New wall charger option w/ Nema 14-50

[rhuber]

Also, Tesla really needs to add a NEMA 6-30 adapter for the UMC Gen 2. 14-30 has a useless neutral and 10-30 has no proper ground. Need a way to make use of 10/2 wire that is existing in some installs! A TT-30 adapter would be nice too.

I agree. I’ve built a number of custom adapters, but much prefer the official modular plug system of the gen 2 UMC.

I actually wish they had done a slightly different version of the plugable wall connector that had adapters for various outlets (like the gen 2 UMC) instead of a fixed 14-50. It would have been substantially more cost and time to develop, so I understand why they opted to just toss a 14-50 pigtail on one and sell it that way instead of creating a modular wall connector, which may only be interesting to me and three-to-five other people.

 

[Offandon]

What is wrong with me? I have a 2nd UMC mounted in my garage which I don't plan to move until we move out of this house. I have yet to have an issue where I needed more than the 32A charging I do now. However I have this overwhelming urge to buy this thing .... I need help.

 

[rhuber]

What is wrong with me? I have a 2nd UMC mounted in my garage which I don't plan to move until we move out of this house. I have yet to have an issue where I needed more than the 32A charging I do now. However I have this overwhelming urge to buy this thing .... I need help.

If nothing else, it looks nicer than a UMC hanging from an outlet.

Real reasons to consider it:
1) It is nice to have something you just leave at home to charge so you can carry a UMC in your car. (though you could spend $200 less and just buy a second UMC.
2) Pretty
3) Slightly faster charge time
4) Elon musk has hidden a golden ticket in one of them
5) Longer overall cord
6) It has a built in analog clock
7) Price-wise it is actually a good deal for a plug-in EV charger, and even generic J1772 ones are generally limited to 40 amps
8) It has been to space. Twice.
9) This space intentionally left blank. I said space again. Space.

 

[NeverFollow]

If nothing else, it looks nicer than a UMC hanging from an outlet.

Real reasons to consider it:
1) It is nice to have something you just leave at home to charge so you can carry a UMC in your car. (though you could spend $200 less and just buy a second UMC.
2) Pretty
3) Slightly faster charge time
4) Elon musk has hidden a golden ticket in one of them
5) Longer overall cord
6) It has a built in analog clock
7) Price-wise it is actually a good deal for a plug-in EV charger, and even generic J1772 ones are generally limited to 40 amps
8) It has been to space. Twice.
9) This space intentionally left blank. I said space again. Space.

- (minus) 1: The new UMC (with a NEMA 14-50 plug) lost the capability of load balancing up to 4 UMC compared with the wall mount UMC.

 

[SoCalGuy]

For me the extra 4 feet is worth it - with the 20 feet of umc, I have to carefully move my car super close to another car in the garage to get the connector in - and the line is strung out taut. Now I won’t have to worry about how I park saving me tons of time.

The 25% faster charging and not having to unplug, dust off and repack the UMC are also huge bonuses. Worth $500? Guess so.

 

[bd7349]

Wall Connector

I get about 23mph on my Gen 2 charger for my Model X, it seems a the 40amp would give me approx 25-26mph, which would be a very small improvement. For Model 3 owners it looks like you could go from about 30mph to 37mph, which is not a bad deal, and you get to keep the mobile adapter in your car.

It would be an even bigger jump for the Model 3 actually. With UMC Gen 2 I get 25mph from my 14-15 outlet. Going up to 37mph would cut my total charge time by nearly 4 hours (I often charge to full for my commute) which is significant.

 

[spaghetti]

The pigtail looks longer than 12 inches - seems to be more than what the NEC allows. How would this be code compliant?

 

[MorrisonHiker]

The pigtail looks longer than 12 inches - seems to be more than what the NEC allows. How would this be code compliant?

I don't recall the exact measurements but in the video above, I think it's mentioned that the pigtail is about 3 feet and the charging cable is 24 feet.

As for code compliance, do you have an electric range or electric dryer? How long are the cables on those? Mine are each 4 feet long.

 

[brkaus]

- (minus) 1: The new UMC (with a NEMA 14-50 plug) lost the capability of load balancing up to 4 UMC compared with the wall mount UMC.

Not needed though. I do not think it is legal to put multiple 14-50 on a single circuit or overload the panel with multiple 14-50 outlets if not supported by load calc.

In any case -

Smaller cord to car and less features should have a lower price.

 

[pdp1]

It's got 4 extra feet of cord? That would be the only reason I buy it over a mobile connector.

Also, I wonder if you can plug two of these onto the same 50A circuit and have them negotiate charging two separate cars simultaneously without tripping the breaker... like the hard wired versions? If so, that would be another reason.

I should have just looked at the manual, it doesn't look like you can connect multiple ones of these on the same circuit.

 

[Zoomit]

I don't recall the exact measurements but in the video above, I think it's mentioned that the pigtail is about 3 feet and the charging cable is 24 feet.

As for code compliance, do you have an electric range or electric dryer? How long are the cables on those? Mine are each 4 feet long.

I vaguely recall a J1772 spec that states no more than 25’ of cable from the wall. (I could be making this up.) That was why many EVSE have 24’ connector cables and 1’ pigtails.

