Best home charger?

[dogmodes]

Thanks. I most likely will go ahead with the Tesla Wall Connector. I'm getting a little confused/overwhelmed by what's needed for the wiring installation.

About a year ago I had a couple of electricians come out to give estimates to install a Chargepoint charger (at that time I was planning to have that installed).

One electrician replied with this..."Install new dedicated 240v 50amp circuit and install new homeowner provided car charger."

Would the Tesla Wall Connector use the same wiring? Is a 240v 50amp circuit good enough?

In addition to this I remember the Chargepoint charger having different options for plugs (NEMA 6-50 and NEMA 14-50). Are there various ways a Tesla Wall Connector can/should be wired?

You probably missed it earlier in the thread but one of the reasons for going with Tesla wall connector is installing a nema 14-50/6-50 is more epensive to wire. A good outlet, box, GFCI breaker Will run you an extra $150 compared to hardwiring it directly in. The wall connecter has to be hard wired and doesn’t require a GFCI breaker. The mobile charger (UMC) would be like the chargepoint and you’d plug in. Should note the chargepoint charger can be plugged in or hard wired so again check for local rebates.

50amp should be fine and will give you 40A charging so about 36 miles an hour. I would personally have him wired it for 60A though. Your quote should end up a little cheaper as they don’t need a box/outlet/GFCI breaker. If you’re not planning on moving anytime soon the hardwired charger is the way to go typically based on price.

 

[PineNut]

Thanks. I most likely will go ahead with the Tesla Wall Connector. I'm getting a little confused/overwhelmed by what's needed for the wiring installation.

About a year ago I had a couple of electricians come out to give estimates to install a Chargepoint charger (at that time I was planning to have that installed).

One electrician replied with this..."Install new dedicated 240v 50amp circuit and install new homeowner provided car charger."

Would the Tesla Wall Connector use the same wiring? Is a 240v 50amp circuit good enough?

In addition to this I remember the Chargepoint charger having different options for plugs (NEMA 6-50 and NEMA 14-50). Are there various ways a Tesla Wall Connector can/should be wired?

If you get the Tesla Wall Connector and you later add a 2nd electric car that is not a Tesla (as you mentioned in your original post), then you will need an adapter similar to this one (currently on sale for $150):

Tesla-to-J1772 Adapter

If you want to charge a Tesla from a non-Tesla level 2 charger such as a Juice Box, then you would need an adapter similar to this one ($50 from Tesla):

J1772-to-Tesla Adapter

Here is a good deal for both adapters (on sale for $190):

Level 2 Adapters

 

[steph746]

Thanks. So, basically a qualified electrician should know what they're doing. How do I know if I have 50A or 60A lines? If I want things future proofed, would it be better to install 60A lines if I currently have 50A lines?

 

[UncleCreepy]

That's up to you. Although I do believe in using the fastest charging rates at home, I probably wouldn't upgrade from an existing 50 A to a 60 A service as the difference isn't that big and in my eyes wouldn't justify the cost of replacing the existing wiring.

I would probably just leave it as it is right now and see how it goes. If you need the extra power you can always upgrade later, especially since it wouldn't be more work than it is right now.

 

[jcanoe]

Thanks. So, basically a qualified electrician should know what they're doing. How do I know if I have 50A or 60A lines? If I want things future proofed, would it be better to install 60A lines if I currently have 50A lines?

Check the circuit breaker panel. If the breaker for the car charging circuit shows 50A then you know the current circuit is rated for up to 50A (charging is always limited to 80%, so would enable charging at 40A). If the breaker shows 60A and the charging equipment is hard wired (no plug or receptacle) then you can safely charge at 48A.)

 

[zpaul]

My car came with mobile connector.
Maryland at least in 2021 had a ton of incentives $400 from utility, 40% of install plus charger rebate from state. And 30% fed credit. So I even made around $50 on installing the outlet.
I was seriously considering installing wall connector but eventually went with 240 outlet. Several reasons:
- mobile connector already present so I was in for plug only
- as soon as kids out to college we plan to downsize, so I can just unplug mobile connector and next owner can do whatever
- I left some slack in the wire in case I want to hardwire something
- 240 outlet gives more flexibility for sure

 

[Luvtoride]

It's a state program, but it's administered through the utilities. PSE&G says that to get a $0.02/kW-hr, off peak reduction for electric vehicle charging costs, one has to have a "Level 2 Smart Charger". The list of chargers/wall connectors are
PSE&G Approved Charger List:

• ChargePoint Residential & Commercial Smart Level 2 Chargers
• ChargePoint Software (ABB)
• JuiceBox (EnelX) Residential & Commercial Smart Level 2 Charger

I installed my ChargePoint Home Flex charger in May, a month before I got delivery of my MYP. I'm in Northern NJ, an area serviced by PSE&G. At the time, in order to get the subsidy (PSE&G paid all electrician installation costs and permit fees) the chargers above were the only ones eligible. Apparently, they have since added the Tesla Wall Charger to the list. A friend of mine in town, who installed the TWC months ago has applied for the PSE&G subsidy retroactively. He is waiting for approval that he qualifies.
That said, I'm very happy with the ChargePoint charger and it runs at 40 Amps off of my 50 Amp circuit...providing about 35 MPH in charge...plenty for overnight charging at the discounted PSE&G rates.

