SOC Gauge update

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turbo2ltr

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 31, 2010
Messages
1,376
Location
Phoenix, AZ
Some of you have been asking about the SOC gauge.

The plan:
The estimated cost is going to be near the $200 mark. Maybe $175.
It's going to have several more features other than just the SOC gauge. Mostly convenience features. (clear the "I agree", possibly a "charge to n %" feature, etc)
It will sit in the most forward area of the center console (behind the cup holder)

The problem is that there just isn't a market for it to make it profitable. Sure there are some people interested in here, but we are talking about $10k in engineering costs (time and material). I'd have to sell one to 30% of the people on the spreadsheet just to break even. I just don't think there are that many people interested.

So I'm thinking of taking preorders just to see how many people are interested. I wouldn't charge your card until it shipped.


I also may look to license the information out to someone that can do something with it. I heard Autogauge might come out with something. It won't have the other features I was planning on offering, but they can bring something to market much cheaper than I can because for them it's just a firmware update..

Thoughts welcome.
 
The time window for the value of your CAN information is limited, perhaps 3 months to a year at most, before the other CAN-decoding efforts release the same (or similar) information into the public domain (or via Open License or some such).

If you cannot actually make some money on your decoding discoveries soon, consider using it here to help and advance the other efforts. Others here can probably make a CAN-JACK micro-processor and display very easily, and we might all benefit.

Apparently they have logged (recorded), with milli-second time stamps, all the messages from all 3 CAN busses, for many hours, full charging sessions, etc.
 
I'm on the "definitely would buy" list and would happily preorder! I'd pay extra for the convenience features that you outlined...

turbo2ltr said:
So I'm thinking of taking preorders just to see how many people are interested. I wouldn't charge your card until it shipped.
 
1 month of the money I would have spent on Gasoline to help someone with the effort and get a cool gadget to boot,yep and natch! Count me in for 2 Cs.

Of course, assuming Nissan let's me even order the car in July...
 
turbo2ltr said:
Some of you have been asking about the SOC gauge.
...
It's going to have several more features other than just the SOC gauge. Mostly convenience features. (clear the "I agree", possibly a "charge to n %" feature, etc)...

I am very interested if it does all 3 of the things you mentioned.
If it is just an SOC gauge, then I could live with the "bars".
Have you got the "I agree" bypass and "charge to n%" working already in your prototype?
 
if you are taking requests, i would like some sort of gauge of "charge in" with L1, i can use Kill a watt, but suffer from a minimal 10% decrease in charger efficiency. using L2 will get me better efficiency but then i lose the ability to track how much power is coming from the wall.
 
turbo2ltr said:
The estimated cost is going to be near the $200 mark. Maybe $175.
...
The problem is that there just isn't a market for it to make it profitable.

This is why most high-end and custom gear is disproportionately more expensive than the mass market versions.
If I were developing this product, I'd price it at $499 (excluding installation), and give everyone who pre-orders in these forums a $100 rebate.
Would that make the economics work out better?
(You'd probably want to market it online to car aftermarket shops and Nissan places, too -- but then, also allow for warranty and returns)
 
What's involved in the installation? Anything that would be warranty voiding?
The ability to pick your % charge is really attractive.
 
I am interested, but not yet definitely in. The $200 is fine. Depends upon the installation, warranty on LEAF, features, etc. If I know more detail about the install, features and warranty, I could be more definitive.
 
Federal law precludes warranty invalidation and, besides, it should basically be plug and play anyway if it is on the CAN buss.
The ability to pick a charge level would, frankly, be of the least interest to me since 80 and 100 percent covers pretty much all my needs and I don't really see the advantage of 90 percent in most situations.

charlie1300 said:
What's involved in the installation? Anything that would be warranty voiding?
The ability to pick your % charge is really attractive.
 
Will it just plug into that port three inches to the right of the hood release? My preference would be for something I could put into the hole where that silly tiny window is, in front of the driver's side mirror. I'm good for $200 if it can do that, and I don't imagine I'll care about any features beyond the SOC number. Well, unless you can give me kWh at the J1772 port, which I doubt.

Ray
 
No, I actually find that little window useful for spotting people walking in what would otherwise be a complete blind spot. I would not want to cover it up.

planet4ever said:
Will it just plug into that port three inches to the right of the hood release? My preference would be for something I could put into the hole where that silly tiny window is, in front of the driver's side mirror. I'm good for $200 if it can do that, and I don't imagine I'll care about any features beyond the SOC number. Well, unless you can give me kWh at the J1772 port, which I doubt.

Ray
 
I'd buy one.

Even after I'm done decoding all the messages, I wouldn't want to drive around with a laptop just to see my SOC, Instantaneous demand, or any other day-to-day info.

I'd gladly pay $200 to have someone else build a nice PCB, case, display, connector...
 
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