How Do You Get An EV Charging Station?

Call up any of the companies that are selling U.L. approved EVSE's. In essence, they're a plug that delivers 240AC power. Blink (Blink | Home) is one company making charger plugs ... clippercreek (http://www.clippercreek.com/) is another ... aerovironment still another (though they're not selling to the public yet). Cough up a couple thousand and in a few days, they can bring one out ... wire it into an existing panel on a 40 amp breaker and you're good to go (after you pay even more for getting it wired in ... all presuming your present service panel can handle the load ... otherwise you have to do an upgrade. The aerovironment model costs less ... but they make it up on the install. That'd be mighty generous of you too!

 

I'm not sure how much a public Level 2 charging station would really help. A full charge (in the case of a Nissan leaf) takes about 8 hours. If it's installed walking distance from a shopping center, it might help for someone to get an opportunity charge while shopping, but the catch with a single charging station is that nobody could count on it because someone else might already be there, unless you operate a reservation system.

On the other hand, if you have friends who live 75 miles from you and who will have EVs, and if you live somewhere they want to go, it might be useful for them if they could spend the night at your home. They live in City A, 75 miles from you and want to spend a day and a night in your city. They drive the 75 miles, do their business, then park at your house overnight for a charge, so they can drive home the next day (or later).

Otherwise, I don't think that installing a Level 2 charging station at your home would help much. Note that if they buy a portable EVSE, they could already charge at any RV park that will allow it.

A Level 3 charging station is a bit different, since it takes much less time. But installing it would cost a LOT more money. The charger itself might cost 20 to 50 times more than a Level 2 charger, and it requires 440-volt three-phase power and higher amperage than your home is likely to have. If you own a retail business, installing a Level 3 charger might make sense, at least from the point of view of making EVs a little more practical.

The Leaf will have the ability to plug into any standard electrical outlet for a slow charge in an emergency, or for people who do not need a faster charge at home. Nissan does not recommend doing this regularly, but they do not say what is wrong with it: whether the cord is too lightweight to stand up to regular usage, or whether they just don't feel consumers are smart enough to live with slow charging.

 

Again I think it generous and/or forward thinking of you.

How you can help depends on your circumstances. Do you own a company or are influential in your town or city? If you own your own company then there's lots you could do to helping the EV cause and it would be great advertising too. Otherwise you could work with the city council to look at the introduction of EV parking bays in useful areas and if you're erm, financially comfortable (rich), you could offer them as a gift to your town. The town could balance this gift by purchasing an EV or two for city use vehicles - parking enforcement and the like?

I guess it all depends on your circumstances.

 

All Level I chargers are 110 volt, the plug is standardized, the controller is often in the car.

All Level II chargers are 220 volt, the plug is standardized and the external controller has to watch battery voltage, current flow and battery temperature. Optionally it may also delay charging until the utility has spare capacity and text or email drivers that their car is ready, so the next driver can charge.

Level III chargers are 440v but the plug is not yet a standard. (Level III charging is an option on the Leaf, in part because the standards are not set yet)

Not carrying the charger electronics, lightens the car. Appliances plugs were not really designed to be plugged in in rain and snow. No one wants to be the first deceased electric car owner.

 

My understanding is that EV connections currently are not standard. A standard has been approved & accepted for new production vehicles (Leaf, Volt, Tesla Model S). This week a charging station on Columbus Ave in Philadelphia goes live.

 

Here is a residential garage unit for $700 that uses a standard dryer or electric range 40 Amp outlet your electrician would be familiar with.

Electric Vehicle Charging Stations Products

Or if you are really crazy here is a $16,000 solar unit that is only 110 volt.
GoGreen 1.2kW Solar Electric Vehicle Charging Station Solar PV Systems

 

Electric cars ARE realistic NOW. However, they are not YET realistic as your ONLY car.

If you are a single person with only one car, or if you are a one-car family, an EV imposes limits that most people are unwilling to accept. Even Darell does not have an EV as his ONLY car.

However, the vast majority of American families own two or more cars. And for them, an EV makes excellent sense as ONE of their cars. Or even as two of their cars if they have three cars. Most American families could manage very nicely with no sacrifices if only ONE of their cars burned gasoline, and any additional cars were EVs.

It also does not make ECONOMIC sense, in terms of a family's finances, to sell or trade a working car in good condition for a new EV. But it makes excellent economic/financial sense to choose an EV when they need to buy a new car. It would take a decade for the auto industry to build enough EVs to replace the entire national fleet of private cars. And it would take that same decade for electric utilities to expand the grid to provide the electricity. So replacing ONE of your cars with an EV the next time you need to buy a new car makes sense if you are going to have more than one car anyway.

 

I came up with $0.98 a day on the volt (35 miles worth)

 

But what are your latest thoughts on charging stations?

 

So Cal Edison has a whole website dedicated to helping future EV owners plan ahead.
I found this website from an advertisement banner here on PriusChat.
SCE - Helping You Get Plug-In Ready



UPDATE: According to the January 2011 print edition of Automobile magazine, the U.S. Department of Energy is offering FREE chargers to the first 5700 Leaf buyers who agree to let the U.S. DOE collect data on their charging habits for a DOE research project.

.