Signing paperwork for my new i tonight!

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RobbW

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 8, 2013
Messages
427
Location
Elgin, IL
Hi, all. New to these boards and first post here. Actually, it's my first post about any EV on any board! I am not an i owner yet, but will be after tonight (technically). My wife and I are going in to our local Mitsu dealer to purchase a new 2012 i SE in raspberry metallic. We are both very, very excited about this purchase as we have been looking at better MPG options for a while. We had decided to only look at hybrids as we assumed EVs were well out of our price range.

A few days ago, my wife found the i and started looking into it more. We liked the fact that we could afford an EV with all the discounts, incentives, and rebates that are being bandied about. Only problem was there were no vehicles available in our area, only waiting lists. We live in the far west suburbs of Chicago. We decided to postpone our search for a hybrid, add our names to the waiting list, and see what happens.

This morning, my wife found a couple dealers in far south Illinois with i-MiEVs in stock. We called our local dealer to see what they could do to bring one of them up here for us to purchase. After several emails and phone calls back and forth, we are set to sign paperwork on our new i tonight. Of course, we have to wait a couple days for it to be delivered before we are "true" i owners. But we are very excited to be getting an EV for a price actually lower than any of the hybrids we were looking at.

Our new i will be strictly for commuting. A typical commuting day goes something like this:

1. Drive 0.5 miles to drop off kids at grandparents.
2. Drive 3.5 miles to drop wife off at Metra train station (she works in the city).
3. Drive 12 miles to my work.
4. Drive 14.5 miles to pick up kids from grandparents after work.
5. Drive 0.5 miles home.
6. Drive 7 miles round-trip to pick wife up from train station.

So, at a minimum, we drive about 38 miles every day. Throw in a few miles for running errands during my lunch break and maybe a few more for running around in the evening, and I would probably peg our average daily driving at about 55 miles. So, it sounds like we will probably eek in just under the estimated 60-mile range on a full charge. I'm looking into options for possibly charging while at work, but I don't know that they have a charging station on site or even convenient access to a regular outlet.

I have a few questions I'm trying to answer regarding my soon-to-be new car:

1. The i-MiEV FAQs on Mitsu's site state that an inspection of your home's electrical capacity is required prior to purchase. Is this true? I don't know that we currently have an available 240V/40A dedicated outlet in our garage, but I have already contacted our contractor who just finished a lot of electrical work in our basement to come out and see what he needs to do to gives us the proper specs for the i. I assume, in the time between taking delivery of our new i and when our contractor installs the new outlet, that we can use the charger that comes with the i to plug into a regular outlet and keep it charged. I know the 3.3kW charger takes considerably longer to charge, but we can live with that until our dedicated charging station is installed.

2. Is it okay to plug the i in every night and charge using the 3.3 charger? My current plan is to simply plug the i in every night before settling down for the evening. That should give it a good solid 9-10 hours of uninterrupted charging.

3. We are buying our i sight unseen. And I don't just mean because we are having it delivered so we won't see OUR i until it arrives at the dealership. I mean, we have not test driven an i, at all, ever. We are simply going to these extremes because we really, REALLY wanted an EV. The i is the first EV we found that we could get in our price range. Plus, Mitsu's 0% 60-month financing ends today. So, we needed to hurry up and get the deal done tonight! We are relying strictly on all the rave reviews of the i as our comforting factor. I fully understand and expect that we will be giving up room and creature comforts in order to gain the high MPGs we've been craving. Like I said, this is strictly our commuting car. So, that is fine with us. We have a Toyota Sienna for those times we need more room and/or comfort. All that said, can anyone provide details on any issues, complaints, heads-up that we ABSOLUTELY need to be aware of when we take delivery of our i? I've been doing a lot of reading through different reviews and forums trying to get a better understanding of any problems i owners may be having. So far, there hasn't been anything that has scared me off yet. So, that is a good thing!

Anyway, sorry for a rather lengthy introductory post. Thanks for any information anyone can provide to us.

