Tesla Gen 3 Wall Connector--Exact Ground Fault Trip Threshold?

[wwhitney]

I feel like you've identified an unintended loophole of the rules, not necessarily something they wanted to build in.

Two different groups are in charge of 210.8(F) and 625.54. The group in charge of 210.8(F) just wanted to cover all outdoor equipment (at 1 and 2 family homes) up to some reasonable limit. They chose 50A. That group knows that there are larger outdoor outlets possible.

The group in charge of 625.54 wanted to cover all cord and plug connected EVSEs. Presumably on the basis that a person may interact with the unit by unplugging it (particularly for a portable unit), and that interaction would not be protection by the EVSE's internal quasi-GFCI. They could have chosen to require GFCI for all EVSEs, and didn't.

So it is what it is. I think both choices were intentional. FWIW, an EVSE rated above 50A is required to be hardwired (60A receptacles do exist, but are uncommon), so in that sense both requirements are just 50A and under.

Cheers, Wayne

 

[holeydonut]

Two different groups are in charge of 210.8(F) and 625.54. The group in charge of 210.8(F) just wanted to cover all outdoor equipment (at 1 and 2 family homes) up to some reasonable limit. They chose 50A. That group knows that there are larger outdoor outlets possible.

The group in charge of 625.54 wanted to cover all cord and plug connected EVSEs. Presumably on the basis that a person may interact with the unit by unplugging it (particularly for a portable unit), and that interaction would not be protection by the EVSE's internal quasi-GFCI. They could have chosen to require GFCI for all EVSEs, and didn't.

So it is what it is. I think both choices were intentional. FWIW, an EVSE rated above 50A is required to be hardwired (60A receptacles do exist, but are uncommon), so in that sense both requirements are just 50A and under.

Cheers, Wayne

What happens if a homeowner cannot get their gen 3 wall charger installed at 48A charging with a 60A breaker? Will the < 48A configured wall charger still comply with 2020 NEC?

 

[wwhitney]

What happens if a homeowner cannot get their gen 3 wall charger installed at 48A charging with a 60A breaker? Will the < 48A configured wall charger still comply with 2020 NEC?

Yes, if and only if it is (a) GFCI protected, or (b) hardwired and indoors.

Now the warning in the manual may be out of date. Or the warning in the manual may be correct, and it won't work on GFCI. Or a particularly hard-nosed interpretation is that since the manual says not to use GFCI protection, the NEC requires you to follow that instruction, and so (b) is the only way to use NEC compliantly. Personally, I feel that only the restrictions that are part of the listing standard are required to be followed by the NEC, not the entire instruction manual.

Cheers, Wayne

 

[holeydonut]

Yes, if and only if it is (a) GFCI protected, or (b) hardwired and indoors.

Now the warning in the manual may be out of date. Or the warning in the manual may be correct, and it won't work on GFCI. Or a particularly hard-nosed interpretation is that since the manual says not to use GFCI protection, the NEC requires you to follow that instruction, and so (b) is the only way to use NEC compliantly. Personally, I feel that only the restrictions that are part of the listing standard are required to be followed by the NEC, not the entire instruction manual.

Cheers, Wayne

Ok so if installed outdoors at less than 48A, someone could use a GFCI breaker regardless what the manual says?