Lease and Charging Questions

[hingisfan]

Hi guys,
a few questions I had if you don't mind. I am between Toronto and Montreal, temps get up to 30C in the summer and go down to -30C in the winter. Doing a 4 year lease on an SV and planning to give back after (most likely anyway).

1. Is there any disadvantage to putting extra money down on a lease? I am trading in a car for $6300 on the lease already so I don't NEED cash down, but I have 5-7 grand I could put down as well. My thinking was that I am paying 4.9% on the lease which is way more than my savings account is earning. Or am I taking a huge risk by doing this if the car was ever in an accident and deemed a write-off? I'm not sure how this stuff works.

2. What should my home charging strategy be? Should I charge in the garage at home even though my L1 charge at work the Leaf will be outside for 12 hour shifts (mixed days/nights)? If I am not helping my cause much by charging in the garage (not heated), then I would rather have the extra storage space and just charge outside all the time. I would consider 10-15% more range by charging in the garage to be well worth it, if that helps.

3. Which EVSE would you go with? I pretty much have to pick between these two, as the Ontario gov't pays for half my EVSE, but it has to be bought in Canada, and we have no other decent vendors to my knowledge. If I did the Eaton is it really ok to have it mounted on the outside of my garage in all kinds of weather?

http://www.homedepot.ca/product/30-amp-indoor-electric-vehicle-charging-station-2nd-gen-enhanced-model/989931" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.homedepot.ca/product/eaton-indoor-outdoor-electric-vehicle-30amp-charging-station-with-advanced-/998395" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

4. I need a 50 foot extension cord for work charging...what am I looking for? 12/3 outdoor cord?

Thanks guys!

 

[hingisfan]

Anyone?

 

[planet4ever]

1. Is there any disadvantage to putting extra money down on a lease? I am trading in a car for $6300 on the lease already so I don't NEED cash down, but I have 5-7 grand I could put down as well. My thinking was that I am paying 4.9% on the lease which is way more than my savings account is earning. Or am I taking a huge risk by doing this if the car was ever in an accident and deemed a write-off? I'm not sure how this stuff works.

We went through this recently, but I can't find the thread right now. I'm pretty sure the answer was that if the car is totaled, the insurance pays the leasing company, but you don't get a penny. There is special wording in the lease agreement you sign which specifies that. So your huge risk is that you lose everything you put down.

Ray

 

[ksnogas2112]

3. Which EVSE would you go with? I pretty much have to pick between these two, as the Ontario gov't pays for half my EVSE, but it has to be bought in Canada, and we have no other decent vendors to my knowledge. If I did the Eaton is it really ok to have it mounted on the outside of my garage in all kinds of weather?

http://www.homedepot.ca/product/30-amp-indoor-electric-vehicle-charging-station-2nd-gen-enhanced-model/989931" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.homedepot.ca/product/eaton-indoor-outdoor-electric-vehicle-30amp-charging-station-with-advanced-/998395" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I have the Schneider in my garage and have been very happy with it for the last year+

 

[Boourns]

4. I need a 50 foot extension cord for work charging...what am I looking for? 12/3 outdoor cord?

Thanks guys!

There is a lot of discussion on this in multiple other threads. I think the overall consensus is that if you are going to do it, use the fattest cord (lowest gauge number) you can find, never coil the cord, and check it frequently the first time you use it to make sure everything is OK.

 

[Berlino]

3. Which EVSE would you go with? I pretty much have to pick between these two, as the Ontario gov't pays for half my EVSE, but it has to be bought in Canada, and we have no other decent vendors to my knowledge. If I did the Eaton is it really ok to have it mounted on the outside of my garage in all kinds of weather?

Suncountry sells rebranded Clipper Creek charging stations in Canada.

 

[jswilson]

Yup - I have the same one from SunCountry. Love it. No problems.

 

[jswilson]

Regarding charging at home in the garage versus at work outside, even though your garage is not heated, it will be warmer than being completely outside in our Canadian winters. It makes a difference. Pre-heating in the winter is very important, and it's virtually impossible to do with L1 charging, and even worse when your car is completely outside in the elements. Also, the battery temperature can go down quite a bit in the dead if winter in January, affecting range. L2 charging inside gets the battery temp up to 4 bars, in my experience.

