Not HPWC - Home Charging

[GoTslaGo]

14-30 came with the house (new build).

Previous house we installed a 14-50. My understanding is a 14-50 is more flexible with other EVs (not just Tesla).

 

[JHawk]

14-50 outlet with UMC - I decided to get an extra UMC (eBay, about $350) so I could keep one in the car and one in the garage... This is obviously not really a necessity, and I considered installing an HPWC, looked at juicebox, clipper creek etc, and decided the UMC would do what I wanted.

That is exactly what I ended up doing too. I knew at some point me or my wife would forget to put the UMC in the car when going on a trip and the $350 was cheap "insurance". I don't have dual chargers in my car so I felt like the HPWC wasn't really worth it.

I did have the UMC that came with my CPO 2013 P85 replaced a couple weeks ago under warranty. Charging was constantly interrupted and I found some of the plastic on the wall side adapter and cord had melted. The service center replaced it no questions asked. It looked like a bad solder on one of the pins to me so I don't think it was related to using the UMC for home charging.

 

[GarrickS]

Since I also a have non-Tesla EV, I wired up 2 14-50 sockets in my driveway on the same circuit. Two juiceboxes can be configured to share the load just fine. The set up works fine.

 

[jerry33]

I leave my UMC plugged into the wall in the garage, since I never take my Roadster farther than I can go and return on a charge. The end that plugs into the car hangs on a hook on the wall when not plugged into the car. I'm not dedicated enough to spend hours charging at an RV park. So I never need to bring the UMC with me.

Note that the UMC is also useful at some destination charging stops, not just RV parks--and often you only need a bit at an RV park so it doesn't take that long of a stop. I use a B&B in Roca, NE (Wunder Roost), that has one.

 

[rhumbliner]

My initial choice was the HPWC, but they don't offer NEMA 14-50 plug version and I don't want to risk modifying it for that purpose.

FWIW, I installed just such a configuration for my neighbor and found it to be a very easy job -- and I'm not an electrician. Elsewhere in these forums it was suggested that there is no code violation with this and our local inspector concurred.

 

[PatrickCH4313]

5-pin IEC 60309 adapter (red) - provides 3 phase 230/400 VAC charging at 16 A.

Power: 11 kWh @ 16 A = 66 km/h Charging speed

 

[dhanson865]

I'm not charging a Tesla yet but looking at Model S Gen2 Charger Efficiency Testing I'll probably charge mine at 25a (240v) on my openEVSE. (assuming the Tesla I get follows that efficiency curve)

I have a 14-50 socket that the EVSE is plugged into. In a rare event that I need to charge faster I could switch to the UMC for 40a (240v) charging.

But the closest supercharger is only 5-10 miles away so if I was really in a hurry I'd go there.

On the average day I only drive 40-60 miles so a couple of hours charging at 25a (240v) will do me fine. Maybe charge to 80% once a week and charge a couple of hours each night to keep in the middle range of SOC%.

 

[Az_Rael]

The last all else fail would be the typical Clipper Creek. Simple, no flare, and do offer both NEMA 14-50 and other plug types or hardwired.

Clipper Creek makes great units, and if you do have problems they are super easy to work with. My charging handle wasn't always making good connection with my car (Volt at the time) and I called them up for support. They immediately sent me a replacement unit and covered return shipping on my bad unit and gave me zero hassle at all. No long troubleshooting steps to figure out if the problem was the car, my wiring, or the unit. I was impressed.

 

[daniel]

Note that the UMC is also useful at some destination charging stops, not just RV parks--and often you only need a bit at an RV park so it doesn't take that long of a stop. I use a B&B in Roca, NE (Wunder Roost), that has one.

Yeah. My situation is that I only make one long road trip each year, which takes me on secondary roads where there are no superchargers. So I would need to stop along the way. Once at my destination, I could slow-charge, and start my return on a full pack. But I either take two days to make the 6-hour trip, or I spend 4 hours at an RV park (or some place similar) and my 6-hour drive becomes a ten-hour trip. I'm not dedicated enough to do that. I would need a 400-mile pack (to have some in reserve just in case) or superchargers in a couple specific small towns along the way. I take the Prius instead. It's the only time I drive the Prius other than hauling my Roadster tires to the tire place to be switched twice a year. And taking my recycling in once or twice a year.

All my other driving is well within the Roadster's comfortable round-trip range. Any place I go that you could drive on the freeway, I fly instead.

The minute they install superchargers in those small towns I'll trade up my Roadster for a road-trip Tesla, if I have not done so already, and sell the Prius. Want to buy a used Prius? All you have to do is talk Tesla into putting superchargers where I need them for that annual road trip of mine. (I go pretty much straight north from Spokane into Canada for hiking, mostly at several upscale wilderness hiking lodges.)

 

[jerry33]

Yeah. My situation is that I only make one long road trip each year, which takes me on secondary roads where there are no superchargers. So I would need to stop along the way. Once at my destination, I could slow-charge, and start my return on a full pack. But I either take two days to make the 6-hour trip, or I spend 4 hours at an RV park (or some place similar) and my 6-hour drive becomes a ten-hour trip.

Yes. The first time it took me longer, but the second time there was a nice PlugShare Tesla owner with an HPWC, so the time was similar to taking the Prius. I have had reasonable success in having the places I stay at put in a 14-50 for overnight charging.