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Home Depot Special: Free Level 2 installation kit /w/ purchase

Discussion in 'Gen 1 Prius Plug-in 2012-2015' started by Ken Blake, May 8, 2013.

  1. Ken Blake

    Ken Blake Active Member

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    I stopped at Home Depot to order my Leviton 30 amp, level 2 charger today. I wanted to get the military discount and there is no provision for it online. The clerk in customer service called in the order for me, and I ended up getting it for $764.10 after the discount. They are also including an install kit, which is normally $79.50 extra.
    I found out you can call in the order yourself and get the discount. I'm not sure how they verify your military/veteran status in that case. The EVSE is backordered until 5/15, which is no big deal to me. I've waited 6 months, I can wait a few more days. :)

    Leviton Evr-Green Level 2 30 Amp Indoor/Outdoor EV Charging Station with Free Installation Kit-P00-EVKIT-030 at The Home Depot
     
  2. -1-

    -1- Don

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    :)Great information and price on your Leviton Level 2 (30A) charger. About the same price I paid for my Leviton Level 2 (16A) charger off Amazon without the install kit. A hearty THANKS! to Lowes and Home Depot for their daily 10% military discount (with a smile) for active duty and retired military and family and ALL veterans on Memorial Day (plan ahead).
     
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  3. Electric Charge

    Electric Charge Active Member

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    I actually had a group buy on this model, ready to go, but then Leviton made it so all these units would have to be shipped to my house, and I would have to deal with all the payments/shipping, negating all the savings (it would have been cheaper than the HD pricing), so I had to give up on this.

    Since it's pretty easy to find 10% coupons for HD/Lowes, I am close to pulling the trigger on this as well. Between this, the 30% federal tax savings on an EVSE, 50% for NY EVSE, it's a no brainer to go this route. That said, I'm still debating whether to go the portable route, and get this one instead, all you need is a dryer plug (meaning you could take it to a friends house, etc).
     
  4. Ken Blake

    Ken Blake Active Member

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    I am planning ahead. My wife LOVES the Tesla, so when they come out with the sport-ute, that might be her next car, depending on price. Alternatively, maybe Toyota will start offering the Rav4 EV up here. Either way, I am future proof with the 30A charger. I'll keep the stock charger in the car for opportunity charging, and maybe get it upgraded down the road to be level 1 OR level 2 compatible. Right now, my opportunity charging at friends and family's houses has been strictly level 1. Nobody has a dryer plug within 20 feet of their driveway or garage.
     
  5. John H

    John H Senior Member

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    Ken, For that future Tesla you will probably want a NEMA 14-50, 50A dryer plug in the garage for the included mobile connector. They include a J1772 adapter intended for public charging stations.

    If you have an electrician installing a circuit for the Leviton, have them put in the 14-50 at the same time to save some money down the road.

    www.teslamotors.com/charging#/outlet
     
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  6. Electric Charge

    Electric Charge Active Member

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    BTW, Bosch announced a bunch of cheaper EVSE units today. If anyone is ordering for just the PiP, then the $449 16A Level 2 unit would be more than enough. Not available until next month tho.
     
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  7. mrbigh

    mrbigh Prius Absolutum Dominium

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    It's about time to see prices in downfall....;)
     
  8. Electric Charge

    Electric Charge Active Member

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    Yea, their expensive unit is still 'up there', but at least there are cheaper options now if you aren't in a hurry.
     
  9. fjpod

    fjpod Member

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    the cheapest model only has a 12 foot cord though...
     
  10. Electric Charge

    Electric Charge Active Member

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    Well you have to hardwire it, so 12' should be enough in most cases. I still don't understand why these components are so expensive (is it cost of hardware or licensing?), but until then, we'll have to compromise.
     
  11. -1-

    -1- Don

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    :eek:My Leviton Level 2 16A charger has a 18' cord and if I pull (close) facing the wall the charger is mounted, I can connect with very little length to spare. Backing into the garage which I what I now do, I could live with a 10' cord but wouldn't want to.
     
  12. 3PriusMike

    3PriusMike Prius owner since 2000, Tesla M3 2018

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    To them, only rich people have EVs or PHEVs Mike
     
  13. drinnovation

    drinnovation EREV for EVER!

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    FYI, Bosch has just introduced a cheaper unit.. (after buying SPX, hopefully they improved quality a bit).
    It does have only a 12'ft cord. They charge 593 to get a 18' cord and 749 for 25' cords. Bit of rip off since longer cords adds very little actual cost.

    Green Car Congress: Bosch Automotive Service Solutions introduces sub-$450 Level 2 EV charging station

    Of couse a real low cost option is open evse (now with preassembled and tested boards, just add your own j17772 cable and box). Ordering - open-evse - Information on Ordering OpenEVSE parts - Open Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE) - Google Project Hosting

    Sorry electric-charge.. I did not read your post read carefully:oops:
     
  14. Electric Charge

    Electric Charge Active Member

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    uh, yea, that's what the link I posted, and follow-up comments in this thread, are all about.
     
