Planning to only use 110 outlet

[lampcord]

So I talked to Tesla's recommended electrician in my area. I only have a 100 amp box so he figured that for my house the max he can send to the charger is 32 amps so I decided to go with a NEMA 14-50.

He quoted $900 for the install. The location is about 15-20 feet from the box. Does that sound reasonable to others?

 

[jerry33]

So I talked to Tesla's recommended electrician in my area. I only have a 100 amp box so he figured that for my house the max he can send to the charger is 32 amps so I decided to go with a NEMA 14-50.

He quoted $900 for the install. The location is about 15-20 feet from the box. Does that sound reasonable to others?

Sounds high. I'd get a few more quotes.

 

[davewill]

Sounds high. I'd get a few more quotes.

I'd agree. I just paid $550 for a very similar install. Now I was happy with conduit mounted on the wall. For an in wall install, it would be more expensive

 

[Dmagyar]

So I talked to Tesla's recommended electrician in my area. I only have a 100 amp box so he figured that for my house the max he can send to the charger is 32 amps so I decided to go with a NEMA 14-50.

He quoted $900 for the install. The location is about 15-20 feet from the box. Does that sound reasonable to others?

Don’t you mean a 14-30? If you can only spare 30 amps, smaller wire, less expense. The two pole ground fault breaker is $150 just by itself, sounds ok to me...plus who knows what he’s got to do in your panel to fit in the new full size breaker.
I wouldn’t tie myself to “Tesla” recommended only Electrical contractors, electricity is something pretty universal. Make sure though your scope of work is the same...

 

[lampcord]

Don’t you mean a 14-30? If you can only spare 30 amps, smaller wire, less expense. The two pole ground fault breaker is $150 just by itself, sounds ok to me...plus who knows what he’s got to do in your panel to fit in the new full size breaker.
I wouldn’t tie myself to “Tesla” recommended only Electrical contractors, electricity is something pretty universal. Make sure though your scope of work is the same...

Well he said to go with the 14-50 so I could get 32 Amps instead of 30 with the 14-30. I know it's a minor difference but I deferred to his expertise. I know software, that's my expertise. On everything else I'm pretty clueless.

 

[pdx_m3s]

So I talked to Tesla's recommended electrician in my area. I only have a 100 amp box so he figured that for my house the max he can send to the charger is 32 amps so I decided to go with a NEMA 14-50.

He quoted $900 for the install. The location is about 15-20 feet from the box. Does that sound reasonable to others?

If the max you can spare on your panel is 32 amps (an odd number... did you mean 30 amps?), then you should be installing a 30 amp circuit, not a 50 amp circuit. This would mean using a NEMA 14-30 outlet.

 

[Dmagyar]

Well he said to go with the 14-50 so I could get 32 Amps instead of 30 with the 14-30. I know it's a minor difference but I deferred to his expertise. I know software, that's my expertise. On everything else I'm pretty clueless.

A 240 volt 30 amp circuit will charge at 22-23 miles range per hour of charging. You’re also paying more (substantially) for those few extra “amps”, can’t see how that pencils out...
Make sure your getting copper wire only...

 

[darth_vad3r]

For a LR RWD, what's the difference in charging speed between a basic 240 outlet and the Tesla wall connector?
Right now I'm on a 120 which is fine, but I'd certainly like better speeds when necessary.

For the LR Model 3, which has the built-in 48 amp charger (vice the 32 amp charger on the smaller-batteried SR and SR+ Model 3s), you can utilize the full 48 amps supplied by the wall connector (on a 60 amp breaker or bigger), for about 44 MRPH (miles range per hour of charge).

With the biggest possible wall outlet, the 14-50 or 6-50 (both 50 amp breakers and supplying 40 amps max continuous), you can still only utilize 32 amps with the Gen 2 mobile connector, as that is as much as it will deliver, regardless of the power it is plugged into, for about 30 MRPH.

So, the wall connector is ~50% faster than the mobile connector, in a LR, 44 v. 30 MPH. Both will get a LR M3 from totally empty to totally full overnight: 7ish hours for the wall connector and 11ish hours for the portable.

There’s also the “Corded Mobile Connector” that uses 14-50 and can run at 40A.

 

[lampcord]

A 240 volt 30 amp circuit will charge at 22-23 miles range per hour of charging. You’re also paying more (substantially) for those few extra “amps”, can’t see how that pencils out...

Thank you for that tip! I will contact the electrician and see how much it costs for the 30 amp service.

 

[F14Scott]

If the max you can spare on your panel is 32 amps (an odd number... did you mean 30 amps?), then you should be installing a 30 amp circuit, not a 50 amp circuit. This would mean using a NEMA 14-30 outlet.

But, when the mobile connector sees it is plugged into a 14-30 outlet, it will dial down its own maximum transfer to 24 amps, per the 80% continuous load rule.

He could install a 14-50 outlet on a 40 amp breaker, intending to command his Tesla to never draw more than 32 amps, and intending to label the outlet "32 amp draw maximum." As I understand it, this would be technically legal, but generally not regarded as ideal, since a) the car could hiccup and try to draw the full 14-50 amount (40 amps), or b) the label could fall off and someone might try to plug in a stove there.

