Tesla requires 60A Disconnect switch w/charger?

[Electrician]

I had to sign up for an account, since the information here was...incorrect...

Gen 3 wall connect chargers are pulled from a 60 amp breaker. The breaker size determines the circuit size, not the connected load.

NEC 625.43 - circuits rated more than 60 amps must have a disconnecting means. So, by 2020 code, you would not need a disconnect. By 2017 code, which is the code that all jurisdictions were on at the time of this post, you may have needed a disconnect.

It's certainly something we recommend to our customers. $50-120,000 car and "I don't want to spend $450 extra to protect it/my house/my family in case of emergency"? I understand you don't understand electricity, that's our job. If you think that I'm making my retirement off of an extra $450... Its definitely not a "money grab" lol. $450...sheesh. That's not even 15 days of car payment. Lol.

Tesla does not govern what electricians are required to do, the NEC does. The wall connect charger is a listed product and must be installed to spec, but the remainder of the install is governed by the NEC.

For installation of a tesla charger, with material (copper ONLY wire at #6 is about $4.5/ft) in my area (Denver) will run a min of $1k...for a back to back panel/charger. We just installed one this week for $3k - 150' run.

Oh, it had a disconnect.

 

[Tim42069]

Yeah...call a different electrician. No need for a "Tesla Authorized" one...it's wiring, not rocket science (as much as they'd like you to believe it is). And don't fall for their "protect your family" line...there are multiple failsafes built into the vehicle and the charger itself.

I laughed at the first 2 quotes I got, and got the same canned "think about your family" line. The 3rd quote was 60% less than the first two - he did a great job, and I've had zero issues.

 

[jcanoe]

The electrician will know what is required for the circuit. Always get a second quote to compare prices. The service disconnect is nothing more than an On/Off switch located near the equipment (in this case the Tesla Wall Connector.) If you have central air conditioning or a heat pump installed at home you already have a service disconnect on the circuit that powers the AC compressor (It is that metal box with a pull handle on the side that is located within sight of the AC compressor.

The key thing is that the service disconnect has to be located within line-of-sight of the equipment so that when the equipment is being serviced the technician/electrician can have visual inspection and control that the power has been cut off to the equipment. The service disconnect is there to protect the person performing service on the equipment.

In some jurisdictions, the local electrical code provides an exemption, not requiring a service disconnect if the electrical service panel (or sub panel) is located within line-of-sight of the equipment. Also, a service disconnect may only be required for circuits exceeding 20 amps. So if your Tesla Wall Connector is located inside your garage on a 60A circuit and your electrical service panel or sub panel is also located within your garage you may not need to install the service disconnect because the service technician can visually inspect, control that the breaker is turned off. (If the service panel was located in a different part of the home then someone could turn on the circuit while the technician was performing service on the equipment and get shocked or worse.)

On higher amperage circuits, i.e. a 50A circuit that end in a receptacle that accepts a plug, i.e. the NEMA 14-50 receptacle that accepts a NEMA 14-50 plug you don't need a separate service disconnect because the power plug serves as the service disconnect. The technician will always first turn off the circuit breaker at the service panel and then unplug the equipment before attempting to service the equipment.

 

[angus[Y]oung]

@jcanoe great explanation, thank you

 

[NJEV-Don]

I have ordered a model y, I have a Juicebox 40 amp level 2 charger which I use to charge my Bolt. I believe I will Need an adapter to go from the j 1772 connector to the model y, any suggestions?

The adapter definitely comes with it.

 

[laservet]

A master electrician, not on Tesla's list of approved electricians, installed mine for ~$150 including the 60a breaker. The charger is only a few feet from the breaker panel and it had a spot for the 60a breaker so he didn't have a long run or a second panel to install.

 

[Pianewman]

Can we all agree that we should NOT be calling the EVSE (Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment) a charger? Any discussion can get confusing when we don't use the correct moniker.

Yes, it's a bit of a PIA, but necessary.

 

[jcanoe]

Can we all agree that we should NOT be calling the EVSE (Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment) a charger? Any discussion can get confusing when we don't use the correct moniker.

Yes, it's a bit of a PIA, but necessary.

You are correct but unfortunately that horse has left the barn, isn't coming back. I like to use the term "charging cord" or "charging cord set". It takes too much effort to type out the words behind EVSE plus they just confuse the consumer.

 

[Pianewman]

HAHA! EVSE has fewer keystrokes than "charging cord" or "charging cord set."

Of course, I get your point. It's always confusing mixing technical jargon with layperson slang.

 

[DonaldBecker]

It's worth noting that an experienced electrician will also understand what the local inspectors require for disconnects. Following the rules strictly can result in superficially absurd configurations.

