Wall Connector Install Cost

[dustypooper]

Hi, Just curious to see if anyone has any insight on this. Later this week I am having an electrician coming to see how much it would cost to install a wall connector at my house in preparation of getting my M3. There are a few different factors that are making me worry this will be very expensive:

1. My breaker is on the opposite side of my house than the drive way. The outlet will need to be run at least 35 feet across the house for the 24ft long wall connector cable to be able to reach the car when parked in the driveway
2. My breaker is also completely full and does not have any available slots

I know I will get a quote very soon but; at what point does the cost involved make getting the wall connector not worth it? a big reason i am getting an EV is for the savings related to electricity vs gas but if i have to dump thousands into getting a home charger should i just rely on superchargers? if anyone has had a similar experience i would greatly appreciate any advice you can offer.

thanks

 

[loan-potato]

Even spending a couple of grand on a charger install will be much cheaper than using the supercharger in the long run. Down here is Texas the supercharger costs 3 times what I pay at home for electricity.

If your breaker box is full you can likely replace a couple of breakers with skinny breakers to free up a couple of slots.

 

[dustypooper]

Even spending a couple of grand on a charger install will be much cheaper than using the supercharger in the long run. Down here is Texas the supercharger costs 3 times what I pay at home for electricity.

If your breaker box is full you can likely replace a couple of breakers with skinny breakers to free up a couple of slots.

Thanks, I am hoping the total cost is under $2.5k. Fingers crossed, the guy is coming tomorrow

 

[legendsk]

Estimate:
New Breaker Box $200
New Breakers $400
Wall charger $400
4/4 Wire 60 feet $600
Trip $150
Labor 4 hours $500
------------
Total $2,250

I think you are pretty close with the $2,500 ceiling, unless you are somewhere like Los Angles, Chicago, etc., then probably double or triple it?

 

[21EV]

Estimate:
New Breaker Box $200
New Breakers $400
Wall charger $400
4/4 Wire 60 feet $600
Trip $150
Labor 4 hours $500
------------
Total $2,250

I think you are pretty close with the $2,500 ceiling, unless you are somewhere like Los Angles, Chicago, etc., then probably double or triple it?

I had similar numbers for mine but the install could’ve included a sub-panel if it weren’t for a breaker for an appliance that is no longer present that I was able to reuse. But my costs were also last year and I don’t think they’ve gone down since then! I think doing it under $2500 is doable outside of a major metro and not requiring major rework or parts.

 

[dustypooper]

I had similar numbers for mine but the install could’ve included a sub-panel if it weren’t for a breaker for an appliance that is no longer present that I was able to reuse. But my costs were also last year and I don’t think they’ve gone down since then! I think doing it under $2500 is doable outside of a major metro and not requiring major rework or parts.

oh boy.... im guessing metro new york will qualify as a major metro -_-

 

[dustypooper]

Estimate:
New Breaker Box $200
New Breakers $400
Wall charger $400
4/4 Wire 60 feet $600
Trip $150
Labor 4 hours $500
------------
Total $2,250

I think you are pretty close with the $2,500 ceiling, unless you are somewhere like Los Angles, Chicago, etc., then probably double or triple it?

metro new york... sooo pretty much going to blow right past that 2.5k target -_-

 

[ucmndd]

4/4 Wire 60 feet $600

Why on earth would you spend so much money to run needlessly large conductors, and an extra one you won’t even use to boot?

 

[Rodney!]

Why on earth would you spend so much money to run needlessly large conductors, and an extra one you won’t even use to boot?

I did something similar, used 3 gauge cable and it was a 60-ft run as well.

The reason being I wanted to future proof the install. Older Teslas ran at a 72 amp charge and the Ford lightning charges at 80 amps, so I wanted to have the capacity going forward if I need it. 3 guage w/ 8 guage ground is good for a 110 amp circuit.

I did the install myself, so it cost only $150 more for the supplies.