Robb
 
Welcome aboard Robb,
Your duty cycle sounds excellent for an i, especially if you can finagle a 120V outlet at work (and get EVSEUpgrade.com).
I put just over 16k per year on an i MiEV with a daily real average of 46 miles and workday minimum of 32 miles. If you do a lot of those 55 mile days, the 21+ miles of range that you'd recover even on the stock L1 EVSE 'brick' will add a nice comfort margin, and also be much gentler on the battery (and cost the boss only about $0.64).
I think you'll be pleasantly surprised by the car's performance (though may be initially surprised by it's light feel and wandering ways at 70+ mph).
Waiving the home electrical inspection is just a formality. Myself and many others prefer a plug-connected home EVSE, which makes just about any Level 2 EVSE portable. My wall plug of choice is NEMA 14-50R, commonly used for ovens, and often in the garage/shop for a welder. Of course, a NEMA 14-30 dryer outlet would be more than sufficient, but EV's are a good habit that becomes very hard to break in future purchases, so if you have the opportunity to add a 50 amp circuit now, might as well take it (for when you get that big bonus and a TESLA for the road trips). ;)
 
Thanks, jray3. You're doing nothing but boosting my happiness quotient with this purchase! Heading out in about 10 minutes to do the deed!
 
Howdy, RobbW! Always good to have another i-MiEVer aboard. Definitely some things you need to be thinking about, though. I'll try and cover some of your main questions below, so I'll post at length as well:
RobbW said:
1. The i-MiEV FAQs on Mitsu's site state that an inspection of your home's electrical capacity is required prior to purchase. Is this true? I don't know that we currently have an available 240V/40A dedicated outlet in our garage, but I have already contacted our contractor who just finished a lot of electrical work in our basement to come out and see what he needs to do to gives us the proper specs for the i. I assume, in the time between taking delivery of our new i and when our contractor installs the new outlet, that we can use the charger that comes with the i to plug into a regular outlet and keep it charged. I know the 3.3kW charger takes considerably longer to charge, but we can live with that until our dedicated charging station is installed.
Oh, where to begin? First, the inspection is needed prior to installation of the Level 2 EVSE (Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment) that will feed your internal charger at its full 3.3kw capacity. You need such an EVSE (either an additional or replacement portable EVSE or a permanent wall mount), NOT just an available 204V/40A dedicated plug, and that will fully recharge the car in about 6-7 hours. Given the commuting routine you describe, you MUST do level 2 charging. The EVSE supplied with your i will ONLY supply Level 1 charging. A full charge with that takes ~22 hours, because it's very low-powered (presumably so you can plug it in most places without blowing a fuse). Others here can give you details regarding 3rd parties who can do EVSE "upgrades" (e.g. EVSEupgrade.com as noted by jray3) that will give you a portable EVSE supplying 110 or 240 at various power levels (and provide various connection options), but my own preference was to leave the manufacturer-supplied EVSE unmodified and in my trunk, and install a "permanent" Level 2 EVSE in my garage. I paid full price for my i last fall (before the massive dealer incentives that kicked in this spring), and I thought it made little sense to economize on a power supply that might damage the car (others can present their counterpoints).

I used the Mitsubishi "blessed" Eaton Level 2 16 amp model, but you can find a number of Level 2 EVSEs at Lowe's or Home Depot and work out installation with your favorite electrician. The Eaton works fine, of course (Mitsubishi tested it themselves), but again, perhaps some other forum members might point us to a topic where successes/issues with various models have been discussed.

RobbW said:
2. Is it okay to plug the i in every night and charge using the 3.3 charger? My current plan is to simply plug the i in every night before settling down for the evening. That should give it a good solid 9-10 hours of uninterrupted charging.
It's fine to do that, but again, the included Level 1 EVSE is NOT 3.3kW, so it's not going to give you 55 miles of range - that would take over 18 hours with the included Level 1 EVSE. For very rough estimate purposes, figure about 3 miles range per hour of charging, so if you can get in 10-11 hours you should be fine with the basic commute, assuming you start the week with a full charge - you might fall a wee bit behind each day, but can make it up on the weekends - and you should have a Level 2 EVSE in the picture pretty soon, right? ;)

