Aerovironment EVSE install information

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AV called me recently to try and sell me an EVSE. Where were you AV when I left you many VMs about the issue with my bid not being custom as promised? Where were you when you promised three times to fix the bid in a week and then never responded for a month. Now that your poor business model is falling apart you are calling people in desperation to sell them an EVSE without installation. If you had run your business better in the beginning you may have had some more customers but clearly you are learning your lesson. Best of luck with the cold calls AV, ring me back when the price is $199, that's about what it's worth retail now, but I still will say no. What a joke, learn your market and learn customer service.
 
x2 AV recently called me also, no thanks

AV could at least offer to give the $100 sucker fee as credit on the evse purchase
(to be a discount without actually dropping the price)
 
Surprise on my doorstep today. The AV EVSE with the longer 25' cable I had ordered two weeks ago that they said was backordered 4-6 weeks had arrived. Seems the backlog is clearing up fast.

Be good to get it installed but I have been doing fine without it due to short commute and multiple charging opportunities during the day.

Install looks like it will be as straightforward as I hoped.
 
I have been holding out for an EVSE that is comparably priced to the AV unit but I think my LEAF will be here before any of the competitors make it to market. Today I was in contact with GE, SPX and Leviton and only one - GE - could sell me an EVSE today and that was an older industrial model costing $3K. I'm starting to think that AV cash and carry is the way to go. Can anyone offer a Level 2 alternative that is under $900, available today and not EV Charge America? (Level 1 won't work for me :( )
 
LBCev said:
...Can anyone offer a Level 2 alternative that is under $900, available today and not EV Charge America? (Level 1 won't work for me :( )
Have you pleaded with EVProject to do an install at your house? Their purpose in life is to get these L2 and L3 EVSEs out there. I was outside of the EVP zone initially and not formally part of LA metro, but I emailed the Western region reps and made my case and ended up with the first Blink installation. Otherwise, I was planning to go with the AV cash-carry option since it seemed the most real and my install is cake.
 
Since I had a charger I was replacing and install was easy, I decided to just buy a new AV charger (after tax beni it was about the price of upgrading my current charger).

They were backorder on 25' cable but I needed that. They said it would be 4-6 weeks and it took 2.5.

My AV quote was $1200 for the basic install. I had them reassess and they dropped it to $800 labor. I went with self install and had a great local guy do it (PM if you want contact). He arrived today (in a Rav4EV) and did it in less than an hour much cleaner than I would have. $150. Much more reasonable and given the work involved, I would have just done it but at that price, left it to the pro.

Plus I kept my other charger for my second location once cable upgrades are easily available.
 
sparky said:
LBCev said:
...Can anyone offer a Level 2 alternative that is under $900, available today and not EV Charge America? (Level 1 won't work for me :( )
Have you pleaded with EVProject to do an install at your house? Their purpose in life is to get these L2 and L3 EVSEs out there. I was outside of the EVP zone initially and not formally part of LA metro, but I emailed the Western region reps and made my case and ended up with the first Blink installation. Otherwise, I was planning to go with the AV cash-carry option since it seemed the most real and my install is cake.
Sparky,

I live sixty miles outside of the I-5 corridor in Hood River, Oregon. Because of this EVproject told me I was not elgible. I will be driving to the I-5 corridor once every two weeks for metro shopping. Could you send me an example of your letter and who to address this too, please? [email protected]
 
Aerovironment no longer requires electricians to be certified through their program. I guess that makes since after their "cash and carry program" would require you to get our own electrician. Now any electrician can purchase the EVSE direct (hopefully discounted) and install. Could only be good for future pricing...

http://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/02/01/producer-of-nissan-leafs-home-charger-strikes-distribution-deal/
 
Yes, I expected a lot of buzz here about the Milbank deal. It looks like for many of us the race is now on between Leviton and Milbank. Price and availability.
 
smkettner said:
All bids should have an expiration. Most likely AV would still do the work at the same price but they can change things if they like after the expiration. Just standard stuff incase some install requirement changes or pricing needs to be adjusted etc.

It will be interesting if the ability to schedule the install on the dashboard will go away after 12/31/2010
I just noticed my contract expiration has been changed to 12/31/2011 :lol:
 
The old contract expired 31 Dec 2010.
If you paid and AV has not yet installed, you can (most likely) get your money back, if you want to do so. But, it would depend upon what the purchase contract said, I suppose.
 
I was so disgusted with the cost of the AV installation that I cancelled the whole thing and forfeited the $100. It was almost enough to make me cancel the Leaf order, but luckily I can charge the vehicle at work.
 
sparky said:
LBCev said:
...Can anyone offer a Level 2 alternative that is under $900, available today and not EV Charge America? (Level 1 won't work for me :( )
Have you pleaded with EVProject to do an install at your house? Their purpose in life is to get these L2 and L3 EVSEs out there. I was outside of the EVP zone initially and not formally part of LA metro, but I emailed the Western region reps and made my case and ended up with the first Blink installation. Otherwise, I was planning to go with the AV cash-carry option since it seemed the most real and my install is cake.

