Will you be installing a Level 2 charger?

[AKrietzer]

Don’t you have to get a special charger through your utility company to get the off hours discount? If you just use a 220 outlet you already have, with a charger you buy off Amazon, will you be able to get the discounts from the Utility company?

 

[KevinRS]

Your utility likely offers several rate plans, several of which are TOU time of use plans. On the general ones, they don't necessarily know what you are doing with power at different times, just program your charger or car to only charge when the rates are lowest.
They may also have a special EV plan, where they control the charger to do the same, and that plan may have a lower rate.

On the efficiency angle, I've seen level 2 being more efficient than level 1 in several articles, meaning that more of the watts coming out of the wall end up stored in the battery. I don't know how much more efficient it is though. I've also seen claims that level 1 charging is better for battery longevity, but again, I don't know how much difference it actually makes.

I don't really have a conveniently placed 120 outlet, I figure I'm going to have to take out an unused dryer outlet, and run that 240 line to the front of the garage, and set up a charger there, probably all hardwired. If possible I'll set the charger up to charge as slow as practical to complete charging within the off-peak hours

 

[AZFox]

Level 2 charging is slightly more efficient by virtue of happening more quickly.How much does that save? Dunno. I think someone posted the difference.

The efficiency gain comes from reduced energy losses during the charging process. A significant portion of the energy drawn during charging is used to power the vehicle's charging electronics, battery management system, and cooling systems, which operate at a relatively fixed power level. Because Level 2 charging completes the charge much faster, this fixed power draw is used for a shorter duration, meaning a higher percentage of the total energy consumed goes into the battery.​

 

[MIDgrid]

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.

Note that the Slate Truck comes with the cord and capability to use a 120V wall outlet for Level 1 charging or a 240V outlet for Level 2 charging (see link): Slate Charging

So it seems that installing a 240V charging outlet if you don't already have one is all that you would need.

I'm wondering what the motivation(s) are to use a separate Level 2 charger? Certainly already having a separate Level 2 charger could be one reason. Maybe easier to hook up the charging cord wrapped up on a wall charger instead of getting the Slate cord out from somewhere in the truck if you're carrying it it the truck might be another reason.

Apologies if already answered; new to the Slate Forums.

 

[Dorbiman]

Note that the Slate Truck comes with the cord and capability to use a 120V wall outlet for Level 1 charging or a 240V outlet for Level 2 charging (see link): Slate Charging

So it seems that installing a 240V charging outlet if you don't already have one is all that you would need.

I'm wondering what the motivation(s) are to use a separate Level 2 charger? Certainly already having a separate Level 2 charger could be one reason. Maybe easier to hook up the charging cord wrapped up on a wall charger instead of getting the Slate cord out from somewhere in the truck if you're carrying it it the truck might be another reason.

Apologies if already answered; new to the Slate Forums.

The big upside to a standalone level 2 charger is the ability to charge at much higher amperages. The included one will probably cap at 240V @ 16A, where standalone ones can do 50+ amps, given it has a dedicated circuit. So you can charge much much faster with one of the wall mounted options

 

[MIDgrid]

The big upside to a standalone level 2 charger is the ability to charge at much higher amperages. The included one will probably cap at 240V @ 16A, where standalone ones can do 50+ amps, given it has a dedicated circuit. So you can charge much much faster with one of the wall mounted options

I chatted with Slate recently and asked about the on-board level 2 charging current draw; was told that they are still testing, but expect it to be about 30A at 240V. Granted, not as fast as you mention, but likely okay for me.

 

[atreis]

The big upside to a standalone level 2 charger is the ability to charge at much higher amperages. The included one will probably cap at 240V @ 16A, where standalone ones can do 50+ amps, given it has a dedicated circuit. So you can charge much much faster with one of the wall mounted options

Most EVs come with 30 or 32A 240V EVSE these days. My Ariya came with one that is 30A at 240V or 12A at 120V, with an adapter so that it can be used either way. I'd expect Slate to come with an EVSE similar to that.

 

[TomFrank]

Most EVs come with 30 or 32A 240V EVSE these days. My Ariya came with one that is 30A at 240V or 12A at 120V, with an adapter so that it can be used either way. I'd expect Slate to come with an EVSE similar to that.

Regarding circuit capacity, you don't want to exceed 80% of the circuit amperage to charge an EV. The circuit rating is for peak amps. EV charging is a sustained load. To safely charge at 30 or 32 amps you need a 40 amp dedicated circuit. And because of the temperature swings, the connections need to be properly torqued so they don't losen over time. FWIW, State Of Charge YouTube channel is a great reference for safety tips and EVSE reviews.

 

[Dorbiman]

It's very likely that the picture they show on Slate Auto's Charging Page is just showing a placeholder EVSE, but it looks identical to the Lectron Level 1 Charger, which is only 120V/Level 1. My bet is that the one they ship will be a dual voltage charger, and that this is just a placeholder.

 

[Garbone]

It's very likely that the picture they show on Slate Auto's Charging Page is just showing a placeholder EVSE, but it looks identical to the Lectron Level 1 Charger, which is only 120V/Level 1. My bet is that the one they ship will be a dual voltage charger, and that this is just a placeholder.

I would not bet on this is they are plan on keeping their $27k target. I would not be surprised if any charger at all would be an add on with a 120 and 220 and dual as three different price points and each having a nice margin for the company. Honestly, you only need to get chargers with your first EV, I have every intention of keeping my chargers when I part with my current cars. Charger setups are more like a garden hose than a part of the car.

 

[KevinRS]

From the slate site: "A Slate comes with everything you need to charge at home, no need to buy anything extra. With the included charging cable, you can charge using a regular household outlet."
It does look like a level 1 cable is included, and that is all. For level 2 you need to buy it separately or add it on.

 

[Luxrage]

Level 1 might be all I end up needing for overnight charging. I've got outlets right at the end of the garage that I could plug it into. The only downside is I did the wiring. 🔥

 

[cadblu]

I would not bet on this is they are plan on keeping their $27k target. I would not be surprised if any charger at all would be an add on with a 120 and 220 and dual as three different price points and each having a nice margin for the company. Honestly, you only need to get chargers with your first EV, I have every intention of keeping my chargers when I part with my current cars. Charger setups are more like a garden hose than a part of the car.

Surprise! According to Slate.Auto, a Slate comes with everything you need to charge at home, no need to buy anything extra. With the included charging cable, you can charge using a regular household outlet. If you have access to a 240-volt outlet (the kind of outlet used for dryers, stoves and other appliances), you can charge faster with Level 2 charging. Many EV owners choose to purchase an optional wall-mounted charging station, which can add convenient features like cable storage and Wi-Fi connectivity, but you don’t necessarily need one to charge at home.

As you cleverly pointed out, this would be my second ev so I’m hoping Slate would offer a credit for deleting the charge cable. Not likely, but it would be nice.