RobbW said:
3. We are buying our i sight unseen...I fully understand and expect that we will be giving up room and creature comforts in order to gain the high MPGs we've been craving...can anyone provide details on any issues, complaints, heads-up that we ABSOLUTELY need to be aware of when we take delivery of our i?
I'd point out a few things.
  • When you say "kids" I hope you mean 2 - there are exactly two safe positions in the back seat, no 3rd seat belt, etc. - it's quite narrow, and I've read mixed reviews of the LATCH setup if car seat(s) are involved.
  • At least for now, doing 55 miles w/o charging should be okay in the the summer and early fall, but it gets dicey in the winter - the cabin heater draws HUGE power, and only the driver's seat is heated (unlike the LEAF, where all seats can be heated). Since the grandparents are nearby (and assuming your wife's a good sport), you can pre-heat the cabin with your remote keyfob (marginally effective when plugged into Level 1 EVSE, works quite well with Level 2), drop off the kids, and even if you kill the heater then, the car shouldn't be too cold when you get the missus to the train (don't laugh - you have real winters there, and this car is most decidedly NOT well insulated), but you might be seat-only heating to/from your work unless you can scrounge a spot to Level 1 charge there.
  • And as I said, that's FOR NOW. Do keep in mind that battery capacity declines over time, more quickly the first few years. Mitsubishi's estimate of 80% capacity 5 years out is just that - an estimate. Too many variables can affect that for them to make any guarantees, so they don't. They'll fix/replace truly broken or defective batteries, but normal loss of capacity is not considered a defect. So do the math - if your commute takes about 75% of your capacity today, you may just barely get by in 5-6 years.
  • Remember that as far as the battery is concerned, SPEED KILLS. Stick to side roads and lower speeds to maximize range - a little stop and go isn't so bad (especially as you learn to conserve power with coasting and regen), but cruising at 60 mph takes a lot of energy just to push the air out of the way. Lest the preceding prove too discouraging, I hasten to add that there's a flip side - the EPA estimated 66 mile range includes a mix of freeway and city driving, so if you stay off the highways, you should be able to get well into the 70s (hypermilers are now scoffing, since they can easily beat that, but you get the idea)
 
RobbW, congratulations for your leap of faith. You're a braver man than I, buying it sight unseen. Don't worry, you won't be disappointed.

I'll echo the excellent comments from jray3 and Vike - if you can figure out a way of plugging in at work into a simple 120vac outlet, I think you'll be just fine even with Level 1 (120vac, 0.9kWW) charging for all your needs. Figure about four fuel gauge bars for every five hours of charging at L1. My overall average consumption is about four miles per bar, and can easily go five miles/bar if I need to.

Level 2 (240vac) is certainly a nicety to have in the garage, and, since you're going to become hooked on EVs, I agree with jray3's comment that if you're going to pull wire into the garage you may as well make it a 50A circuit for future capabilities. At 240vac, the iMiEV draws a hair over 3kW, and, as was mentioned, figure three bars/hour. Do you not have a 240vac dryer outlet in your garage? If you think you will go the L2 (240vac) route, you might peruse our EVSE discussions, as there are very cost-effective implementations out there.

If I may suggest, you might peruse some of the technical discussions regarding proper care of the batteries. Basically, try to keep from running down the fuel gauge much below two bars and, if fully charged, avoid storing the car for an extended period of time at that full charge.

Welcome aboard, and be prepared to enjoy a whole new and very pleasant driving experience. :D
 
Welcome Robb!

Lots of good questions! First, I predict you and your wife will quickly become addicted to driving the iMiEV and it will probably become more than just your 'commuting' car - We have 2 other cars which we keep gas stabilizer in and if we don't keep them on a trickle charger, they tend not to start after 8 or 10 weeks! ;)

For minimal money (about $300) you can send your OEM EVSE off and have it upgraded so it will deliver 12 amps on either 120 or 240 volts - This may be all you need. Even without a 240 outlet, the modified EVSE will put about 15KW into your car in just 10 hours using your existing 120 outlet

If you think there's a 5% chance you may buy something like a Tesla one day, getting a 40 or 50 amp 240 circuit installed in your garage may be a good idea, but this car certainly doesn't need anything more than a 20 amp 240 circuit, which can legally be done using ordinary 12 gauge wire. If you had a single dedicated 120 volt outlet already in your garage, a qualified electrician could convert that to a 240 20 amp outlet just by changing the socket and moving one wire in your power panel. At it's max of 3.3 Kw, THIS car will draw less than 15 amps from your new outlet, whatever capacity outlet you choose to install

I know you'll be on pins and needles awaiting the delivery of your new car - I know I would be! Congratulations . . . . you made an excellent choice

Don
 
One more point - if you will be installing a 240vac outlet in your garage, consider tailoring the EVSE location specifically for the iMiEV: with the EVSE placed right next to the car's inlet, unrolling only about 3' of cable makes charging a very simple, fast, easy, effortless, and clean operation. More here: EVSE Locations

BTW, I second Don's comments regarding EVSE Upgrade. Even though I already have an L2 EVSE, I had my Mitsu L1 EVSE upgraded recently and especially appreciate not only its dual-voltage capability but the ability to program the current going into the vehicle (betweem 6A amd 12A in one-amp intervals). I recently used this feature as someone I was visiting had a very old and marginal wiring setup in their garage.
 
