends with Teslas who "NEEDED" a 50A circuit, so they could charge once per week at home. In other words, even with a BIG battery, you could use a 30A circuit and still only charge twice per week. 30A is still pretty future-proof for years to come.
I would not install a 30A circuit when the car charger can be set to 6.6 KW (27.5A) for which you need at least (80% of) 34.4A. I get that the car's charger can be set to 3.3 KW or 6.6 KW but setting up a situation where the user is allowed to manually select an option higher than the circuit can provide is asking for trouble. Nissan did not include settings for 15A and 20A charging for similar reasons. If you are DIYing it, 40A doesn't cost that much more, might be the same for an electrician doing the work where the majority of the cost is the electrician's time.

If you are sticking with 120V charging, I'd make sure there is nothing else (like a freezer, refrigerator, small space heater,... that could be running on the same circuit. You should really make sure the circuit isn't used for anything else while the car is charging. Also, the manual states "Do not use the EVSE in structures more than 40 years old." so if your place or your son's is more than 40 years old, you should probably install a new circuit even if it's only a 120V. And I'd replace the existing receptacle with a commercial grade one, properly torque the connections on the breaker and receptacle. If the receptacle is downstream on a GFCI, I'd torque the connections on the GFCI as well. Hopefully there are no other receptacles between the charging one and the breaker panel or the GFCI.
 
I am seriously considering Grizzl's mini-40 because it would allow setting the charge by Kwh, not just time. If I had that as an option, I would start charge after midnight at full charger capacity and only put in what I used, most often between 7-8 Kwh. That would allow not charging to 100% without having to make the calculation for the timer and the current to get the same.
I find this statement confusing. What I'd like a EVSE (for us LEAF owners) to be able to do is allow you to set the amount of charge to add and then stop. This is not a common feature in smart EVSEs and in looking at Grizzl-E's manuals, I don't find it there either.
 
Thanks for answering. I have a question about changing your dryer plug.. Do you still use it for the dryer too? and would you have to change the cord from the dryer for some new sort of plug? or maybe you have a gas dryer and the plug sits unused? This is all new to me, of course,
People who have a dryer "outlet" in their garage (I wouldn't think this is common in the NE) often use an abandoned dryer outlet or buy a device that allows load sharing (or more likely switching) between a dryer and EVSE. Depending on the device, you may or may not need to switch out the cord to the dryer, and I wouldn't consider this type of installation without upgrading the existing receptacle with a commercial grade one and properly torquing all the terminations. You will also need to limit to 3.3KW on your Charge Time Screen. Personally, I think this is risky, but plenty of people do it.
 
I find this statement confusing. What I'd like a EVSE (for us LEAF owners) to be able to do is allow you to set the amount of charge to add and then stop. This is not a common feature in smart EVSEs and in looking at Grizzl-E's manuals, I don't find it there either.
If you are looking for percent of charge, then I think, no it will not (I'd have to look to be sure). But if, like me, know that I use between 7 Kwh and 9 Kwh for my daily trips to town, the higher number in the cold months, I could set the Grizzl mini to 7 kwh and it will stop when it reaches that amount. I would have to adjust up or down depending on season, but could select the amount I want to put in.
I can do the same with time, but is more involved, the Leaf timer is in 10 min increments, and my L2 is adjustable, but it sets a code when the timer disconnects so am planning to replace it.
120 volt (L1) charging gives small increments as the power used is much less for a given time period. I would prefer all my "grid loading be done between midnight and 3 am.
 
If you are looking for percent of charge, then I think, no it will not (I'd have to look to be sure). But if, like me, know that I use between 7 Kwh and 9 Kwh for my daily trips to town, the higher number in the cold months, I could set the Grizzl mini to 7 kwh and it will stop when it reaches that amount. I would have to adjust up or down depending on season, but could select the amount I want to put in.
I can do the same with time, but is more involved, the Leaf timer is in 10 min increments, and my L2 is adjustable, but it sets a code when the timer disconnects so am planning to replace it.
120 volt (L1) charging gives small increments as the power used is much less for a given time period. I would prefer all my "grid loading be done between midnight and 3 am.
Do you have a link to the manual that shows how to do this?