 

[Need]

This is great for outdoor installation. It is usually significantly cheaper to hire an electrician to install an outdoor NEMA 14-50 outlet than to install a Wall Connector at the same location. And using NEMA 14-50 outside with UMC is kind of an headache. You have to either find a way to secure the UMC (when you are not charging) or unplug it and store it away every time you are done charging.

 

[MorrisonHiker]

I vaguely recall a J1772 spec that states no more than 25’ of cable from the wall. (I could be making this up.) That was why many EVSE have 24’ connector cables and 1’ pigtails.

The pigtail goes from the outlet to the WC that is mounted on the wall. The 24 foot cable then goes from the wall-mounted WC to the car. That 24 feet would be less than the 25 feet limitation you mention. With the UMC, it isn't permanently mounted to the wall so it's effectively one long cable. With this WC, it's two separate cables and the long cable from the WC is less than 25 feet.

 

[spaghetti]

I don't recall the exact measurements but in the video above, I think it's mentioned that the pigtail is about 3 feet and the charging cable is 24 feet.

As for code compliance, do you have an electric range or electric dryer? How long are the cables on those? Mine are each 4 feet long.

NEC 625.17(A)(3)(a) States that pigtail must be restricted to 12 inches. Hence my confusion.

 

[MorrisonHiker]

NEC 625.17(A)(3)(a) States that pigtail must be restricted to 12 inches. Hence my confusion.

Maybe it's not technically a pigtail but is instead considered a power supply cord?

In searching the NEC for EVSE, I did find this:

625.44 Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment Connection. Electric vehicle supply equipment shall be permitted to be cord- and plug-connected to the premises wiring system in accordance with one of the following:

625.44(B)(3) Power supply cord length for electric vehicle supply equipment fastened in place is limited to 1.8 m (6 ft)

 

[spaghetti]

Maybe it's not technically a pigtail but is instead considered a power supply cord?

In searching the NEC for EVSE, I did find this:

Thanks, this would make sense as the wall connector is fastened in place while the UMC is not.

 

[eprosenx]

Maybe it's not technically a pigtail but is instead considered a power supply cord?

In searching the NEC for EVSE, I did find this:

This is fascinating to me.

Here are a couple relevant sections. It is pretty clear to me that they only want a 12" cord from the EVSE (which is where the GFCI lives) to the plug.

So I just don't understand how Tesla's product is compliant.

I wonder if this is just plain and simple out of the jurisdiction of the NEC. If it is not hard wired in, I am not sure NEC applies...

The UMC being over 15 feet (from 625.17(3)(b)) seems like it would also be against the rules based on this... Maybe Tesla just ignores this since as long as they get a UL rating they are good.

 

[miimura]

In addition to the 12" supply cord issue, other EVSE makers have devised tool-less mounting schemes to comply with 625.44(B) "...in such a way as to permit ready removal for interchange...".

 

[MorrisonHiker]

This is fascinating to me.

Here are a couple relevant sections. It is pretty clear to me that they only want a 12" cord from the EVSE (which is where the GFCI lives) to the plug.

So I just don't understand how Tesla's product is compliant.

I wonder if this is just plain and simple out of the jurisdiction of the NEC. If it is not hard wired in, I am not sure NEC applies...

The UMC being over 15 feet (from 625.17(3)(b)) seems like it would also be against the rules based on this... Maybe Tesla just ignores this since as long as they get a UL rating they are good.

View attachment 369332


View attachment 369333

Is that the most recent version? The version I found had different text for 625.44 (B) (3).

625.44 Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment Connection. Electric vehicle supply equipment shall be permitted to be cord- and plug-connected to the premises wiring system in accordance with one of the following:

(A) Connections to 125-Volt, Single-Phase, 15- and 20-Ampere Receptacle Outlets. Electric vehicle supply equipment intended for connection to nonlocking, 2-pole, 3-wire grounding-type receptacle outlets rated at 125 V, single phase, 15 and 20 amperes or from a supply of less than 50 volts dc.

(B) Connections to Other Receptacle Outlets. Electric vehicle supply equipment that is rated 250 V maximum and complying with all of the following:

(1) It is intended for connection to nonlocking, 2-pole, 3-wire and 3-pole, 4-wire, grounding-type receptacle outlets rated not more than 50 amperes.

(2) EVSE is fastened in place to facilitate any of the following:

1. Ready removal for interchange
2. Facilitation of maintenance and repair
3. Repositioning of portable, movable, or EVSE fastened in place

(3) Power-supply cord length for electric vehicle supply equipment fastened in place is limited to 1.8 m (6 ft).

(4) Receptacles are located to avoid physical damage to the flexible cord.

All other electric vehicle supply equipment shall be permanently wired and fastened in place to the supporting surface, a wall, a pole, or other structure. The electric vehicle supply equipment shall have no exposed live parts.

It looks like the above version is possibly an older version.

 

[eprosenx]

Is that the most recent version? The version I found had different text for 625.44 (B) (3).



It looks like the above version is possibly an older version.

The version I posted is 2017 NEC direct from the NFPA web site (free registration required - you can go look at it yourself). 2017 NEC is the latest version and is adopted in most jurisdictions now.