Does anyone have any recommendations on L2 chargers for installation at home? I ordered a MYLR for delivery in January and am prepping the home for charging. The garage is used as a workshop and home gym so the car will be outside where we need to install the charger. I actually ordered the Tesla Wall Connector last night when it was in stock but am debating between using that or the ChargePoint Home Flex but can't really find anything that explains how the Tesla Wall connector works. The ChargePoint seems beneficial in that I can set the charging up at certain times to take advantage of lower electricity rates. Can you do this with the Tesla charger? Are there any benefits of choosing the Tesla charger over another other than having the right charging connection and lower cost?
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L2 Charger for Home
- Thread starter Moongarm
- Start date
Unless you plan to get a non-tesla vehicle sometime, the HPWC is the way to go these days. You can schedule charging on them as well(although its really the car doing the scheduling when using the HPWC, not the charger as in the HomeFlex I imagine). Additionally, if you DO get another tesla and want a second charger, HPWCs can coordinate amongst themselves to avoid overloading your panel/breakers.
The HPWC now comes with a 24' cord, which is great, and the unit itself is rainproof so can be mounted outside. It is indeed $200 cheaper than the HomeFlex as well.
It looks like the HomeFlex is also outdoor capable. Consider (strongly) getting a hardwired version because then you can (and should) avoid the GFCI breaker. Sadly, it doesn't look like the hardwired version is even available for sale, and both the 6-50 and 14-50 versions are backordered for 2-3 weeks(no big deal to you).
The HPWC can be set from 15 to 60 amp breaker sizes, for 12-48 amps of charging. Its hardwired and does not want or need a GFCI.
The HPWC now comes with a 24' cord, which is great, and the unit itself is rainproof so can be mounted outside. It is indeed $200 cheaper than the HomeFlex as well.
It looks like the HomeFlex is also outdoor capable. Consider (strongly) getting a hardwired version because then you can (and should) avoid the GFCI breaker. Sadly, it doesn't look like the hardwired version is even available for sale, and both the 6-50 and 14-50 versions are backordered for 2-3 weeks(no big deal to you).
The HPWC can be set from 15 to 60 amp breaker sizes, for 12-48 amps of charging. Its hardwired and does not want or need a GFCI.
Tesla Gen3 Wall Connector Manual: https://www.tesla.com/sites/default...ng/Gen3_WallConnector_Installation_Manual.pdf
Side note.... some might rightfully ask if you even need an L2 charger for home other than the UMC that came with the car. It gets a little harder to justify the UMC for semi-permanent outdoor use, but you could still do it.
I gotta say, in retrospect I don't need an HPWC. It does look nice on the wall, though.
If you don't do many long trips, and don't need more than the 32A charging rate of the UMC, you might want to skip the HPWC entirely. Since the scheduling is done by the car, it works the same with the UMC.
If you go the UMC or plug-in HomeFlex route, do NOT tell the electrician its for your new Tesla when you are getting the 14-50 installed. Say its for a used RV you are getting from an old friend, to avoid the Tesla Tax.
I gotta say, in retrospect I don't need an HPWC. It does look nice on the wall, though.
If you don't do many long trips, and don't need more than the 32A charging rate of the UMC, you might want to skip the HPWC entirely. Since the scheduling is done by the car, it works the same with the UMC.
If you go the UMC or plug-in HomeFlex route, do NOT tell the electrician its for your new Tesla when you are getting the 14-50 installed. Say its for a used RV you are getting from an old friend, to avoid the Tesla Tax.
Whatever you decide to do, you should probably plan to have it done prior to 12/31 so you can take advantage of the tax credit that expires at the end of the year. It includes 30% of the cost of the charger and installation up to $1000 back.
I wouldn't recommend installing a 14-50 receptacle outdoors (even with a weather cover on the housing) for regular use when charging an EV. There is always the potential for water to get into a plug-in connection. The Wall Connector is the better option for outdoor charging. The Wall Connector is designed to be hard wired, can be exposed to the elements.
