All set for home charging - Our story for 14-50 install.

[goin2drt]

So I thought we would provide our home charging prep experience.

22 MYP on order with EDD 2/5 - 3/5

Started getting quotes the second week of December. We only have one "Tesla approved" electrician near us (actually 2 but seems one is out of business or doesn't take new business).

1. Quote 1 from "Tesla" electrician. $990. Needs to run from panel in basement, through brick wall, up along the house in the ground, through another brick wall into the garage and then up and over garage door between 2 garage doors. I am guessing 50 ft or so.
2. Second quote from reputable non-Tesla electrician, $1,700.
3. Third electrician never showed.

We decided to go with Tesla approved. First available appointment was today. Learning here start as soon as you put down your deposit to get electrical done. It doesn't happen over night.

Guy spent most of the day. I think he did a great job. Looks pretty clean for what he needed to do. Also there was a question asked here so I asked him. The 14-50 is not and does not need to be GFI based on what he said. If this is wrong then I guess Tesla should train their "approved electricians" better.

We did not go with the wall charger. At already $1K I felt the charging amount per hour would be good enough for us. Although it would have looked really cool.

Also contacted our electric company and looks like there are no rebates and our kwh for charging is $.0967. They had a couple flexible options but did not work for us and didn't save much for the offpeak advantage when we would be charging the car.

 

[jjrandorin]

It looks really nice.

I am certainly not an expert on this, but I didnt think you could put a 60amp breaker on a 14-50 outlet. On the "GFCI or not" that depends on what version (year) of the electrical code your local AHJ (authority having jurisdiction, or entity that issues and approves permits) uses.

I am sure one of the more experienced people will correct me if I am wrong about the 60amp breaker, but I thought the breaker size needed to not exceed the outlet size, so a 14-50 couldnt have more than a 50amp breaker.

Perhaps I am mis remembering that though.

 

[Benito1283]

Looks like a nice install. But the breaker should be 50A, not 60A. The breaker protects the whole circuit, which includes the wire and the receptacle. There would be no advantage to a 60A breaker over a 50A. There's a good chance this wouldn't pass inspection. I'd ask him to swap the breaker out for a 50A and also why he put the 60A in in the first place (maybe because the wire is rated for 60A?). Also, is that receptacle...pre-owned?

Having said that, the chance that you'd have any issues is extremely small. The most the Mobile Connector should pull is 32A. Congrats on the new setup and enjoy the fast charging!

 

[goin2drt]

It looks really nice.

I am certainly not an expert on this, but I didnt think you could put a 60amp breaker on a 14-50 outlet. On the "GFCI or not" that depends on what version (year) of the electrical code your local AHJ (authority having jurisdiction, or entity that issues and approves permits) uses.

I am sure one of the more experienced people will correct me if I am wrong about the 60amp breaker, but I thought the breaker size needed to not exceed the outlet size, so a 14-50 couldnt have more than a 50amp breaker.

Perhaps I am mis remembering that though.

Looks like a nice install. But the breaker should be 50A, not 60A. The breaker protects the whole circuit, which includes the wire and the receptacle. There would be no advantage to a 60A breaker over a 50A. There's a good chance this wouldn't pass inspection. I'd ask him to swap the breaker out for a 50A and also why he put the 60A in in the first place (maybe because the wire is rated for 60A?).

Having said that, the chance that you'd have any issues is extremely small. The most the Mobile Connector should pull is 32A. Congrats on the new setup and enjoy the fast charging!

Thanks for looking out. Well just called my electrician to be safe. He said "that is Tesla's specs. 60A breaker, 6 gauge wire to a 14-50 receptacle". He also said "that if I wanted to get a wall charger this enables it to be done by just swapping out the receptacle and mounting the charger." Maybe that is why Tesla gives those specs to be able to later sell me the charger, dunno.

I do not know anything and that is why I didn't try a DIY outlet install so I have to trust he knows what he is doing since he came from Tesla's website as a certified electrician.

 

[Benito1283]

Thanks for looking out. Well just called my electrician to be safe. He said "that is Tesla's specs. 60A breaker, 6 gauge wire to a 14-50 receptacle". He also said "that if I wanted to get a wall charger this enables it to be done by just swapping out the receptacle and mounting the charger." Maybe that is why Tesla gives those specs to be able to later sell me the charger, dunno.

I do not know anything and that is why I didn't try a DIY outlet install so I have to trust he knows what he is doing since he came from Tesla's website as a certified electrician.

Makes sense. I wouldn't worry about it. You're good to go. If there's an inspection issue, it's a two minute fix.

You must be super stoked about your MYP. You're going to love it. Have you gotten your VIN yet?

 

[norazi]

60a breaker is fine as long as the wiring can handle it... I would personally go with 4AWG for 60a and 6awg for 50a

GFCI is not needed at the breaker because its already built into the Tesla charger, so its fine in your case. However, you would want GFCI at the breaker if you are using that outlet for other chargers or devices that don't have it built in. It also depends on your local codes.

For comparison, I did a DIY setup similar to yours (50a breaker, 6awg, 10 ft conduit) and spent about $120 in parts and 3 hours of labor.

