Bought a Volt... Future Proof Charger for Model 3?

[Reddy Kilowatt]

I have a 2013 Volt and always used the 240v charging at work on an L3 Levington charger. At home I was able to convert a 30A 240V plug I had in the garage as well as my mother's garage for the 240v portable charger. In this case I bought the levington L2 portable charger that has worked great. typically charge the volt in 3 hours at 16 Amp limit of the car? We currently we are still using the L3 at work with the tesla adapter to my new S. The car is charging at 32A, which is OK. When the 3 gets here were going to add a second charger Tesla wall charger.

At home I did the following getting ready for the Tesla's arrival. I ran the #6 cable for a 60A outlet and installed the wall charger. A lot of people put in the Nema 14-50 plug. If the Tesla wall charger has a reliable adapter I would put in the wall unit now with the adapter. I did not want to limit myself to the 14-50 plug and only charge at 32A. I have some nights that I have to turn the car around and don't want to get caught short. The wall charger is 33% increased charge rate over the plug. the cost difference was minimal so I opted for the faster charger.

I also made up some adapters myself to charge off a welders outlet or a dryer outlet in a pinch. Never used them in five years.

 

[goto10]

When I was just about to buy a Bolt before I was offered my brother-in-law's Model 3 reservation I ordered a Tesla UMC (the mobile charger cord) and a TeslaTap adapter. This would allow me to charge at up to the full charge rate of the Bolt (32 amps) on an appropriate circuit at home while also being a good portable option for charging at RV parks and other locations with 30 amp or 50 amp hook-ups. As a bonus I could use the TeslaTap to charge the Bolt at Tesla Destination Chargers which are available at many hotels. Note that the Tesla Destination chargers are level 2 chargers. You cannot use the TeslaTap to charge a Bolt at a Tesla Supercharger.

Not exactly future-proofing, as your Model 3 will come with the same UMC, but especially when driving a non-Tesla EV with fewer charging options on road trips it makes sense to have a versatile portable option and that seemed like the best combo to me.

 

[Glamisduner]

I was in your position when I bought my '12 Volt a year and a half ago. I had the local company who specialized in Tesla charging come out to see if I could wire for the Tesla at the same time. To make a long story short, it wasn't really going to work without a lot of money, and I still might need to make changes when I got the Tesla. So, I've lived with the L1 charging and I've been a very happy camper. As it turns out, I'm moving in a month, and I'll have the electricians put in the Tesla charging stuff at my new house, because I will be ordering as soon as the house sale closes.

Your real problem is finding a place to charge for your return commute. If you can solve that, you would have your entire commute covered.

Save your money, buy a little extra gas for now, and spend the savings on your Tesla. You may actually get your invitation sooner than expected. That's what happened to me. Good luck, and enjoy your Volt!

There isn't really any place to charge for my return commute, unless I want to go after work and wait for a few hours, plus pay 50-60 cents per Kwh. (I think gas might actually be cheaper)

If you do not want to take the risk of damaging your OEM mobile EVSE or making a risky repair then let these nice and very competent folks do it for you. $149

My advice: if you are going to keep two EVs then upgrade the EVSE to use with the dryer outlet and install a 14-50 outlet when the Tesla arrives.

If you are going to only have one EV the choice is harder and it depends how much you care about getting the maximum charge rate possible out of the car. The Tesla is IIRC 7.7 kW for the SR and 9.6 kW for the LR models.

Amps * Volts = Watts

Thats only available for the 2016 and later. Which I believe can already charge at 240v with an adapter. I'm considering buying that tesla mobile charger now, or maybe I can find a used one. I understand that the tesla comes with an EVSE, but it sounds like id want to keep something in the car anyways.

 

[John Lamoureux]

This forum is great! I posted on a volt forum but haven't gotten any responses. Thanks guys!

Which is how you can tell you're making the right decision to buy your M3 when it's available!

 

[Glamisduner]

Hey guys, this is the plug in my garage. WTH is it? Can I use one of these two plugs? What will I need to do to it to use a model 3 charger or volt?

Also, I'm figuring out the voltec system. I got 85mpg today and still have more than 2/3 of the battery to get home.

By splitting the cost of electricity with gas this vehicle will be significantly cheaper to operate than straight electric from the model 3 by a long shot. (Electric is very expensive here). However I still want a model 3 for the cool factor I just hope I don't regret the high electric costs (more than gas here once you start using allot of it) after I buy the car.

Finally I found this on amazon https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06XSLYDLH/ref=ox_sc_sfl_title_2?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER But it has a different plug end? is there a cheap adapter I can use? Or can I simply just change one of these outlets to a NEMA 14-30?

Another option would be to buy a OEM 2016-18 Volt charger. They only say 120v on them but with a custom cable you can use them at 240v no problem. I found a lightly used one for $200 and the adapter cable you can make yourself or buy one for $60. Both the stock 2016-18 charger and the one I linked on amazon are made by clipper.

 

[goto10]

That's a NEMA 10-30 outlet. It cam provide up to 30 amps at 240 volts. (but double check the rating on the breaker) The Tesla UMC has an adapter available to plug into it or you can replace it with a NEMA 14-30 for a charger that comes with that plug.

