Encourage businesses to install a NEMA 14-50 - Tax credit expires this year

[TexasEV]

As we take summer road trips, we should encourage every business we stop at to install a NEMA 14-50 accessible to the parking area. This is the year to do it, as businesses that install electric vehicle charging infrastructure get a 30% tax credit for the cost, but the tax credit expires on Dec. 31, 2013. Installing a NEMA 14-50 is less expensive than a level 2 charger, and much more useful outside a major city. Tesla is the only pure EV now or in the near future that has the range to drive between cities, and as we all know the 50A charges much faster than a typical level 2 charger.

A Tesla charging for an hour while stopping to eat, shop, etc. would only use about $1 of electricity (at 10 cents/kWh-- but please check my math) which is a trivial price for an establishment to pay for the business it would generate. Tell the owner of the restaurant, shop, etc. that you will post messages encouraging other Tesla drivers to stop there and suggest they list the outlet on Plugshare for further publicity.

Please post your success stories. What works to convince businesses to install a NEMA 14-50?

 

[bollar]

I'm in, but I'd rather go for a 70 Amp J1772 first. Would love to get to some of those small TX towns and be able to make it home with a fast boost.

 

[TexasEV]

That costs over $2000 for the hardware, compared to a few dollars in hardware cost for a NEMA 14-50 outlet, and also would likely require upgrading their electrical service. Let's be realistic about what we would ask a small business to do in order to encourage Teslas to stop there. They may spend a few hundred dollars to put in a circuit for a 14-50, but they're not going to spend a few thousand dollars.

 

[bollar]

{shrug} If you don't lay J1772 out as an alternative, you'll never get it. I can think of several small towns that cater to visitors from the "big city" that might be interested in having a few of them. Granbury up where I live, Fredricksburg down your way, Tyler out East... And let's not forget Lubbock.

14-50 is certainly a good fallback, but it's hard to get excited by 30 mph charging if there's a way to pull off something better.

 

[Cosmacelf]

Yeah, well I installed a 50A NEMA 14-50 outdoor receptacle at my commercial barn, but I did the work myself and it cost me all of $80, so I don't think I'll bother with the tax credit!

BTW is the tax credit something you get back as an actual credit, or do you need a profit to offset the credit against?

 

[Lloyd]

You have to owe a tax to benefit from the credit.

 

[dm33]

J1772 is safer than a 14-50 outlet. Much higher risk of touching a prong or worse, two when plugging or unplugging a 14-50. EVSE adds GFCI and circuitry to prevent any high voltage until the car says its ready to accept a charge, i.e. after you've plugged it in and thereby no (or reduced) chance of electrocution.

 

[TexasEV]

We should not let the perfect be the enemy of the good. Tesla owners plug and unplug their cars at home all the time. I don't think doing it at a restaurant, hotel, or tourist attraction would be any different.

 

[pete8314]

Does anyone have a link to the details of the tax credit? A quick search didn't really turn anything useful up. I had our facilities team install a 14-50 in the spring of this year (right next to the 110v for our Volt driver ) ... doubt it cost much to install, but still, it all counts.

 

[dsm363]

Is this it?
EVSE Tax Credit 2012 - ChargePoint