 

[Art84]

Thanks. So, basically a qualified electrician should know what they're doing. How do I know if I have 50A or 60A lines? If I want things future proofed, would it be better to install 60A lines if I currently have 50A lines?

For future proof, use a thicker wire for installation, AWG 4 which is rated up to 95A so can be connected to an 80A breaker. This is what I used to install Wall Connector at 60A breaker. If I even need in the future to increase amperage, I will just need to replace the $20 breaker with 80A and keep using the same wire.

 

[EbS-P]

My guess is because Tesla is not trying to make money on Wall Connectors, while for Chargepoint it's line of business to sell those charging stations. By the way, Tesla made it cheaper after they told that Mobile Charger will no longer be included with the car and reduced price from $550 to $400 for Wall Connector

Once/if you take the cover off you will see why. One small board, set of contacts and relay Not even solid state one at that. The fact that they cost this much surprises me. R&D and certification costs money. They are making decent profit off them.

 

[jcanoe]

For future proof, use a thicker wire for installation, AWG 4 which is rated up to 95A so can be connected to an 80A breaker. This is what I used to install Wall Connector at 60A breaker. If I even need in the future to increase amperage, I will just need to replace the $20 breaker with 80A and keep using the same wire.

While it is true that AWG 4 wire is rated for up to 95A this is only for commercial installations at 90C(194F). Residential wiring, circuit breakers, terminals and connectors are only rated for a maximum of 75C (167F). In residential installations AWG 4 is only rated for up to 85A at 75C.

 

[WindPower]

Thanks. So, basically a qualified electrician should know what they're doing. How do I know if I have 50A or 60A lines? If I want things future proofed, would it be better to install 60A lines if I currently have 50A lines?

For future proof, use a thicker wire for installation, AWG 4 which is rated up to 95A so can be connected to an 80A breaker. This is what I used to install Wall Connector at 60A breaker. If I even need in the future to increase amperage, I will just need to replace the $20 breaker with 80A and keep using the same wire.

Most people these days are running a set of 6 (or sometimes 8) gauge wires to their garage for EV charging.

I installed my EVSE in 2015 and the one thing I wish I had done is run 3 gauge THHN wires. Had I done that, I would be set for a world where we have two EVs in a home being charged at the same time. I have a Taycan and a Tesla Y and while its rare to need to charge both at the same time, once or twice a year I need to do this. If I didn't need to charge both cars at the same time, I could 'load share' with two EVSE's.

Keep in mind the bulk of the installation cost is running the wires. Moving from 6 gauge to 3 gauge THHN will cost more but will be more "future proof". The numbers:

8 gauge NMB can supply up to 32 amps for one car (80% of 40 amps for 8 gauge NMB)
6 gauge NMB can supply up to 40 amps for one car (80% of 55 amps for 6 gauge NMB)
3 gauge THHN can supply up to 90 amps, or about 40 amps each for two cars (80% of 115 amps for 3 gauge THHN)

When you go fatter than 6 gauge, you'll most likely want (need) a sub panel in the garage. You can run 14-50 connectors from the sub panel to supply power for the EVSE's. Or you can direct connect the EVSE's to the sub panel.

But the mistake I made 6+ years ago was not thinking about the future. Today, you should plan for multiple EV charging.

 

[Art84]

Keep in mind the bulk of the installation cost is running the wires. Moving from 6 gauge to 3 gauge THHN will cost more but will be more "future proof". The numbers:

According to the Tesla Wall Connector manual, the thickest wire that can be used is a 4 gauge. 3 gauge will not fit the contact terminal

 

[WindPower]

According to the Tesla Wall Connector manual, the thickest wire that can be used is a 4 gauge. 3 gauge will not fit the contact terminal

Correct.
That's why you normally bring the 3 gauge wire into a sub panel or other box in your garage. Then it splits to the two EVSE's.
If you only have one EVSE, you can run a set of 6 or 8 gauge wires directly to the EVSE via a 14-50 connector or junction box.

 

[M3SNoob]

In terms of cost, the TWC wins vs. the competition in $/watt delivered.

