Problem

I was accepted for the free charger in the Bay Area California. Although, after going down to pick up my Leaf today they told me the trim level I chose online, SV, is not compatible with the charger. Apparently the webpage doesn't preclude your choosing of the SV package, even though one may have accepted the free charger. Now I am either left to cancel my order and start over hoping to get another free charger or take receipt of the SV Leaf knowing I'm kissing away a free 30 min charger.

So why did this occur?

I never attempted to "build" the SL package online, so I never knew the "quick charger" was an option, let alone a SL only option. The eTec section never said anything like "attention if you'd like the free charger you need to chose the higher (SL) package" in bold. Or for that matter Nissans' website should have alerted me that the package I built wont take advantage of the free charger I was accepted to get in an earlier step.

What would you do?

you are not getting a level 3 EVSE, you are only getting a quick charge port worth $700. the free blink EVSE is a level 2 240V, that charges the leaf in about 8 hrs. my suggestion is to take that sv and drop out of the evproject before the $5K rebate is gone.

trentr said:

you are not getting a level 3 EVSE, no one is. the free EVSE is a level 2 240V, that charges the leaf in about 8 hrs.

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Eight hours if you are completely depleted, but the ave. charge for LEAF drivers is only 2-2 1/2 hours per day.

I Agree, you do not get a L3 charger, only the $700 charging port option!!
And, consider using the included L1 EVSE (perhaps modified to L2) for charging.

It will definitely cost you $2500 in lost CA rebates if you start over, and more than $1000 more (including tax) in extra cost for the SL. Sure, you get a 240v charging dock through the EVproject but, as Gary says, you can upgrade from L1 to L2 here for about $300 if you have an unused dryer outlet available, less if you're not afraid of doing half an hour's electrical work yourself.

Is it worth more than $3000 plus the aggravation of waiting, when the payoff may be a Quick Charge infrastructure that is very slow to get off the ground, and that you might never find you need to use anyway? Stick with the SV.

Ray

I haven't gotten anything installed. The dealership is in dismay over the fact my Leaf went into production and was delivered to them without Nissan, eTec, or anyone assessing my house, I never signed a waiver. Anyways, the eTec program offers up to $2600-2800 in costs toward the 30 minute charger. I guess you're calling it the L3. The L3 would have been free with my reservation, except the website never said anything like "hey consumer the SV doesn't qualify (have as an option) for the quick charge". There's no pop-up, nothing.

zigadabooga said:

I haven't gotten anything installed. The dealership is in dismay over the fact my Leaf went into production and was delivered to them without Nissan, eTec, or anyone assessing my house, I never signed a waiver. Anyways, the eTec program offers up to $2600-2800 in costs toward the 30 minute charger. I guess you're calling it the L3. The L3 would have been free with my reservation, except the website never said anything like "hey consumer the SV doesn't qualify (have as an option) for the quick charge". There's no pop-up, nothing.

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what you are saying about a level three or 30-minute charger is not accurate.
that is not what ECOtality is offering either free or with a "small" charge for non-deal install.
it just doesnt compute.

or is someone else doing the free charger for you?
and how do I get one?
mine was L2.

Your understanding of the eTec program is not correct.

The eTec program gives you the $700 "QC Port" Option (so that you would be able to PLUG IN at EXTERNAL QC stations, WHEN they appear near enough to you to be able to use) on the SL for "free", but you have to pay the extra $1000 (roughly) for the SL over the SV.

They install a LEVEL 2 (L2 = 240 volt) EVSE charging dock (NOT charger, which is INSIDE the LEAF) in your garage, but you pay install costs over about $1200 or $1500, I forget. You "pay" by participating in the "Study" to its end. Early withdrawal has penalties (they remove the EVSE that they installed).

By waiting, you will likely lose $2500 of the CA rebate, but possibly gain about $330 in reduced CA sales tax.

If you WANT your LEAF to have the ABILITY to use public Quick-Charge (QC) Stations (when they appear), waiting for (or "finding") an SL+QC (or SL+eTec) is your only option, since the QC Port option must be factory installed.

Ok so my understanding was that were three charging options:

1) 20-hour 120V just plug it in with the converter in back pack (anywhere)
2) 8-hour 240V installed in your home (also at some locations)
3) 30-min charger that will be free with the eTec program installed in your home also (at some locations)

Am I wrong with any of my assumptions?

I was unaware until yesterday that the "30-min charger" or "QC" or "L3" was an OPTION for the SL. My fault, that I ordered only an SV and never even pretended to "build" the SL on the website, so I never saw that as an option. I assumed since I was qualified in the previous step for a free quick charger, worth up to $2500 in costs, that whichever model I was choosing would come equipped with the necessary options, as per the previous step.

zigadabooga said:

Ok so my understanding was that were three charging options:

1) 20-hour 120V just plug it in with the converter in back pack (anywhere)
2) 8-hour 240V installed in your home (also at some locations)
3) 30-min charger that will be free with the eTec program installed in your home also (at some locations)

Am I wrong with any of my assumptions?

