Will you be installing a Level 2 charger?

[skidoofast]

I wish the electric companies would work with charger manufacturers to make off peak charging happen without a special meter, dedicated plug and wiring

I could see a connected device that is controlled by the electric company and they could reduce your bill appropriately

then I could plug said charger into an existing outlet and have off peak charging in my garage or in my outbuilding

 

[sodamo]

I wish the electric companies would work with charger manufacturers to make off peak charging happen without a special meter, dedicated plug and wiring

I could see a connected device that is controlled by the electric company and they could reduce your bill appropriately

then I could plug said charger into an existing outlet and have off peak charging in my garage or in my outbuilding

so, you wish the electric companies would prioritize you saving money vs them making money?

 

[skidoofast]

so, you wish the electric companies would prioritize you saving money vs them making money?

well maybe - LOL

or maybe prioritize controlling grid demand and making it easier for customers to make the switch to EV which in turn would drive profits

some of what is holding back EV purchases is the cost of running and installing an outlet or off peak electricity to a charger

many people have a 220 plug in their garage + they make switches that can hook to your dryer outlet that allows 1 or the other to operate eliminating the need to run a new wire from the box

as evident by this post

 

[Dorbiman]

so, you wish the electric companies would prioritize you saving money vs them making money?

It's not just about profits either. Many electric utility companies have programs that pay you to reduce energy usage during peak hours. Mine does. It behooves both parties to flatten the demand curve during a 24h cycle

 

[Doctors Do Little]

It's not just about profits either. Many electric utility companies have programs that pay you to reduce energy usage during peak hours. Mine does. It behooves both parties to flatten the demand curve during a 24h cycle

That's the hook...you can get the discounts and assistance in setting up systems, but you also agree to use off-peak hours preferentially. Makes sense.

 

[Dorbiman]

That's the hook...you can get the discounts and assistance in setting up systems, but you also agree to use off-peak hours preferentially. Makes sense.

I can't speak to all utility companies. Mine gives us the option of off peak. If we choose to do so, there are incentives. If not, it's the standard rate. No downside in my book.

 

[AZFox]

EV n00b here.

Can't you just program the charger (or the vehicle) to charge at a particular time window?

As in: plug it in now, have it start charging when off-peak hours begin?

 

[Dorbiman]

EV n00b here.

Can't you just program the charger (or the vehicle) to charge at a particular time window?

As in: plug it in now, have it start charging when off-peak hours begin?

Some do this, yes. Most EVs allow you to do this too. You can just plug in when you get home, and the schedule in the vehicle knows to start charging at a certain time.

What I found though was that not all utilities actually offer "off peak" rates without opting into them.

 

[sodamo]

Just for S&G, being OffGrid, I define my best off peak for charging to be daytime, when I have excess PV production and minimal battery drain and will avoid nighttime charging best I can.

 

[cadblu]

I can't speak to all utility companies. Mine gives us the option of off peak. If we choose to do so, there are incentives. If not, it's the standard rate. No downside in my book.

I have PSEG. They offer a ‘super off peak rate’ from 10 pm to 6 am, which is about half of the standard rate, perfect for ev charging. It’s a 3 tiered plan with 3 levels: peak, off peak, and super off peak.

But woefully, there is a downside. The peak rate under this plan is 3 pm to 7 pm, when your central AC is working its hardest. So this kind of offsets the savings.

 

[Doctors Do Little]

I have PSEG. They offer a ‘super off peak rate’ from 10 pm to 6 am, which is about half of the standard rate, perfect for ev charging. It’s a 3 tiered plan with 3 levels: peak, off peak, and super off peak.

But woefully, there is a downside. The peak rate under this plan is 3 pm to 7 pm, when your central AC is working its hardest. So this kind of offsets the savings.

You gotta take the wins you can. Our local electric co-op will offer to put in a specific meter for EV's, but you have to agree to charge when they want you to charge (nights), and there would be some additional electrical panel and cut-off work, of course. I figured that the juice was not worth the squeeze (puns always intended).

 

[RevCaptJack]

I have an unused 220 dryer plug. I will have an electrician make sure it’s ready for use. The house is 30 years old and the plug has never been ised

I heard somewhere that just plugging into a regular wall socket charges fine and the slower charge is easier on the batteries in the long term. Can anyone verify that? I’m real new to the EV thing.

 

[Neil Nelson]

I heard somewhere that just plugging into a regular wall socket charges fine and the slower charge is easier on the batteries in the long term. Can anyone verify that? I’m real new to the EV thing.

This page has a chart for charging times for the different levels.
https://evocharge.com/resources/the...wf15_Mni4vKaU-SbftlnVk_Q4HfeHmGNgXIbTRMH9bRUr
Level 2 has 3-8 hours because of the variance in number of amps that charger is set to and the difference in the battery size. But notice that Level 2 charges three to four times faster then Level 1. I expect that a Slate that travels 50 miles a day could use a Level 1 charger each night.

 

[skidoofast]

I heard somewhere that just plugging into a regular wall socket charges fine and the slower charge is easier on the batteries in the long term. Can anyone verify that? I’m real new to the EV thing.

that is correct, if you have all night to charge (most people do) also you would not be able to benefit from off peak charging (in my case that would save me 50% on the electricity used to charge) and I am uncertain about this but is 220 charges more efficient? kind of like a 220v air conditioner would be more efficient than a 115v air conditioner with the same output

 

[AZFox]

I heard somewhere that just plugging into a regular wall socket charges fine and the slower charge is easier on the batteries in the long term. Can anyone verify that? I’m real new to the EV thing.

I can only verify that I've heard both of those things as well. I suppose it depends on what someone means when they say " it charges fine".

Charging via 110 will not fill a battery overnight. According to the Slate FAQ it adds 2-5 miles per hour.

• Level 1 AC household outlet (this is a standard outlet that you charge your phone with): This charges at a rate of 2-5 miles per hour or 20-50 miles overnight.