Will you be installing a Level 2 charger?

[Lanthian]

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.

 

[Dorbiman]

Depending on how much you drive per day, you can probably get by with just a 110 and a level 1 EVSE. We have a level 1 charger that gives us about 5 miles of range per hour. Given we get home by 5, and don't have to leave until 7, that's 70 miles of range we can add on every day; much more than we drive.

If you need much more than that, and are planning on doing the standard battery pack, a level 2 might make more sense. It depends on your use case.

If you do end up going with a level 2, check your utility company/provider. Ours offers incentives and discounts for both upgrading electrical panels and purchasing a level 2 EVSE.

EDIT: math is hard

 

[Adam W]

When we had solar installed 8 years ago, I had the electricians add a second 100 amp subpanel in our garage, which is on the complete opposite side of the house from the main breaker panel. That will make adding the level 2 charger a no brainer now, and i've been wanting to add 220 outlets for a tablesaw and other woodworking equipment for a while now anyway. Getting an EV will be a good excuse to move forward with that improvement.

 

[Duke Slater]

Already have a L2 Tesla charger in my garage. A 120v isn’t sufficient for how much I drive, but definitely for some people it will work.

 

[Luxrage]

I'll probably do it. My 70s garage has the fuse panel right by the garage door. When I first bought the house it still had the original 1970s stab-lok breakers and when I had the panel replaced with Square Ds, I had them put a taller box in so I'd have room for more breakers, expecting at some point to add more outlets to the garage... or now for an EV charger!

I'll probably go the route of having the charger inside and running it through the wall like I have seen some people do. I plan on parking it in the street in front of my house so it wouldn't be always plugged in the back.

 

[Swinefuzz]

My commute is only ~30 miles/day, so I plan to L1 charge btwn 9PM-5AM twice/week.

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.

I have also learned that if you do use Level 2 charging, the use of the 240V clothes dryer plug is okay for occasional charging, not long term, because clothes dryer plugs were not designed for such intense, constant flow and are prone to eventual failure after months of EV charging, potentially melting and posing a fire risk. If you do intend to use a dryer plug long term, upgrade it to a newer generation unit that is UL rated specifically for EV charging. They're not expensive, around $50. IF YOU DO UPGRADE YOUR HOME'S ELECTRICAL SYSTEM FOR EV CHARGING, INSIST YOUR ELECTRICIAN USE AN "EV CHARGING" PLUG AND NOT A COMMON $10 "DRYER" PLUG! Google images of melted dryer plugs used for EV charging and prepare yourself:

https://www.google.com/search?q=clo...AMAiAYBkgcAoAflCLIHALgHAMIHAMgHAA&sclient=img

Program your charger to activate only after your utility provider's kw rates go down, like after 9PM, to save money. I plan to use a kilowatt monitoring device to track my usage so I have real world numbers to compare to my gasoline usage costs (currently over $300/mo in the summer)

And don't charge over 80% and don't drain to nearly 0% either. Use the battery's capacity btwn 20 & 80% (or 10 & 90%) to make your very expensive battery last for many many years. Those that charge their battery to 100% all the time because they enjoy that full tank feeling have a dying battery in just a few years, so don't do it.

 

[cvollers]

I looked at L2 chargers today. The $600 Tesla universal might be a good way to go. Requires 50a service. Charger in the garage, charging outside.

 

[GaRailroader]

I have a NEMA 14-50 wired in my garage and use a Tesla Mobile connector for charging. I have an adapter so I can charge the Nissan Leaf using the Tesla charger. The Tesla mobile connector which has a NEMA 14-50 plug on it costs about $250 I believe. Mine came with a 120 adapter also. The beauty of the mobile connector is that you can take it on trips with you.

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.

 

[Lanthian]

Thank you everyone for the replies. I'll still have my current truck, so wouldn't have to rely completely on the Slate. But yeah, I think I will go with the extended battery and probably will eventually put in a Level 2 charger as well.

 

[metroshot]

We have 2 EVs in the garage and so we installed a 48A L2 Emporia J1772 charger hardwired onto 60A breakers and getting 11kW max out.

We took advantage of the 30% IRS tax credit for the charger cost plus installation labor 2 years ago.

Charger is still going strong!

 

[GaRailroader]

Big fan of Emporia. I have 16 of their current sensors in my 2 electrical panels. When I’ve had problems I’ve called them talked to a human and they send out replacement hardware very quickly.

 

[planecrazy747]

I already have one for my cybertruck

 

[Karl Childers]

We have an electrician in the family. He said he would install level 2 for us no problem. With that said, I think level 1 would work for us.

 

[The Weatherman]

Long Answer:

We have three. A FSCP from Ford for the Lightning 131 KWH (usable) ER. It is set to 60amps though it can go as high 80amps. The Lightning can charge upto 80amps, but will use whatever is available.

The Kia EV6 will only charge upto 48amps and gets only a few miles per day so it is on a Ford portable charger on a 15amp/240V. It’s slow, but suites are current needs.

The third charger is in my shop building and is a ChargePoint Home Flex that was included with the EV6 purchase. I use it as a spare and occasionally charge the Lightning when I’m peddling in the shop

Short Answer:

NO!

 

[moondawg]

I already have a Chargepoint Flex for my ID.4. But it is a J1772 plug so i will probably install another one for the Slate. Highly recommend the Flex. It's hardwired and can support as high as 80A circuits (when correctly wired and breakered) I just removed the unused dryer outlet in my garage and hardwired the charger. 30A has been plenty for charging the ID. It is definitely a "just works" charger.