Aerovironment EVSE install information

My Nissan Leaf Forum

Help Support My Nissan Leaf Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
The Turbocrud would be great if it was cheaper and Made in America. I honestly don't see the advantage of a dual voltage cordset. I'm charging at 240VAC at home and at work I'm using a pedestal charging station station. The Turbocord is too large to fit in an out door box with cover (so I've heard...)

That Clippercreek charging station was a breeze to install, It had a pig tail already prewired to it. All I had to do was connect at a junction box. No outlet needed.
 
For a factory unit the CC unit is not a bad price, very compact too, I also like that 22ft cord. I build and sell evse's in the private for sale section for the same price but double the amps, and add a full lcd screen and volt/amp meter. But I wonder if perhaps some people would just like something simple and fir less money. Maybe I should build one like the CC unit, I could call it the economy unit and see how inexpensive I could build it....gets me thinking. ;)
 
This is for a Brick Exterior House installation:

This was a free charger program from the dealership During December 2014 - AV EVSE-RS 6.6kw 240V J1772 charger - Nissan branded

Rec'd the charger on Wed January 28 2015 - via UPS Brown - Driver was surprised at the delivery - says it was going to "Nissan North America C/O: REX LastName"

Box weight was 22.5 lbs

Confirmed package contents. Started the install about a week ago.

Pulled AWG #8 Black and red copper wires (conductors) - Home Depot - 45'*2 = $55.
Seimans 2 pole 240V non fuseable safety switch - $54
Liquidtite connectors - Q4 at 5. = $20
1/2" flex liquidtite conduit = $25
40 amp 240 circuit breaker = $10

Due to brick exterior installation - AV instructions do not address at all.
Most of nuts and bolts are pretty much for wood sided housing installations and thus not used.

For Brick Ext installs:
A. 1/4" tapcon bolts 1-1/4" long work the best. contractor box w/ drill bit = $16
B. at least Q7 - 1/4" - stainless washers for all tapcon bolt connections - 3-4 on main unit plate and 3 on cable holder. = 1.18

Install Notes:
1. The #8 wire is very sensitive to taking the plastic jacket off and exposing copper when pulling through 1/2 metal EMT conduit connectors at the junction boxes. Electrical tape up these exposures carefully when examined.
2. You do not need to remove the yellow wire connector in the unit per the instructions, just be careful with the washer and get it above the washer before tightening.
3. The two Allen bolts that hold the unit to the plate are instructed at a ridiculous 50 foot pounds of torque, mine at 25lbs best. On a brick house with imperfections in the brick surface do not attempt 50 foot pounds or it might crack the housing.
4. The instructions are somewhat secretive on Phase 1 black and Phase 2 (red in my case) hot wires locations inside the unit. Don't forget a true ground - green wire, mine is a dedicated 12 gauge solid copper back to the service panel and pinned to the neutral bar. Chicago is also grounded in the metal conduit pipe - No Romex is allowed anywhere!! The Chicago Fire Fear.

Total hardware cost for installation: $182 before electrician time and any PERMITS. Wink - Wink.

Total time spent by my journeyman electrician was about 9 hours. 2 hours was to re-allocate lines on the service to make room for 2 open positions to hold the dual 240 circuit breaker. Those who get $700 total cost sounds like a bargain at 520 toward service @ $74/hour. The 2,400 quotes sound a bit high at 8 hours time @
$275/hour!! OUCH! My electrician/plumber/woodworker/gardener/Dad works for real cheap!!
Can take pictures if you need any that have brick exteriors or confusion on were the black and red wires connect!!

Post Installations Observations:

6 bars charged in 1 hour 18 min - Wow! - compared to 120V trickle charger

Others research shows standby electricity at 5 watts? Will verify this later. Appears close on house meter

Trickle charger - assuming, in error, @100 efficiency, cost me 4.13 cents per mile at 12.4 cents per KWH.

Whole house ComEd Real time price for January 2015 - including Leaf was 11.1 cents per kwh averaged. This KWh pricing with L2 charger should get me in the 3.2 - 3.5 cents/mile arena.
 
Back
Top