NOOB Question

[woodguyatl]

I’m reading about charging volts, amps, connections etc. My uncle is an electrician, but is completely clueless about EV charging. He’s happy to install whatever I need, however, he’s looking to me for that information (naturally). My panel is in my garage, literally right next to where I’ll be parking. It seems like 240v / 30 amp is the way to go (I have a 5 mile commute and will be able to plug-in nightly)but can I have the Tesla wall charger hooked up to this configuration down the road if I choose to do so? Thanks in advance.

I put in the Wall Charger and am really glad I did and would do it again. Necessary? Nope. Do a 14-50 if not a wall charger. It’s nice to be able to charge quickly on occasion.

 

[mswlogo]

Thanks very much msw. My electric inspector who contacted other nearby town wiring inspectors said it isn’t required. Thankfully I have an enclosed garage with no standing water. I’m still on the fence about the wall connector, but It seems to be the best approach.

Not all states have adopted the new code yet.

https://www.nfpa.org/assets/files/AboutTheCodes/70/Proposed_TIA_1242_NFPA_70.pdf

All garages are considered wet environments. Mine is brand new and gets wet. Especially if it’s snow season. That’s why I have a garage. But the weather sometimes gets dragged in. Concrete retains water for a long time in cool temps or when it’s humid. Iron reenforced. My sneakers can get wet too. Damp floor, wet sneakers from cleaning snow off the car, or puddle you stepped in hour earlier, you are now grounded walking in your garage. No standing water is required for you to sink current. Now go plug in your UMC from that long trip. Oops your fingers slipped as you pushed it in. Oh *sugar*, Mommy !!!

This is very recently adopted. And for good reason. I didn’t wait for the code to tell me though. It’s a no brainer to put GFCI on all plugs in a garage. Period. UMC is a portable device. You might never unplug, but the next guy might. Or kids horsing around.

This isn’t rocket science. It’s to easy to have an accident. That’s why the code changed. We are Talking a $100, no labor difference. Or use a Wall Connector which frees up your UMC for portable use only.

 

[Daddywolf]

I appreciate all the info. I think it definitely makes sense to do the wall charger, especially considering the rebate.

 

[srs5694]

Yes.

But Keep in mind

A wall charger is $500
A UMC is $300
A UMC "Plug" should be GFCI protected so add ~$100 (some people don't get that), where a Wall Charger does not.
A forgetful, distracted person like me will forget to put his UMC in the car for trips that might need it, so this person needs another UMC.
A UMC is really a "Mobile" (portable) unit.

So a Wall Connector ends up costing about $100 more (assuming you dedicate a UMC for home charging and leave one in the car for folks like myself). Some people have perfect memory/planning skills. I don't.

Also for a UMC you may want to add a 3rd party Wall Bracket and Cord Hanger from Tesla. Plus the parts for the outlet itself.

Wall Connector:

No GFCI Needed, it's built in and hard wired (no plug exposed).
Built in Cord Hanger
Allows portable UMC to remain in your car at all times.
Can be setup to run pretty much any amperage you want and could be changed later (take it to you next home, upgrade panel etc.).

So why do you want to wait for the Wall Connector again?

The above is a good summary of some important points. I'll add this:

• If you get a socket to use with the UMC, make it a 50-amp outlet (NEMA 14-50, probably; although I've seen some people suggest NEMA 6-50 now that the 14-50 plug is no longer shipping with the Model 3's UMC, so you need to buy whatever plug type to match your outlet). A 30-amp outlet will save a trivial amount of money on wire, given that you say your panel is right next to where you want an outlet or Wall Connector, but a 30-amp outlet will let you charge at only 24 amps, whereas a 50-amp outlet will support up to 32 amps via the UMC, or 40 amps with the Gen1 UMC (if you buy one; but see the next point) or some third-party EVSEs. Although 24-amp charging is likely to be adequate for your needs, there's no point in restricting yourself to that speed to save a trivial sum on wire.
• Unless I've missed it, you haven't said what variety of Model 3 you're getting. If it's an SR, SR+, or MR (which would likely be a demo or used car by now), it maxes out at 32-amp charging. If it's any of the LR varieties, it can handle up to 48-amp charging if the EVSE supports that speed. To get that speed, your best choice is the Wall Connector with a breaker and wire rated for 60 amps. The Gen1 UMC can deliver up to 40 amps via a 50-amp outlet, IIRC. I vaguely recall hearing of some people reporting problems using it with the Model 3, but I may be remembering incorrectly, or the problems may have been resolved by now.
  
