Two weeks to replace broken Leviton charger

[tim]

My Leviton charger started failing on July 3rd and would light up the red fault light after 10 minutes. I power cycled the charger and eventually the light would come on after 1 minute even when it wasn't plugged into the car. I called Leviton last Monday and by the end of the day, they said they would send an electrician out to replace the charger. Four days later, I get a voice mail message from the electrician to schedule a visit. I called them back and tried to leave a message but their voice mail didn't work. Today I called them and now they are going to send someone out on Thursday because they have to wait for Leviton to send them a charger which will arrive on Wednesday. That will be two weeks since my charger failed.

That's pathetic service. My Rav4 EV is down to six miles of range and I haven't been able to drive it for 10 days. Why does it take Leviton so long to dispatch an electrician? Why doesn't Leviton have inventory with their electricians for repairs?

I know that Toyota doesn't really care about the RAV4 EV and they reluctantly built the car. The least they could do is offer reasonable customer service and partner with competent vendors to support their customers.

Tim

 

[SeattleRav4]

That is surprising to hear. Most reports on Leviton service have been positive. Keep after them.
Perhaps something has changed at Leviton?

I do have to ask, if you Rav4 has been undriven for 10 days, I would think it would be fully charged. If my Leviton charger fails, I would immediately plug in the 120V. Is there some reason you cannot plug yours in?

 

[tim]

I just assumed that when I called on Monday, my charger would be fixed by the end of the week. I was able to drive to work on Monday but got to work to late to get a full charge. When I got home Monday night, it would have taken 24+ hours to charge the car enough to safely make it to work and back. I work from home on Thursday and Friday, so I just assumed that my charger would be fixed by the end of the week. Even if I plugged the car into a 110 outlet, I would have to drive my other car every other day.

 

[Michael Bornstein]

I am sorry to hear that your Leviton is broken, Mine is still working after 20 months, charging both my RAV4 EV and my Volt. You should seriously consider getting a second charger as a backup and for use when you are on the road. I personally have a OpenEVSE 40A unit and I have made a bunch of converter cables that will let me plug into whatever I might come across. I have even made a cable for the 6-50 that the Leviton plugs into in case mine has the same fate as yours. There are several vendors that will sell you kits or complete units that have threads on this forum. I have one for sale, but depending on where you live it will involve some shipping.

 

[Dsinned]

Not counting the OEM charge cords that came with the RAV4 EV (and another with my VOLT), I've had three L2 EVSEs. the first was an original "SPX" Power Express which worked well with my VOLT, but was incompatible with my RAV4 EV. It did not have enough output power to fast charge my RAV4 EV anyway. I sold that unit to another VOLT owner and member here on the forum, then got a Leviton higher power L2 EVSE with a 25' output cord to charge both my VOLT or my RAV4 EV interchangeably. It worked well on both cars.

Just last week, I got another one called a JuiceBox sold by Electric Motor Werks located in San Carlos, CA. The JuiceBox has a much higher power rating and is much more portable. Both the JuiceBox and the Leviton hang on the wall in my garage and share (plug in to) the same 240V-40A outlet, which I converted to a NEMA 14-50R. I can fast charge both cars at the same time by moving the JuiceBox (with a NEMA 30-10P to 14-50R AC cord adapter) to another outlet for my electric clothes drier also in the garage. Or, when I travel out of range, I can take my JuiceBox with the car and plug in at friend or family member's house with a drier outlet.

For the most bang for the buck, EMW's JuiceBox is clearly the winner. It is much easier to move around (with combined input/output cords' reach length of over 30') or take with me in either car where ever I might to charge. It is capable of charging the RAV4 EV at its full onboard charger's capability; 9.6kW or 240V at 40A.

Since I generally charge one car at a time at home, I too, like Michael who posted before me, am planning to sell my Leviton L2 EVSE (model no. below). I'd prefer to sell to someone in the SF Bay Area to avoid a shipping charge. I paid over $1500 for it, including the wall mounting bracket (included). I am asking $750 (will call) for it and it is in perfect working order. The unit's output rating is 240V at 32A (7.7kW) and has a 4' long input cord with NEMA 14-50P plug on it. This plug is used by most RV Parks. For an additional $20, I can replace the input cord, so it is compatible with your 240V AC outlet, so long as it is rated for 40A (or greater). This is the proper amount of current rating for any 32A capable L2 EVSE.

Please send me a PM for more information if anyone is interested.