 

[McRat]

Looks like a NEMA 10-30

 

[Reddy Kilowatt]

Hey guys, this is the plug in my garage. WTH is it? Can I use one of these two plugs? What will I need to do to it to use a model 3 charger or volt?

Also, I'm figuring out the voltec system. I got 85mpg today and still have more than 2/3 of the battery to get home.

By splitting the cost of electricity with gas this vehicle will be significantly cheaper to operate than straight electric from the model 3 by a long shot. (Electric is very expensive here). However I still want a model 3 for the cool factor I just hope I don't regret the high electric costs (more than gas here once you start using allot of it) after I buy the car.

Finally I found this on amazon https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06XSLYDLH/ref=ox_sc_sfl_title_2?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER But it has a different plug end? is there a cheap adapter I can use? Or can I simply just change one of these outlets to a NEMA 14-30R, which you can get at Home Depot.

Another option would be to buy a OEM 2016-18 Volt charger. They only say 120v on them but with a custom cable you can use them at 240v no problem. I found a lightly used one for $200 and the adapter cable you can make yourself or buy one for $60. Both the stock 2016-18 charger and the one I linked on amazon are made by clipper.

I did something real similar for my Volt. I converted one of these outlets to a 30Amp outlet, type Nema 6-30 specified on this charger attachment.
https://www.amazon.com/Leviton-EVBL...d=1522876116&sr=8-10&keywords=leviton+charger

The volt can only charge at 16A? at 240v so this would work just fine for the volt. Kinda slow for a 3 with the adapter. I believe the outlets your showing are 30 Amp dryer outlets with a #10 wire rated for 30 Amps max. I'm trying to read the Nema rating on the plug can you tell us Nema 10-30R? What Size breaker feed these outlets? Should be 2 pole 30Amp. that would give you 24 amps max charge (80%) rate on the 3.

For the 3 your going to want to upgrade the outlet to handle the 32A Model 3 charger so that would be #8 wire minimum. I did #6 and did the 48 Amp wall charger when my S arrived.

 

[S'toon]

 

[Glamisduner]

So can I change one of the outlets to a NEMA 14-30 safely? Or do I need to use an adapter? On the picture above it says NEMA 14-30 would indicate that someone can plug 120v devices into it, which is probably not true for the outlet I have? I mean it sounds like it would still be safe to plug in a 240v device, just wondering if I'm supposed to use an adapter instead of changing the outlet (I have 2 of them so the dryer can plug into the other one).

It might be slow for the 3, but it's better than 120v right? I plan to have an electrician come out and give us an estimate for a new outlet, but I have a pretty good feeling it will be around 2k to have a 50 pr 60 amp outlet installed. The electric panel is on the far side of the house, and running wires through the attic (crawl space) is no easy task.

 

[patrick40363]

I bought a leviton 40amp unit for my 2012 Volt. It was great to be able to charge faster and i had a unit for my next car. Next car was 85D and have used that unit for the past 3 years on my Tesla. I use the adapter and if a friend with a J1772 car needs a charge they are all set.

Clipper Creek units look like a good choice too.

 

[gnelson]

I have owned 2 Volts and the L1 charging is not desirable. I was frequently using the gasoline engine because the L1 took too long to charge the /Volt. After getting the L2 charger, I only purchase gasoline about twice per year.
When I got my first Volt there was a promotion for a free Blink charger. I have been using it to charge both my Volt and my 2013 Model S. It is more than adequate for my Tesla and reduces the charge time for the Volt from 10 hr to 3 hr. The original Blink charger had problems with the J1772 connector and could overheat when charging at more than 12 amps. I upgraded my Blink with a new J1772 cable and love it. It connects to my home network and provides alerts. It also tracks statistics.
I am selling the Volt soon since I have ordered a Model 3. I have been toying with the idea of replacing the Blink with an HPWC, but haven't had sufficient incentive to do so. I realize the HPWC will charge the Tesla a little faster than the Blink. My 240 volt outlet for the Blink utilizes a 50 amp service.

You can get a Clipper Creek and it will be great for both the Volt and the Tesla.

 

[Glamisduner]

I found this adapter plug, but it's kind of expensive for what it is hah. It would allow me to buy the $266 20 amp EVSE which I could later toss in the tesla as a travel charger?

https://www.amazon.com/AC-Connector...coding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=Y7MTA0BXRRA1JXXWH4TE

or.....

I wonder if I can/should just buy a tesla mobile charger + J1772 adapter and connect it to the dryer outlet for now? Then when I can save up the couple thousand dollars to have a 60 amp circuit installed, I'll just have a spare to keep with the tesla?

So basically this:
Model S/X/3 Gen 2 Mobile Connector Bundle
+
https://www.amazon.com/AC-Connector...4&sr=1-1-catcorr&keywords=nema+10-30+to+14-50
+
Model S/X/3 SAE J1772 Charging Adapter

Would be the best way to go (and I could charge the volt faster for now)?

