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[Note: Although I mention a 220v circuit in the video review, it is connected to a 208-240v 40amp double pole breaker.]
We bought the Siemens 30-A Bottom Fed VersiCharge because it fits our lifestyle better than the 110v charger included in the car. I typically use the car in the morning for some errands and my wife uses it for about a 15 mile r/t to work and back in the afternoon. So I usually have a charging window of a couple of hours to top off our 2013 Chevy Volt before it goes out on the road again. The 110v charger would not get it back up to a full charge in time.
Since I did a video review, I'll just mention a few things here I didn't have time to include in the review.
What I like:
Well made, sealed for outdoor use, although I have an inside installation.
Feels sturdy -the cables are thick and appear well insulated.
Relatively quiet. When you're near it you can hear a faint electrical hum, but unlike some other units reviewed here, there is nothing that would ever bother you. It makes a firm electrical "click" when you plug in into the car (you can hear it in the video review) but nothing like an alarming bang that other devices seem to make.
The large "halo" surrounding the device lets you see the charging status from a considerable distance. This can be disabled if desired.
The charge plug inserts and removes from my Volt firmly, but easily.
What could be better:
The charging plug is somewhat difficult to remove from the holder in the charger. You have to press very firmly on the rubber-covered button and pull it away with some force. This may get better over time.
The wall mounting bracket is plastic! Although it shows no sign of coming loose, hanging a 21 lb. electrical device on this flimsy bracket does not inspire confidence. (The plastic may be due to some requirement related to an outdoor electrical connection, but it should be thicker plastic.)
The device wobbles a bit on the wall because it does not quite fit flush, due to the way the lag bolts go into the bracket. There is only a narrow vertical support, nothing horizontal. Not a big deal and it is on the wall securely.
I feel this charger is somewhat overpriced, especially compared to the one offered by GM, but it also seems to be a better charger. I personally think they are all overpriced.
Summary:
A fine charger with a three-year warranty. If there are any problems I'll update this review, but I expect it to work well for a long time. This is a 4.5 star review, but I'll bump it to 5 because Siemens is a reliable company and the warranty is excellent.
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I purchased the Siemens VC30BLKB bottom feed EV charging station from Amazon. I chose this charger for four reasons. 1) It was capable of delivering up to 30 amps, which makes it somewhat future proof; 2) Unlike most of the other units, it comes with a three year warranty; 3) It comes in a NEMA 4 weatherproof enclosure (even though I am installing it indoors, I think this provides extra protection); 4) At the time I made my purchase, the cost was $200 less than the comparable charger from Leviton (although Amazon has since raised the price by $150).
Prior to receiving the charger, I read the manual on-line and installed a 40 amp dedicated circuit with a NEMA 6-50 female receptacle into my garage. Since my Nissan Leaf is only capable of accepting up to 16 amps, and since the Siemens charger has an internal adjustment to reduce the draw to 15 amps, I was hoping to have been able to use my existing dryer outlet. However, after speaking with Siemens Technical Support, I learned that the unit requires a dedicated 40 amp circuit regardless. I don't see any need to open the charger and perform the voltage adjustment since the charger that is built into the electric vehicle is capable of regulating the power.
Once the receptacle was installed, mounting the charger was very easy. You must find a stud in the wall capable of holding 20 lbs. A mounting bracket with a built-in template is included. The bracket is mounted to the stud with two lag screws. The charger slips into the bracket and is plugged into the receptacle. Once plugged into the wall the charger has an LED to indicate that power is available. Plug the J1772 connector into the car and charging will begin as indicated by a different LED. A third LED indicates if the charger is in a ready state, such as when it has been plugged in but is set to begin charging at a later time. There is a pause button on the Siemens charger, as well as the ability to delay the charging for 2, 4, 6, or 8 hours. This delay could come in handy if you want to charge at certain times, when the price of electricity is lower, or if you want to wait for your battery to cool down for a couple of hours before charging.
The charger is designed so that the cord wraps around it neatly. I look forward to many years of use for this device.
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Great EVSE for our 2013 Nissan Leaf that supports up to a 6.6 kW draw. Car recharges about 24 miles per hour vs 5 mph using Nissan's included 120v trickle charger. A fully depleted battery will recharge to 100% in 4 hours vs 21 with the trickle charger. This makes it great for weekend errand trips throughout the day.
