EVSE options for 2013+ Leafs

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evnow: When you said "to set the max current draw to 16 amps", did you mean only for those residential Blinks whose owners have a RAV4 or Fit? If so, what about all the public Blinks -- is their approach to recognize a RAV4 or Fit indirectly via the RAV4/Fit owner's Blink Network card and reduce the max amps to 16 for just that charging session?

I always thought that the charging process is complicated enough that because a "problem" can be a result of multiple causes it warrants thorough testing, examination, and analysis before making conclusions.

I hope more information comes out before long -- thanks, evnow, for your efforts to find out and let the rest of us know!
 
MikeD said:
evnow: When you said "to set the max current draw to 16 amps", did you mean only for those residential Blinks whose owners have a RAV4 or Fit? If so, what about all the public Blinks -- is their approach to recognize a RAV4 or Fit indirectly via the RAV4/Fit owner's Blink Network card and reduce the max amps to 16 for just that charging session?

From what I was told this is what they are doing if someone complains - both for public and home charging stations.
 
Just got one of these installed:

ChargePoint CT500

Cost: $900

Incentive in Bay Area courtesy Air Management District: $700, to be paid in 3 installments of $266 each over 3 years. Must agree to share data with ChargePoint.
 
Not sure if I should have started a new thread (or searched more thoroughly to see if this was posted already), but I recently upgraded to a 2013 with 6.6kw charger, and I thought my GE Wattstation would be able able to provide full, maximum charging to the car, but it is only drawing 5400 watts. GE spec state 7.2kw output, and I am on a 50 amp circuit. I will be contacting GE to see what the limiting factor is here. Love the 2013--slightly disappointed with the lack of faster charging.
 
It should be easy for a 2013 Leaf (hi-power) owner to calculate the approximate charging rate (i.e. power) in kW of a Level 2 Blink: Just divide the kWhs delivered during the charging session by the charging time in hours. For a residential Blink, reading from the Main and Stats screens:

Aprox. Power(kW) = ["Stats/Energy(kWh) End" - "Stats/Energy(kWh) Start"] /"Main/Charge Time"

Example: "Stats/Energy(kWh) Start" = 108.07, "Stats/Energy(kWh) End" = 120.39, Main/Charge Time = 03:17 so Aprox. Power(kW) = (120.39 - 108.07) / (3 + (17/60)) = ~3.75

For a public Level 2 Blink, the total charging time is reported to the user, but not the total energy (kWh). An approximate charging rate can be inferred from how fast the estimated range increases. For ~3.3 kW charging, one should expect about 1 mile of additional range for every 5 minutes of charging. For ~ 6 kW charging, one should expect about 25 miles of additional range for every hour of charging. I'm not trying to be real precise here, but to use numbers that are easy to remember -- range after all depends on a lot of factors.
 
evnow: I talked to a Blink support person just now (about a down public Blink), and at the end of our conversation asked about any Blink overheating problems for the 2013 hi-power Leafs. He said he personally has never received a call from a Leaf owner with such a problem. He did admit that there were a relatively few Blink charging stations that had had such a (isolated manufacturing defect) problem, but my understanding from him was that their policy was to correct them and not to just limit their power.

I understand that he is hardly an independent, unbiased source for information, but can any 2013 Hi-power Leaf owner attest to evidence of low-power Blink charging? Please post if you have...
 
MikeD said:
He did admit that there were a relatively few Blink charging stations that had had such a (isolated manufacturing defect) problem, but my understanding from him was that their policy was to correct them and not to just limit their power.

Apparently their policy changes depending on who you talk to !
 
ORCA Air or ORCA Mobile and can be made to mount in trunk
Starting at: $24,000.00 and Eligible for $30,000.00 in fed tax credit.

50 kW portable DC charger for electric vehicle with CHAdeMO plug, Low price and ZERO additional installation cost.
Accepts any AC and DC power input with an extension cord, Power input: AC (208/240/400/480V; 50/60Hz; 1, 2 or 3-phases)DC (200-700V).
User-selection of charging power level (3 to 50 KW) and power cycles (power level and duration phases) to avoid grid overload.

http://andromedapower.com/uploads/ORCA-Air_flyer.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://andromedapower.com/uploads/ORCA-Mobile_flyer_v1.1.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://andromedapower.com/uploads/Orca-Rescue_flyer.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
 
Rauv said:
Not sure if I should have started a new thread (or searched more thoroughly to see if this was posted already), but I recently upgraded to a 2013 with 6.6kw charger, and I thought my GE Wattstation would be able able to provide full, maximum charging to the car, but it is only drawing 5400 watts. GE spec state 7.2kw output, and I am on a 50 amp circuit. I will be contacting GE to see what the limiting factor is here. Love the 2013--slightly disappointed with the lack of faster charging.
I would have expected to see something closer to 6.6kW, which is what the 6.0kW charger draws. What level was your battery at when you checked? The charge current drops as you get closer to full.
 