 

[dgpcolorado]

Regarding charging at home in the garage versus at work outside, even though your garage is not heated, it will be warmer than being completely outside in our Canadian winters. It makes a difference. Pre-heating in the winter is very important, and it's virtually impossible to do with L1 charging, and even worse when your car is completely outside in the elements. Also, the battery temperature can go down quite a bit in the dead if winter in January, affecting range. L2 charging inside gets the battery temp up to 4 bars, in my experience.

+1 to every point you made!

Even in an unheated garage the battery will be somewhat warmed when charging and it will lose less of that heat when sheltered by a garage as opposed to being outside (wind makes a big difference IME). And a warmer battery means better charging and more range in very cold weather. The L1 charging at work will be helped by the battery being somewhat warmer from home charging plus driving. L1 should keep the battery well above ambient temperature over 12 hours outdoors.

4. I need a 50 foot extension cord for work charging...what am I looking for? 12/3 outdoor cord?

Yes, that should work fine for L1 charging. Don't go smaller than 12 gauge.

 

[hingisfan]

3. Which EVSE would you go with? I pretty much have to pick between these two, as the Ontario gov't pays for half my EVSE, but it has to be bought in Canada, and we have no other decent vendors to my knowledge. If I did the Eaton is it really ok to have it mounted on the outside of my garage in all kinds of weather?

Suncountry sells rebranded Clipper Creek charging stations in Canada.

Are they on the website? I don't see anything about them. Or do you have to call in?

 

[hingisfan]

Hi guys,

http://www.homedepot.ca/product/30-amp-indoor-electric-vehicle-charging-station-2nd-gen-enhanced-model/989931" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.homedepot.ca/product/eaton-indoor-outdoor-electric-vehicle-30amp-charging-station-with-advanced-/998395" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Thanks guys...agreed that I will charge in the garage, at least in the winter anyway.

For the EVSE's, I can get the Eaton for about $50 more than the Schneider, they charge at the same rate, but the Eaton is outdoor rated and might have a more heavy duty cord, and a longer cord as well. (24' to 18')

I know the Schneider is very popular and has great reviews....is the Eaton just as good/reliable? Any reason to not get the Eaton for the little extra $?

Thanks guys!

 

[Berlino]

Are they [Suncountry chargers] on the website? I don't see anything about them. Or do you have to call in?

They are on the site https://suncountryhighway.ca/chargers/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

You can find them from resellers in Canada for slightly less $.


The LCS-25 will take 20-30% longer to charge your car than most 30A chargers. On the other hand, it only needs to be on a 30A dedicated circuit, instead of the 40A one needed for the 30A chargers.

 

[ataman]

Hi guys,
a few questions I had if you don't mind. I am between Toronto and Montreal, temps get up to 30C in the summer and go down to -30C in the winter. Doing a 4 year lease on an SV and planning to give back after (most likely anyway).

1. Is there any disadvantage to putting extra money down on a lease? I am trading in a car for $6300 on the lease already so I don't NEED cash down, but I have 5-7 grand I could put down as well. My thinking was that I am paying 4.9% on the lease which is way more than my savings account is earning. Or am I taking a huge risk by doing this if the car was ever in an accident and deemed a write-off? I'm not sure how this stuff works.

2. What should my home charging strategy be? Should I charge in the garage at home even though my L1 charge at work the Leaf will be outside for 12 hour shifts (mixed days/nights)? If I am not helping my cause much by charging in the garage (not heated), then I would rather have the extra storage space and just charge outside all the time. I would consider 10-15% more range by charging in the garage to be well worth it, if that helps.

3. Which EVSE would you go with? I pretty much have to pick between these two, as the Ontario gov't pays for half my EVSE, but it has to be bought in Canada, and we have no other decent vendors to my knowledge. If I did the Eaton is it really ok to have it mounted on the outside of my garage in all kinds of weather?

http://www.homedepot.ca/product/30-amp-indoor-electric-vehicle-charging-station-2nd-gen-enhanced-model/989931" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.homedepot.ca/product/eaton-indoor-outdoor-electric-vehicle-30amp-charging-station-with-advanced-/998395" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

4. I need a 50 foot extension cord for work charging...what am I looking for? 12/3 outdoor cord?

Thanks guys!

you can get a 20A L2 charger for $500.