Wow, thank you to everyone who has chimed in so far. Your responses and suggestions are great, and I am making a list of everything I need to accomplish to get the most utility and enjoyment from our new i. Yes, it is quite a nerve-wracking experience to make such a large purchase sight unseen. However, an EV is something we've talked about for a few years, but just always assumed we could never afford. By pure happenstance, things sort of fell into place today with getting basically everything we wanted in an EV at an exceptional buy-in! The "sight unseen" part was spurred by dealer/manufacturer deadlines for incentives and financing offers.

Normally, we would never make such a large spending decision so rapidly. Had we even known about the i two weeks+ ago, we would have had plenty of time to discuss things, walk through the numbers, "play the game", and everything else that comes with buying a new car. As it was, we only discovered the i two days ago. Unfortunately, the special 0% financing and the incentives/rebates being offered expired today. So, we spent the entire morning and early afternoon furiously researching everything we could find about the i, reading reviews, and negotiating with the dealer. In the end, everything fell into place with getting the exact vehicle we wanted at a great price and signing in time to take advantage of the special offers. By Wednesday or Thursday, we should take delivery of a new 2012 i-MiEV SE in raspberry metallic with the premium package and QC port. We couldn't be happier or more excited!

Yes, I fully intend to have a level 2 EVSE installed in my garage. We currently do not have a 240V outlet in the garage. The closest such outlet is for the dryer in our laundry room, which is the first room you enter when coming in from the garage. So, it's close, but not in the garage. Plus, it is already being used by the dryer. I've gotten in touch with our contractor, and he is going to come out to quote us an estimate to install a 240V line on its own dedicated circuit. Since everything I'm reading states the level 2 EVSE should be hardwired to the circuit, I assume that means I will need to have my contractor install the EVSE and wire it directly. I can't just have a 240V outlet installed and then plug the charging station into that, right? Our contractor just recently finished rewiring our basement to install all new recessed lighting down there. So, he is already familiar with our electric setup. Unfortunately, he told me in an email today that we have no more open circuits in our control panel. So, we will either need to have a larger panel installed or install a sub-panel. I have no idea how much that will run, but I imagine that much electrical work is not cheap. I'll know more once he comes out and takes a look. If we end up going the more extensive route of getting a larger panel or installing a sub-panel, then I will ask to have the i's circuit fitted with 50A. Right now, I'm kind of afraid that equipping our home with a level 2 EVSE may get near the cost-prohibitive end of the spectrum. If that's the case, I'm going to need suggestions and recommendations on more creative ways to keep my i charged.

Has anyone here been through the process of having a whole new circuit pulled from the panel to your garage? If so, how long did it take your contractor to complete the work? And how much did it run you (rough estimate if not comfortable providing specifics)?

We only have 2 children, both daughters. My wife had read reviews that the i is very, VERY tight in the back if you have to install a rear-facing car seat. Luckily, our youngest just turned one. So, we were able to turn her around facing forward. So, I'm hoping we shouldn't have any issues fitting the two girls in the back. If we ever need to transport more people, we will just use our minivan.

I will check into this whole upgrading the included portable ESVE charging cable thing. How does that work? You have to ship your OEM cable somewhere and they modify it for you? How do you charge your i in the meantime? If I'm going to be using upwards of 75% of my capacity each day, I probably won't be able to go more than a day without the ESVE. I suppose it's not that big of a deal. I'll still have our minivan to use if necessary. While at work, I had taken a VERY brief look at ESVEUpgrade.com after rjay3 had suggested it. Yowzer, that is an expensive upgrade! What do they do for all that money if they are simply modding your existing OEM cable?

Woo! Right now my head is spinning! I didn't realize there were so many considerations that had to be made to accommodate an EV. I can kind of see why the EV trend isn't taking off as quickly as some may have hoped. Many of the cars are prohibitively expensive. You need to install/use specialized equipment to charge your EV. The specialized equipment is expensive. The industry/marketplace certainly isn't making it easier or convenient to move to EVs. That said, I am all in with this experience. I'll do what is necessary and enjoy the gas savings for years to come, I hope. This is definitely going to be a whole new experience for me. I just can't wait to go from ~$400/month in gas costs to next to nothing!
 
As others have said, Welcome! My 2 cents after driving electric for 2.5 years (not much compared to some people around here).

All of this might seem like a lot, but it really isn't. Take things one step at a time.

Get the garage/electric ready. Based on your planned driving pattern, your plan to get an EVSE installed is a good one (EVSE, "electric vehicle supply equipment" -- think of it as a smart cable and plug). It's difficult to say ahead of time what it will cost to have your garage made ready until an electrician looks over your current system. Pulling a cable a few feet and adding a plug cost us less than $300. And, no, I wouldn't do it myself.