I was unaware until yesterday that the "30-min charger" or "QC" or "L3" was an OPTION for the SL. My fault, that I ordered only an SV and never even pretended to "build" the SL on the website, so I never saw that as an option. I assumed since I was qualified in the previous step for a free quick charger, worth up to $2500 in costs, that whichever model I was choosing would come equipped with the necessary options, as per the previous step.

Click to expand...

NUMBER 2 EVSE to charge your car at home is what you get and, as with all other leafs, you get the L2-able socket to plug into.
that socket also works with L1.
What you get out of #3 is the socket in your car so you can USE a level 3. but that is not installed at your home.

Call Nissan and explain that you were accepted into Etec program and received an SV model. See if they will exchange it for an Sl.

The "3)" part is incorrect, you get L2 in your home, not L3.

If they can locate a suitable SL (with QC), you would expect to pay about an extra $1000 for the SL (assuming you have qualified for the eTec program).

However, it sounds like you might NOT yet be qualified/accepted ... ???

All other considerations and assumptions aside for the moment, you would need 440, 3 phase in your house to run a L3 Quick Charger.
The charger that is provided with the EV Project is a L2 charger than runs on 220, 1 phase.
Someone gave you bad information on what you were getting.

zigadabooga said:

3) 30-min charger that will be free with the eTec program installed in your home also (at some locations)

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I ordered an SL, but because Nissan's ordering site was not clear that the QC option had to be factory installed rather than a dealer installed option at a later date I didn't get the QC port. I think that since then they have done a better job explaining that. Anyway our decision was to go ahead and take delivery of our LEAF without the QC port. From a practical standpoint that was very wise. Where we live we will be lucky to see any merchant in the area install an L2 charging station, much less a QC station. I am more hopeful that when the 6.6 kW internal charger becomes available that we can get that at a reasonable price. It is far more likely that you'll see L2 stations that can provide 6.6 kW as opposed to the QC stations. Thus, for just an hour at a restaurant or the mall and my range per kWh of 4.5, I'll be able to pick up almost an additional 30 miles of range. What cinches it for us is that we have always planned on leasing our LEAF for 39 months because of technological obsolescence. This is our "Starter LEAF". Depending on the range of the EVs in three years, we may purchase at that time and will probably get the QC port then.

I would recommend taking the SV, assuming that is still the model you want. You will pay $1000 more to switch to a SL. You could lose $2500 in CA rebate, unless Nissan can make the switch in a week or two. Your only benefit is getting a DC port on the Leaf for free (value $700), which you may or may not every use.

Please carefully read garygrid's posts on the eTec program. You seem to have a major misunderstanding of it. Then call them to see if you are in the program, and what your options are to still obtain a free L2 EVSE in your garage.

But I would say that you have options to get a L2 EVSE installed in your home for considerably less than the money you would be losing on the CA rebate. So I wouldn't delay delivery of your leaf in order to participate in eTec. Check out the various threads here on L2 EVSE. There are models you can purchase for less than $1000, and the electrical work should also be under that, unless your house wiring is outdated. And do check out the L2 EVSE upgrade by forum member Phil, which is the least costly option. Many happy customers among forum members.

I've figured it out, basically:

L1 20hour
L2 8hour
L3 30min

IF I were to get the SL, AND choose as an option the "QC" for the L3 then I get an L2 free.

I had to get my SV even though I qualified for the free L3 port.

I guess I'll have to get an after market or through dealer years down the road when they allow it.

Actually, if you want to get technical about it,
L1 = 120v AC to onboard charger
L2 = 208v to 240v AC to onboard charger
L3 = [not currently defined]

The L3 term was used at one time by the American standards committee for a proposed variable high voltage DC with an offboard charger, but they have stopped using the term for that, though they are still trying to produce a standard. Meanwhile, a Japanese consortium, including Nissan, did produce a standard for high voltage DC with an offboard charger which has been adopted there. It is formally called CHAdeMO, and is referred to by Nissan and others as "Quick Charge". Pressure is being put on the American committee to adopt that standard, but they are resisting, still wanting to push their own with a single port that can accept all three types of current.

So QC never was, and is not now, L3. It may, or may not ever, become standard in the US. At the moment there is one CHAdeMO charger installed in California and it is not operational. (There are a few elsewhere in the US, and promises to install more in California.)

Ray

planet4ever said:

So QC never was, and is not now, L3. It may, or may not ever, become standard in the US. At the moment there is one CHAdeMO charger installed in California and it is not operational. (There are a few elsewhere in the US, and promises to install more in California.)

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Leaf and iMiev owners, by force of numbers can change all that.. SAE may yet propose a third connector that combines the existing L2 and L3 sockets used in the Leaf and iMiev.. thus forcing retrofits of all the Volts and Leafs in the US right now, good luck with that.. and the longer they take the more cars get made.

I like the L1, L2 and L3 nomenclature.. its easy to understand.

and also isn't the L3 chargers VERY expensive? I thought I had read $30K+ each??

The Nissan QC device was rumored to be more like $11k and not require 440v 3-phase.