Will you be installing a Level 2 charger?

[Trace26]

I plan on installing one but will be limiting the charge rate to about the same as the 120 anyways. Not necessary at all with how small the battery will be but nice to have.

 

[sodamo]

Most likely, but will start with Level 1. I am completely off grid, solar power only so some constraint. My plan is to charge daytime only using excess PV production to minimize my house batteries. At this point a Level 2 charger would have to be installed in my tractor shed, next to my solar inverter. I don’t have excess AC capacity in my garage at this point and no easy way to upgrade that subpanel. Am investigating ways to add the EV capability but suspect it will be its own system with PV mounted on the garage. Of course I could find that Level 1 is perfectly adequate and save the cost.

 

[slateya]

Installed a 220 V 30 amp plug in my garage a couple years ago for a welder. I hope to use that for a level two charger but haven’t put the pieces together yet.

 

[OldGoat]

I've never researched or looked into EVs at all until the Slate caught my eye.
Will you all be installing a Level 2 charger in your home?
I figured I would just use the wall outlet at first and see how that does.

For those of you new to EV's and maybe stressing about home charging chill out. There will be plenty of help/advice on this forum as I see there already is on this post. I'd just like to add that in some areas, your utility company would LOVE to sell you more juice. To encourage that, they may offer special rates for charging at night as well as paying for the charger itself! That is what happened here in Michigan where I live. I used an experienced electrical contractor and paid them $550 for install of the charger and re-routing some things in the box. Well worth it.
Worth considering too is that IF you live in an area prone to weather related power outage, it's great to be able to charge to 100% as quick as possible when you see weather moving in that is serious. Therefore, L2 is gold.

 

[Benjamin Nead]

There's a couple/three ways I could go with this.

I've shown elsewhere on this forum my 6A/120V/720W "portable" solar setup (which ends up being closer to around 600W under real world conditions.) The EVSE I bought for that project is one of the Chinese-made Zencar units. The one I have allows 120V (level 1) J1772 charging at 6A, 8A, 10A, 12A and 15A . . .

https://evseadapters.com/products/z...ble-ev-charger-evse-with-timer-and-wall-mount

The carport at the house I bought last year doesn't have an exterior outlet. But I have numerous adjacent windows with several good unused outlets on the other side of the wall. So, I plug in there and pass the cable out a slightly open window. To weather/bug seal the window opening, I have a swimming pool noodle I've cut to length and a shop rag (matching green color, of course) padding the bottom of the opening . . .

Most of the time, I'll schedule daylight charging sessions. And more often than not here in Arizona, it'll be sunny. With the PV panels on my roof and the EVSE set to either 6A, 8A or 10A, this translates using less electricity than my panels are producing. So, I'm essentially solar charging this way.

Even with a "big' battery" Slate, I'll probably continue charging like that on 120V. I'll just be plugging in more often (more days per week) to keep everything relatively topped off. A nicer 120V exterior outlet in that carport is certainly in my future, so I don't have to keep passing a cable through a window opening.

Alternately, I now have a 240V/50A kitchen stove outlet I'm no longer using (I'm fine cooking with 120V devices) and a 240V/30A one available for an old resistance heat clothes dryer I just retired (120V heat pump tech dries my laundry now.) I also hope to get a 120V heat pump water tank to retire the old gas one, which is another energy miser. So, I'm completely set, electrically speaking, for any sort of 40A continuous Level 2 setup down the road with room to spare, even with just a 120A service panel.

I'm wanting to learn more about Slate's commitment to including V2L capability with the Truck (fabulous news: I saw the discussion thread here just the other day.) This will certainly determine how I set up any sort of 240V EV charging infrastructure here.

 

[Garbone]

I've never researched or looked into EVs at all until the Slate caught my eye.
Will you all be installing a Level 2 charger in your home?
I figured I would just use the wall outlet at first and see how that does.

Just get a lvl 2 if you can. I have an Emporia. It is the cats pj's.