When you get the car, read the manual. It's so important to read everything that is EV related. Get to know where things are (especially on the "i" because some things didn't get moved over to the left-hand drive, like the cable to open the hood).

Drive your normal day's trip at a time when you aren't working so you can get a better idea of your range needs. Then, adjust if necessary (adjust: change speed, take slower roads, ask if you can charge at work, etc.).

My wife likes the Mitsu i because it is one of the least complicated EV's out there. She drives it like a gas car. She only slows down if she sees the electric gauge (16 bars) going down too fast. This works fine for a 50 mile (or so) day. You can learn the car better over time and be fine.

Finally, read the forum. Read articles on the web. Maybe join pluginamerica.org if you like. You'll be showing off the car to others in no time :D
 
Actually, EVSEUpgrade.com is the least expensive way for you to get plugged in to 240v. Well worth-it, IMO, and the latest upgrade is technically brilliant. Regarding shipping the EVSE to them for upgrade - do you have any neighbors with EVs or a local Electric Auto Association group so you can see if you can borrow an EVSE for a few days?
Worst case, you'll be forced to drive the minivan (for the last time) :lol:

Perhaps your existing house can handle a 20A circuit by doubling up on an existing circuit breaker using two smaller breakers in the same socket? If so, then I would install a permanent wall outlet with a NEMA L6-20R socket on it, as that will handle the iMiEV just fine, and save your expensive house wiring upgrade for the future. Maybe your garage has two separate 120vac circuits, in which case they can be joined to make 240vac - ask you electrician if that's doable, and I like Don's suggestion of perhaps converting a 120vac circuit into a 240vac one - and then maybe splitting off that to give you 120vac as well... if pesky codes will allow that. :roll:

Is the laundry room dryer outlet located on the back wall to the garage? Maybe your contractor can simply tap into that line and mount another outlet in the garage - if needbe, a switch to go to either the dryer or the EVSE would ensure both aren't energized at the same time... uh, but dunno it that can be done per code. :roll:

See how creative your electrician can get... just tell him you'd like 240vac 20A (even 15A would do, as 20% derated still gives you 12A) located by the starboard aft quarter of your parked car, for the least money. :evil:

I would not hardwire the EVSE as I would want it to always be transportable and be able to take it with me. That's why I got a SPX PowrXpress, but I'm sure there are better and smaller and cheaper units out there now if you don't want to build it yourself using OpenEVSE. For example, just today there was an EAA post about yet another startup putting out something that should be cost-effective (note, you still need to get your own cables): http://www.kickstarter.com/projects...n-open-source-level-2-ev-charging-st?ref=live. Oh, and see what TucsonEV has to offer as they must be close to delivering production units.

Gosh, after we're done talking I'll try to get at least a portion of this thread over to the EVSE section of this forum.

In the meantime, if you have an iPhone or iPad, uh, smartphone or tablet, (if you don't, the computer works as well) get yourself hooked up with PlugShare/Recargo (they merged recently) and find out where the public Charging Stations in your area and who runs them (ChargePoint, Blink, GE, ...?) then go to them and get yourself signed up with their cards.

Finally, start sussing out your workplace parking to see if there is an existing conventional 120vac outlet that you can use. - that may be the biggest factor in having a completely placid commute.

Have fun!
 
More and more great advice. Everyone here has been wonderful. So here's another question about what I can do in the short term. I fully plan to upgrade my L1 EVSE as soon as I get it. Sure, I'll have to drive the minivan for area days in the meantime, but what's a couple more days. Unfortunately the dryer outlet in the laundry room does not share a wall with the garage. But I'm wondering if there is such a thing as a 240V extension cord? At night, could I unplug the dryer, plug in the extension cord, run it out to the garage, and plug in the upgraded EVSE and then my I? This should be just a short-term fix until we get something more permanent worked out. However, if it works and it's not too inconvenient, I may continue using that method for awhile just to save the money on the wiring.
 
Lots of good suggestions here!

