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Need Charger Location Advice

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Hello all,

I am new to these forums and wanted to ask a question. I have a M3 LR on order for this fall. In the meantime, I have purchased a Tesla Wall Charger that I would like to have mounted in my garage. I am looking at 2 options on a call (farthest from the electical box) and a 3rd option on the center of the garage ceiling.

Wondering if anyone has any opinions as to where i should mount this thing?....or should i ditch the Tesla wall charger and have a NEMA 15-40 put in at any of these 3 locations.

Here is a layout of my garage and my proposed locations.

Thanks for any advice.

1628023483290.png
 
Is there some reason you can't swap the cars? That charger would look fine on the left wall.

Another idea is to mount it on the left wall and rig up a hanger to get it across and above Car A and beneath the garage door.

Given the options presented, I'd probably do Option C. How high is the ceiling?
 
The "left wall" is an idea, but that is also a heavy traffic area for people coming into the house through the garage ...and my wife's car is kind of tall (with roof rack)...so rigging up a hanger might prove problematic.

If you look at my wife's car (white on left) ...it only leaves about 16" between the top of the car and the garage door, when its up....so a hanger would have to fit into that space.
 
Changed my mind... Option A or B now, driven mainly by whatever else is in that area.

Another idea would be to still put the charger on the left wall and run the cable across the floor in some sort of protector(or nothing, I suppose). You'd still want >something< to hold onto the last few feet of it, but that would be a problem.
 
Changed my mind... Option A or B now, driven mainly by whatever else is in that area.

Another idea would be to still put the charger on the left wall and run the cable across the floor in some sort of protector(or nothing, I suppose). You'd still want >something< to hold onto the last few feet of it, but that would be a problem.
So I take it that you like the ceiling option least. If I do Option A or Option B, then the charging cable would not be long enough to reach "Car A"...if we were to eventually replace Car A with a Tesla, as well.

I think my only option if putting this on the "left wall", would be to run some sort of iron pipe (like a long shower curtain rod, across the span of the garage, but just under where the garage door would hit it.... Or just worry about getting another wall charger for the left side....IF my wife ever gets a Tesla
 
So I take it that you like the ceiling option least. If I do Option A or Option B, then the charging cable would not be long enough to reach "Car A"...if we were to eventually replace Car A with a Tesla, as well.

I think my only option if putting this on the "left wall", would be to run some sort of iron pipe (like a long shower curtain rod, across the span of the garage, but just under where the garage door would hit it.... Or just worry about getting another wall charger for the left side....IF my wife ever gets a Tesla

Yes, the long shower curtain rod was sort of what I was thinking. Iron pipe might be slight overkill, but not much. You could use the wall as one point of support, and the garage door rail two feet away as another point of support(be careful not to block the path of the door or rollers, and consider spreading the load with a foot of square tube screwed to the upper side of the rail... they sell screws build specifically to not impede the rollers)... best to install the rod/support with the door wide open. Also note that Car A in your picture is extending almost past the midpoint of the garage, so you need to be a little concerned about the door-opener itself extending several inches down.
 
Thanks for working me through the mental gymnastics here. I think my plan is to put a charger at Option A/B....then IF my wife gets an EV, we'll just put a 2nd charger on the other side (left wall) of the garage.

a.) Concerned about suspending a 20ft pipe (or whatever across the garage. Has a feelign like much could go wrong
b.) Concerned about suspending the Wall Charger from the ceiling...as it seems a little heavy to mount to the ceiling...but perhaps thats just me.
 
Concerned about suspending the Wall Charger from the ceiling...as it seems a little heavy to mount to the ceiling...but perhaps thats just me.
Somehow the garage door opener is staying up there, and I'm sure the HPWC is lighter than that. It would indeed be a pain in the butt to initially install, though, and you'd have to find a way to hold the handle/cord.

Actually, having the pipe extend all the way across the garage is probably a better solution than I was thinking of. I had it stopping in the middle, cantilevered out 7 feet past the left rail. You are correct that its sort of a hacky solution.
 
Option B on the 28” wall looks good on paper. Also it will be easier to reach a visiting Tesla that might be parked in the driveway.

When your wife takes over your Tesla (or gets her own), it might be best to add another wall unit on the 22” wall next to garage door.

Sharing chargers is OK, but a dedicated one for each car might make life easier.
 
Is back wall (electric box wall) in the middle (approx 10 feet) not an option?

I'm using a 14-50 outlet and the mobile charger rather than the HPWC, but that is where I mounted mine. It allows me to charge Car A if it is backed in, and Car B can be charged facing in or out.

It would also minimize the amount of wire you'll need to run. Copper wire isn't cheap these days.

As far as HWPC vs 14-50 outlet, the HWPC is $500 extra expense on top of your dedicated circuit installation cost. Looks cool, but I'm asleep when my car is charging, so I wouldn't even notice the charging speed difference.
 
