Getting the house ready for EV question

[LightitUP]

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[hturnerfamily]

when we found our first EV, a nicely used 2014 Nissan Leaf, we just plugged it's EVSE into a regular house outlet... it works.

later, I added a 240v 20amp outlet, with a low-cost 20amp EVSE... it worked just fine.

2022 I got my LIGHTNING, and added a NEMA 14-50 240v outlet and circuit and breaker set to my outside main 200amp panel... easy, and it works just fine with the Ford Mobile EVSE 30amp.

2024 we got her KIA EV9, and added another NEMA 14-50 240v outlet, on another circuit, and it works just fine with our 30amp 240v 'ADJUSTABLE' EVSE...

We also have a number of 'adapters' for various and many situations while traveling, since we come from the camping world, where adapters are very common for all types of scenarios...

there is no 'right or wrong' or 'one size fits all' answer to home charging - you just do what fits your needs.

 

[Jseis]

I’ve set up our Mach E on a 120 V circuit because it maybe gets 100 miles a week. The LT ER is knocking down 500-600 miles a week and really needs the CP HomeFlex pushing 32 amps at 240V so in 4-5 hours I can get that 40 kWh back in every night in about 4.5 hours. When our house was built, the garage w/upstairs apartment had a metered 100 amp panel, the main house has a metered 200 amp panel.

The rub is the garage 100 amp panel powers an apartment stove-range, baseboard heaters, hot water tank, coffee maker, microwave, etc. And a 240V radial saw, 240V table saw, the 120V Mach E charger, and the 240V 40 amp circuit for the CP HomeFlex pulling 32 amps at 240V…..and keep 2 garage door openers opening & closing LOL.

All this meant I unplugged and shut down saws, drills, apartment range, etc.. and the 100 amp 240V panel plugs along, never overloaded. FYI one advantage to cranking up the CP Home Flex in the future to 80 amps is lowering charging time by 50% and be ready for storm power outages with 85% but that will really compromise the 100 amp panel. I foresee a garage 200 amp panel eventually. I also placed the HomeFlex such that it can charge either the Mach E or LT.

Brave New World it is.

 

[G-Zeus]

If you want max amps, you might be able to have your electrician pull off a breaker right from the mains, and avoid your in-house electrical panel altogether. I had to do that because my house is on a solar panel co-gen plan, and I wanted my EV charger to be on the very nice EV plan... so I needed a new meter anyway and that required pulling right off of the mains. That's when I learned that it was even possible to do that - some of the meters are already wired for that with breakers in the box or an ability to branch off to another breaker box for your EV charger. Now my garage is wired for 2x 60A chargers, and more if I needed, and I didn't have to touch anything coming into the house!

(And yes, I'm aware that it means I won't be able to use any 2-way charger/generator stations with this set up... but it was going to be problematic with the solar equipment anyway)

 

[pdegenkolb]

Hi, looking at possibly getting a Lightning. As for the electrical side, I currently have a 220 outlet for my table saw.
In a few days, we will begin remodeling our kitchen, which will include an induction cooktop, which also requires 220. They will be wiring up a new 100 amp sub panel because my 200 amp panel is maxed out.
Can I adapt my saw circuit for charging and switch back and forth or do I need a third 220 outlet, if that’s possible? Thanks.

If you have an electrician already coming to the property, look at having a NEMA 14-50 receptacle attached to a 50A breaker. You are supposed to keep constant current below 80% of the breaker capacity, so that would allow a 40A charge. Most EVSE units rated at 40A or below can be purchased with the NEMA 14-50 plug. (Although the cords are usually ridiculously short, so have the outlet installed where you want the EVSE installed.)
Even at 30A (roughly 6KW) 10 hours is about half of a full charge. Get home, plug in the vehicle, and you are probably close to full charge by the time you get out of the house in the morning.

 

[Highpi]

Unless the electrician wants to do it on the side, I may have to wait until the remodel is done. They are on a pretty strict schedule and I don't want to interrupt the main work. As long as I can expand off the box, I'm happy.

 

[Calson]

The EV charging system detects how much current is available and adjusts the charging rate and time. If you schedule the EV to charge at night it will have no impact on total load on the panel.

I have a 40V outlet and charge after 11 pm and we are not using our cooktop or our hot tub or or wall oven during the charge period.

Best to install the appropriate plug receptacle for the charger so when it fails all you need to do is unplug it and replace it with not need for an electrician in the process. My charger failed after 6 months and was under warranty and the manufacturer sent me a replacement charger that I received in a couple of days.

 

[shelnian]

Recommend you have the electrician install a GFCI breaker and prewire for a hardwired charger. You can finish the install after you have the charger.

 

[Monkey]

Recommend you have the electrician install a GFCI breaker and prewire for a hardwired charger. You can finish the install after you have the charger.

If you’re prewiring for a hardwired charger, DO NOT install a GFCI breaker. Or at least there is no need to for it. This was the advice in the early days, but all current UL Listed hardwired EVSE’s on the market have in-built protection and do not need the GFCI breaker, some advise against it.

Kinda funny since I myself on this forum early on recommended GFCI breakers to people, depending on which EVSE they were installing. But all the current good ones like Emporia, ChargePoint, Grizzl-e, Tesla all have fault protection in their current model units and some have always had it.

That said, they may be required to install a GFCI breaker to pass inspection if the endpoint is just capped or they assume an outlet will be installed.

 

[Maquis]

If you’re prewiring for a hardwired charger, DO NOT install a GFCI breaker. Or at least there is no need to for it. This was the advice in the early days, but all current UL Listed hardwired EVSE’s on the market have in-built protection and do not need the GFCI breaker, some advise against it.

Kinda funny since I myself on this forum early on recommended GFCI breakers to people, depending on which EVSE they were installing. But all the current good ones like Emporia, ChargePoint, Grizzl-e, Tesla all have fault protection in their current model units and some have always had it.

That said, they may be required to install a GFCI breaker to pass inspection if the endpoint is just capped or they assume an outlet will be installed.

The built in protection is GFPE, not GFCI. That’s all that UL requires.

I would only install a hard-wired EVSE on a GFCI breaker if it was required by the NEC. Which is to say an outdoor installation on the 2023 (or later) NEC.

 

[citengr]

I do not think that you have a problem. You do not use your kitchen when you use your saw. Likewise, you do charging overnight when you do not use your saw or kitchen.

 

[Monkey]

I do not think that you have a problem. You do not use your kitchen when you use your saw. Likewise, you do charging overnight when you do not use your saw or kitchen.

So you don’t have dinner in the oven, or soup simmering on the stove, while you’re tinkering in the workshop and cutting things on the saw?

I don’t think he has a problem either, just saying that’s a pretty bold assumption there. You can run a surprising amount of stuff off a single 200A service.

 

[Highpi]

I do not think that you have a problem. You do not use your kitchen when you use your saw. Likewise, you do charging overnight when you do not use your saw or kitchen.

I think that is what the electrician was saying, it would be a rare case that we would max out the panel.
Not saying it couldn't happen, though!

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