 

[SlateModGarage]

There is a bunch on marketplace for like $100 here. So yea

 

[skidoofast]

Our electric company will credit $500 for the install (covers the charger purchase but not the install)

we have off peak already and the kWh price is 1/2 normal rate

 

[Johnny5]

Level 1 here, maybe hook up the 240 at some point.

 

[AZFox]

I have learned that 120V Level 1 charging is best for battery health if you have the time and don't need to drive many miles daily. Slow L1 trickle charging stresses the battery less and may lead to longer battery pack lifespan, potentially up to 20 yrs.

This is something I was wondering. Thanks!

But then again...

One point about 120v charging is that it is less efficient. If I charge at 240 and send 100 kWh to the battery I get about 92 kWh added to the battery. If I charge at 120 and send 100 kWh to the battery I get about 81 kWh to the battery. (I don’t have a battery that will hold 100 kWh, number chosen for easy math). Over time, a level 2 installation will pay for itself in energy savings.

I'm inclined to pay a little extra to preserve capacity based on my experience of gradual capacity-decline in my golf cart.

 

[atx_ev]

I've never researched or looked into EVs at all until the Slate caught my eye.
Will you all be installing a Level 2 charger in your home?
I figured I would just use the wall outlet at first and see how that does.

I got a few quotes for about 2K for a wired L2 charger (240v cable has to go all the way across the house). Right now Im using an L1 plugged into a regular outlet and it can just barely give a full charge to our PHEV (23Kwh).

We have a space in our driveway that is right next to the main breaker panel so it might be a lot less expensive to have an outdoor charger installed vs. across the entire width of the house in the garage.

 

[Lanthian]

I wasn't really sure what the price would be for a L2 charger. So appreciate that info!

I'm not entirely concerned with how quickly it charges, since I can just use my Tacoma if it isn't charged enough for the day. I talked (in passing) to an electrician in the area, and he said they install them often, and its an easy process.

 

[Garbone]

I installed my lvl 2 for the price of materials. Even if I paid a electrician for labor keep in mind that was in February 2021 and not a recurring charge.

One thing imto consider is lvl one besides being slow to the point of distraction may not allow you to precondition your car and charge at the same time. Lvl 2 you can turn on you rig remotely and cool or heat the cabin and battery and still add charge. Lvl1. Not so much.

Also lvl 1 pretty much insures you have to charge at the max capacity of the charger. I have a 48amp rated level 2 and charge at 30 amps. The difference in charging for me is fine but I also am not near the rated capacity of my setup so less wear and tear.

Running lvl 1 don't use an extension cord. That sucker will smoke unless it is a higher end model and then you just have to worry about the outlet and wire in the wall is to spec for that much max continuos draw.

 

[Lanthian]

I installed my lvl 2 for the price of materials. Even if I paid a electrician for labor keep in mind that was in February 2021 and not a recurring charge.

One thing imto consider is lvl one besides being slow to the point of distraction may not allow you to precondition your car and charge at the same time. Lvl 2 you can turn on you rig remotely and cool or heat the cabin and battery and still add charge. Lvl1. Not so much.

Also lvl 1 pretty much insures you have to charge at the max capacity of the charger. I have a 48amp rated level 2 and charge at 30 amps. The difference in charging for me is fine but I also am not near the rated capacity of my setup so less wear and tear.

Running lvl 1 don't use an extension cord. That sucker will smoke unless it is a higher end model and then you just have to worry about the outlet and wire in the wall is to spec for that much max continuos draw.

It'll be garage kept, so I'm not worried about precondition...but the max charging at level 1 for extended amounts of time does worry me a little. I would hate for it to get hot. Do you all typically charge over night, too?

 

[GaRailroader]

It'll be garage kept, so I'm not worried about precondition...but the max charging at level 1 for extended amounts of time does worry me a little. I would hate for it to get hot. Do you all typically charge over night, too?

Yes. I charge between 11p and 7a. A lot of utilities offer an EV plan with extra cheap rates during non peak hours. I pay 6.2 cents per kWh between those hours so definitely incentivized to do all my charging in that window.