I chose this over the GE for the following reasons:
1) 20' cord vs 16
2) Smaller/Lighter
3) Charge delay feature
I was also pleased that the handle isn't white which will show off dirt over time. It's more of a light gray top with a black bottom.
Minor Con:
The connector is a little tight. You need to give it a good push for it to be properly seated to the connector. I'm hoping this'll get better over time.
Honest reviews on Siemens VC30BLKB 30-Amp Bottom Fed VersiCharge Electric Vehicle
Update (5/21/2013)
I have finally received the replacement unit today after calling Siemen every morning.
According to the support they were having back-order problem so couldn't ship the unit until now.
Surprisingly it's brand new but not refurbished, and there are some nice change with the new unit.
I noticed there are few improvement in the newer version I received.
1. The clip on the EVSE Plug has been extended, so it's much easier to plug into the car
2. The hose at the base is also increased in size, so the plug will no longer stuck.
3. In generally, the Versicharge has been modified to make the usage much easier now.
So the product is getting better now, you can expect Nissan Stock EVSE usage experience.
But at the same time, you will still need to keep your Nissan EVSE just in case.
If the unit break, do expect few weeks of going back and forth to receive the replacement unit.
Update (5/15/2013)
Unfortunately, after less than half year the unit breaks.
After a night of charging the unit always has the fault light ON.
Contacting customer support is a nightmare as there is no process handling the problem.
At first I had to be transferred three times before somebody is willing to help.
Then I had to call back everyday for 4 days to finally get a hold of person in charge of Versicharge unit.
He promised me to send me a new unit with return shipping label so they can look at the failure.
However, it's already two weeks and I have not heard anything from them.
I called back again and the process only started from the beginning because I can't reach the Versicharge team.
So it's has been three weeks I am without a LV2 charge, and I still don't have any idea when I'll get the issue fixed.
With the horrible experience, I no longer recommending purchasing the unit.
Original Review (11/5/2012)
When I was first in the market for Level 2 EVSE, this product was not released to public yet.
But after few weeks of disappointment with other unit, I decided to give this a try because of few reasons.
1. 30 Amp of current, more future proof but not as much as 32 Amp of some unit
2. The unit has NEMA 6-50 plug to the Wall Outlet, so it fits my existing installation
3. The J1772 cable is 20 ft long, a bit longer than many standard 18 ft unit
4. The unit has a nice cable management. You can wrap the cable around the unit and place for J1772 plug in.
5. The price was $250 cheaper compare to other brand, but it is no longer true anymore
6. And as nice surprise, the unit actually comes with Wall Mount Bracket so I didn't have to spend extra.
When I received the unit, the product box was opened and damaged because there was no shipping box.
I can see the contain was dropping out of box during shipping and the UPS worker just tape the box again.
The shipping protection could be a lot better, but thankfully the unit still works so I didn't have to return it.
Once installed, I find the J1772 plug to be a bit stiff and hard to plug/unplug, but few trick solves the issue.
First, because the unique design of the J1772 plug, it doesn't go in like the Nissan EVSE unit.
When insert the J1772 plug, you'll need to give small amount of force to the upward dimension.
Without the upward force, the plug goes in but the J1772 won't clip. The charger indicates it's plug in but won't charge.
Second, try apply some oil or Vaseline to the outside ring of the plug, then plug in and out few times.
This can help smooth the plug friction and make unplug a lot easier.
So with the two thing in mind, the unit work very well.
The cable is thin and light, so it is easy to hang around and carry with me.
The included wall Mount Bracket is also easy to install. We just need two screw into the pole to get it right.
The Power cable to the wall is also a bit longer than the other unit, so it's a lot easier to go into outlet as well.
Overall, I'm happy with the purchase and looks forward to use the unit for a long time.
Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Siemens VC30BLKB 30-Amp Bottom Fed VersiCharge Electric Vehicle
Have had this charger for about 6 weeks, use it daily and it has worked well. Installation was simple, took about 5 minutes after the electrician had finished wiring the outlet.
The unit is all plastic, but feels solid.
It would be nice if it had a light (LED) on the end of the charge handle to make it easier to see in the dark.
Updated 4/22/13
Five months later I am revising this rating and dropping one star due to lack of support. Recenlty I have had an error show up on the unit, and I have called the manufacturer and been told that a tech will call me back, but 7 days later I am still unable to get a call back. The error only occurs with the car plugged into this charger and not other chargers, and does not happen often, but the total lack of support on an item like this is not acceptable.
