High Power Home Charging Package worth it?

[gameboy]

I'm a prospective Model S buyer and trying to plan out how I would charge it. With today's changes in their charging options, you only have the option to get the High Power Home Charging package for $2700 for twin charging and High Power Wall Connector. I don't think I have the need for a High power wall connector. Is the twin charger worth it?

On a slightly different note, I got a new garage built last year with standard outlets. Is there any benefit to paying an electrician to bring in 240V outlet?

Just trying to plan ahead should my driving habits change as well as resale value. I'm not sure what questions to ask my myself for these issues.

 

[bollar]

Easy part first: You almost certainly want 240v in the garage. With a 50 amp circuit, you'll be able to charge at 31 miles per hour. With 110, only 5 miles per hour!

Harder part. I think dual chargers are an interesting, and possibly worthwhile option, especially for those of us not on the coasts. I had decided to get them in my build before they started bundling them with the HPWC. The HPWC has a cool factor, but wiring a 100 amp circuit is probably more expensive (potentially much more expensive) -- depending on your current panel configuration. Yes, you can charge at 62 mph, but that's faster than I need.

 

[steve841]

Unless you are doing a ton of back to back high mileage driving .... a NEMA 14-50 is plenty.

 

[jerry33]

I got the twin chargers because it was far cheaper to have them installed as an option and at some point there may be EVSEs that will make them useful (I'm 100% positive that if I hadn't purchased them, there would have been many 70 and 80 amp chargers showing up.)

At home I use the NEMA 14-50.

 

[benfrank3]

I have the NEMA 14-50 in my garage and I installed it myself. I charge at about 30 miles per hour. I have it start charging at 11 pm and its always full by the time I wake up.
Twin charger is not needed, IMHO. Save the money.

 

[andrewket]

I use my twin chargers every day. I'm on a TOU pricing plan, and the ultra cheap window is only 4 hours long. If I couldn't charge above 40A I wouldn't always be able to charge to my desired level.

I have also used the HPWC at our nearby mall while shopping or going to a movie. Twin chargers allows me to gain 2x the range while I'm there, and frees up the evse for someone else faster (assuming that I move my car as soon as its done charging, which I do.)

I originally just bought the twin charger because it was cheaper from the factory and to future-proof. I did not originally purchase the HPWC. That came later, partially because of the TOU plan, but also because I wanted to keep the mobile connector in the car and didn't want to unplug and stow it every day.

A

 

[bob_p]

I used the 14-50 @ 40A for the first 3 months and the HPWC @ 60A for the last 3 months.

The 14-50 is sufficient for overnight charging.

The extra power of the HPWC is only really needed if you drive a lot during the day and need to recharge before heading out again - which I did once when I did a round trip to the office in the morning, came home and topped off the charge and then drove 170 miles for a business trip. It would have taken longer to do the top off charge with the 14-50 than with the HPWC.

I don't regret purchasing the HPWC or the 2nd charger - it's good to know that I have the extra charging capacity, just in case I ever need to drive more than 200 miles in one day.

 

[brianman]

If my original vehicle was a general production instead of a Signature, I probably wouldn't have ordered the HPWC but would have ordered the dual chargers.

With the new Design Studio, there are reports that you have get the HPWC if you get dual chargers. If that is true...

For the next 2 years, if I was travelling by car a lot for work, I would probably strongly consider buying both to get the dual chargers. Otherwise, the 14-50 at home is plenty.

Three years from now, I expect the supercharger network to be built out more and would probably skip the option pair.

Just another data point.

 

[evmile]

I bought the HPWC and twin chargers and am happy I did. However it is an expensive choice since you need several things:

1) 100 Amp circuit from your circuit breakers ( ~$1000-$2000)
2) 100 Amps available in your breaker box. If not you may need a 400 Amp service from the pole and a new box. (~$10,000).
3) The actual option ($2700)

 

[SoTX_WestTX]

Like others, I don't drive enough day-to-day to make the HPWC worth it, but I was leaning towards springing for the twin chargers for future potential use on long trips. Now that it appears you the TC only come in the HPWC bundle, I guess it makes my decision easier.

Too bad. When I first read the changes I thought more HPWCs might make their way out into the wild and hopefully to a friendly person in San Angelo or Abilene (I don't need one in my house, I need one 200 miles from my house.). Then my brain worked for 3 more seconds and realized that I wouldn't have the TC to take advantage of that potential future hospitality.

I'm really trying hard to ignore the fact that it more and more looks like it makes more sense in my situation to put off my purchase for another year or two.

 

[markb1]

If you want the twin chargers but not the HPWC, you can always buy the package and sell the HPWC.