*IF* you can arrange to park near enough to a conventional 120 volt outlet at work so you can recharge during the day, all you may ever need at home is 120 volt upgraded 12 amp Level 1 charging, so no need for an expensive rewiring of your home . . . . adding sub-panels and such. Once the EVSE is upgraded, it will give you a 3/4 or better recharge overnight, so if the car isn't nearly empty, L1 could be all you need

Yes, with your upgraded OEM EVSE, you could certainly do Level 2 recharging by building yourself a specialized extension cord and plugging it into your dryer outlet. This could be a DIY project and you could buy everything you'd need at Home Depot or Lowes. A plug to match your dryer outlet, a proper length of 12/3 flexible cord and a NEMA L6-20R twist-lock socket. That would certainly get you by for the times you might actually really need L2 charging

As Joe mentioned, there is a possibility that you might already have more than one 120 volt outlet already in your garage. *IF* it turns out those outlets are 'opposite phase' 120 volt outlets, then you already have 240 volt capability in your garage and I would look into tapping into that before I spent a bunch of money running new circuits or adding new panels. Google 'Quick 220' to read up on how this is done. Here is a video of someone using this with an upgraded EVSE to charge a Leaf
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tousBn84r-I
I wouldn't recommend the spaghetti of extension cords this guy is using, but it shows you what is possible. I believe he's renting a house, so no rewiring was possible. If you have a pair of split phase 120 outlets already in your garage, it's possible your electrician could install you a true 240 outlet using the wiring already there

If you only have a single 120 outlet in your garage, it's also possible that your electrician could convert it to a 240 outlet just by changing the outlet and making a simple wiring change in the panel - Look into that too before you contemplate doing something more expensive. If that's possible, have him install the NEMA L6-20R and you can plug your Upgraded EVSE directly into it

Depending on how 'electrically handy' you are, there are other things you could do yourself. As Joe mentioned, in it's 'worst case' scenario, this car still needs less than 15 amps on a 240 volt circuit to recharge as fast as it's capable, and that amount of power isn't a 'big thing' electrically speaking - It's about the same as powering a 240 volt window unit air conditioner

You might find someone here on the forum who lives relatively close to you who could lend you an EVSE to use for the week or so yours will be off to get upgraded - Ask around

Don
 
Thanks, Don!

Okay, here is my current plan of attack. I work for a regional airport in the Chicago suburbs. When I got in today, I asked the director of our maintenance department if we have any QC stations on site, and if not, if there was a parking space anywhere near a regular 120V outlet. He asked what for. I told him about my new i that should be delivered by tomorrow night. Within five minutes, he had my security badge upgraded with ramp clearance. I now will get to park on the ramp/tarmac where they have 120V outlets all over the place. Now I feel so special and privileged. No one else gets to park on the ramp! So, I will be able to leave my i plugged in every day while at work, thereby extending my daily range. No worries about running out of juice during my daily commute.

We still plan to get a level 2 charger for our garage. I still haven't decided the actual course of action I'll take with that. What I plan to do right now is purchase a plug-in (not hardwired) L2 EVSE. I'll either buy or build a 240V extension cord. For the time being, I'll just unplug the dryer in my laundry room and plug in the L2 when I need to charge. Going this route means I'll already have the L2 charger ready to go if/when we decide to get a dedicated line pulled out to the garage. I'll run with this for a while. If it becomes a hassle or too inconvenient, then we will bring our contractor out to get the 240 line installed. I'm also still going to get the OEM L1 charger upgraded once I have the L2 available.

Can you buy an L2 charger at a retail location or are they all online or special order only? I'm having a hard time finding a place where I can run out and buy one. There is a Menards just down the road a bit from my work. I'll probably run there during lunch to see if they stock any. Are there any L2 chargers I should definitely avoid? I think I read in a post here about a legrand L2 charger that Menards has available, but it didn't sound like it was highly regarded. Is there a standard that all L2 chargers have to meet that is perfectly acceptable for charging the i? And anything above that standard is just bells and whistles you're paying extra for? I would really like to have an L2 charger on hand by the time I take delivery of my i. If I can't find a local retailer with them in stock, I guess I can order from Amazon or somewhere else online. Amazon has a Leviton charger for a decent price that I can have delivered by tomorrow if I order within 4 hours and pay for one-day shipping.
 
Congrats on your new purchase! I remember last year about this time I was in your same spot - exciting yet overwhelming. Once you get through this phase you'll be on the road to EV happiness. Lots of great ideas out there. I got lucky and wasn't using my stove outlet, we had gas installed when we bought our house over ten years ago. The stove outlet was in a rafter bay that led directly to my garage. After shutting off the power, I ran some heavy gauge three pole wiring out to the garage, through some conduit and wired in my EVSE. I'm quite familiar with home wiring and had no problem doing it myself, not something I'd recommend if you have any reservations about doing it or your skill.

I use a dedicated 240V EVSE L2 for my daily charging and keep the unmodified L1 in the car. I charge at work using an available 110v outlet during the winter months and sometimes in the summer. I drive 54 miles round trip on my M-F commute, most of which is on the highway.

Post some pictures of your new EV.
 