For instance we have an outdoor circuit with two circuit breaker in boxes within a few feet of each other, both within sight of the equipment. The whole circuit is protected by a circuit breaker in the panel as normal. The next circuit breaker is mounted on the wall where the circuit leaves the house. From there external rigid conduit crosses an access walkway. On the other side there is immediately another GFCI circuit breaker where it feeds the equipment through a short length of flexible conduit. A friendly inspector would have allowed a single disconnect / circuit breaker / GFCI. But both were there to avoid a challenge from the local AHJ (inspector).

 

[laservet]

Can we all agree that we should NOT be calling the EVSE (Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment) a charger? Any discussion can get confusing when we don't use the correct moniker.

Yes, it's a bit of a PIA, but necessary.

I’ll try, but I still occasionally call the accelerator pedal the gas pedal so don’t hold your breath...​

 

[ai4px]

The NEC requires a local disconnect for >60amp circuits. It is precisely why Tesla started limiting charging to 48amps... 60 x 0.8 = 48 amps. Any higher than that, you must have local disconnect. You might be cheaper just to tell him to fuse it for 50amps and charge at 40amps.

86-304 Disconnecting means
(1) A separate disconnecting means for shall be provided for each installation of electric vehicle supply equipment rated at 60 A or more, or more than 150 volts-to-ground.
(2) The disconnecting means required in Subrule (1) shall be
(a) on the supply side of the point of connection of the electric vehicle supply equipment;
(b) located withing sight of and accessible to the electric vehicle supply equipment, and;
(c) capable of being locked in the open position.

 

[Rocky_H]

I had not seen that update before, where it now says "at 60A or more". That must be in a fairly new update. What version of NEC is that in? It used to be only above 60A up until some point in time.

 

[DonaldBecker]

I had not seen that update before, where it now says "at 60A or more". That must be in a fairly new update. What version of NEC is that in? It used to be only above 60A up until some point in time.

That appears to be quote from the CEC, not the NEC.

Keep in mind that a 'disconnect' is often a circuit breaker on a nearby subpanel. "Within sight" has the additional implication of within 50 ft, so an outdoor EVSE installation often has a outdoor circuit breaker enclosure where the circuit exits the structure, very similar to a heat pump or air conditioning compressor installation. Many of those enclosures have a latch with a hole for a small lock, so that part of the requirement doesn't involve anything exotic.

 

[MattM24]

86-304 Disconnecting means
(1) A separate disconnecting means for shall be provided for each installation of electric vehicle supply equipment rated at 60 A or more, or more than 150 volts-to-ground.
(2) The disconnecting means required in Subrule (1) shall be
(a) on the supply side of the point of connection of the electric vehicle supply equipment;
(b) located withing sight of and accessible to the electric vehicle supply equipment, and;
(c) capable of being locked in the open position.

This is in the OESC and CEC.

I had my Electrician install a disconnect, since it was a long run and we needed a JB anyway to switch to EMT in the garage.

The ESA Inspector said it wasn't needed as the EVSE (Gen 3 Wall Connector) was rated at 48A, not the breaker rating.

The 60A disconnect was around $25. Not a big deal either way in my opinion.

 

[qdeathstar]

I received a quote from a Tesla authorized installer today and he says Tesla requires a 60A disconnect switch within 5’ of the home charger? Is this true? The reason I ask is it added $425.00 to the quote (not including the charger) vs just going with just a 50A and a NEMA 14/50 plug.

Hmm. Not within 5ft but within sight.

 

[MBL680]

I think what people are forgetting here is that these are circuits that will be used for multiple hours at a time, and in some cases as much as eight hours per use. That’s different then a dryer running a cycle for an hour to an hour and a half.

The more robust the better. Especially if you have more than one tesla in your household. As it is, I already get some small voltage sag just at 40a off our NEMA 14-50 with its own GFCI box.

Sag? Don't see anyone recommending GFCI for any EV charging

 

[mswlogo]

Sag? Don't see anyone recommending GFCI for any EV charging

GFCI is required by code on all EV charging outlets. It’s not required if the Charger is hardwired like a Wall Connector. It doesn’t matter if the plug in charger has GFCI built in. It’s the fact the plug is exposed and needs to be protected.

 

[jcanoe]

If your locality has adopted the 2017 revision of the National Electrical Code (NEC) all new installations of a charging circuit with receptacle (any type) that will be used to charge a plug-in vehicle or an EV must be protected via a GFCI. For higher amperage circuits such as the NEMA 14-50 the only available option is a GFCI circuit breaker which can cost over $100.

 

[ScottNY]

Another thing he said was that you cannot buy a charger until you order the car and have a VIN#. That has to be a ludicrous statement. I said so you are telling me people can’t install a charger a head of time to be prepared for the arrival of their car.....that makes no sense.

I ordered and installed my gen 3 Wall Connector (purchased directly from the Tesla Store) in the driveway against the side of my house in May ‘21 and placed my MY order in June. Car delivered in September. Used a Tesla authorized electrician from the list on Tesla’s website and have no disconnect; only the breaker in the basement.