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  15. Ken Blake

    Ken Blake Active Member

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    Home Depot told me the EVSE was backordered until 5/15. I just received a shipment notification...I guess they must have gotten a shipment in. :)
     
  16. Jim Gallagher

    Jim Gallagher New Member

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    I was looking at either the Leviton or new Bosch charging station coming out which is a little less expensive plus a friend of mine is a master electrician and has done a few other brands before so will install it at no labor cost. Hopefully someone can answer these questions.
    1. Is the electric cost savings worth is over a 3 year period? I just leased a PIP 3 weeks ago. I understand with a 220v I could probably charge the car more than once per day on many occasions to get more electric miles out of it.
    2. Does charging the car at 220v use half of charging at 110v or is it more to that?
    3. Would the 16A due or should I get the 30A. I'm guessing the 30A as it would be more compatible with the next Prius or other alternative 3 years from now.
    4. Is there a NYS tax credit for buying one of these units?
    thanks!
     
  17. Electric Charge

    Electric Charge Active Member

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    Welcome to Prius Chat!

    At Level 2 charging, it will still take over an hour to charge the car. So if you do multiple trips per day, with more than an hour in between, then yea, it would be worth it. Another thing to keep in mind is that you can now store the OEM EVSE in the trunk, so you could charge at other locations as well, wherever there is a 110V outlet (office, store, family's house, etc.).

    For the PiP, the 16A is more than enough, the 30A won't charge it any faster, but of course would make it more future proof, should you get a leaf.

    With NY incentives for the EVSE install being at 50%, and another 30% federal (check out the ChargeNY.com incentives section for more info), I would invest in a really nice unit (at least 30A, which can keep up with the new charger in the 2013 LEAF, and is good enough for the high end charger found in the RAV4 EV).

    This is what I plan on doing, I just need to figure out how to deal with the 50% and 30% tax incentives, as I usually rely on online services to file my taxes. More details about the taxes can be found on the ChargeNY site.

    If you are in the NYC area, there might be some other incentives for you as well, but there are no tax credits for buying/leasing the car, sorry.
     
  18. Jim Gallagher

    Jim Gallagher New Member

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    Thanks Electric Charge! I'll check on that charge NY for tax credits on the charging stations. Good point too that I can keep the OEM 110v plug in the trunk to charge elsewhere. I'm in Dutchess County, NY so no NYC credits coming my way.
     
  19. John H

    John H Senior Member

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    I would make one suggestion. Have the electrician friend install an NEMA 14-50 outlet and connect the Leviton or Bosch EVSE with a plug. The 50A circuit will be a bit more future proof and having your EVSE on a plug will allow you to take it with you on occasion.
     
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  20. drinnovation

    drinnovation EREV for EVER!

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    The "cost" savings will be a function of your electricity costs, your gas costs and your style of driving/living.
    As Electric Charge said, you'll be able to charge in 1 hour instead of two, so if you do lots of short trips in the same day
    it will help. If you were to get in one extra all EV trip every day you might end up saving 70 miles per week or about 3500 miles per year. If the fuel costs per mile difference is about .05 (which is .10 electricity and 3.50/gal gas), that is about $175 a year in savings, or $525 over three years. For actual cost saving you'll need more than one extra trip per day, or a greater spread in cost per mile.

    As EC already said having L2 will make it easier to keep the L1 in the car, which will allow for more opportunity charging, but you'll have to decide how often you would be able to, and willing to, get it out plug it in to save $.50 in fuel costs. The big one here is that if you can get a 110 outlet at work, then having the L1 charger in the car may be the way to get beyond one extra charge per day, with a charge each way for the commute then (if its your style), and extra one after you get home.

    The amount of electricity used is at 220v is not half, its about the same. It is faster because the same current at double the voltage, but overall the number of kWh used (what you pay for) is about 95% of the amount used charging at at 110v. The 220v charging is just a little bit more efficient.

    16A is fine for the PiP, and will likely work on further cars as well, just would limit how much extra charging you can get.
    Any future car will add 8-10 miles per hour of charging at 16A , so while 30A might be more "furture proof", ask what you are paying for that extra feature and how much you might gain from it later. Personally I expect the prices for EVSE to continue to drop as there they contain < $100 in parts (at medium volume), and < $50 in parts in high volume. So by the time you need the "future" one, the prices may have dropped enough, and maybe new features will be added (e.g. remote monitoring or something) that the current added costs would be greater than then upgrade cost (if you get free labor).

    If you do go for the L2, I suggest you go with a plug and have your electrician friend put a plug on the EVSE. Then you can take it with you (if needed) and if you do ever want to upgrade to 30A, can do it easily.