@sparky - Thanks for the suggestion. I contacted the LA regional office and my application is now under consideration. Apparently my zip is now added to the metro LA project area. * Fingers crossed*

If I don't get accepted I guess there is no value alternative other than AV. I'm still smarting from the "sucker's fee" but not enough to buy an industrial unit from GE or Clipper Creek.
 
AV is now publicizing that their AV-branded EVSEs are now shipping. Also adding a "smart charging dock" version called EVSE-RS+ that can communicate with utilities to customize charging times to the most economical energy rates.

The article on ABG states a price of approximated $700, but I'm sure that this is misinformation, probably referring to the base EVSE-RS that we all know and "love" that lacks wireless connectivity. The AV site lacks pricing information, as far as I could see.

Here's a link: http://green.autoblog.com/2011/02/15/aerovironment-begins-shipping-evse-rs-residential-chargers/
 
IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF TEXAS
TYLER DIVISION
SIPCO, LLC,
Plaintiff,
vs.
ABB INC.; COULOMB
TECHNOLOGIES, INC.; ECOTALITY,
INC.; ELECTRIC TRANSPORTATION
ENGINEERING CORPORATION dba
ECOTALITY NORTH AMERICA;
ENERGYHUB, INC.; JETLUN
CORPORATION; INGERSOLL-RAND
COMPANY; INGERSOLL-RAND
SCHLAGE LOCK HOLDING
COMPANY LLC; SCHLAGE LOCK
COMPANY; TRANE, INC.; and
SMARTLABS, INC.
Defendants.
)
Civil Action File
No. 6:11cv48
JURY TRIAL DEMANDED
COMPLAINT FOR PATENT INFRINGEMENT
Plaintiff SIPCO, LLC (“SIPCO”) hereby makes this Complaint for patent
infringement against Defendants ABB INC. (“ABB”), COULOMB
TECHNOLOGIES, INC. (“Coulomb Technologies”), ECOTALITY, INC.
(“ECOtality”), ELECTRIC TRANSPORTATION ENGINEERING
CORPORATION dba ECOTALITY NORTH AMERICA (“ECOtality NA”),
ENERGYHUB, INC. (“EnergyHub”), JETLUN CORPORATION (“Jetlun”),
)
G. A preliminary, and thereafter permanent, injunction enjoining and
restraining Defendants, and each of them, and their officers, directors, agents,
servants, employees, attorneys, and all others acting under, by or through them,
from directly infringing, contributorily infringing, and inducing the infringement of
the ‘692 Patent, as set forth herein;
H. A preliminary, and thereafter permanent, injunction enjoining and
restraining Defendants, and each of them, and their officers, directors, agents,
servants, employees, attorneys, and all others acting under, by or through them,
from directly infringing, contributorily infringing, and inducing the infringement of
the ‘492 Patent, as set forth herein;
I. A judgment and order requiring Defendants, and each of them, to pay
SIPCO pre-judgment and post-judgment interest on the full amounts of the
damages awarded;
J. A judgment requiring Defendants, and each of them, to pay the costs
of this action (including all disbursements) and attorneys’ fees as provided by 35
U.S.C. § 285, with prejudgment interest;
 
What are these '692 and '492 patents?

'492 looks like it MIGHT be an attempt to patent communication with "remote sensors".
In a very quick, incomplete read, it seems to me that this is just "prior art".
It was not easy for me to see what the "novel" part of the invention actually is.

In my opinion, a lot of wordy, too-general stuff gets patented, only to get disputed later.
 
East Texas is a favorite place to file patent and other technical infringement lawsuits. Apparently their courts are very friendly to such plaintiffs...


pluggingalong said:
IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF TEXAS
 
I finally got the lights on to my AV EVSE on Monday, February 28. Wow, what a tough ride. That process was started before Christmas. I can't wait to actually connect a Leaf up to it to see it actually charge something.
 
I spoke with the AV rep at the Drive Tour in DC yesterday. He indicated that the cash-and-carry price is about $1000 but that they would sell you just the head for "cost" at about $750 if you went with them for the install. He also indicated that in my region (DC metro) the quotes should frequently come in less than the $2200 often quoted in California, since out here panel boxes are usually in the garage closer to where the EVSE would be located, compared to outside panel box locations in California.

I mentioned Leviton to the guy and he started a pitch as to why AV is better, claiming that AV can supply more current (40A breaker instead of 30A), and that their unit looks better. "Would you want that Leviton unit hanging on your wall"?

I got the impression that they are starting to feel some heat.

-Doron
 
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