About the only caveat I'm aware of is something that New Jersey's doing. If one has a particular wall connector that can be rigged to report energy usage back to the Public Utility mothership, one can get reduced electricity rates on the electrons from that utility. Let me check.. It's a state program, but it's administered through the utilities. PSE&G says that to get a $0.02/kW-hr, off peak reduction for electric vehicle charging costs, one has to have a "Level 2 Smart Charger". The list of chargers/wall connectors are
PSE&G Approved Charger List:

• ChargePoint Residential & Commercial Smart Level 2 Chargers
• ChargePoint Software (ABB)
• JuiceBox (EnelX) Residential & Commercial Smart Level 2 Charger

None of which are Tesla. I actually contacted both PSE&G and Tesla and, well, no go. From what I can tell, Tesla's mothership can get the charging data with the right options set on the Gen 3 WC, but there's no data path available to go back to an entity like PSE&G. The other utilities in NJ have similar programs. Don't know what, if anything, Maryland is doing in this regard, but it might be worthwhile to check.

Again, this is NJ over here. There are various rebates for installing Wall Connectors, assistance in dropping heavier power lines in case one's breaker box doesn't have sufficient amperage, and so on. Heck, we don't even pay sales tax on EV's! Let me check Maryland.. Yep, they got lots. Suggest you push your way through the link and see what they've got for you. A quick perusal seems to indicate that you'll get reimbursed for the full cost of the charging station and at least some of the utilities have reduced rates for EV charging.

hey @Tronguy - PSEG in NJ also has a 1500 credit (via bill) for installing a charger. Did you use that? and does it work with the wall connector?

 

[Tronguy]

hey @Tronguy - PSEG in NJ also has a 1500 credit (via bill) for installing a charger. Did you use that? and does it work with the wall connector?

Well, here's where I put on my Sad Face. Bought our first Tesla in September of 2018. We did get a State Discount (I think), but that was before the various bonuses for installing electrical connections for the car had appeared. Figured that a Wall Connector was part of getting the car.

I did look through alternatives to a Tesla Wall Connector: But ones that were the same or cheaper than the TWC had less current, and ones with the same or more current were 30% more than the $500 cost of the Gen2 TWC of the time. So, found out that the local Service Center in Springfield had one, ran up there and bought it, then called Electricians.

My place was good for this: The breaker panel for the house is 200A and in the garage. It cost another $500 for the wiring, and the TWC has been in there, working fine, ever since.

On the third hand, I've had solar on the house since 2008, with a couple of MW-hr's of energy production over that needed to run the place every year. That equates to around 8000 "free" miles of travel per year for the two Teslas, so I'm good .

 

[Operator]

Curious as to some current thoughts, as the Tesla Wall Charger is now $475, VS a well reviewed $380 Emporia: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09ZNN3JB7/ref=ewc_pr_img_1?smid=A2MZON57HPVTEJ&th=1

 

[Tronguy]

Curious as to some current thoughts, as the Tesla Wall Charger is now $475, VS a well reviewed $380 Emporia: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09ZNN3JB7/ref=ewc_pr_img_1?smid=A2MZON57HPVTEJ&th=1

Looked through the Q&A and all the right answers seem to be there.

A few years back the cost for a Wall Connector (J1772 or otherwise) that could do 48A was 'way more than the Tesla offering. Since there's other, equivalent wall connectors on Amazon, looks like the competition has caught up.

Two concerns, though:

1. Gen 3 WC's from Tesla can do power sharing, so if you've got two of these on one 60A breaker, they'll share power. (Somebody correct me if this is wrong: I thought a software update to the TWC at one point added this feature.)
2. It's Amazon, home of shady manufacturers. Often from China, but not always. Amazon happily sells USB charging bricks that have faked UL ratings and are, literally, a threat to life and limb. (That is: They don't check.) Amazon generally doesn't safety check anything that they sell, so it's buyer beware city. I did look up Emporia on the web. They appear to be based out of Colorado.. which means that a process server can find them and probably means that they're OK.

 

[doghousePVD]

If you get the Tesla Wall Connector and you later add a 2nd electric car that is not a Tesla (as you mentioned in your original post), then you will need an adapter similar to this one (currently on sale for $150):

Tesla-to-J1772 Adapter

If you want to charge a Tesla from a non-Tesla level 2 charger such as a Juice Box, then you would need an adapter similar to this one ($50 from Tesla):

J1772-to-Tesla Adapter

Here is a good deal for both adapters (on sale for $190):

Level 2 Adapters

Not sure why your link is $169. I bought one in July from evseadaptors.com for $90 in August.

 

[Operator]

Not sure why your link is $169. I bought one in July from evseadaptors.com for $90 in August.

That post is from 2022.

 

[ggunn9]

Curious as to some current thoughts, as the Tesla Wall Charger is now $475, VS a well reviewed $380 Emporia: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09ZNN3JB7/ref=ewc_pr_img_1?smid=A2MZON57HPVTEJ&th=1

I have the emporia as my home charger. I love it.

My MYP is my first EV. I have had it and the Emporia charger since late July 2023.

My one complaint is disconnecting the charger can not be done at the handle. I have to use the Tesla App or screen.