RobbW said:
“Has anyone here been through the process of having a whole new circuit pulled from the panel to your garage? If so, how long did it take your contractor to complete the work? And how much did it run you (rough estimate if not comfortable providing specifics)?”

Well, that can be all over the map. My electrician initially quoted $200 worse case. It just so happened my power meter is right outside my garage wall (the mother load)! How did that happen? And there’s a breaker panel underneath the meter! So my electrician drilled one hole through the garage wall and into the panel. And right over the hole, he wired in a separate 120V outlet and 240V outlet with their corresponding 20A breakers. He spent 30 minutes and charged me $40 plus the $40 of parts (Idaho may be cheaper but you get paid less here). I then had my L1 upgraded at the EVSE place in California to an L2. Now my charger can be programmed from 720W to 3120W. To me this seemed more adaptable than having a hard-wired L2 station. So this saved me a big chunk of money.

Also, before I did this, I called my power company, and for free they looked at our neighborhood power lines and told me I had plenty of power to charge my iMiev.

While my cable was being upgraded (8 long lonely days!), our power company said I can charge my iMiev at their free L2 station. They were excited to help me. They took pictures of my car and wanted to drive in it. They have a fleet of Chevy Volts that they’re testing.

And as a backup, we have a Nissan dealer in town that has an L2 charge station.

“ You need to install/use specialized equipment to charge your EV. The specialized equipment is expensive.”

It can be but overall (EVSE upgrade and outlet install), I spent <$400.

BTW, we were in a similar predicament as you. There were no iMiev’s in Idaho. We test drove one in Layton UT and fell in love with it. Then we ordered the cheapest version from a dealer in Salt Lake City and he hauled it to our house! It was a beautiful silver.

Have fun with you new EV
-Barry
 
Barry, that's awesome that the electric gods smiled upon you and everything fell into place for a relatively inexpensive 240V install. Running a dedicated line out to my garage will NOT be as quick and cheap, I know it. First, the electric panel is in the basement on the backside of the house whereas the garage is at ground level in the front of the house. My current panel is maxed out. There are no available circuits left. My contractor said he would either have to install a larger panel or install a sub-panel. Neither option is going to be cheap. Then, running solid copper from the back of the house to the front and up one floor is going to be pricey. The distance from the EVSE location in the garage to the panel would be a minimum of 32 feet if it were a straight shot from the front to the back of the house on the same level. Throw in some slack to accommodate the drop to the basement level and some twists and turns, and we are looking at some serious coinage!

Here's something else I'm wondering, and please, someone slap me and tell me to shut up because I'm crazy if I have this all wrong. I don't know much more than the basics of electric wiring. I can install new light fixtures, ceiling fans, dishwashers, and light switches. I understand that you can have multiple outlets on the same 120V circuit as long as the total amps being drawn at any one time does not exceed the limits of the breaker on the circuit. Can you do the same on a 240V circuit? Could an electrician piggy-back off the dryer outlet in my laundry room and run a line the 6-8 feet to my preferred EVSE location in the garage? Is piggy-backing a 240V line against code? I was looking at my electric panel in the basement last night. If I remember correctly (which is highly unlikely), I believe the dryer is on its own 40A circuit. If the dryer pulls a max of 22-23 amps, that would leave a reserve of 17-18 amps on the line right? If a level 2 EVSE pulls 16 amps, I should be able to sneak right under the max amperage, right? As long as I'm careful to avoid running both the dryer and the charger at the same time, I technically shouldn't have a problem running both on the same circuit. What if I have my contractor replace the current 40A breaker for the dryer with a 50A breaker for combined use of the dryer and charger? Would that help?

Like I said, I only know the basics of home electric wiring, and I probably have this all wrong. Even if I'm thinking correctly, I'm guessing doing this is probably against code anyway, right?
 
RobbW, may I suggest you re-read some of the previous comments slowly and also peruse the EVSE portion of this website.

Since you will be able to charge at work (congratulations!) you will find L1 charging using the Mitsu L1 EVSE both at home and work sufficient for your daily use. Say you spend three hours in the car. That gives you 21 hours of charging time. 21 hours at 120v using the unmodified Mitsu L1 EVSE at a rate of 8bars/10chargehours will give you the ability to replenish your battery with 16.8 bars; i.e., you are there! Just remember to plug it in. COST: $0

If you go the EVSEUpgrade.com route, you will significantly increase your recharge capability using 120vac, as 12A at 120vac is a 50% improvement over stock. Useful if you want to speed up charging a bit to take a few extra trips. COST: $287 for the mod, $25 for the 5-15 to L6-20 adapter, + shipping. COST: less than $350

Once you've gone the EVSEUpgrade.com route, there is no reason why you couldn't make a single heavy-duty extension cable for the few times you want to charge the car faster by simply pulling an extension cord from your dryer outlet. Each connector should be around $15 and the 12/3 wire cost is based on length.