PM me for a coupon and info. It will be from Canada...

 

[hingisfan]

Are they [Suncountry chargers] on the website? I don't see anything about them. Or do you have to call in?

They are on the site https://suncountryhighway.ca/chargers/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

You can find them from resellers in Canada for slightly less $.


The LCS-25 will take 20-30% longer to charge your car than most 30A chargers. On the other hand, it only needs to be on a 30A dedicated circuit, instead of the 40A one needed for the 30A chargers.

I think I would rather pay the extra $100 and have full 30 amp charging....gov't pays half anyway, and I already have to run a line to my panel, so I might as well go as fast as possible. Also, I do come home from work for an hour or so and then go back out quite often, so it might come in handy.

 

[LeftieBiker]

I have a new charging question, don't want to start another new topic, and can't find an answer by searching with Google.

What constitutes "topping off" as opposed to just recharging to above 80%? I know that if I restart charging from 80% I'll get a little black star for topping off, but what if I use the car and run it down to, say, 74%? I did that this evening. I don't want to be obsessed with battery reports, but I may also want to try to sell the car at leases' end, so it is a concern.

 

[CMYK4Life]

I have a new charging question, don't want to start another new topic, and can't find an answer by searching with Google.

What constitutes "topping off" as opposed to just recharging to above 80%? I know that if I restart charging from 80% I'll get a little black star for topping off, but what if I use the car and run it down to, say, 74%? I did that this evening. I don't want to be obsessed with battery reports, but I may also want to try to sell the car at leases' end, so it is a concern.

From what I gather folks around here use 'topping off' as a term to decribe the practice of plugging in so the car finishes @ 100% an hour or less before they plan to discharge the battery below 80% in 1 leg of a trip (Not home to store and be at 90%, but home to across town at 79%). As you know 100% everyday isnt ideal but this practice takes it further and reduces the amount of TIME the battery is exposed to 100% when you need/want the extra energy. At least this is my interpretation!

 

[LeftieBiker]

I have a new charging question, don't want to start another new topic, and can't find an answer by searching with Google.

What constitutes "topping off" as opposed to just recharging to above 80%? I know that if I restart charging from 80% I'll get a little black star for topping off, but what if I use the car and run it down to, say, 74%? I did that this evening. I don't want to be obsessed with battery reports, but I may also want to try to sell the car at leases' end, so it is a concern.

From what I gather folks around here use 'topping off' as a term to decribe the practice of plugging in so the car finishes @ 100% an hour or less before they plan to discharge the battery below 80% in 1 leg of a trip (Not home to store and be at 90%, but home to across town at 79%). As you know 100% everyday isnt ideal but this practice takes it further and reduces the amount of TIME the battery is exposed to 100% when you need/want the extra energy. At least this is my interpretation!

No, I'm not looking for an explanation for the term - I understand it. The annual battery report gives points off for charging a car that is already at 80% or 100%. I want to know how much lower the SOC has to be for this not to happen, as I need to charge above 80% for my commute in cold weather. Sometimes (usually, really) I can time it so one continuous charge ends right before I leave for work, but not always.

 

[pkulak]

The manual says not to start a charge over 80%, so that's probably it.

 

[LeftieBiker]

The manual says not to start a charge over 80%, so that's probably it.

That would be nice, but a 5% or more lower SOC requirement wouldn't surprise me. If they want to encourage battery pack preservation, 1% isn't much of a difference, especially at 80%.

 

[XeonPony]

120V EVSE is 12A, a 14 guage cord is more then sufficient up to 50 feet!, over fifty feet a very very small gain can be had going up to 12 guage but still over kill if 12 guage extension cord is expensive.

Over 15 do you only need to worry or if dealing with big inrush loads do you need a 12 awg cord for any thing.

right tool for the right job! I set my timers so right as I will be leaving my battery hits a 100%, this is to preheat the battery and to keep it from siting at 100% any longer then needed, I have the enviro timer set so right as charge is near finnished (98) it starts to heat the car.

So basicaly the car is hot and the battery at 100% and 4 temp bars, worked flawlessly at -13c so far.

I recomend the timers, bit of a pain in the rear remembering to hit the overide button when at work, but it melts into the daily reutine after a bit.