EVSE Installation, Info and Cost Comparison Thread

EVNation said:

EVDRIVER said:

EVNation said:

Like others, I just got a note that they reassessed. In my case, I have a Mini-E charger so am all wired right to the spot so just need the box and swap the junction wire. As easy as it gets. My reassess took off ~$300 down to $1040 labor. That seems in line with what others saw on the reassess.

So I assume they are across the board dropping some of the labor charge. Not really a response to my particular setup. I am still passing and going with another provider and let them know that.

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If you have a MINIe charger you can buy a J cord and use what is on your wall. Even if you decide to not use the one you have (not sure why as it's better) you can buy one and screw it on for free.

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Not clear we will be able to buy the J cord directly. I would think that should be possible but often the make stuff like that not available. You have any sources? Many people tried to get the raw cables for the Mini-E and Tesla and failed (though those were not standards). It sounds like Clipper Creek will be rolling out an upgrade plan so I am waiting for that. But as you say will possibly just buy a new box and do it myself.

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The cords wil be available as they will be very common, the inlets are available now. Do you want to sell your box, it is very good quality and higher power. I can't imagine nit using it as it's perfectly fine.

Check this http://currentevtech.com/Cables-and-...Connector-c64/

OMG look at the prices :shock:

LEAFer said:

Check this http://currentevtech.com/Cables-and-...Connector-c64/

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Overpriced as I have seen the inlet for $99 retail and there are two types of cable, the high current (80A?) and the standard, for the Leaf, huge price difference and who needs 40 feet? The high current cable is expensive because there is only one MFG but expect the other cable to be a commodity soon and likely under $200. Just look at what a good extension cord costs. You can than the copper tycoon and his artificial boost in copper prices. Copper is very expensive now. BE green and re use an EVSE.

I did find this Level 1 J1772 charger announced from Delphi.

http://delphi.com/shared/pdf/ppd/pwrelec/charge-coupler-cordset.pdf

No info on price. But the cable is UL rated to 300v (EVJE). Not sure if you could safely use it with the CC 40 amp charger but seems like it. 600v rating would probably be better. In any case they also are working with Clipper Creek so it seems a good possibility that CC will have a solution for upgrade. If I were them I would try and get in on some of this business.

Here is another option for cables. Might be worth looking into if the CC option doesn't pan out.
http://www.northwire.com/hybrid-ev-cable-solutions.php

Now that the EVSE installation, Info and Cost Comparison aspects have just about been beaten to a violent death . . . and knowing that anything even remotely resembling J1772 gets routed to this pile . . . anyone want to comment on, or has anyone else seen the adapter below for sale?

http://cgi.ebay.com/J1772-NEMA-14-50-adapter-electric-vehicles-/260667699877?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3cb10172a5%3E#ht_500wt_943

Kind of expensive, but pretty slick!

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Looks interesting! Based on the Q&A it seems this person is going to make a lot of money making these adapters! Should be useful for older EVs that don't have the J1772 connector to be able to plug into the new public charging stations.

There are easier and far less expensive ways to do that, like I keep saying it has been done many times before.

johnr said:

Looks interesting! Based on the Q&A it seems this person is going to make a lot of money making these adapters! Should be useful for older EVs that don't have the J1772 connector to be able to plug into the new public charging stations.

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Those are too expensive and there are easier ways to solve that issue but there is a sucker born every day

Not sure this will work properly. J1772 will not get any signaling ....

evnow said:

Not sure this will work properly. J1772 will not get any signaling ....

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It has a fake pilot signal, just like the ones we made to trick AVCON.

This is the J1772 socket (like on the car), not the plug (like on the e-hose).

As such it simply signals "TURN ON" (with no ventialtion required) using one resistor and one diode to load the Control Pilot line from the EVSE.

Then, most, many, or some EVSEs will probably work.

Do we have another, less expensive source of the J1772 sockets?

If I understand correctly, he had to machine the J1772 socket "from scratch". Apparently these parts are not yet commercially available.

This is my quote from AeroVironment:

product/service description quantity unit price line total
Installation Permit and Processing 1 99.00 99.00
Custom Installation 1 2,937.47 2,937.47
Charging Dock, Wall Mount 15' Cable 1 721.12 721.12
Shipping and Delivery 1 49.95 49.95
Total(before tax) $ 3,807.54
Sales Tax $ 127.25
Total US $ 3,934.79
Your quote details
Pull permit. Install (1) 40 Ampere 240 Volt circuit breaker in existing utility panel. Install 30 feet or less of feeder
from utility panel to wall mounted Charging Dock. Feeder (Conduit or Romex wire) will be mounted to existing
surfaces or run through crawl space or attic. Charging Dock will be installed on customer preferred location and
will be fully tested and certified with proprietary service tool. Customer will be trained on operation and
troubleshooting and inspector will be called for verification.
1.Existing service is 100A, meter/4 circuit panel combination with 100A breaker for house panel, 40A breaker for
PV connection. Took load readings at service with PV system, water heater, and lights off, stove, dryer,
microwave, and misc. appliances on. Load was 52/56 amps, phases A/B. With water heater and EVSE on, load
will be approximately 100 amps. Need to upsize service to 125 amps, with 200A meter/panel combination due to
PV connection.
2. Parts include 200A 4-circuit meter/panel combination with 125A breaker (40A PV breaker will be reused), 3 X
8' 1/0 AL service entrance condutors, 15' 3-1/0, 1#2 AL feeder cable to house panel, and cable fittings.
3. Labor is 10 hours for service upgrade and 1 hour for EVSE disconnect.
Expires on 12/31/2010