 

[goin2drt]

Makes sense. I wouldn't worry about it. You're good to go. If there's an inspection issue, it's a two minute fix.

You must be super stoked about your MYP. You're going to love it. Have you gotten your VIN yet?

Thanks and we are. No VIN yet. Initially it was Feb and then late Dec it moved to Jan (we got excited) then a week later moved back to Feb. We have crap ton of aftermarket parts already. Glad we got the outlet done.

 

[jcanoe]

Thanks for looking out. Well just called my electrician to be safe. He said "that is Tesla's specs. 60A breaker, 6 gauge wire to a 14-50 receptacle". He also said "that if I wanted to get a wall charger this enables it to be done by just swapping out the receptacle and mounting the charger." Maybe that is why Tesla gives those specs to be able to later sell me the charger, dunno.

I do not know anything and that is why I didn't try a DIY outlet install so I have to trust he knows what he is doing since he came from Tesla's website as a certified electrician.

A couple of things:

The electrician gave you incorrect information re: 14-50. (notice the number "50" in the receptacle specification.) The NEMA 14-50 receptacle is rated for 250V and 50A, not 60A. Using a 60A breaker is a clear code violation and would fail inspection (I would question any electrician who would install a 60A breaker and wire terminated with a 14-50 receptacle.) Note: When installing the Tesla Gen3 Wall Connector (hard wired to the circuit, not using a power plug/receptacle) up to a 60A circuit breaker and appropriate gauge wire can be used.

The 2020 revision of the National Electrical Code specifies that any new circuit installed for charging an electric vehicle must be a dedicated circuit, i.e. only one receptacle or one electric vehicle service equipment (EVSE). If the circuit terminates in a receptacle (any receptacle) then the circuit must be protected by GFCI. For a 50A circuit the only way to add GFCI protection is a GFCI circuit breaker (costs around $100.) (It may be that in your locality has not yet adopted the latest revision of the NEC.)

If you plan to use the Tesla Mobile Connector with the NEMA 14-50 power plug adapter add a cable organizer (like this one from Tesla) so that the weight of the Mobile Connector is not pulling on the power plug adapter and receptacle. (See photos #2 - 4.) You can find similar cable organizer kits on Amazon, eBay or Etsy. (You even can fashion your own support; the important thing is to support the Mobile Connector chassis.)

Cable Organizer

 

[goin2drt]

@jcanoe Thanks for that. I ordered the organizer from Amazon, good call.

What is weird from the electrician standpoint is this was the Tesla recommended electrician from their website. He also stated those were "Tesla's specs". I also know this company isn't a fly by night small mom and pop. They are the same company that Big Ass Fans (I used to work there) uses to contract a large percent of their installs in places like Toyota and Ford manufacturing plants here in Kentucky. You would think they knew the code and what they were doing. IDK.

 

[Wyeme]

Thanks for looking out. Well just called my electrician to be safe. He said "that is Tesla's specs. 60A breaker, 6 gauge wire to a 14-50 receptacle". He also said "that if I wanted to get a wall charger this enables it to be done by just swapping out the receptacle and mounting the charger." Maybe that is why Tesla gives those specs to be able to later sell me the charger, dunno.

I do not know anything and that is why I didn't try a DIY outlet install so I have to trust he knows what he is doing since he came from Tesla's website as a certified electrician.

If you want to be able to charge at 48A, you have to install a 60A brkr but that will most probably require the charger to be hardwired to the panel.

 

[jcanoe]

@jcanoe Thanks for that. I ordered the organizer from Amazon, good call.

What is weird from the electrician standpoint is this was the Tesla recommended electrician from their website. He also stated those were "Tesla's specs". I also know this company isn't a fly by night small mom and pop. They are the same company that Big Ass Fans (I used to work there) uses to contract a large percent of their installs in places like Toyota and Ford manufacturing plants here in Kentucky. You would think they knew the code and what they were doing. IDK.

The electrician was probably quoting from memory, referencing the circuit requirements for the Tesla Gen3 Wall Connector, not the Gen2 Mobile Connector. Similar, equally confounding, names with different capabilities and electrical requirements. The Gen3 Wall Connector should be hard wired (can be any circuit rated from 15A to 60A, depending on the installation.) The Gen2 Mobile Connector uses a plug (a variety of 120V and 240V power plug adapters are available including the NEMA 14-50.) When used with the 14-50 power plug adapter the Gen2 Mobile Connector enables charging of the Tesla vehicle at 32A (a 40A or 50A circuit should be used, not a 60A circuit.) Normally the 14-50 receptacle is installed on a 50A circuit. It is within code to install the 14-50 receptacle on a 40A circuit because there is no specific receptacle for 40A. It is never acceptable to install the 14-50 receptacle on a circuit rated over 50A. (This is basic code, has nothing to do with Tesla documentation.)

 

[Rocky_H]

[Insert swear words here], this is terrible. Your electrician does work that looks high quality and is physically very good looking and neat, but is violating code in two very clear ways because of his ignorance of it, and you should definitely report him to Tesla so they can remove him from their recommended list. He does need education and training in these issues, and he should not be doing any EV charging related installations.