Edit: never mind, found it. Pretty cool.

https://ecommerce-space.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com/User_Manual_Mini_Connect_V1_4_d67d7e3d55.pdf

Energy Limit kWh: The charging session will stop once the energy limit has been reached. The Energy limit will override any set schedules. To set Energy Limit: 1. Enable the Energy Limit button. 2. Set the Energy limit using the scroll bar. Energy is measured in kWh. The energy will count down once the energy limit is set.
 
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My problem is to use all the features I'd likely need a repeater on the Wifi, as the car is in a different building the the router
Yeah, I wish EVSE products had an Ethernet connection, but I guess that would add cost and most users probably have WiFi. My EVIQO has what appears to be an Ethernet port on the main board, but there is no documentation on it. I'm lucky enough that I have no problems making a connection, but I'd much prefer a hardwired connection for a non-portable device.

I prefer to spread out my grid loading over the time I have available to charge. My electric company has a TOU option, but they jack up the rates during the peak periods which for our usage, may offset any savings in off peak charging as I still have to run heat and AC during peak time. I came up with a spreadsheet app for my phone to do the math for me, but I wish I had the Energy Limit feature to avoid setting the schedules. I'd still probably need the spreadsheet to determine the charging rate.

Charge Remaining (%)32
Available Charge Time (hrs)9
Desired SOC (%)70
Suggested Charger Rate (A)10.4
Set Charger Rate (A)11
Set Charge Time (h:mm)8:29
Watt Hours to Charge (KWh)22,800
Battery Size (KWh)60,000
Voltage (V)244
 
No, I have a fair distance to the garage and over head is not practical and I would want permanent LAN connection so starting/stopping and current control could be had from a laptop in the house.
My Wifi router will not work that far.
No "code"on low voltage stuff like telephone and LAN.
should explain that the power comes off a Jct box mounted on a post, so much closer than the house.
The well pump used to be fed from direct burial UF cable buried with the water pipe, about 75' or more from the house to the well. Now it gets fed 30' from the breaker box in the garage.
I live on an 125 year old farmstead, originally all power came from "yard poles" in the yard to various buildings.
After a major storm 40 years ago took out the yard poles, direct burial cable was used, I had problems with those feeds, and replaced with cable in conduit for most of it.
The well was at the base of a yard pole and was originally fed from that, at some point UF was installed from the house and the old fused disconnect switch on the yard pole "stump" was abandoned.
Since the closest building to the well is the garage, when I restored the power to the building with a new breaker box and feed from the jct at the old yard pole (pole stump replaced with a "post".) it only made sense to add 1/2" conduit along side the 11/2" for the power feed, and extend the trench a 1' or so to the well house.
I have no buried cable from the house to the garage directly, and it is not wise to run LAN along side electrical, as it make the Lan connection "noisy".
 
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That is along the lines I'm thinking.
Phone company, that replaced our copper phone wires to fiber-optic voi, put the router in the basement. I have run LAN in the house, although their wireless is ok.
I think I'd need to run POE to the transmitter on the side of the house via shielded Cat 6, and that should cover the garage and barn.
easier to hack into Wifi than LAN, but not sure why someone would want to.
 
I had the same but was able to relocate the router to the center of my townhouse and have pretty good coverage even in the garage to my EVIQO.
 
You may want to get some better tires for winter. I have Michelin CrossClimate2 all weather tires on my '23 Leaf SV+ in Downeast Maine. I have a 54 mile commute work days (27 miles each way). These tires provide much better traction than standard tires, but do cost a little in energy efficiency, reducing range a few percent.

In very cold (below 10˚F) weather, running the heater has been a significant drain on the battery and I sometimes lost 40% of charge in the cold morning leg of the commute (which is a few miles longer because I go to the gym before work). Fortunately I can level 2 charge both at work and at home. Looking forward to more moderate temps as winter fades.
 
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