Please note this is not for the Gen 1 EVSE except perhaps in the later 2015 units. There is a post about internal mods required for '13+ Gen 1s, and not possible on the '11 and '12 EVSE.
Is there any kind of manufacturer's warranty? I know my bosch had a 3 year warranty. Alas I paid way too much for my L2 EVSE as I made that purchase before becoming a member of this forum.
My Clipper Creek LCS-25 cost me a little more over 4 years ago, it has serviced 3 Volts (two simultaneously for 18 months) without an issue. It looks BRAND NEW. And made in the USA with REAL customer service.
With how much you are saving overall on fuel, I'd say go get a L2 EVSE. It truly is liberating as during the first two weeks of Volt ownership, I felt stranded waiting for the battery to charge at L1. Yes, I know I have an ICE, but when a second trip wasn't necessary, the power and freedom to recharge fully in 4+ hours and drive some more emissions free makes the cost well worth it. Don't try to do the math to figure out whether it ever pays for itself. That math doesn't factor in the fun and extra smiles from driving like Jeff Gordon in the morning knowing full well that you have another appointment across town later in the day.
Then again, that level 2 costs about 100 gallons of gas, minimum, and a more typical installation is about 200 gallons. That's about 8000 miles of extra trips.
Or you could get your 2013 Volt's EVSE converted to do L1/L2 charging. It's already Clipper Creek, too.
Like I said before, don't do the math based solely on miles vs. gallons. The smile on your face being able to drive as you please is well worth it.
That kind of comparison, though kind of underscores the point. It's not the money. It's the "not having to think about it". Get home, plug in. Need to go pick up tarps for painting the bathroom? Car's probably ready. Get back from that, plug in. Time to pick up kid from clarinet school. Get back, plug in. Off to the movies! Get back, plug in. Hmm... I'm craving frozen custard and onion rings. Hey, car's charged, so why not?
I refuse to shop at Walmart mainly because of all the cheap Chinese crap they sell in their stores. You're not saving any money if you end up buying 2 or 3 of something when you could have paid a little more and have 1 work the rest of your lifetime. Also, there will be a breakthrough in power/batteries, so we may not be using j2773 EVSES at some point.
You could save time by stopping for the frozen custard and onion rings on your way home from the movies...
