EV Chargers

[Laconian]

Here is a great breakdown of the various charger choices as of EOY 2022.
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1--8KNav5jk4nH0ZVtXpmBb3FgewE_DaJzu54bRxDw0g/edit#gid=2063329070

We did a few weekends of research and are going to buy the Emporia 50A charger. It is feature rich and nicely priced. There are other options that are made domestically and are much more expensive. I was wondering why they are so proud of being made in USA, but then I realized - it's probably all done for subsidies! Since our utility district ran out of subsidy cash for EV installs, everything is being paid out of pocket, so we're just going to go with the Desi-made Emporia.

We thought about routing conduit around the garage, but we're just going to have a short cable from the breaker to the charger and make use of the charger's 24' cable instead, draping the cord across one bay. If that ends up too clunky, we can always redo the solution with longer conduit runs. 50A makes for really fast charging but the thick gauge cable needed to feed it is thick, expensive, and clunky!

The EV6 will gobble up to 48A which is 11.5kW. That's about 43 miles of range added per hour. Not bad for charging at home...

EV folks, what kind of home charging solution do you have?

[r0tor]

If you need some more pliable cable, get multi-strand cable instead of single strand.  There is an immense difference.

[Soup DeVille]

I mean, 50 amp would already be 6 gauge.

I can't imagine he has a single strand 6 gauge cable.

[Laconian]

I mean, 50 amp would already be 6 gauge.

I can't imagine he has a single strand 6 gauge cable.

You need 20% headroom, so 48A -> 60A breaker and wire gauge.

[Morris Minor]

To avoid draping the cord around the other bay, you could hang up a tool balancer and suspend the cord from that.
https://www.grainger.com/category/tools/tool-balancers-retractors-accessories/tool-balancers-retractors

[heelntoe]

Here is a great breakdown of the various charger choices as of EOY 2022.
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1--8KNav5jk4nH0ZVtXpmBb3FgewE_DaJzu54bRxDw0g/edit#gid=2063329070

We did a few weekends of research and are going to buy the Emporia 50A charger. It is feature rich and nicely priced. There are other options that are made domestically and are much more expensive. I was wondering why they are so proud of being made in USA, but then I realized - it's probably all done for subsidies! Since our utility district ran out of subsidy cash for EV installs, everything is being paid out of pocket, so we're just going to go with the Desi-made Emporia.

We thought about routing conduit around the garage, but we're just going to have a short cable from the breaker to the charger and make use of the charger's 24' cable instead, draping the cord across one bay. If that ends up too clunky, we can always redo the solution with longer conduit runs. 50A makes for really fast charging but the thick gauge cable needed to feed it is thick, expensive, and clunky!

The EV6 will gobble up to 48A which is 11.5kW. That's about 43 miles of range added per hour. Not bad for charging at home...

EV folks, what kind of home charging solution do you have?

Thanks for the link!

Chevy covered the installation of a charger at home, so we had them install an outlet in the garage. We paired that with the dual-level charge cord that came with the car. It doesn't have any smart features, but it does the job for now. We considered getting a Grizzl-e, but realized out utility company was willing to give us a credit if we installed the Electrify America home station. I might still get one, but will run it off the outlet instead of hard wiring it.

To avoid draping the cord around the other bay, you could hang up a tool balancer and suspend the cord from that.
https://www.grainger.com/category/tools/tool-balancers-retractors-accessories/tool-balancers-retractors

This might come in handy for me. Thanks!

[Soup DeVille]

You need 20% headroom, so 48A -> 60A breaker and wire gauge.

Yep, already in the NFPA standard.

[r0tor]

I mean, 50 amp would already be 6 gauge.

I can't imagine he has a single strand 6 gauge cable.

I have an expensive generator extension cord that will wrap around your hand and a cheap one that makes everything a PITA.

[afty]

I had a NEMA 14-50 outlet installed on the left hand side of our garage, and I just use the Tesla Mobile Connector that came with the car. It maxes out at 32A, but that's more than sufficient for our needs.

Actually for the first 2 years I owned the car, I mostly charged for free at work. But when I switched jobs and went full remote, I bit the bullet and had that outlet installed.

[afty]

I'm sorta wondering: what are the differences between various chargers? Why would I need something more than my simple mobile connector?

[Soup DeVille]

I have an expensive generator extension cord that will wrap around your hand and a cheap one that makes everything a PITA.

Yes, but I'll bet both are stranded.

Good welding cable for instance, is really pliable.

[Laconian]

I'm sorta wondering: what are the differences between various chargers? Why would I need something more than my simple mobile connector?

Price, amperage, ergonomics and quality of the J1772 conenctor, cable management systems, how flexible the cable is at various temperatures, smart capabilities, warranty, where it's manufactured. That covers it.

[Morris Minor]

This might come in handy for me. Thanks!

I think the ceiling is the best place for a charge cable. Good to keep stuff off the floor.
(I have this retractable extension cable. It's great. You can also see the LED brighty-lighties. Those were worthwhile too.)

[CaminoRacer]

The 240v cables are a bit hefty for most ceiling reels. Otherwise it's a good idea.

I just use the 120v charger that came with our car. Maybe next year we'll move and install a 240v outlet & charger. The fancy wifi connection stuff sounds nice, but it's definitely not necessary. Most of the EVs have settings for charging just like the chargers do. I think reliability is the biggest thing to look for when buying a charger. Second most important is probably a decently flexible and long enough cord, because short stiff ones suck.

I don't think the max amps is that important. With home charging at 240v, any decent amperage will easily charge your car overnight. Unless you drive a lot, you'll find that you are always at 100% charge and could actually charge much slower and still be totally fine.

[Morris Minor]

The 240v cables are a bit hefty for most ceiling reels. Otherwise it's a good idea.

I just use the 120v charger that came with our car. Maybe next year we'll move and install a 240v outlet & charger. The fancy wifi connection stuff sounds nice, but it's definitely not necessary. Most of the EVs have settings for charging just like the chargers do. I think reliability is the biggest thing to look for when buying a charger. Second most important is probably a decently flexible and long enough cord, because short stiff ones suck.

I don't think the max amps is that important. With home charging at 240v, any decent amperage will easily charge your car overnight. Unless you drive a lot, you'll find that you are always at 100% charge and could actually charge much slower and still be totally fine.

You can get balancers for all kinds of different tool weights. But agreed, you would not want to try coiling up heavy duty cables.

[giant_mtb]

Is a wall charger unit really necessary? Don't EV's already have computers and such built in to regulate the charging power they receive? I mean, at the end of the day, any plug is just three wires. If the car side is handling all the voltage regulation, couldn't you just use any standard 240V outlet for them?

[Laconian]

Nah, you can only plug into 120V outlets without a box. 240V only works through the J1772 connector. The charger is actually fairly "dumb", but it provides an extra layer of monitoring and redundancy if a failure condition is tripped.

The AC converter and BMS are inside the car, as you note.

But if you hook up DC to your car, then your battery is at the mercy of the fast charging system. The Supercharger station becomes your car's external BMS.

[Laconian]

https://youtu.be/RMxB7zA-e4Y

Let's give more views to my favorite nerd.