Is the 20' mobile connector long enough for this?

[matto]

I want to be able to park my car one of 2 ways in my garage. Will the 20' mobile connector be able to charge the car on the right? How close do I need to be to the front wall for it to work? I can't pull all the way forward because there are some shelves on the wall.

Tesla's range diagram suggests it will be close.

Will the Nema 14-50 adapters give me a little more range? If needed I guess I could get a 2-foot extension cord.

 

[irwiny]

My setup is identical to your diagram, but I am only able to park in the right side (facing outlet). When I'm too lazy to back in my car to charge, my distance between charger is 4 feet from the outlet (charger/brick is attached to wall close to 14-50 plug) to the front bumper. My only problem is that the charging cable isn't touching the ground. Not allowing the cable to rest on the ground is not advised since of the weight of the cable can damage to both ends of the charger connectors. I normally put two tall boxes (near the drivers door) under the cable to reduce the stress on the connectors.

 

[brkaus]

I suggest someone measure the EXACT length from the base of the 14-50 plug to the charge wand handle.

You can mark off the distance on a garden hose and see how it works.

I use an HPWC. On your diagram it is installed in the bottom left corner and I am able to charge my S backed in like your diagram.

 

[AnarchyEOD]

I have mine HPWC set up the same exact way, and yes, I can charge from either side as long as I park as depicted.

 

[matto]

Yes but the HPWC is 24'. I was hoping to use the mobile connector which is 24'

It sounds like I either need to a) buy the HPWC or b) get a short (4-5') nema 14-30 extension cord.

 

[ewoodrick]

I want to be able to park my car one of 2 ways in my garage. Will the 20' mobile connector be able to charge the car on the right? How close do I need to be to the front wall for it to work? I can't pull all the way forward because there are some shelves on the wall.

Tesla's range diagram suggests it will be close.

Will the Nema 14-50 adapters give me a little more range? If needed I guess I could get a 2-foot extension cord.

View attachment 332397 View attachment 332398

Not knowing how far away from the wall you can park makes the calculations a little difficult.
But, if you park next to each other, you need to make sure there is enough room between the cars. That means probably like 4 feet door to door. You don't want to have to turn sideways to squeeze between the cars when dragging the cable. And if you leave the cable on the ground, then you have to have enough room to keep from running over it. For many garages it's the space between cars that is the issue.

It sounds as if you are going to charge with 120V, that's fine if your commute allows it. The extension cord can sometimes be a problem. There's not necessarily a lot of smaller gauge, short, extension cords and if you get a longer cord, it is possible that the car recognizes enough voltage drop and slows the charging down.

 

[matto]

No, not 120 volt. I'll have either a 14-30 or 14-50 NEMA plug.

I'd need a 240V 50 amp extension.

 

[azentropy]

It will be pretty close. I have a 120v outlet about the same spot you do so did a quick test. I typically park ~4 ft from the wall at a slight angle right (although I could get a ft closer if needed). From the wall to my port it becomes 18 ft. My outlet is about 3 ft up and with it plugged in the cord does touch the ground but does pull the connector from the wall very slightly. I'll post a pict or two if it helps.

 

[matto]

A picture would be great, thanks!

 

[azentropy]

A picture would be great, thanks!

I updated the post. That isn't the normal outlet I use as I do have a 14-50 on the garage wall.

 

[cmalinowski]

I have one of these in my shopping cart at present. Anticipating needing it at some point. Ugly as a bowling shoe if you have to use it, but whatever works sometimes.

Has anyone run a box from the ceiling? Don't even know if it's code, but..

Thanks,
Chris

 

[brkaus]

I have one of these in my shopping cart at present. Anticipating needing it at some point. Ugly as a bowling shoe if you have to use it, but whatever works sometimes.

Has anyone run a box from the ceiling? Don't even know if it's code, but..

Thanks,
Chris

I have this cord -

Heavy-duty NEMA 14-50R extension cord for Tesla, 20 ft.

NOT for RV use, car charging only. It doesn’t have the neutral wire so it is a bit lighter.

 

[matto]

I updated the post. That isn't the normal outlet I use as I do have a 14-50 on the garage wall.

Thanks!!!

I will be home tomorrow and will measure how close I get. It looks like I might be OK, or in the worst case I'll have to buy a short extension cord.

 

[eprosenx]

I have one of these in my shopping cart at present. Anticipating needing it at some point. Ugly as a bowling shoe if you have to use it, but whatever works sometimes.

Has anyone run a box from the ceiling? Don't even know if it's code, but..

Thanks,
Chris

Yeah, my first comment would be that I love my HPWC and it may make this discussion a non-issue. I like keeping my UMC in the car at all times (though I generally only need it on trips).

I was thinking about the ceiling as an option here. I am not actually 100% sure if code allows this, but from a practical standpoint, others have done similar things. One guy here had a "festoon" cable setup that was kind of sweet. His 14-50 was up high on the wall.

But having it up high makes it really difficult to take with you when needed (though I should also call out that frequent plugging and unplugging of a UMC is not great since it can weaken the outlets over time and is just a vector for failure if you for instance don't fully seat the plug in there correctly).

FWIW, I also don't recommend extension cords for home charging. My feeling is that your home charging setup should be super robust and since it will be used so often you want to minimize hassle and potential for failures (which can be hazardous). I bought a HPWC without thinking twice and I *love* it.

 

[matto]

What are the amperage requirements on the HPWC? Can I install it on a 30 amp breaker, then later upgrade it to 60 amp when I run a new feeder around the house?

 

[MorrisonHiker]

What are the amperage requirements on the HPWC? Can I install it on a 30 amp breaker, then later upgrade it to 60 amp when I run a new feeder around the house?

Yes. It can be installed on anything from 15 amps to 100 amps to provide between 12 amps and 80 amps.

 

[GSP]

Yes. I think it can be installed on anything from 15 amps to 100 amps to provide between 12 amps and 80 amps.

This is correct. The HPWC supports all breaker sizes from 15-100 A, including 30 and 60 Amp breakers. It is easy to set up with a rotary switch under the front cover. Tesla has the install manual for the HPWC available on their website with all of the details.

I think the HPWC is the best solution for @matto. It is not the cheapest, but it does provide a ton of value for the $500 spent.

GSP

 

[matto]

@azentropy

I measured my garage and I can park 3-feet from the front wall, although I'd prefer to park 4.

I think I will be fine though, because I plan to mount my 14-50 outlet lower, so that will save me about 2 feet of length. So assuming my cable is the same length as yours, I should be fine.

 

[eprosenx]

@azentropy

I measured my garage and I can park 3-feet from the front wall, although I'd prefer to park 4.

I think I will be fine though, because I plan to mount my 14-50 outlet lower, so that will save me about 2 feet of length. So assuming my cable is the same length as yours, I should be fine.

There may be rules in the NEC about how high you have to mount receptacles (especially in the garage). My inspector mentioned something about it, though he also said like there was no height limit, maybe it was just a minimum. It would be worth checking. I would not be surprised if they want it 18 in minimum or something as to not create the chance of sparks down low where pooling explosive gases could be an issue.

So just be sure to check code / what the inspector wants before doing it.

 

[drPearl]

Has anyone tried suspending 24' cord from garage rafters using a tool balancer to suspend charging end when not in use? I'm considering it & wonder if it would violate some electrical code.