‘Want This Car? First, You Need An Electrician’

By Joe Salimando                   www.eleblog.com

What’s above is a headline from the publication Advertising Age (see story here).

Where’s the beef? According to the article, every person who buys an electric vehicle from Nissan will have to (as in, Must!) first listen to a basic discussion – with the car company, apparently – on the building electrical systems in his/her/their house!!!

Here’s a slice from Ad Age:

Like a typical launch, there’s a car to promote, a consumer to entice and a price point ($32,780) to convince potential buyers is fair. But that’s where the similarities end. Those who buy a Leaf when it becomes available later this year will be in for quite the one-to-one marketing experience. This is not a car that can be plugged into any outlet: Buyers will have to undergo an electrical education and a visit from an electrician to inspect their home and make sure their wiring is up to snuff — and a possible upgrade if it’s not.

“There will be an individual conversation with every customer that goes through the purchase process for the Leaf,” said Mark Perry, director-product planning at Nissan North America, said. “Some of it will be web-based, but it is going to be an individual communication.”

Note that a recent search on the Google News search engine (http://news.google.com) on the term “electric vehicle” turned up 1,500+ recent news items. Is that happening because a mile-deep hole in the Gulf of Mexico is spewing pollutants into our waters, killing wildlife, slaughtering tourism-dependent businesses, and more.

Perhaps. And note: If it is the case, things could get worse, according to Matthew Simmons, an oil industry expert who has proven himself (to me, at least) to be worth a listen.

Lots & Lots To Learn

Beyond that number (which may or may not surprise to you), there appears to be a great deal to know. Take, for example, this piece on what’s going on with EVs in Oregon – it included this information, relevant to contractors in that state:

As of July 1, electrical contractors can use the state Building Code Division’s minor label permits Web site — minorlabels.dcbs.oregon.gov — to buy permits to install charging units for electric vehicles.

Contractors who buy minor label permits buy them in lots of 10; each permit costs $14. These permits are usually processed the same day, according to Lisa Morawski, spokeswoman for the Department of Commerce and Business Services, which includes the Building Code Division. Only one in 10 installations is inspected, chosen at random, she said.

Going the traditional route, contractors would have to go to their own jurisdiction to buy a permit, and the prices vary. For example, Pendleton and Coquille charge $54 for the type of electrical permit needed for an electric vehicle charging station, Morawski said.

These types of permits are usually processed in one or two days, but all would need to be inspected, she said.

At least in OR, then, we have an answer about what will happen after someone buys a plug-in EV. Especially interesting: “Only one in 10 installations is inspected, chosen at random.”

Note: The Energy Solutions blog featured a post on EVs back on May 4.