Almost $4,000 :evil: This should be an easy install but these clowns are arguing that 100 amps is not enough so they need to upgrade my house to 125 amps. Here is the rub - I have a solar hot water heater with an 80 gallon tank and only two people and I live in the tropics. I have never, ever, used electricity to heat my hot water and I told the clown from AeroVironment that and yet they claim they have to upgrade on the off chance that I would have the level two going at maximum at the same time I'm heating my hot water and presumably using the stove and the dryer. Needless to say I'll be going with someone else. Just sorry I wasted my $100. My worry is that this will hold up my being able to order and I'll miss my chance to get the $5,000 tax rebate from the State of Hawaii (there is only enough money for the first 200 cars).

I think this whole "charging dock" installation thing is insane.

First L2 charge needing a fixed "dock" vs. a transportable cable like for L1 charge is a joke.
Second, the installation costs is an even bigger joke. How could you pay such a premium for very basic installation and piece of hardware and not feel ripped off ?

That's simply amazing how SO MUCH work and money spent in designing and manufacturing what seem to be a great EV vehicle can be tarnished by just a stupid charging dock that could have been a transportable, affordable and convenient cord from day 1. :?

How is Nissan not seing that this is tarnishing the whole operation ?

If I were part of the car's R&D teams I would be so upset to see our hard work tarnished by some silly decisions.

The car's still as appealing as before but this dock thing really throw a negative spin to the buying experience.

1. We hope for over 1000 CCSE $5000 rebates.

2. I expect to buy a plug-in L2 EVSE, and take it (and some adapters) with me if there is any significant chance that I will need it on a trip. However, with typical "local" use of the LEAF, it would remain plugged in at home, awaiting its next overnight use.

I do not consider a 6-hour charge at the Local Mall (7 miles away) to be a workable option.

In fact, I would rarely PLAN on (depend upon) using public L2 charging to complete a trip. However, for the occasions where driving conditions have conspired against me making it home, a 30-minute (or 1-hour) L2 charge would probably give me the extra 6 (or 12) "miles" to make it to my destination (usually "home").

akohekohe said:

Almost $4,000 :evil: This should be an easy install but these clowns are arguing that 100 amps is not enough so they need to upgrade my house to 125 amps. Here is the rub - I have a solar hot water heater with an 80 gallon tank and only two people and I live in the tropics. I have never, ever, used electricity to heat my hot water and I told the clown from AeroVironment that and yet they claim they have to upgrade on the off chance that I would have the level two going at maximum at the same time I'm heating my hot water and presumably using the stove and the dryer. Needless to say I'll be going with someone else. Just sorry I wasted my $100. My worry is that this will hold up my being able to order and I'll miss my chance to get the $5,000 tax rebate from the State of Hawaii (there is only enough money for the first 200 cars).

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Just be glad you wasted only $100 and not $4,000! There are several alternatives coming up in the next couple months. GE and Leviton are two examples who will be offering their own charging docks and I expect them to be an easy installation for any electrician. As for holding up your ordering, just call Nissan and ask for a waiver - several of us did that and were able to order without the charging dock.

It took them from July 19 till September 17 to give me an outrageous estimate of $3155.29. I just filled out a survey that Nissan sent about this company’s service. Needless to say I said it was the worst possible experience I could have had and it cost me a $100 to be insulted.

bgj said:

It took them from July 19 till September 17 to give me an outrageous estimate of $3155.29. I just filled out a survey that Nissan sent about this company’s service. Needless to say I said it was the worst possible experience I could have had and it cost me a $100 to be insulted.

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I'm still waiting for my insult to arrive (since Aug 9). I'm already preparing to send my nasty response. For some reason, I keep getting this small thought in the back of my mind that they might send me a reasonable quote. Every time I see a response here like yours, I realize that it is not going to happen.

It appears that ONLY "Custom" quotes have a chance of being "reasonable".

I do not want the AV EVSE at any price, mainly because it is not designed to be "plug-in". I also prefer to have a selectable "max-current" setting, and a kWh display to show the charge-energy used.