 

[dustypooper]

Update on this for people in the future who find themselves in a similar situation -

The cost ended up being way lower that I thought at $1600 total ($400 for the wall connector and $1200 for install). I am not very familiar with a ton of this stuff or the terminology but essentially the electrician said since i have a brand new 200amp breaker and all my fuses can be 'twinned' I have plenty of room/capacity and it mostly comes down to how far the line needs to run. Being that the driveway is on the opposite side of my house, that makes up the majority of the cost. Had the box been right next to the driveway install would have been really cheap.

Given my current car is getting 13.8mpg, I will recoup the cost within 2.5 to 3 months and start seeing the economical (and convenience) benefits of at home charging by New Years.

Anyway, for anyone else in the future who is unfamiliar with all this and assumes its going to be super expensive, its really not that bad. Especially if you are driving a gas guzzler like me you will recoup that cost in no time.

 

[Tronguy]

Update on this for people in the future who find themselves in a similar situation -

The cost ended up being way lower that I thought at $1600 total ($400 for the wall connector and $1200 for install). I am not very familiar with a ton of this stuff or the terminology but essentially the electrician said since i have a brand new 200amp breaker and all my fuses can be 'twinned' I have plenty of room/capacity and it mostly comes down to how far the line needs to run. Being that the driveway is on the opposite side of my house, that makes up the majority of the cost. Had the box been right next to the driveway install would have been really cheap.

Given my current car is getting 13.8mpg, I will recoup the cost within 2.5 to 3 months and start seeing the economical (and convenience) benefits of at home charging by New Years.

Anyway, for anyone else in the future who is unfamiliar with all this and assumes its going to be super expensive, its really not that bad. Especially if you are driving a gas guzzler like me you will recoup that cost in no time.

What I'm vaguely impressed by is the fact that you had a 200A panel that was full. 200A is a lot of current for a house. Um. That's a heck of a lot circuits, there.

The electrician who did the work on my place, which also has 200A service, did the math where they work out the probability that a significant number of the circuits might be on at the same time (load calculation). Which is why people with 100A boxes, even if they have open breaker slots, sometimes can't put in the 60A breakers for a typical 48A Wall Connector circuit. (This is why people should hire licensed electricians, who know about this, as compared to gonzos, who don't.)

Of course, my guy was very happy to discover a dozen open slots. And it was further smiles with the breaker panel being in the garage, so easy job for him.

 

[dustypooper]

What I'm vaguely impressed by is the fact that you had a 200A panel that was full. 200A is a lot of current for a house. Um. That's a heck of a lot circuits, there.

The electrician who did the work on my place, which also has 200A service, did the math where they work out the probability that a significant number of the circuits might be on at the same time (load calculation). Which is why people with 100A boxes, even if they have open breaker slots, sometimes can't put in the 60A breakers for a typical 48A Wall Connector circuit. (This is why people should hire licensed electricians, who know about this, as compared to gonzos, who don't.)

Of course, my guy was very happy to discover a dozen open slots. And it was further smiles with the breaker panel being in the garage, so easy job for him.

Yeah its a fairly large house any my cooling/heating system takes up 8 slots. Otherwise it would be even less work, and cheaper, since he wouldn't have to twin other fuses to make room.

 

[21EV]

What I'm vaguely impressed by is the fact that you had a 200A panel that was full. 200A is a lot of current for a house. Um. That's a heck of a lot circuits, there.

What I'm vaguely impressed by is the fact that you had a 200A panel that was full. 200A is a lot of current for a house. Um. That's a heck of a lot circuits, there.

The electrician who did the work on my place, which also has 200A service, did the math where they work out the probability that a significant number of the circuits might be on at the same time (load calculation). Which is why people with 100A boxes, even if they have open breaker slots, sometimes can't put in the 60A breakers for a typical 48A Wall Connector circuit. (This is why people should hire licensed electricians, who know about this, as compared to gonzos, who don't.)