I think you're all set for now and don't even need to think of bying any permanently-mounted EVSE or permanent or even temporary house rewiring.
 
RobbW said:
Here's something else I'm wondering, and please, someone slap me and tell me to shut up because I'm crazy if I have this all wrong. I understand that you can have multiple outlets on the same 120V circuit as long as the total amps being drawn at any one time does not exceed the limits of the breaker on the circuit. Can you do the same on a 240V circuit? Could an electrician piggy-back off the dryer outlet in my laundry room and run a line the 6-8 feet to my preferred EVSE location in the garage? Is piggy-backing a 240V line against code?
I'm not sure if it's against code or not. Your electrician will know and if it is, he will refuse to do it for you. So long as the wire size is correct for the total amperage drawn, it wouldn't be unsafe and it's something I might do myself as a DIY project in my own home . . . . but I would recommend you leave that up to your electrician
I was looking at my electric panel in the basement last night. If I remember correctly (which is highly unlikely), I believe the dryer is on its own 40A circuit. If the dryer pulls a max of 22-23 amps, that would leave a reserve of 17-18 amps on the line right? If a level 2 EVSE pulls 16 amps, I should be able to sneak right under the max amperage, right? As long as I'm careful to avoid running both the dryer and the charger at the same time, I technically shouldn't have a problem running both on the same circuit.
Your modified EVSE will never draw more than 12 or 13 amps
What if I have my contractor replace the current 40A breaker for the dryer with a 50A breaker for combined use of the dryer and charger? Would that help?
That you cannot do - Breaker sizing is based on the wire size more so than the load and you cannot put a 50 amp breaker on a wire installed in your wall which is only rated for 40 amps

IMO, you're getting ahead of yourself on all of this. Since you can recharge at work, in all probability you may never need L2 charging at home . . . . and if it turns out you might, why not stick with the dryer extension cord and your Upgraded EVSE for the time being until you've had the car a few months and see how things work out and what's really necessary in your particular case? Charging at work, you'll leave there everyday with it full up and it will likely seldom be low enough that 12 amp L1 recharging won't get it full again overnight at home. Hold your horses, get your EVSE Upgraded and maybe make a DIY dryer extension cord and just go from there

Don
 
JoeS, thank you for your advice. I am re-reading through all suggestions and trying to take everything in stride. As has been noted, I'm a bit overwhelmed at the moment.

What I haven't mentioned before is that I tend to get a little OCD with projects and never like to "settle" for good enough. Even if everyone says that an L1 charger would be sufficient, if they also state that if they had their druthers they would prefer an L2 charger, then by golly I want an L2 charger! My wife and I talked it over last night and this morning and decided that we should go ahead and just get an L2 charger installed. As she quipped, "Go BIG, or go 66 miles, whichever comes first!" My quibbling is basically about temporary connections to operate the L2 until we can get a 240V outlet installed in the garage. That and the most convenient way for our contractor to get a 240 outlet in our garage without having to tear up a bunch of walls and completely replace a control panel. Hence my thoughts on piggybacking off the dryer circuit. It would be the quickest way to do it, and we could have it done in about an hour or so.

I just ordered the Leviton Evr-Green 160 3.8kW Home Charging Station on Amazon. It was a decently-reviewed L2 EVSE at one of the better prices I have seen for a unit that was readily available. I only had an hour left to place my order if I wanted to get it by tomorrow. So, I pulled the trigger. Now any questioning about whether an L2 is necessary or not is a moot point. I can use the L2 on a 240 extension cable plugged into the dryer unit until we finally get an outlet installed in the garage.

Another reason why I decided to pull the trigger on the L2 today is because I received an update on my security clearance and ramp access at the airport. Apparently, the director of maintenance stepped on some toes, and others think he acted too quickly giving me permission to power up on the airport's grid. That whole thing is in limbo right now. I can't get a good read on whether or not the higher powers-that-be will give me the green light on plugging in at work. So, to alleviate any potential anxiety about charging and driving range, I opted to get an L2 right away so I can fully charge my car every night.

Thank you to everyone who chimed in on my charging questions. I really appreciate the advice, suggestions, and recommendations. Please, please keep the advice coming for anything else you think I should be aware of as a new i-MiEV owner. Thanks!

P.S. I intend to be up all night tomorrow night reading through the owner's manual once we finally take delivery. I want to know everything about my new little coche!
 
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