new 14-50 versus using dryer 10-30?

[neurocutie]

Trying to plan out charging in my garage...
1) Estimate for installing a new 14-50 jack in my garage? Breaker box is in basement and the run is probably 50-80feet.

2) The garage shares a wall with our washer/dryer room which has an unused 10-30 outlet for an electric dryer (we use a gas dryer), but the outlet is on an adjacent wall, not the shared wall.

I think it is clearly possible to use a 10-30 extension cord (20foot) to run between the dryer outlet and the car, but it would be ugly, on the floor, have to leave doors open, etc.

So any input? Thanks.

 

[doghousePVD]

Depending on how you drive, having the extra power of the 14-50 is nice. Many will disagree with me.

The issue is NOT how much do you drive on average. What is your almost worst case? You get home late after dinner/movie and have to leave early the next morning for a distant destination. Holiday driving from one mall to another, or parties, and still need a full battery the next morning. Do you have long drives to airports or sports for kids?

For your long run you will save some money running to a 6-50 (3 conductor) instead of 14-50 (4 conductor). Just get the right connector.

Using an extension cord for semi permanent charging is a poor idea.

 

[Eno Deb]

How long is your daily commute? I wouldn't recommend using an extension cord, but running a cable from the adjacent dryer room through the wall and installing a 10-30 or 14-30 outlet would probably be a lot less expensive than a 50-80 ft run from the breaker panel. A 30A circuit would give you about 22 miles/hour charged. I've been using a 10-30 outlet for over a year now and it's been plenty fast for me.

 

[neurocutie]

daily commute total less than 20miles

 

[Eno Deb]

That means 30A outlet would be plenty for you. I would suggest to install a junction box in place of the current 10-30 outlet in the dryer room, run a cable through the wall into the garage, and install either a 10-30 or 14-30 there (depending on whether there is a neutral wire behind the existing outlet). Should be inexpensive, or possibly even a DYI project. If you want to hire an electrician, don't tell them it's for a Tesla since that often causes the price to magically go up.

 

[neurocutie]

that certainly sounds like the low-cost solution... thanks!

 

[[email protected]]

I am with EnoDeb: we are 2014 adopters with over 150K Tesla miles, and have fielded lots of inquiries about charging solutions. My analysis begins with demand, not supply. A 20 mile commute demand is satisfied with a 10-30 supply...roughly 20 mph charge for our 2016 X and maybe 22 mph charge for our 2017 S....charging from midnight till 6 a.m. yields 120 miles in the X; 132 miles in the S. So, an ancient, super low cost, probably existing, solution will supply about 300 percent of the demand in old cars, and much more in a modern 3. For some reason, some folks are still going to want more supply...so, if you get the super duper twin charger 80 amp solution, the car will finish charging at say 3 in the morning instead of 7....I personally am sleeping then, so do not care whether the car stops at 3, 4 or even 7....

We do have a 14-50 solution because our demand is quite different than yours. I bought 6 gauge wires cut to length, and pulled them 70 feet from the panel to the garage, and wired the receptable. My sparky checked the work I did and connected the panel. Total cost for parts was $76 and a nice bottle of Russian River zin to the sparky (for about 10 minutes work....) Pays your money, takes your chances...! J

 

[Plug Me In]

My sense is you will be fine with the 10-30. I've used 14-50 for 6+ years and when visiting my Mom, I use her 10-30 dryer outlet. I think your proximity to any Superchargers might play a role in how much reserve higher capacity you would want. Currently there are probably 6 or 7 Superchargers within a 100 mile radius of my house (including my hometown) so if I have a short notice long trip or some such, it's not a big deal. This wasn't always the case though and I can think of maybe once over the span of the years when I left on a road trip with a little less range than I wanted.

 

[mspohr]

That means 30A outlet would be plenty for you. I would suggest to install a junction box in place of the current 10-30 outlet in the dryer room, run a cable through the wall into the garage, and install either a 10-30 or 14-30 there (depending on whether there is a neutral wire behind the existing outlet). Should be inexpensive, or possibly even a DYI project. If you want to hire an electrician, don't tell them it's for a Tesla since that often causes the price to magically go up.

I have a HPWC capable of 50 amps but I only charge at 30 amps. Usually just takes a few hours. Should be no problem.