Model 3 Owners: Who Here Has Trickle-Charging Only/No Home Charging?

[F14Scott]

If you are almost out of amps at your panel, a relatively easy and inexpensive way to have plenty of charging smash for all but the most extreme cases (like returning home empty and needing to immediately press out on a 50+ mile drive) is:

Have an electrician wire a dedicated 6-20 (20 amp, 240VAC) outlet, which places only 5 more amps' draw than your standard 15 amp, 120VAC wall outlet, and get the 6-20 adapter for your Mobile Connector. Cost for a new breaker, the wire, the outlet, installation, and the adapter will probably be under $300.

That setup gives a TM3 15 MRPH, or 180 miles per 12-hour night. 20 amps at 240VAC is 2.67 times as much flow as 15 amps at 120VAC ((4800W v. 1800W), and your car, which uses some of that flow for vampire loads while you are charging, will use a greater proportion of the bigger flow for actual battery filling, hence the triple charging speed, relatively.

 

[RayK]

I voted "no home charging/Supercharge only", mostly because I'm lazy. I have had a HPWC in the box for many months; just lack the motivation to install it in my garage. This was mainly due to having employer-provided free L2 and DCFAST options up until last September when they stayed and I left. Although I have gone back a couple of times and charged there when I was in the neighborhood. With the recent COVID-19 lockdown, I'm driving even less so a quick top-off at a local SC once every two weeks is fine enough for me for now.

 

[Spacep0d]

--UPDATE--

I updated my main thread, but here it is. Frustrated with trickle charging and needing more space, we decided to sell our townhome (seller's market, not difficult) and buy a new place with work-from-home consideration in mind. So, we're going from trickle-charge only and no upgrade path to a Tesla wall connector with solar already installed. Plus, more much-needed space.

It's been a lot of work but now we're just waiting to close on the new place. Woot! Will update again once we're moved.

 

[Jason1652]

I'm asking because as it happens, I have no way to upgrade my garage trickle-charging, which is detailed in this thread;

Charging Concerns; Challenging Townhome Situation

I'm incredibly bummed about my rinky-dink electrical setup here, but I will pursue my remaining options— either a DCC-10 switcher (with HOA cooperation) and/or additional power to my garage from the main electrical cabinet feeding the building. Since I have no other options and don't want to move yet, I will lean hard on this.

I'm curious about how others are handling their situation where they cannot get more than trickle-charging in a garage, carport, or parking space. Perhaps some are using street parking with no feasible way to trickle-charge at all.

Do some of you rely solely on Supercharging, and how has your battery holding up? Do you have a routine for Supercharging and how often do you drive and charge?

I've heard mixed opinions on this, but others have reported doing this with no ill effects relating to battery efficiency over the years.

I'd love to read your answers. I've added a poll with two choices allowed in case some of you also have employer-provided charging in addition to Supercharging or trickle + supercharging.

Thanks!

I used to really enjoy the motorcycle videos on your YouTube channel! Your channel was the first place I heard discussion of the MGTOW concept!

 

[Spacep0d]

I used to really enjoy the motorcycle videos on your YouTube channel! Your channel was the first place I heard discussion of the MGTOW concept!

Hilarious. I was wondering how long it would take for a YouTube viewer to recognize the name. Nice to see you here.

 

[SwampNut]

Long thread, adding my couple of bits. One week into owning a 19 M3 LR, and haven’t had time to build adapters for the garage outlet which is an L6-30 twist lock 30 amp. All of my metal and woodworking tools use these round plugs. So I’ve been charging from a 120v 20a outlet which the car runs at 12a or 5-6 MPH. It’s been fine for now, but we work from home so it can charge a lot. Usage has been mostly 20 or 30 miles in a day, with one 110 mile trip. The 30 amp charging should be right at 20 MPH.

 

[Rocky_H]

Long thread, adding my couple of bits. One week into owning a 19 M3 LR, and haven’t had time to build adapters for the garage outlet which is an L6-30 twist lock 30 amp.

I'm not sure if you want to go ahead and do this yourself because it's fun, or if you just think you have to build one yourself. If you don't have the time and don't want to bother, you can just buy one:

L6-30 Adapter for Tesla Model S/X/3/Y Gen 2 – EVSE Adapters

www.evseadapters.com

 

[SwampNut]

Thanks but there are additional factors in my madness. I actually own all the parts and cables I need because I’ve wired my garages to be working shops with 240 everywhere. And the wife’s parents have a 14-30 plug to charge at their house. So buying the 1430 Tesla adapter and making my own cord is cheap and easy.

 

[vikingrob]

I live in an apartment, so no charging at home. Thankfully, my office has level 2 charging, and with a 25 km one way commute (when I commute, recently no more than 1-2 x/week) I find I can charge up to 90% once per week and never go below 30%. When I did commute 5 days a week, I charged twice a week. I have had it almost 3 months, and have never used a Supercharger after delivery day (plugged in for a minute at delivery center as part of the delivery checking process).

I live in a condo with no suitable outlets near my parking space as of now, though the HOA is investigating the feasibility of installing EV charging. I have not yet taken delivery of my SR+.

Looking at electric rate plans for home charging, Xcel has a couple different TOU plans: one has a peak rate Mon-Fri 3pm-8pm, off peak daily from midnight to 6am, and a middle rate Mon-Fri 6am-3pm & 8pm to midnight, weekends from 6am-midnight; the other one has a peak rate Mon-Fri 9am-9pm, off peak at all other times.

Currently, I am working from home, so I have no commute. My post-pandemic plan (assuming no change to the home charging situation and working in an office tower in downtown Minneapolis) is to use the Chargepoint L2 chargers in a parking ramp across the street from the office, using the J1772 adapter. The charging fee for 6.6 kW is reasonable: $0.80 per hour, with a minimum charge of $0.80 and a maximum charge of $8. The commute is about 18 miles round trip, and I can leave work with my car fully charged.

 

[superbenbenben]

i have been charging using only destination charger and occasional SC as I got my M3 a few weeks ago. but the NE winter is brutal so i am going to get a nema 14-50 outdoor outlet install and get a subpanel as well for a 2nd EV

 

[SwampNut]

Yesterday I installed the 240v 30a outlet for home charging. The real world results were 26 miles added per hour, more than my expected 22. It went from 200 miles left to 262 in 2:15. The cost was just under 1.3 cents per mile on APS off-peak rate. So an overnight 12 hour charge would just about take a battery from 0-100%. More than we’d ever need.