UK Home charger assistance

[scohtay]

Hey folks - I need a home charger for my upcoming Model 3 delivery and understand that, in Europe, the standard is called CSS and this is what most (all??) Electric cars use here. I read that the Model 3 will be compatible with this standard.
My wife has seriously range anxiety so is not ready for full EV but is open to a Plug-in hybrid. I assume we can both use it? We don't drive all that much so I don't need two chargers in the garage so I guess what I want to know is do you have any recommendations on one I should use and approximate cost of installation.

Also, I understand there is a £500 government grant to defray the cost. Am I able to get both the £3,500 for the Model 3 and the £500 for the home charger?

Thanks!

 

[srs5694]

You're thinking of CCS (not CSS), but that's a DC fast charging standard, which is something that exists to facilitate long-distance travel or to quickly boost a charge if you do a lot of driving in a day in a car with a low-capacity battery. CCS chargers are extremely expensive to install and just as expensive to operate, so you would not install one in your home.

What you'd put in your home is a high-power wall outlet (relative to other wall outlets) or a dedicated EVSE (electric vehicle supply equipment). I'm in the US, so I'm not very familiar with the details of what's used in the UK (both in terms of electric infrastructure and the plugs in use on various vehicles), so I'll refrain from providing specifics that would likely be wrong. Be sure to pay attention to answers from people in the UK, or at least who are familiar with what's going on in the UK. One thing I do know is that Tesla has changed its in-car charge port in Europe for the Model 3, vs. the Model S and Model X, to be compatible with CCS. I don't know if this would affect home charging, though. I would assume that UK Model 3s would use the European plugs, but I don't know this for a fact.

 

[gfunkdave]

I believe the standard higher-power option for home charging in Europe is a 3 phase outlet - the blue 3 phase industrial outlet. Their UK site lists supported methods.

Charging Connectors

 

[scohtay]

Hey folks - I need a home charger for my upcoming Model 3 delivery and understand that, in Europe, the standard is called CSS and this is what most (all??) Electric cars use here. I read that the Model 3 will be compatible with this standard.
My wife has seriously range anxiety so is not ready for full EV but is open to a Plug-in hybrid. I assume we can both use it? We don't drive all that much so I don't need two chargers in the garage so I guess what I want to know is do you have any recommendations on one I should use and approximate cost of installation.

Also, I understand there is a £500 government grant to defray the cost. Am I able to get both the £3,500 for the Model 3 and the £500 for the home charger?

Thanks!

Sorry, I guess I don't need the high powered home charger (CCS), just one that's better than just plugging it into the wall. Thanks.

 

[alexGS]

Here is my take on it (after lots of Internet research) - I stand to be corrected on any of the following. Model 3 in England will be compatible with the ‘Type 2’ plug (Mennekes) which I’m guessing is probably what your existing plug-in vehicle uses? (I’m assuming it is a fairly recent model; the Type 1 was the older type, Type 2 is the current standard. Cables are available to connect a Type 1 car to a Type 2 charger).

The Americans talk about a “dryer outlet” (NEMA 14-50) standard for high-current appliances but I believe this socket or equivalent is not usually found in 240V markets - regular sockets in the UK are 240V 13A and it is usual for higher-current appliances to be hard-wired in.

Therefore the piece of equipment you’d install is probably a wall box that would work with both vehicles and would be hard-wired (single phase) to a new 24A or 32A breaker in your distribution board, by an electrician. Is the distribution board in the garage? That would make things really easy; otherwise, a new power cable would be run back to the distribution board and a new breaker fitted there. The cost for this is not immense and is similar to that required for the installation of a heat pump/air conditioner unit.

I suggest assessing this wiring task (getting quotes for it) before purchasing the EVSE (wall module), as you might decide to get the Tesla High-Powered Wall Connector Box from your dealer, with the car - I believe this can charge other Type-2 vehicles as well, but I am not certain.

If the Tesla HPWC cannot charge your other vehicle, then you will need a Type 2 wall box from a manufacturer such as Bosch, rated to the capacity of your new wiring circuit (eg. 24A).

In the fairly unlikely event that you have three-phase power available in your house, then a different HPWC box is available. I think the box costs the same but the charge rate is somewhat higher.

For more 240V-relevant information, you might like to read the Australian info at Tesla Charging Options for Australia specifically under ‘Tesla High-Powered Wall Connector’ and the table towards the bottom that shows charge rates achieved with the various options. I expect the equipment supplied to the UK market will be similar in amperages and charge rates.

-Alex

 

[alexGS]

Forgot to add that higher-current wiring is always preferable, for future-proofing - so 32A at 240V would be the minimum to consider adding as a new wiring circuit. For the trouble and expense, you want a worthwhile improvement over the 13A standard outlet.

Watts = Volts x Amps, therefore the currents used with 240 volt will be generally lower than 110 volt. Apologies if this is obvious but I’m really just stating it to avoid confusion with information intended for the USA/110V market.

-Alex

 

[Rob R]

Hey folks - I need a home charger for my upcoming Model 3 delivery and understand that, in Europe, the standard is called CSS and this is what most (all??) Electric cars use here. I read that the Model 3 will be compatible with this standard.
My wife has seriously range anxiety so is not ready for full EV but is open to a Plug-in hybrid. I assume we can both use it? We don't drive all that much so I don't need two chargers in the garage so I guess what I want to know is do you have any recommendations on one I should use and approximate cost of installation.

Also, I understand there is a £500 government grant to defray the cost. Am I able to get both the £3,500 for the Model 3 and the £500 for the home charger?

Thanks!

CCS is for rapid charging away from home, not home charging. You do not buy CCS. You buy a simpler cheaper system. Yes, you get both the grants. Are you in Scotland? If so you can get £300 top up for the charger, and a £35k interest free loan (up to six years) for Model 3. Check the Tesla website for approved installers of home charging if you are nervous, mainly check your electrician is registered for the grants. Other than that, any qualified electrician can do it, but best to get one who does a lot of electric cars so he knows the issues. Basically you want a 32 Amp (continuous) system to get 7.4 kW charging at home. The car can squeeze a little more than that, but not worth paying for that seems to be the majority view.
Google "grants for electric cars", "grants for chargers" etc. With luck, the grants will cover the whole charger install, if you are an easy job.
Good luck, I'm in the same boat myself. Electrician comes on Wednesday to assess the install work needed.

 

[scohtay]

Thanks for all your help. I looked at the gov't website and it shows 1,415 electricians that are 'approved' for the grant scheme so hopefully should be able to find one that can do this. I guess what I've learned is that in need the 32 Amp system. Much appreciated.

The Scots really get a good deal from the UK. Why would they want to leave . . . .