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From the Tesla vehicle's charging settings. You can set up Scheduled Charging (the Tesla vehicle will start charging at a certain time each day (only once per day) or else you can set up Schedule Departure - Charging (the Tesla vehicle will always completes charging by a certain time each day.) Scheduled Departure - Preconditioning (typically used with Scheduled Departure - Charging) will turn on the Tesla vehicle's climate control system about 20 to 30 minutes before your scheduled departure time (This can be set to start preconditioning (typically early in the A.M.) Monday through Friday for your weekday commute or Every Day.) Preconditioning is important in winter to warm the battery in the Tesla so that there is some level of regenerative braking available, also so that in extreme cold temperatures full power is available from the battery. If you setup Scheduled Charging or Scheduled Departure - Charging it is only is for a specific location (usually your home location.) During the day if you plug in the Tesla to charge at work or at a parking garage then charging will start immediately.
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Might depend on where in California you are, but generally YES. I also don't know what a permit costs in your city/town, but they are generally a fairly small portion of the cost of the install, and always a very small portion of the cost of the car.
In theory, a permit means that there will be at least someone saying the install was done(or will be done) safely. This means if your house ever burns down and they trace it to your charger circuit, your insurance will pay for repairs/replacement and may then go after the insurance of the installer.
If you have no permit on record and your house burns down, the insurer might be able to refuse payment. Additionally, if you try to sell your house, the buyer/inspector notices your shiny new installation and checks to see whether the work was permitted and then finds that it wasn't, the deal may fall through or they may even report you to the permitting folks who could potentially tell you to rip out the work or at least reopen any walls that would let them see the work for a post-install inspection. Notably there are SOME localities that will TRIPLE the cost of a post-work-done permit, to discourage the practice.
If you have no permit on record and someone then buys your house, and only then does it burn down, I imagine YOU could be liable for the house and any injuries/deaths involved with it. I know, you are probably now saying "Well, it worked for me for a couple months/years, its gotta be safe"..... connections go bad sometimes, they work loose due to heating or cooling, or get corroded, or someone puts a nail through your wire because you didn't put a nail protector over it, and so on.
Just get the permit.
On the estimate I got, it shows a Permit fee of $860 (including all fees, inspection)....
It seems to me irs too high....
sleepydoc
Well-Known Member
$860 for the permit???? how much are they charging for the installation?
One other thing to check is whether your electric utility has any discount programs. I got a clipper creek charger that wasn't any cheaper than the one from Tesla but it lets me use the electric co op's off peak charging program that gives me a 50% discount.
Otherwise I'd go with the tesla charger - it's a little thing but the button to open the charge port actually is incredibly convenient.
What city/town are you in? That is indeed extremely high, unless, and maybe not even unless, the electrician is replacing the panel and running a new main feed line.
I just had a look at anaheim and LA and it looks to me like numbers around $200 would be expected, which is still REALLY expensive.
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$675 for installation. My city/electric offer up to $500 rebate for electrician work...
This is Tesla certified company... I 'm still waiting for more quotes...
Strangely, even though the first document above talks about chargers needing a permit(which they should!) the schedule of fees doesn't have a specific cost for one. That said, I'd call it either a new receptacle, a new appliance, or maybe a 10-15hp motor, each of which are billed as a 30 minute minimum on a $279/hr rate, so I'd think the right charge is around $140.
TBH, were I you, I'd just call them directly at the number listed on Licenses and Permits | Business | San Joaquin County. It sounds like your electricians are adding $700 in profit.
Having the charging equipment cut power on and off is a really bad way to do it, but it's compensating for being able to work with cars that are missing that functionality.
The Tesla wall units don't have to have that, because the cars already have that scheduling. You can just set the car to start at whatever time you want, and it will do it.
45thParallel
Member
A quick question. The Tesla mobile charger (in addition to what comes with your car) costs $275 and the Nema connector $35. So if you had to connect to a NEMA 14-50 outlet, what advantage did the Costco Charger ($430 - AxFAST 32Amp Level 2 Portable Electric Vehicle Charger) give you? Thanks in advance for your reply.
PS: I also see a $520 corded mobile connector. Is the choice for most to get a NEMA 14-50 outlet and connect this connector for home charging as option 1 and option 2 would be to install a $500 Tesla wall connector in the garage. If that is the case why do people prefer the NEMA 14-50 option? Thanks to anyone that responds. As a newbie getting ready for our first EV for a not so young person is very challenging to say the least.
PS: I also see a $520 corded mobile connector. Is the choice for most to get a NEMA 14-50 outlet and connect this connector for home charging as option 1 and option 2 would be to install a $500 Tesla wall connector in the garage. If that is the case why do people prefer the NEMA 14-50 option? Thanks to anyone that responds. As a newbie getting ready for our first EV for a not so young person is very challenging to say the least.
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