I traded in my 2012 LEAF for a 2013, one of the reasons was to get the 6.6 KW charger. I have a GE Wattstation and a EVSE upgrade "brick". I kept the 2012 EVSE and traded in the car with the 2013 EVSE left in the old car. So, for a test I measured the grid power that the new LEAF drew from the line with the various EVSE's. First, with the Wattstation, power input was 6,580 watts which is pretty close to 6.6 KW. I don't think the Wattstation would draw more then 100 watts to operate the contactor and electronics therefore, the charger in the car is seeing close to its rated output. The EVSE upgrade "brick" charged at 3,670 watts on the 240 volt line drawing 15 amps. One the 120 volt line, it charged at 2,124 watts a little over 17 amps. This is Phil's upgrade with the higher power option which makes the upgraded "brick" viable even for new cars with the larger charger. BTW very happy I swapped the leases as there are several changes I really like on the '13.
 
I had a minor problem (slight warming) and Blink came out and changed out my cable for a new one that had the crimp problem rectified. They also updated the CT at the same time just to prevent a future service call as there have been a few isolated problems with this and the GFI. They left my Blink set at 30 amps...

MikeD said:
evnow: I talked to a Blink support person just now (about a down public Blink), and at the end of our conversation asked about any Blink overheating problems for the 2013 hi-power Leafs. He said he personally has never received a call from a Leaf owner with such a problem. He did admit that there were a relatively few Blink charging stations that had had such a (isolated manufacturing defect) problem, but my understanding from him was that their policy was to correct them and not to just limit their power. I understand that he is hardly an independent, unbiased source for information, but can any 2013 Hi-power Leaf owner attest to evidence of low-power Blink charging? Please post if you have...
 
We are relative newbies, but did a lot of research ahead of time and it seems to have paid off. Here is what we are using with our 2013 Leaf S with the charger upgrade (which we really like)

Schneider EVLink 30 amp L2 indoor charger from Home Depot. It worked great but we got a recall notice and could not use for about 1 month until they got new J1772 plug and cord, which they installed for free, and we've had no problems. This unit is on a 40-amp circuit (and we had the electrician fit it with a NEMA 14-50 plug so we can take it with us if we have to) and seems to make full use of the faster charging as we can charge in well under four hours We start most charges when the SOC is between 25% and 50%, and see a gain of approx. 30% SOC per hour to 80% SOC. The last 20% seem a little slower the few times we've gone to 100%. (This unit disappeared from Home Depot's website about a week after we bought it, perhaps due to the recall, but I noticed they now have it again).

We also bought a Clipper Creek LCS 25 for portable L2 charging ($595). Cheaper than a new unit from EVSE upgrade and charges at 20 amps, so a little faster also. I fit this with an L6-20 plug and bought a couple of adapters from evseadapters.com so we can plug in at 240v outlets on the road.
 
hpver: Can you say whether of not the VersaCharge is suitable for occasional use in the same way as you intend to use the ClipperCreek -- they are both movable (although 20 lbs vs 9 lb respectively, I think)? This would allow you to charge at full speed, of course. You would need a 14-50p to 6-50r adapter for RV park charging at the commonly available 14-50r receptacles.

Either way there are safety issues that need to be considered, especially if using an EVSE outdoors in wet weather (like protecting the receptacle(s) from getting wet).

Edit update: I corrected typo above from "8-50r" to "6-50r".
 
TomT said:
I had a minor problem (slight warming) and Blink came out and changed out my cable for a new one that had the crimp problem rectified. They also updated the CT at the same time just to prevent a future service call as there have been a few isolated problems with this and the GFI. They left my Blink set at 30 amps...
The CS rep told me earlier they used to replace - but now they just change the max current (obviously the cheaper solution).
 
I just leased a Nissan Leaf 2013 SV. I can charge it at a Nissan Dealership down the street from my office in about 30 minutes, using one of the massive chargers, for free.
My wife just leased a Chevy Volt.

We think it makes sense to upgrade our chargers, if we can find a charger that is compatible with both cars.

What say the EVSE gurus?

Great forum and collaboration. Thank you. :D
 
Dragon888 said:
We think it makes sense to upgrade our chargers, if we can find a charger that is compatible with both cars.
All J-1772 charging stations are supposed to compatible with all the new plug-ins. There have been some reports of incompatibility with some EVSE or the other, so do a search before selecting the particular option.
 