Of course, my guy was very happy to discover a dozen open slots. And it was further smiles with the breaker panel being in the garage, so easy job for him.

I think full can mean two different things. Mine was full in that another breaker could not physically be added. But I still had amperage capacity to add more breakers and a subpanel which would’ve fallen under the 200A capacity of the entire main panel. I think I have this correct though I’m not an electrician and I did not stay in a Holiday Inn Express last night.

I believe that circuit breaker panels can be spec’d with both the overall amperage capacity of the main circuit breaker and also with the number of spaces available.

I just checked my receipt and since I also didn’t have to add additional breakers or a subpanel and only had a long run of expensive electrical cabling my total was around $1600 for just the install.

 

[dustypooper]

I think full can mean two different things. Mine was full in that another breaker could not physically be added. But I still had amperage capacity to add more breakers and a subpanel which would’ve fallen under the 200A capacity of the entire main panel. I think I have this correct though I’m not an electrician and I did not stay in a Holiday Inn Express last night.

I believe that circuit breaker panels can be spec’d with both the overall amperage capacity of the main circuit breaker and also with the number of spaces available.

I just checked my receipt and since I also didn’t have to add additional breakers or a subpanel and only had a long run of expensive electrical cabling my total was around $1600 for just the install.

"I think full can mean two different things. Mine was full in that another breaker could not physically be added. But I still had amperage capacity to add more breakers and a subpanel which would’ve fallen under the 200A capacity of the entire main panel."

I think this probably describes my situation, but like you, I also did not stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night.

 

[Cryptkeeper]

I live on the 5th floor of a condo in downtown Tampa. To bring 60 amps and install Wall Connector at assigned parking space in parking garage approximately 150 feet cost $3950. Installation was done yesterday but still waiting for inspection.

 

[ymc226]

My breaker was also on the other side of the house. The house just got completely remodeled 2 years ago so they added a sub panel for a total of 200A then. Installation cost $2,000 plus cost of the Tesla Wall Charger in Santa Monica. The tech had to run wire in conduit under the house (around 60ft) then drill through the partial basement wall, run conduit along a wall to near my driveway. I just have enough left on the breaker for 40A so when my MSLR finally arrives, it can charge at 32A. Glad the wall connector can be programed only to charge specific VINs as the car will be in a public accessible driveway when it is being charged.

 

[BSparx]

Fun thread here... I landed here having just said go to a $2900 project to get Tesla charger installed in my detached garage. The job involves 100 feet of new buried distribution wire powering a new 100A sub panel in the garage, with a pair of 60A breakers in that sub panel feeding the wall charger. There is a 14 foot horizontal run in conduit from the sub panel to the walk charger.

Kind of a lot of money but I decided to with it thinking this is the future.

I considered a cheaper option of mounting the charger outside on a post along the driveway. In the end I choose the garage installation for asthetics plus never having to disconnect in the rain.

 

[SJ2000]

Update on this for people in the future who find themselves in a similar situation -

The cost ended up being way lower that I thought at $1600 total ($400 for the wall connector and $1200 for install). I am not very familiar with a ton of this stuff or the terminology but essentially the electrician said since i have a brand new 200amp breaker and all my fuses can be 'twinned' I have plenty of room/capacity and it mostly comes down to how far the line needs to run. Being that the driveway is on the opposite side of my house, that makes up the majority of the cost. Had the box been right next to the driveway install would have been really cheap.

Given my current car is getting 13.8mpg, I will recoup the cost within 2.5 to 3 months and start seeing the economical (and convenience) benefits of at home charging by New Years.

Anyway, for anyone else in the future who is unfamiliar with all this and assumes its going to be super expensive, its really not that bad. Especially if you are driving a gas guzzler like me you will recoup that cost in no time.

I just a proposal 2750 for the install (not including the wall connector). The panel is a long way from the garage but I feel like this is pretty steep.