200 vs 400amp service

[Manzacoty]

If you're considering one or two 100A circuits in your garage, you should really consider where the main panel is going to be installed. Overall it may save you money to have the panel itself in the garage.

Yeah - the panel will be in the 3rd car garage and I'm already dropping lines to the 2 car garage were we'll park. It's a 1 story too so dropping lines in the future shouldn't be too difficult.

 

[RScottyL]

As people have said, for that "low" of a price, I would go ahead and max it out at 400!

That way, if you decide you need more electricity, you will already have it all ran and just need to add additional wiring and breakers!

You could set 100AMPS just for charging and the other 300 could be used for the house!

 

[Don85D]

Even though the additional cost for 400 amp service makes this an easy decision I'm not sure it is necessary. I have a workshop with welder, compressor, hoist and metal working machines. Tesla charging uses the same breaker as these loads that never run at the same time. Our Tesla is only recharged at night during lower rates and it is always ready to go in the morning. I can't use more power and if Tesla battery efficiency improves I expect that the power required at night will be the same or less. For any driving of more than 300km in a day we can plan a Supercharger stop along the route.

More important to us was reducing future costs when there will be more EVs and rates increase or there are taxes on EV charging, so we installed a solar array on the house. The power we generate over 12 months allows us to run the Tesla for 25,000 km for free every year for the next 30 years.

400 amps of simultaneous load may be required for a big house and many additional appliances but for the Tesla our plan was to get off the grid or at least reduce the cost of charging over the life of the car. The Tesla load happens at night for us with no impact to other daytime requirements for electric power.

A thought for your consideration.

 

[CUBldr97]

It cost me a lot more than $600 to have my house up graded to 400 amp from 200 amp. took a few months too! obviously as many have said go for it.

 

[Manzacoty]

One point to add is that it's not only the extra amps I'm getting - it's the space in the panels as well. I have a lot of 240v hookups (11) that will not fit on a single panel with the rest of the 120v so I would have to add a sub panel anyways. The extra amps is just icing.

 

[VancleVector]

I agree that it would be better if using two 200A when you need a 400, considering the panle, house generator, power wall, etc.