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I sort of agree with the sentiment that the wall charger is unnecessary, but its really only a $350 expense after the tax credit. It also depends how often you'll need to charge(or go on a long trip where you'll want the UMC). The 14-50 will also need a $50 outlet and $100 GFCI.
 
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It also depends how often you'll need to charge(or go on a long trip where you'll want the UMC)
UMC comes with the car on long trips, but for normal day-to-day driving it stays at home.

I noticed that rcmx is here in Atlanta. If you are with GA Power, you are also eligible for a $250 rebate on the cost of the installation of a home charger. GA Power will send you a check a few weeks after you submit the forms.
 
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Is back wall (electric box wall) in the middle (approx 10 feet) not an option?

I'm using a 14-50 outlet and the mobile charger rather than the HPWC, but that is where I mounted mine. It allows me to charge Car A if it is backed in, and Car B can be charged facing in or out.

It would also minimize the amount of wire you'll need to run. Copper wire isn't cheap these days.

As far as HWPC vs 14-50 outlet, the HWPC is $500 extra expense on top of your dedicated circuit installation cost. Looks cool, but I'm asleep when my car is charging, so I wouldn't even notice the charging speed difference.
I hear you...but if i use my portable charger with a 14-50 outlet, then I still need to spend another $300 to buy one to keep in my vehicle....as I think plugging and unplugging from the 14-50 outlet on a regular basis is not suggested.
 
I put mine in the middle of the ceiling as in "Option C". It can reach any corner of any car anytime and stows completely out of the way without taking up an inch of valuable wall space.
But it sucks. It hangs right thru the middle of the walkway when in use and it's conceivable that the car on the left could snag the cord on their mirror whilst backing out when the car on the right is charging. Plus it's just a pain to coil the cord back up on the overhead hook.

Your Option A is really ideal and that's how I'd do it next time. The cord naturally falls under the bumper completely out of the way of everyone and everything -- including your own trunk, and also it naturally stays close to the fender so as not to get in the way when walking/driving past. Option B is likely similar but you might need to install a little strip of wood or something next to the door track to ensure that the cord can't end up in the door hardware.

And if you want to switch sides or plan for a 2EV future, here's a clever solution for the left side (or even the right side).

Screenshot 2021-08-03 163547.png
 
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I hear you...but if i use my portable charger with a 14-50 outlet, then I still need to spend another $300 to buy one to keep in my vehicle....as I think plugging and unplugging from the 14-50 outlet on a regular basis is not suggested.

Right, but the point is unless you take a LOT of long trips, you really don't need a second one for your vehicle. Unplugging and plugging the 14-50 a dozen or two times a year doesn't count.

Just carrying the j1772 adapter in the car will cover 80% of your on-the-road needs anyway.

I've used my UMC maybe ten times in the three years I've owned my 3. OTOH, we have an ICE for long trips, and if a trip is longer than the 3 can drive on one charge, I'm taking a plane(in general).
 
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I hear you...but if i use my portable charger with a 14-50 outlet, then I still need to spend another $300 to buy one to keep in my vehicle
That's just new owner range anxiety. Had those same worries too. You wouldn't ever want to use the mobile charger on the road. It's too slow. Just duck into a supercharger for 15-20 mins. Mobile chargers only get used at places like home, a lake house, a campground, a beach house, grandma's house, etc. Somewhere the car is going to sit for hours and recharge.

....as I think plugging and unplugging from the 14-50 outlet on a regular basis is not suggested.
This is correct if you buy a $12 Leviton 14-50 outlet from HomeDepot that is designed to have a dryer plugged in and left for 20 years.
If you buy the outlet the Tesla recommends, the Hubbell 9450A, this is an industrial grade outlet that is designed to have high power equipment plugged and unplugged frequently. Your electrician should be able to get one from their local supply store for around $80, or you can buy one on Amazon. (You'll also need the matching Hubbell faceplate because the one from HomeDepot wont fit)
 
I would go with position A or B--not much difference there. It should be very easy and convenient to just lay the cable along the floor behind the car and plug it into the car on the left side.

but if i use my portable charger with a 14-50 outlet, then I still need to spend another $300 to buy one to keep in my vehicle
No, absolutely not. I hear this frequently from people who don't have their cars yet and think they always need a charge cord in the car at all times, but that's just not true. Let me point out something. These are the charging sources that DO NOT use that cable:

1. Superchargers
2. CHAdeMO chargers
3. J1772 public charging stations

Now really, how and when could you possibly suddenly just find yourself out in the middle of nowhere, not near any of those things? It just doesn't happen. That just can't happen in regular day-to-day driving around town. That cable is only for plugging into outlets, and when would you really need to do that? Maybe on a trip. And when you go on a long trip, you have some idea of where you are going and a tiny bit of a plan. And besides, trips are an occasional thing you know you are going on. So go ahead and take the cable with you a few times a year if you feel you need to. But really, my mobile cable has been hanging on the wall of my garage for the last 7 years, and I maybe take it with me once or twice a year.
 
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