ElectricLee
Member
We installed 3 HPWC (Shared 80 AMP) with a 3 car garage. The future is EV, and I plan to stick with Tesla branded EV’s. The tax credit helped a little, too.
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Do people install 2 NEMA 14-50 outlets in one garage?
- Thread starter Wildbill
- Start date
How is buying two Teslas a waste?
Its required me to spend 2 minutes twice in five years. I'd need to be making a couple million dollars an hour to make it worth the cost of a second outlet (and wire run+breaker). In addition, its not the cost of a second outlet, the hassle of installing a second one is far far more than the minor irritation of only having one.
strider
Active Member
For maximum flexibility, we had 2 x 14-50's installed, one on each side of the garage door. Very simple for the electricians to install and supports current and future charging needs. IMO it is the most future-proof choice you can make.
We have a 14-30 and 6-20 and that has always been enough, but since we can’t really go anywhere now and both work from home, it feels like overkill today.
Here's a guide to EV charging including load calcilation: https://www.menlopark.org/DocumentC...ential-Electric-Vehicle-EV-Charger-Guidelines
We originally installed two 14-50 outlets. A couple years later, we upgraded to three Gen 2 Tesla Wall Connectors. Now we can charge three cars at once and the wall connectors automatically balance the load. We have them on a 100 amp circuit. If we had an older Tesla, we'd be able to charge a car at up to 72 or 80 amps, depending on the internal charger. Since our Teslas all have 48 amp chargers, if one car is charging, it can charge at 48 amps. If two cars are charging, they can each charge at 40 amps. If three cars are charging, they each get ~27 amps. As a car stops charging, the load rebalances automatically. Like @F14Scott mentions, we also have a Tesla to J1772 adapter so non-Teslas can be part of the load-balanced setup as well.
Like @ElectricLee , we were able to take advantage of the tax credit and got 30% back on the 14-50 outlet installation and then 30% back on the wall connector install.
We have an old 6-20 outlet in the garage as well but haven't needed to use it yet.
Like @ElectricLee , we were able to take advantage of the tax credit and got 30% back on the 14-50 outlet installation and then 30% back on the wall connector install.
We have an old 6-20 outlet in the garage as well but haven't needed to use it yet.
@SSedan I assume you meant 2 Wall Chargers being a waste not the cars?! We have two Teslas and one 14-50 with a corded mobile charger. But we also now have a SC not that far away if we find ourselves in need of a fast charge. It’s worked out okay for us and now with covid and not driving much charging really isn’t an issue. We recently got our Tesla solar panels and PWs installed and I think our main 220A electrical panel is pretty full but they did add a second 200A rated panel for our solar and PWs breakers which has our 14-50 in there so adding another one might be a possibility, but honestly we haven’t seen the need in our case.
mspohr
Well-Known Member
Both my existing two car garage (6 years old) and my new two car garage have two 50 amp (6 gauge wire) circuits with HPWCs. In addition, I have two locations near the driveway and parking with 14-50 sockets with an older OpenEVSE plug in unit for charging. Currently only have two Teslas (S and X) but will soon be adding Cybertruck and possibly Rivian to our household.
Installing these circuits during construction is relatively inexpensive. We all need to be ready for multiple EVs.
Installing these circuits during construction is relatively inexpensive. We all need to be ready for multiple EVs.
roblab
Active Member
Wow! $14,000 here, $14,000 there, pretty soon you're talking serious money! Luckily my county lets me do wiring myself, I can rent a tractor at Central Valley, I can buy a new breaker box and conduit at Home Depot, and form the driveway pad myself and call the concrete company to send out a truck. I planned ahead and put in two 14-50s when I built my garage to my own plans. I think they cost me about $50. And, I'm 77 today, with money to give away.
Trying to do a few things yourself, if you can, gives you an education you can use the rest of your life. There are even some wives who will tackle a project their hubbies won't do. However, I don't know what Austin allows.
I have no issue doing most things myself. This would be a bit harder with the power company directly involved. And yes, could probably get it done a bit cheaper. But my house design is pretty terrible and my builder even worse (it was a spec home) so lots of mitigating items. For example, the larger meter and panel will not fit in the existing location so it all has to be moved.
I've already replaced a sub panel, added new circuits, etc. Have a EE degree.
Mattopotamus
Member
My wife rarely drives. We have a 14-50 for me and she just uses the standard 120v outlet. If we were to take her car on a road trip, we would just swap positions. The reality is that a 120v outlet is probably fine for most people. Obviously two 14-50s would be ideal, but I find it unnecessary.
Buying Teslas is a waste of money, period. A used Malibu cost alot less and does the same thing.
A 6-20 and 14-30 would use the same service capacity but allow the cars to each be plugged in and not have to actively manahe daily. Would that have cost you $14k?
Teslas are a waste of money. I own one and enjoy it but I don't delude myself and pretend it was a good financial decision.
Wall conmectors when load shared can be a good way to get the most out of existing service. If you only have service capacity for one 50amp circuit or even less but want to have two EVs load sharing keeps things safe and easy.
We have two HPWC’s.
We park outside (garage isn’t deep enough to fit cars since a prior owner renovated ...) so one is on the left side of the garage, and the other on the right.
I also have a TT-30 outlet on its own 30a breaker for a travel trailer. Can use that as a “backup” in case one of the HPWC’s is offline.
(Or, as in the case for this monster snowstorm today - I want to park both cars on one side of the driveway.)
We park outside (garage isn’t deep enough to fit cars since a prior owner renovated ...) so one is on the left side of the garage, and the other on the right.
I also have a TT-30 outlet on its own 30a breaker for a travel trailer. Can use that as a “backup” in case one of the HPWC’s is offline.
(Or, as in the case for this monster snowstorm today - I want to park both cars on one side of the driveway.)
I only had a single waste of money Tesla when the electricians came out the first time. Hence the single 50A connection. Now it would cost me more to have that converted into two outlets. If I'm going to spend the money at this point, I'd put in the second WC. I will do it when I eventually need it. I don't even feel constrained by the current situation. Others might, and I understand that.
My Tesla' alternate charging nights. The leaf gets charged every few days early morning. That wouldn't work for a multi car family that has greater driving needs. I can accept that. I don't understand why people feel the need to tell me I am wrong?
IMHO - there is no universal perfect solution for existing construction. Period. Everyone has different needs and wants. New construction should ideally have 50a allocated to each parking spot. Perhaps someday that will be the norm.
We're going to stick with one NEMA 6-50 for the time being. We have a two car garage with two individual garage doors. The charge point is on the piece of wall between the two cars. The Y will back in and the 3 pulls in forward. Simple. The charger should reach both cars easily.
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