 

[goto10]

I wonder if I can/should just buy a tesla mobile charger + J1772 adapter and connect it to the dryer outlet for now? Then when I can save up the couple thousand dollars to have a 60 amp circuit installed, I'll just have a spare to keep with the tesla?

This is how I would go. It's a versatile setup that can fulfill the overnight charging needs for most EVs.

* Except you don't want the Tesla J1772 adapter - that's for using a non-Tesla charger with a Tesla vehicle. You want the opposite - an adapter that lets you use a Tesla charger with a non-Tesla vehicle. That's unfortunately a bit pricier at ~$250. It's usually listed on eBay under the name "TeslaTap"

 

[David L]

The Tesla Gen 2 Mobile Connector you mentioned has a 10-30 adapter available directly from Tesla: Model S/X/3 Gen 2 NEMA Adapters. But if you want to use the Tesla EVSE to charge your J1772 Volt, you'd need to get a Tesla connector in to J1772 out converter, like this: JDapter Stub. The Model S/X/3 SAE J1772 Charging Adapter you mentioned is for converting from J1772 in to Tesla connector out. By the way, it is something that's already included when you buy a Model 3.

 

[Glamisduner]

The Tesla Gen 2 Mobile Connector you mentioned has a 10-30 adapter available directly from Tesla: Model S/X/3 Gen 2 NEMA Adapters. But if you want to use the Tesla EVSE to charge your J1772 Volt, you'd need to get a Tesla connector in to J1772 out converter, like this: JDapter Stub. The Model S/X/3 SAE J1772 Charging Adapter you mentioned is for converting from J1772 in to Tesla connector out. By the way, it is something that's already included when you buy a Model 3.

Damn that JDapter Stub is frigging expensive. Might as well just buy the NEMA 10-30 to 14-30 adapter and a $266 EVSE for the volt at that point.

 

[gregd]

I realize the HPWC will charge the Tesla a little faster than the Blink. My 240 volt outlet for the Blink utilizes a 50 amp service.

The Tesla HPWC will only charge your car faster than the Blink if you also upgrade the circuit's wiring and the electric panel breaker. 50 amps is 50 amps, regardless what box it goes through.

 

[dhrivnak]

I bought a Chevy Volt Premium. I just Couldn't take paying $600 for gas a month anymore while my model 3 is delayed. My Commuter was bought back from ford as a lemon so I have been driving my Nissan Titan for my 80 mile commute. I found a 2013 volt premium for 8k and grabbed it to hold me over.

I still plan to buy a model 3, but now that I have a volt I want something better than the 120v charger is comes with. I do have a 240v dryer outlet.

Should I buy something that will just plug into this outlet for about $450 or is there something better I can buy (level 3?) that I can plug into a 240v outlet for now but will also work off a 50 amp outlet down the road?

Other options?

My expected order date is June-September, but after the last two delays I'm thinking I won't have the car until January to be more realistic. (I anticipate at least more more major delay).

Thanks.

I installed NEMA 14-50 plugs in my garage. It is EASY to add a plug to any EV charger and you are great up to 40 amps, plenty for a Tesla. I have tested an even at 64 amps a good NEMA 14-50 does not even get warm. Just do not try to unplug if you do this. Even with your Volt a Clipper Creek CS-20 is a GREAT upgrade and even with a Model 3 you will get about 16 miles/hour or 160+ miles overnight.

The nice thing about a NEMA 14-50 is the Model 3 comes with a charger with that plug by default. So you could be done.

Depending on the run from your fuse box it may not be too expensive. I added three NEMA 14-50's in the garage, from a 100 amp sub panel with 6 gauge wire (4 gauge for the Roadster run) and all the parts ran about $400 and a day of labor. Now I am set for 3 EV's.

 

[drawfour]

By splitting the cost of electricity with gas this vehicle will be significantly cheaper to operate than straight electric from the model 3 by a long shot. (Electric is very expensive here). However I still want a model 3 for the cool factor I just hope I don't regret the high electric costs (more than gas here once you start using allot of it) after I buy the car.

Wha?? In Los Angeles, the average cost per kWh of electricity in Feb 2018 was 18.1 cents. The average cost per gallon of gas was $3.40. If you have a gasoline engine that is getting 50mpg (only on a super efficient car with no acceleration), then it will cost you $6.80 to go 100 miles. 100 miles in a model 3 would be roughly 1/3 of the battery capacity. The battery is around 75 kWh, so that means you need 25 kWh to go those 100 miles. That would cost $4.53. That's 33% cheaper.

What is your math that tells you that gasoline is cheaper than electricity (and even then, cheaper "by a long shot")?

BTW, here is where I got my numbers for LA: Average Energy Prices, Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim – February 2018 : Western Information Office : U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

 

[drawfour]

... and now I saw in another thread that you said your rate is around 40c/kWh. Given that (and apparently that it's 27kWh/100 miles in the M3), it appears that your point where M3 and another vehicle would be the same would be a car that gets roughly 31.5mpg. 100/31.5*3.40 = $10.80, which is the same as 27kWh*0.40.

Wow, I can't believe those rates.