Dragon888 said:
I just leased a Nissan Leaf 2013 SV. I can charge it at a Nissan Dealership down the street from my office in about 30 minutes, using one of the massive chargers, for free. My wife just leased a Chevy Volt. We think it makes sense to upgrade our chargers, if we can find a charger that is compatible with both cars.
The "massive charger" is a DC Quick Charge. It feeds high voltage electricity directly to the LEAF battery. The Volt is not designed to use anything like that. Both the Volt and the LEAF have chargers built in to the car which can accept either 120v AC or 240v AC electricity. Those chargers convert it to whatever voltage the battery needs.

At the end between the chargers (as defined in the previous paragraph) and the battery, the cars are different. At the end between the wall and the on-board chargers they are essentially the same. The same kinds of J1772 connectors are used to plug into the car and the same kinds of EVSEs are used between those connectors and the wall. The cars use the same voltages and can support the same amperages. You can't update the chargers inside either car, but you can use the same EVSE for both, whether mounted on the wall or built into a charging cable.

But I'm guessing that isn't what you meant when you said "upgrade our chargers". EVSEupgrade can upgrade either or both of your portable charging cables. The EVSE specs are different, as described on their website. But the end result is that with either one you get something back that can be used to charge either car. HOWEVER, upgrading the Volt's EVSE gives you one that no longer works at 120v, only at 240v. The upgraded LEAF EVSE works at both 120v and 240v.

Ray
 
MikeD said:
hpver: Can you say whether of not the VersaCharge is suitable for occasional use in the same way as you intend to use the ClipperCreek -- they are both movable (although 20 lbs vs 9 lb respectively, I think)? This would allow you to charge at full speed, of course. You would need a 14-50p to 8-50r adapter for RV park charging at the commonly available 14-50r receptacles.

Either way there are safety issues that need to be considered, especially if using an EVSE outdoors in wet weather (like protecting the receptacle(s) from getting wet).


I'm not famiiar with the VersaCharge unit or its outdoor capabilities. The Clipper Creek is nearly as compact and movable as the original L1 charger that came with the car, and it's both indoor and outdoor rated so OK for all but the worst outside conditions. The EVLink that we have is rated for inside, but we could take it with us also. I would be more careful putting this outside, and this would allow us to charge at the full 6.6 kw. That draws 30 amps continuously, which may be more than some outlets can handle. The unit has a sturdy plastic cover but it's not sealed. Plastic trash bag would protect it I think. Doable with some precautions.

Both units can plug into a 14-50r, or a 14-30r, which in my limited experience are pretty common at RV campgrounds and such. Can also plug in to a 10-30. Not sure why you would need an 8-50r adapter if you are going from a 14-50 p to a 14-50r.
 
hpver: Sorry, I meant 6-50r, not 8-50r (my eyes?). Also I don't know why I confused EVLink with VersaCharge, my apologies to you and Schneider! But thanks for your response to my ill-edit-checked post.

It seems to me that a very promising approach for a versatile yet safe portable EVSE would be one designed along the lines of the Tesla MC (Mobile Connector) for the Tesla Model S (and Tesla UMC (Universal Mobile Connector) for the Tesla Roadster). Unfortunately, those use a proprietary charge plug and not the J1772 plug (so can't be used by the Leaf), but hopefully a low cost version will be available to Leaf owners before too long.

The attractive idea to me is that multiple interchangeable input plugs be available to connect to the receptacle at hand and communicate to the control box what the appropriate maximum charge rate is for that receptacle. So for a Nema 5-15, the maximum rate to be signaled to the EV is 12a, for a Nema 10-30 or 14-30 maximum rate is 24a, and for a Nema 14-50 maximum rate is 40a, etc. This would allow for nearly foolproof amp selection for safety, and a compact design would make it easier to protect the receptacle/plug connection outdoors in wet weather.

BTW I've noticed a curious difference between the adapters available for the new Model S and the older Roadster: unlike the latter EV, the former does not (currently) provide an adapter for the Nema 5-20r receptacle. I'm speculating that Tesla may have decided that there are too many instances of homeowners replacing a 5-15 receptacle wired with 14 AWG wire with a 5-20 receptacle (possibly a GFCI type) and maybe even (shudder!) replacing the 15a overcurrent protection with a 20a one, not realizing it is a potentially serious safety hazard (and a code violation) to do so unless the outlet is wired with (at least) 12 AWG wire. This may also be the reason that appliances (including and especially portable EVSEs) rarely use a 5-20p plug (and draw more than 15 amps) -- it's too hazardous to casually use them on a 5-20r receptacle unless it has been carefully checked and determined to use 12 gauge wire and otherwise meet code!
 
Interesting info dated April 2013 I ran across concerning the EVLink EVSE and compatible EV inlets that may bear on some J1772 problems: "Schneider Electric™ EVlink charging station connectors (SAE J1772 plug) are for use on vehicles with an SAE J1772 compliant connector with silver plated contacts only."

Link: http://download.schneider-electric.com/files?p_File_Id=74260951&p_File_Name=2800DB1301.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
 
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