• There are also third-party EVSEs, but AFAIK they all come with J1772 plugs, so you need to use Tesla's J1772 adapter. (One comes with the car; or you can buy another for $95.) Most of them that can deliver 32a or more are also at least as expensive as Tesla's Wall Connector. Thus, for charging a Model 3, there's not much point to buying one. I mention this on the off chance that you're planning to buy a second, non-Tesla, EV in the near future. In this case, you might want a J1772 EVSE to make it easier to charge either car. OTOH, getting a NEMA 14-50 outlet and using it with the UMC that comes with the Model 3 might make a lot of sense in this scenario. You could then buy a J1772 EVSE with a 14-50 plug when you buy the second EVSE, plug it in yourself, and use it with Tesla's adapter when you want to charge the Tesla.

 

[hcdavis3]

Not all states have adopted the new code yet.

https://www.nfpa.org/assets/files/AboutTheCodes/70/Proposed_TIA_1242_NFPA_70.pdf

All garages are considered wet environments. Mine is brand new and gets wet. Especially if it’s snow season. That’s why I have a garage. But the weather sometimes gets dragged in. Concrete retains water for a long time in cool temps or when it’s humid. Iron reenforced. My sneakers can get wet too. Damp floor, wet sneakers from cleaning snow off the car, or puddle you stepped in hour earlier, you are now grounded walking in your garage. No standing water is required for you to sink current. Now go plug in your UMC from that long trip. Oops your fingers slipped as you pushed it in. Oh *sugar*, Mommy !!!

This is very recently adopted. And for good reason. I didn’t wait for the code to tell me though. It’s a no brainer to put GFCI on all plugs in a garage. Period. UMC is a portable device. You might never unplug, but the next guy might. Or kids horsing around.

This isn’t rocket science. It’s to easy to have an accident. That’s why the code changed. We are Talking a $100, no labor difference. Or use a Wall Connector which frees up your UMC for portable use only.

Thanks very much msw. Your analysis is spot on. I too prefer to over do things like this for safety. Have a great day.

 

[Daddywolf]

The above is a good summary of some important points. I'll add this:

• If you get a socket to use with the UMC, make it a 50-amp outlet (NEMA 14-50, probably; although I've seen some people suggest NEMA 6-50 now that the 14-50 plug is no longer shipping with the Model 3's UMC, so you need to buy whatever plug type to match your outlet). A 30-amp outlet will save a trivial amount of money on wire, given that you say your panel is right next to where you want an outlet or Wall Connector, but a 30-amp outlet will let you charge at only 24 amps, whereas a 50-amp outlet will support up to 32 amps via the UMC, or 40 amps with the Gen1 UMC (if you buy one; but see the next point) or some third-party EVSEs. Although 24-amp charging is likely to be adequate for your needs, there's no point in restricting yourself to that speed to save a trivial sum on wire.
• Unless I've missed it, you haven't said what variety of Model 3 you're getting. If it's an SR, SR+, or MR (which would likely be a demo or used car by now), it maxes out at 32-amp charging. If it's any of the LR varieties, it can handle up to 48-amp charging if the EVSE supports that speed. To get that speed, your best choice is the Wall Connector with a breaker and wire rated for 60 amps. The Gen1 UMC can deliver up to 40 amps via a 50-amp outlet, IIRC. I vaguely recall hearing of some people reporting problems using it with the Model 3, but I may be remembering incorrectly, or the problems may have been resolved by now.
  
• There are also third-party EVSEs, but AFAIK they all come with J1772 plugs, so you need to use Tesla's J1772 adapter. (One comes with the car; or you can buy another for $95.) Most of them that can deliver 32a or more are also at least as expensive as Tesla's Wall Connector. Thus, for charging a Model 3, there's not much point to buying one. I mention this on the off chance that you're planning to buy a second, non-Tesla, EV in the near future. In this case, you might want a J1772 EVSE to make it easier to charge either car. OTOH, getting a NEMA 14-50 outlet and using it with the UMC that comes with the Model 3 might make a lot of sense in this scenario. You could then buy a J1772 EVSE with a 14-50 plug when you buy the second EVSE, plug it in yourself, and use it with Tesla's adapter when you want to charge the Tesla.

Many thanks! I plan on purchasing the SR + just as soon as I get my current car sold. Dealing with all of these tire kickers is maddening!!!