diy solar

diy solar

Off topic, EV vehicle opinions…

Will Prowse said:
And use model 3's are dropping in price. If you can't get a Tesla, just don't waste your time. I can complain for hours about the other EVs. Just not worth it.
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His wife drives an 01 Passat. I assume that he is looking for something very economical. A Tesla is not cheap, not even used and beat up ones.

A Nissan Leaf is a good starting point. Used Leafs can be had for around $5000 - $7500. But as Op started, used Leafs have degraded batteries.
 
Supervstech said:
I found TWO Nissan Leaf vehicles at a local car lot… a 2012, and a 2013. Both with weak batteries, only getting 30 to 50 miles range.


What is the group opinion of these cars used?
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I drove a 2011 for 3 years when new. Great car, terrible miserable battery. I would not touch those with a 10 foot cord. 2011-2013 had the first generation battery that was killed by any ambient heat or heat from fast charging. Car has no battery cooling system. Very likely these have warranty replacements that again have now run down to about nothing. Don't pay more than $1,500 unless you resolve how to get a replacement battery installed.
 
Supervstech said:
Ok, I have been looking for a cheap EV for my wife… she drives an 01 Passat now, and I’ve spent innumerable amounts on service of the car… also, it has an oil leak, goes through about a quart a month, and it stinks… the shop is pricy to get it fixed up…
And of course fuel.
She doesn’t drive much… maybe 20 miles a week…

I found TWO Nissan Leaf vehicles at a local car lot… a 2012, and a 2013. Both with weak batteries, only getting 30 to 50 miles range.

We are in a condo, so charging would be an issue if she drove a lot, but I have my solar array on the suburban, and can charge it from there. As long as she doesn’t need to drive full range each day, because 600 watts max on the suburban, won’t recharge a 30kWh pack in less than 3 days.

What is the group opinion of these cars used?
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Only 20 miles a week? I'm thinking ...

1687108273248.png

Yes, there are electric scooters in that pic. Look again. At the scooters. Sheesh.
 
Supervstech said:
We are in a condo, so charging would be an issue if she drove a lot, but I have my solar array on the suburban, and can charge it from there. As long as she doesn’t need to drive full range each day, because 600 watts max on the suburban, won’t recharge a 30kWh pack in less than 3 days.

What is the group opinion of these cars used?
Click to expand...
600 watts is not enough power to drive the on board system. Need a variable EVSE that can dial down the amps to 6 or 7 at 120v. Even then need 1000 watts (maybe more) of power to get the system activated. May need to store the solar in a battery before transferring to the vehicle. On the good side those batteries are closer to 10 kWh remaining capacity. Much power is wasted at this level as the vehicle computer etc is a base load of 200-300 watts while charging.

My I-Pace has been wonderful with just two minor issues (fully covered under warranty) in 4 years. A bit more money :(

Considering the charging infrastructure, a base model 3 might be better or a used gasser. Consider the insurance cost too.
 
Lt.Dan said:
If you don't use it all, roll it over to the next year. That's what I did with my solar tax credit
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www.caranddriver.com

How Do Electric Vehicle Tax Credits Work?

A number of EVs are eligible for the federal government's tax credit program, which can reduce what you owe the IRS by up to $7500 for a single tax year.
www.caranddriver.com www.caranddriver.com
If you received more in credits than you owe in taxes, you will not receive the difference. The credits do not roll over, either.
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whatever EV it is, one with a good battery temperature management system is helpful for getting good battery life. a used vehicle with a better temperature system would be preferable to one with passive cooling.

the model 3 drivetrain has been very reliable for me for almost four years now. first and only EV i've driven, and the thermal management system encourages the battery pack to last a long time.

but it seems not well suited for the situation (lowest range one is much more than mentioned and battery is major cost source)
 
JWLV said:
You can’t charge an EV with 600 watts. An EVSE charger won’t even turn on without an AC outlet with 15 amps (roughly 1700 watts).
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for reference, not all EVSE have this limitation.

charging from 120V AC EVSE, the rate can be adjusted as low as 5A on a model 3. tested it just now. the canbus OBD2 bluetooth dongle said 600W for the "charger line power" variable for 5A charging.

of course, some of that will be eaten up by the BMS and such, so higher charge rates can be considered more efficient
 
Beginning in 2024, buyers of vehicles eligible for the federal EV tax credit will be able to transfer the credits to the dealer itself in order to reduce the vehicle's sale price.
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Seems like a loophole there though. Wait till next year and you won't have to wait, and you don't have to have the tax liability.
 
Can't really comment on the Leaf, I tend to steer clear of 2nd hand batteries, I think it's a gamble as to whether they've been taken care of or not.

My wife and I have had an MY22 MG ZS EV since January. So far it has done 11,300kms and it has only been charged at home. It's used as a daily commuter and probably does 80-150kms a day (it has a 300-340km range). It's been great so far, can't really fault it. Occasionally the touchscreen freezes though.

I bought an adjustable 6-15amp (1.5-3.3kw) plug-in charger for it and run it from a separate 25amp breaker. If we can charge it during the day while the sun is shining, it's virtually free fuel (with our grid-tied solar). The charging tends to be 68-86% efficient.

We had a towbar fitted for occasional runs from the hardware store, bicycle racks, etc.
 
JWLV said:
You can’t charge an EV with 600 watts. An EVSE charger won’t even turn on without an AC outlet with 15 amps (roughly 1700 watts).

If you are thinking you can wire solar panels or DC power directly to an EV, it won’t work. People have been trying to do that for years and there is no easy way to do that.
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Oh, I am well aware of the charging issues, I have 5kWh battery in the burb also...
So, battery drains, solar trickles in during the day, and charging can occur until battery depletes below inverter needs...
It'll work, but like I said, it would take more than a day to recover from 30 miles...
 
Will Prowse said:
And use model 3's are dropping in price. If you can't get a Tesla, just don't waste your time. I can complain for hours about the other EVs. Just not worth it.
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Oh, I am well aware that tesla is the way to go...
But alas, not in the cards even for a rough used one...
The leaf is under 4K, so affordable, has cold ac (her ac isn't working) and would remove the need for fuel, oil and antifreeze...
 
When the battery on that Leaf gets to a certain point, the BMS is going to refuse to power the vehicle with it. I don't know what that point is, but all it would take is for one cell to go bad and the BMS will turn the car into a paper weight.
 
I would have thought the lead battery was removable/replaceable. No?

Edit-leaf
 
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