Regarding the GFCI code requirement, that was added in the 2017 version of NEC, which this page says that Kentucky adopted on January 1, 2019. So yes, it does require it.

https://www.iaei.org/page/kentucky-electrical-ceus

And the 60A breaker for a 50A rated outlet just breaks a longstanding code rule that has nothing to do with electric cars. It's NEC code section 210.21(B)(1), which is defining the ratings of branch circuits with a single dedicated outlet, which this is.

Outlet Devices | UpCodes

Explore a searchable database of US construction and building code. Code regulations are consolidated by state and city for easier navigation.

up.codes

"A single receptacle installed on an individual branch circuit shall have an ampere rating not less than that of the branch circuit."

The breaker sets the rating of the circuit, and it says that the receptacle rating shall be not less than that. So if you are setting up a 60A circuit, you can't use a receptacle that's less than a 60A one. The outlet can be higher than the breaker, but not the other way around.

He said "that is Tesla's specs. 60A breaker, 6 gauge wire to a 14-50 receptacle".

That is a blatant lie. It's a code violation, and Tesla has never recommended that. He is severely confused.

 

[goin2drt]

This is all good info. How do I contact Tesla regarding something like this so they can contact him and set him straight and also have him fix it? He obviously thinks he did the correct job so is not going to fix it because I tell him the "forum said so" and I am not an electrician so who am I to tell him.

I searched and searched and it seems impossible to get a hold of Tesla for something like this. I am worried not to not charge the car with this set up as to not damage the car.

We don't have the car yet so we have time to fix it.

 

[jcanoe]

This is all good info. How do I contact Tesla regarding something like this so they can contact him and set him straight and also have him fix it? He obviously thinks he did the correct job so is not going to fix it because I tell him the "forum said so" and I am not an electrician so who am I to tell him.

I searched and searched and it seems impossible to get a hold of Tesla for something like this. I am worried not to not charge the car with this set up as to not damage the car.

We don't have the car yet so we have time to fix it.

If the work was inspected, it would fail inspection unless the inspector was not doing their job. To avoid a confrontation with the electrician who did the work I would hire a different electrician to change the breaker to a 50A breaker. You could leave it as is, with the 60A breaker, probably nothing bad will happen. Why take the chance? If you hire another electrician, they can check that the wire is correct for the circuit. If the wire gauge used was undersized for the circuit then the wire insulation would overheat and melt. This could cause an electrical fire.

 

[kc1953]

If you want to be able to charge at 48A, you have to install a 60A brkr but that will most probably require the charger to be hardwired to the panel.

The mobile connector is self limited to 32A. The hardwired wall charger can charge at 48A wit 60A breaker.

 

[Murdock]

I think everyone needs to determine the number of miles per day. I personally charge at 16A. This is 10 miles per hour.
Most people would likely not drive more than 60 miles per day plus it will save on the car’s battery.

 

[jcanoe]

I think everyone needs to determine the number of miles per day. I personally charge at 16A. This is 10 miles per hour.
Most people would likely not drive more than 60 miles per day plus it will save on the car’s battery.

Would you clarify your statement that you charge at 16A adding 10 miles per hour. When charging at 120V/16A this would add up to 7 miles per hour. When charging at 240V/16A this will add up to 14 miles miles per hour.

Prior to Covid-19 and many more people working from home the average was 32 miles per day; now it is 30 miles per day on average.

Do you have a source for any studies that show that charging at 16A versus 32A or 48A (All well below 1C where C is the capacity of the battery in kWh) is better for the Tesla vehicle's lithium battery? AFAIK charging at a lower amperage such as 16A will extend the time to charge, is slightly less efficient than charging at 32A or 40A. The charging station, charging connector and cord may stay cooler at the lower amperage. This could prolong the life of this equipment.

 

[jjrandorin]

I think everyone needs to determine the number of miles per day. I personally charge at 16A. This is 10 miles per hour.
Most people would likely not drive more than 60 miles per day plus it will save on the car’s battery.

No, it wont "save on the cars battery". All home charging these cars do is slow charging, including up to 48amps. There is nothing wrong with charging slower, but that does not help the car in any way. It doesnt prolong battery life, etc.

 

[Qbenjamin]

Chiming in with the others, but the NEMA 14-50 goes on a 50A breaker. Get that electrician back out and have him swap the 60A with the correct breaker size (50A). It's not that complicated to change the breaker in your case. He'll literally shut off the main breaker power, disconnect the 60A breaker and connect the 50A breaker. Turn main power back on and be gone.

 

[UncleCreepy]

I think everyone needs to determine the number of miles per day. I personally charge at 16A. This is 10 miles per hour.

There is more to consider than just the miles per day. No doubt temperature is a non-issue in Arizona, but good luck charging if it gets really cold. We had -32 °C (-26 F) the last two nights and even at 48 Amps, charging would occasionally interrupt to heat the battery. Consumption is also considerably higher in cold temperatures.

As others pointed out, charging at 0.15 C (240 V / 48 A, 75 kWh battery) is a non-issue. Charging slower only adds to the electricity bill without providing any benefit to battery life.