 

[brianman]

If you want the twin chargers but not the HPWC, you can always buy the package and sell the HPWC.

... or donate the HPWC to a business at a location of interest to you.

Good point.

 

[bollar]

... or donate the HPWC to a business at a location of interest to you.

Good point.

Uh... Because unwanted bundling is a great example of "optionality?"

Seriously -- since basically everything else has been unbundled, I wonder what's driving this?

 

[MarkR]

Unless you need really fast charging, the HPWC and twin chargers are an expensive overkill. For the vast majority of owners, a 220v NEMA 14-50 outlet in your garage and the Tesla-provided UMC is fully sufficient.

 

[brianman]

Uh... Because unwanted bundling is a great example of "optionality?"
Seriously -- since basically everything else has been unbundled, I wonder what's driving this?

I think there's already another thread on this topic...

- - - Updated - - -

Unless you need really fast charging, the HPWC and twin chargers are an expensive overkill.

I don't consider 240/70 or 240/80 "fast" charging.
I consider 110/12 "abysmally slow" charging.

 

[SoTX_WestTX]

Originally Posted by markb1
If you want the twin chargers but not the HPWC, you can always buy the package and sell the HPWC.


... or donate the HPWC to a business at a location of interest to you.

Good point.

This would probably be a good option for most buyers, living in urban areas with many other Tesla owners. I suppose there are probably people who didn't buy one initially that don't want to wait however long it takes for one to come directly from Tesla.

I agree with Bollar, it does seem weird that they unbundled pretty much everything else, but then consolidated to a package on the chargers. Maybe they found the majority were buying things bundled already.

 

[RandyS]

Unless you need really fast charging, the HPWC and twin chargers are an expensive overkill. For the vast majority of owners, a 220v NEMA 14-50 outlet in your garage and the Tesla-provided UMC is fully sufficient.

If you're not planning on taking any road trips, then I would agree with you...However, I'm on a road trip now and have used Level 2 charging stations that put out greater than 40 amps a few times in the last week...I bought my dual chargers specifically for this purpose, and they work great....40 amps maximum (with a single on-board charger) will work, but when you've tasted the faster rate you don't want to go back....

I am planning on taking 3-4 good road trips per year, so for me the dual chargers are very nice to have....Like many other things in life, this is a personal opinion and your mileage may vary....

 

[Puyallup Bill]

Sort of a tough call now that you have to take the HPWC in order to get the twin chargers. Twin chargers were never a question for me, and the first time I charged on the road at 70 Amps, I knew why. Maybe not in your part of the country, but out this way there are high power roadster EVSEs that the S can use with an adapter.

Also, up north the Canadian Sun Country Highway has several Clipper Creek 70 Amp J1772 EVSEs.

 

[Lloyd]

Whoever bought the HPWC on Ebay sure got a good deal at $750!

 

[ToddRLockwood]

I'm a prospective Model S buyer and trying to plan out how I would charge it. With today's changes in their charging options, you only have the option to get the High Power Home Charging package for $2700 for twin charging and High Power Wall Connector. I don't think I have the need for a High power wall connector. Is the twin charger worth it?

On a slightly different note, I got a new garage built last year with standard outlets. Is there any benefit to paying an electrician to bring in 240V outlet?

Just trying to plan ahead should my driving habits change as well as resale value. I'm not sure what questions to ask my myself for these issues.

First, I'll repeat what has already been said here: you most definitely want a 240V/40A outlet in your garage. (NEMA 14-50)

Personally, I think the HPWC is overkill for home charging. What difference does it make if you charge your car in 3 hours or in 6 hours, if you're asleep?? A rare exception, where the HPWC might make sense, is if you have off-peak electric rates for a very short period at night (4 hours or less). But, the HPWC can only be installed if you have a spare 240V/100A space left in your electric panel. Most homes have a 200A total, so unless you have a gas stove, gas oven and gas clothes dryer, you probably don't have 100A to spare.

All that said, the Twin Charger option is a very useful feature to have in your car for another reason: so you can charge at the 80A level (62 miles/hour) while visiting a Tesla store or while your car is being serviced at a Tesla service center. I have been in these situations several times, and I'm very glad I had the Twin Chargers. It kept me from having to wait another 90 minutes to get my car topped off. (Twin Chargers are not necessary for using a Supercharger station.)

Tesla's brand new configuration page now has the Twin Charger option bundled with the HPWC. (I hope they reconsider this.) If you are quite certain that you don't want the HPWC, but you do want Twin Chargers, call the Tesla Ownership team and explain this to them. They do make exceptions.