There's really no way for a perfect outlet-based solution, here. But, if you hard wired a wall connector there, you could dial it exactly to a 40 amp breaker, which would then allow a 32 amp draw.

 

[davewill]

A 240 volt 30 amp circuit will charge at 22-23 miles range per hour of charging. You’re also paying more (substantially) for those few extra “amps”, can’t see how that pencils out...
Make sure your getting copper wire only...

No, 14-50 is the correct choice. When you do the load calc, you use the actual load of 32a, not the circuit size of 40a or 50a.

 

[Dmagyar]

No, 14-50 is the correct choice. When you do the load calc, you use the actual load of 32a, not the circuit size of 40a or 50a.

Some of what I thought the original poster had to question was the magnitude of the $900 quote. That’s what shaped my response, not whether the Electrician did a load calc on his existing 100 amp service...

 

[darth_vad3r]

But, when the mobile connector sees it is plugged into a 14-30 outlet, it will dial down its own maximum transfer to 24 amps, per the 80% continuous load rule.

He could install a 14-50 outlet on a 40 amp breaker, intending to command his Tesla to never draw more than 32 amps, and intending to label the outlet "32 amp draw maximum." As I understand it, this would be technically legal, but generally not regarded as ideal, since a) the car could hiccup and try to draw the full 14-50 amount (40 amps), or b) the label could fall off and someone might try to plug in a stove there.

My stove outlet is actually on a 40A breaker. Do they put 50A breakers in for stoves typically?

I think they use 14-50 for 40A circuit and 40A stoves because there is no common 40A outlet.

Anyways, it’s not ideal. Agree. If you have an SR or are using the 32A mobile connector then you know *you* won’t draw more than 32A. If you have an LR and use the 40A corded mobile Connector it would try to run at 40A continuous by default and that 40A breaker would trip probably after a while.

With stock equipped 3, you can’t draw more than 32A because of the gen 2 limit.

 

[tschmidty]

My stove outlet is actually on a 40A breaker. Do they put 50A breakers in for stoves typically?

I think they use 14-50 for 40A circuit and 40A stoves because there is no common 40A outlet.

Anyways, it’s not ideal. Agree. If you have an SR or are using the 32A mobile connector then you know *you* won’t draw more than 32A. If you have an LR and use the 40A corded mobile Connector it would try to run at 40A continuous by default and that 40A breaker would trip probably after a while.

With stock equipped 3, you can’t draw more than 32A because of the gen 2 limit.

Yes to 50amp breakers being typical.

The Gen2 mobile charger is fine and he should plug it into a 14-50 circuit, 40a breakr or not since it will only ever draw 32 amps.

I don't even thing the corded mobile connector is available. But 32a at 240v is fine and will give you 30-31 miles of charge an hour.

 

[TexasEV]

Well he said to go with the 14-50 so I could get 32 Amps instead of 30 with the 14-30. I know it's a minor difference but I deferred to his expertise.

It’s not a minor difference. You would only charge at 24A if you had a 30A circuit. Stick with his advice of a 50A circuit to charge at 32A using the UMC. You’ll have a full charge overnight.

 

[lampcord]

It’s not a minor difference. You would only charge at 24A if you had a 30A circuit. Stick with his advice of a 50A circuit to charge at 32A using the UMC. You’ll have a full charge overnight.

OK, yeah it's starting to sink in. Glad the forum is here. Nice for us EV noobs to be able to get advice from people who have been there. Bit of a learning curve.

 

[darth_vad3r]

Yes to 50amp breakers being typical.

The Gen2 mobile charger is fine and he should plug it into a 14-50 circuit, 40a breakr or not since it will only ever draw 32 amps.

I don't even thing the corded mobile connector is available. But 32a at 240v is fine and will give you 30-31 miles of charge an hour.

Tesla store:
Corded Mobile Connector
(Out of stock today, but so are lots of things. It was in stock before)

 

[tschmidty]

Tesla store:
Corded Mobile Connector
(Out of stock today, but so are lots of things. It was in stock before)

Where is the information saying the corded connector runs at 40a? Looked at the store page and owner's manual and didn't see it. For whatever it's worth I bought the Gen 1 connector which can also do 40a, is the corded one just a gen 1 charger?

 

[Rocky_H]

Where is the information saying the corded connector runs at 40a? Looked at the store page and owner's manual and didn't see it. For whatever it's worth I bought the Gen 1 connector which can also do 40a, is the corded one just a gen 1 charger?

They have been around for a long time, and lots of people have confirmed it. Yes, it is a 1st generation connector with the 40A capability, and it existed quite a long time before Tesla even came out with the 2nd generation one. The item description on their web page used to state it specifically, but they seem to have simplified the wording and it doesn't have that text anymore. I can't get the owner's manual pdf to load right now.

 

[darth_vad3r]

Where is the information saying the corded connector runs at 40a? Looked at the store page and owner's manual and didn't see it. For whatever it's worth I bought the Gen 1 connector which can also do 40a, is the corded one just a gen 1 charger?

Maybe it is a gen1? The page is lacking. I’ve read lots of people saying it runs at 40A, here’s a post that say it runs at 40A:
Corded Mobile Connector